Post by Tony LeCalvez

• The Midnight– Jason
• Chicago– Does Anybody Really Know What Time It is?
• Peter Gabriel– Sledgehammer
• Indigo Girls– Sorrow And Joy
• Porter Robinson– Flicker
• The 1975– I Like America & America Likes me
• Hall & Oates– Rich Girl
• Abba– Dancing Queen
• Bill Withers– Lovely Day

Here are a few of my favorite songs this week for anyone looking to freshen up their playlists. I chose these songs for the strong 80’s vibe, though the first track by The Midnight is from 2016. The Midnight is a contemporary band paying tribute to the synth-wave aesthetic of the 80’s and “Jason” is one of my favorite tracks off of their album Endless Summer. The feature by Nikki Flores and strong saxophone line ripping interstellar beams of synth-pop make this track feel like a time machine to a retro past of night time drives and neon lights.

Another retro tribute, “I Like America & America Likes Me” fuses EDM sounds and lyrics on modern issues while retaining an 80’s digital aesthetic. “Flicker” by Porter Robinson pairs well with this track if you’re more interested in the Indie EDM style that inspired the throwback.

For a more optimistic vibe try Chicago’s “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”  or “Lovely Day” by the recently departed Bill Withers. Though from 1969 and 77’ respectively, these artists had a strong influence on the funk and brass aesthetic that grew in the 80’s. The strong songwriting paired with optimistic lyrics and soulful vocal performances are a reassuring breath of fresh air from everyday stress. Throw in “Dancing Queen” or “Sledgehammer” if you’re feeling a little edgier or dancier vibe.

Finally, “Sorrow And Joy” off of the Indigo Girls’ newest album Look Long has really caught my attention. Their closing track, “Sorrow And Joy” attempts to praise the radical differences in culture found in all people across the country and revel in its unique and positive qualities. 

“ Sorrow and Joy are not oil and water

  They’re hater and lover, they inform each other

  Attract and repel, make us sick make us well

  But in the end we must hold them together”

-Indigo Girls, “Sorrow and Joy”