Caroline Richards ’22
Arts Editor
I always come out of midterms in a music rut. I think the sheer amount of time I spend listening to music as I’m working runs me off the cliff (there’s only so many times you can listen to Patience by Tame Impala in the library at 1 a.m. after all). And usually by the time midterms are over you’ve exercised it all: your favorite oldies are old once more, all the new songs you’d just discovered are haggard, you’ve overworked the few EDM songs you actually like, Bach and Mozart aren’t bringing the energy they once did, maybe you’d incorporated a Disney soundtrack or two and are now questioning the sanity of that choice (though if it’s the Brother Bear score you’re exempt from this. God I love Phil Collins). Regardless, you’re in a music hangover, so to speak, and you need a good iced coffee/bagel pairing, some Advil, and a nap. Those are what I’d call the Holy Trinity of hangover cures, and they are also representative of the kind of music you’ll need to revive yourself and get back on track. Here are four good songs to listen to while you’re resting, recovering, and recuperating.
1. THE COFFEE: Heavy Hearted by The Jungle Giants
First you need to wake the hell up. At this point, hopefully, you’ve slept off the majority of the hangover. Now you need to rise and greet the day! Veni vidi vici etc.. Whatever your preference for caffeination is, go forth and conquer while listening to this song. It’s not EDM per say, it’s not pop either. Spotify characterizes Jungle Giants as “Indie dance” and I’d say that’s pretty close. Either way it will definitely wake you up. The rhythm is fun and funky but it’s not overwhelming in the way that dance music tends to be. You don’t want to over-caffeinate, but you definitely don’t want to decaffeinate either. This song is the perfect in-between. Honorable Mention to their other hit song you might already know and love: “Send Me Ur Loving”.
2. THE BAGEL: Trouble by Cage The Elephant
You need sustenance, you need something to fill you up and assuage your angry stomach lining (which is likely in shambles at this point). Bagels are a universal favorite because they’re familiar and filling: they aren’t going to upset your stomach more, they’re simple (and hard to get wrong), and they’re warm and delicious. “Trouble” by Cage The Elephant is exactly that. It’s a familiar favorite and it never gets old. Everyone knows this song, everyone’s had a coming-of-age moment to this song, it’s a classic. It’s nostalgic, it’s warming, it’s familiar and maybe dredges up memories; it’ll help with both hang-xiety and nausea. It’s relaxing but also edged with meaning. Arguably, a very important song within our culture as a whole. Honorable Mention to their other foundational song, “Cigarette Daydreams”, which makes me want to cry every time I listen to it.
3. THE ADVIL: Daiquiri by Mako Road
Now you need to get rid of that headache and your sore dancing-feet. Some prefer Ibuprofen or Tylenol, some like liquid IV, some dabble in Pedialyte. Regardless, you have sh*t to do and you can’t go through your day feeling like you’ve been hit by a freight train. Thus, we enter part three of our healing process. “Daiquiri” by the New Zealand band Mako Road is musical medicine. It’s auditorally detoxifying and soul soothing. Mako Road has a really unique sound where it’s somehow both indie-rock and borderline surf-reggae? The product is a familiar calming effect that puts essential oil diffusers and candles to shame. They have the most reassuring lyrics; very positive and accepting. I’d recommend looking at their other stuff if you like “Daiquiri”. Honorable Mention to their dreamy song “The Sun Comes Up”.
4. THE NAP: White Ferrari by Frank Ocean
The coffee, bagel, and Advil are all fine and good until 3 p.m. hits, ie. hangover witching hour. It’s that awkward time between morning and dinner when nothing’s really going on, maybe you’ve achieved all you needed to for the day but it’s too early for dinner and it’s too late to get anything else done. This is prime napping hour. Or for all the non-nappers (of which I am a member; waking up from a nap makes me feel like I’ve slept through a world war. What year is it?) maybe this time consists of simply laying low for a while: journaling, scrolling aimlessly on Pinterest, taking extremely specific BuzzFeed quizzes, making even more extremely specific Spotify playlists. There’s really no better person to listen to while doing such a thing than Frank Ocean, The Prophet of Our Generation (aside from Future of course. I am not open to arguing about this). White Ferrari is such an incredible song. It’s calming and, as is characteristic of Frank, it’s full of dreamlike images that’ll make you sleepy and reflective. Honorable Mention to “Pink Matter” off of Channel Orange. There are few songs as perfect as that one.
+ There are no comments
Add yours