SONGS SO YOU DON’T CRY AT WORK by mo wilson This mix goes out to everyone working a stressful job, and especially if that job has nothing to do with your chosen passion (thanks college degree). For all the office drones and restaurant counter workers, here’s a collection of songs that have kept me from crying at work and made the monotony seem part of the grand arc in a coming-of-age film. Grimes - “REALiTi” Released as a thank you for her Asian fans, instead of the sci-fi terror of Visions, Grimes sounds like a warm spirit guide as she assures you “oh baby every morning there are mountains to climb.” It’s a song about striving that sounds as comforting as a lullaby. Fleetwood Mac - “Dreams (Nanosaur Remix)” Idk what Stevie meant when she said “thunder only happens when it’s raining, players only love you when their playing” but I take it to mean big things only happen during shitty times and some people are just jerks. Mostly I just ride in the slipstream of her voice and marvel at how Nanosuar can make a classic rock song sound like cutting edge neon bedroom pop. Tame Impala - “Let It Happen” Tame Impala has been making waves in the indie scene with their psychedelic sounds for a minute, but their album Currents reaches a new level of “woaahh this is trippy dude.” This is by no means the best song, but the synth current is strong enough to float you on through life, especially if that phase is a end-of-shift dance party with your co-workers. Rihanna - “American Oxygen” In the midst of the most confusing album rollout ever (Rihanna, we love BBHMM but where is the album?) we’re left with is at a song that seems straight forward patriotic. Don’t be fooled by the title: there’s a dark undercurrent in the wobbling bass before the chorus hits and in the way that Rihanna describes “sweating for a nickel and a dime” and the young boy “trying to get the wheels in motion.” This ballad isn’t about the American dream, it’s about the American struggle. Marina and the Diamonds - “Blue” The standout track on her album Froot, this upbeat pop song is less commercial than her last album (thanks to the absence of Dr.Luke and Co.) but has the same sad girl lyrics that are destined to be plastered on pastel tumblrs across the internet. And from the way girls belted the lyrics at her Governors Ball performance, clearly this Froot has real juice of it. The video is also a real gem. PWR BTTM - “Ugly Cherries” When they premiered this song on Spin, Ben Hopkins said “I just got so fucking tired of wishing I was different so I decided to scream, ‘She’s all right’ until I actually was” and the moment where he lets that line loose (and the squall of noise that follows) offers up a moment of pure catharsis. Live, the duo’s performance regularly hits this nerve of pure adrenaline, but this is the first time I’ve heard it on their recorded stuff.
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