Julia Maehner
Civilian – Wye Oak
9 April 2018
Let me tell you why this song belongs to one of the few perfect songs out there. It has to do with three components: Melody, emotion and arrangement.
The first one is simple: The melody of the song, so wonderfully melancholic, yet so simple. Singer Jenn Wasner basically just sings up and down the scale, of course sometimes skipping a halftone or so. It brings you back to childhood memories,…
Wide Awake – Parquet Courts
3 April 2018
Here in Germany, the temperature finally has moved above freezing. Sun’s out, weather is starting to be pretty great, finally we’ll be hiking the mountains again…
This makes me feel quite motivated to do things, so I’m celebrating my spring motivation with “Wide Awake” by the extraordinary Parquet Courts. It’s a simple song, but IT’S STILL SO GOOD…
Knots – Lisa Hannigan
26 March 2018
A couple of weeks ago, I completed the “30 Day Song Challenge”. Basically you’re given instructions to pick a song for the span of 30 days. Some – “a song about drugs and alcohol,” or “a song that’s a cover by another artist” – were easy. Some, like “a song by an artist with a voice that you love,” were harder…
Living With Your Ailments – Kiran Leonard
20 March 2018
Kiran Leonard is only 22, but his music has a depth and a whimsy to it only rivaled by his unconventional structure. Also, in spite of his age he’s released A LOT of music, impressive for someone so young…
Keep Yourself Warm – Frightened Rabbit
13 March 2018
Some of you may recognize this song from the TV show Chuck, which arguably has one of the best soundtracks ever. Some of you may be just like me: Hopelessly devoted to this Scottish band called Frightened Rabbit…
Dusty Trails – Lucius
6 March 2018
Pretty soon after moving to New York, I started working for the amazing music company Girlie Action. My fellow employees and my employers soon became a second family to me (we actually had the habit of calling our bosses “the parents”) and some of my clients became dear friends. Even though I never had the pleasure of working with Lucius directly, the band was a longstanding client of Girlie Action and pretty much some of our poster boys and girls.
Interview With Van Tastik by Julia Maehner – Music to Conquer Mountains
28 February 2018
Talking to musicians, even only via email, is such a treat, especially when they can offer pleasant things such as humor and real insight. Van Tastik, an American expat living in Europe, offered just that in our brief conversation on the internet. I’ve selected his song “Drag Me to Hell” for the Music to Conquer Mountains playlist (link to song here please). Because the song is just so damn interesting, Spotify even selected him for its Delta Blues Playlist. I wanted to talk to Van Tastik about all that – his songwriting, being an expat and the power of streaming. Check it out!
Drag Me to Hell – Van Tastik
27 February 2018
What makes a song good? Andrew, our fearless leader, and I talked about that recently in our little video chat. He also asked me, what a song submission needs for me to include it in my playlist. I told him: It’s a matter of songwriting, production and mood. You’re more likely to be receptive to a certain kind of song, if you’re more open to it because of the way you feel, so that’s a pretty flimsy variable…
Elephants On Tape – Traffic Signs
20 February 2018
’m convinced that East German city Leipzig is a better, more relaxed East London. I know, that is being very specific. But hear me out.
Moonlight Baby – The Dig
13 February 2018
Similar to the new Editors-song this new tune by The Dig has really captured me. Every time “Moonlight Baby” comes on, I can’t help but skip along. It really makes me happy, even though the lyrics are so sad. Accompanied by a wonderful combination of rhythmic acoustic guitar, a threatening, dark guitar lick and vivacious synthesizers, the song grooves as singer David Baldwin says farewell to his one true love.
Revelations of a Stamp Monkey – Shilpa Ray
6 February 2018
Shilpa Ray has been one of my favorite artists since I’ve discovered her music a couple of years back. I used to curate songs for fellow music service A Song A Day, and send out five songs a week for about three years. During this time I’ve probably listened to the more new and undiscovered artists than I ever have an ever will. Anyhow – Shilpa Ray had me hooked from the start.
We Need Another Shovel – Billy Momo
30 January 2018
I’ve always had a sweet spot for Tom Waits. When working as a video editor for a local newspaper back in 2012, I did a piece on a theatre company performing Wait’s Black Rider. The director of the show told me “You always have to play a Tom Waits song like a glass of beer that’s toppling over.” That quote stuck to me, isn’t it accurate?