Hello, yes, I know that it's not really cool of me to remind you that summer is basically over, but it's something we all need to accept and deal with. I’m home from my 6-month traveling bender and I’m nestled snug in my bed at home, trying very hard to avoid the process of unpacking, prepping for Lockn, and getting ready for my fourth year of college. Luckily, I have some go-to songs and artists from this summer who have accompanied me through all the airports, Ubers and bus rides. This music will surely follow me into the autumn as well, and I’m sure that you will enjoy them too. So, join me as I recap all my faves and pass them along to you! I hope they will be useful to you in some way as well.
Artists
1. Chelsea Cutler
Everyone who reads this blog and follows me on Instagram knows that Chelsea Cutler’s music is easily some of my favorite in the world right now. She is a real talent, both in songwriting and producing, and I really look to her for inspiration and style. She has a way of weaving acoustic sounds and delicate melodies with the hard hits and metallic clangs of EDM influence. In other words: her songs are extremely catchy, but they have meaning in them. Her 8-track mixtape “Sleeping With Roses” was the soundtrack to my final months in New Zealand and still plays on my playlists today. I really never get tired of her. Listen to “Deathbed” and “Hell.”
2. Jeremy Zucker
“Sleeping With Roses” led me right to the doorstep of this indie-pop male heartthrob, whose track “all the kids are depressed” and EP "glisten" has become a staple in the lives of “quirky” teen girls who look out the window during car rides in their adolescent youth. He’s like the musical equivalent of a rom com and I am HERE FOR IT. Like Cutler, Jeremy Zucker weaves beautiful acoustics and melodies into chill, dance-pop tracks with some rapping thrown in. I started listening to just a few songs of his, but I’ve now proudly memorized most of his repertoire and I don’t regret it. He brings me back to my emotional teen days every single time. Listen to “Man Down” and “talk is overrated.”
3. Kasbo
Another European DJ exists, everyone! I thought they’d gone extinct! Swedish DJ Kasbo has been on my radar since I dove deeper into the EDM realm of ODESZA and Jai Wolf, as his songs sometimes appear on ODESZA’s playlists. I became a true fan of his after his release of his debut album, “Places We Don’t Know,” and since then, I’ve been hooked on him. Not only has he featured my girl Chelsea on a track, but his music is beautiful and definitely bumps. His follows the same EDM pattern and style as ODESZA; his beats are chill and accessible, but they also get your blood pumping and ready to go. His songs are great to put on when walking to class, driving with the windows down, or cleaning your room. He’s also coming to Charlottesville!! Listen to: “Over You” and “Found You.”
4. Petit Biscuit
Another up-and-coming European DJ (am I sensing a pattern?), Petit Biscuit has also been on my radar for a while. He released his debut album “Presence” in 2017, and I just recently revisited it this summer. I remembered how good he was and promptly added literally every song to my playlist. His music is so ethereal and pretty – it glistens and sparkles and makes you feel like you’re floating on a cloud made out of stardust. His songs always make me feel so light and airy, and I play them whenever I want a boost of creative energy. Listen to: “Wake Up” and “Problems.”
Albums
WET IS SO COOL. I had dabbled in their music for a little while, but with their release of “Still Run” earlier this summer, I became completely hooked. I wasn’t sure about the production style of the record at first, as the vocals sometime seem messed up mix-wise and the instruments are often imperfect. But I grew to love that. Lead singer Kelly Zutrau lets her voice shine and breathe in songs like “There’s A Reason” and “This Woman Loves You,” and she’s so fun to sing along with in the car or when getting ready. Overall, the record is beautiful and it inspires me so much. Listen to: “There’s a Reason” and “11 Hours”
So okay, this album just came out last week and I only listened it to yesterday but I got hooked! It’s definitely one of my favorites by the group – it is so polished and pretty. Every song is pleasing and important. It’s pretty obvious how much the band has grown and changed, but they’ve also done an amazing job retaining their classic Death Cab sound. And they’re also coming to Charlottesville! Listen to: “Summer Years” and “When We Drive”
I’m sorry but Kacey Musgraves had THE BEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME. I am OBSESSED. WITH. THIS. ALBUM. Her voice, the production, the songwriting, the plays on words, the aesthetic, her live performances, her Instagram, her OUTFITS, all of it. She is a star. I can’t even form coherent sentences. And just so you know, I am not a country fan at all. I had listened to a few of her earlier songs here and there, but this album is a completely different beast and I am absolutely in awe of it. I have not heard one bad review of the record and it needs to win the Grammy ok bye.
Listen to: “Slow Burn” and “Space Cowboy”
Songs/Tracks/Other
In no particular order, here are some singles and random songs that I’ve had on repeat as well, from a whole range of genres:
6. Travis Scott, “SICKO MODE” and “WAKE UP”
7. Ayokay, “Sleepless Nights” and “Swing Swing”
To listen to all these songs, follow my LA summer playlist here.
Hope you all had a fun and restful summer – so excited for all the music to come this fall!
Love,
Virg
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