five songs I'm listening to now, volume II.

A few months back, I shared a list of five songs to which I couldn't stop listening. (Sorry: attempting not to end sentences in prepositions results in pretentious sentences.)

I typically don't listen to a lot of music in the car: MPR is my go-to auto entertainment. However, when I wrote my last list of five song, I had taken an MPR break because it was the member drive. (Shudder.) This time, I'm taking a break because I am SO FREAKING TIRED of election coverage. Yes, it's so very very important, but couldn't we talk about something else for just a little bit? Please?

So I'm on a talk radio hiatus, and I've been more or less playing this five songs on repeat. If you need a break from nonstop political jabber, I recommend you give these a listen.

Dance Rascal Dance
Baby Goya and the Nuclear Winters

Fact: this is a song by a fake band. It was part of the soundtrack to a movie called Hello, My Name is Doris - a totally adorable film about Sally Field falling in love with Schmidt from New Girl. It is SO CUTE and you have to watch it right now. However, be prepared to be obsessed with this song for months afterward. Or maybe that's just me.

Lovers Eyes
Mumford and Sons

James and I went to a Mumford and Sons concert in April, and I've been listening to them more or less nonstop ever since. Seeing a band live definitely gives you a whole new appreciation for their music - before we saw Mumford and Sons, I had (shamefully) only listened to about a third of their music. I have since expanded my Mumford and Sons horizons, and "Lovers Eyes" is my current favorite. It's from their second album (Babel), which is pretty easily my favorite of the three. Their first album was amazing, but they really seemed to come into their own on the second album before kind of selling out on the third. "Lovers Eyes" is kind of the epitome of what made people love Mumford and Sons: powerful lyrics, great and emotive harmonies, and totally badass banjo playing.

Ride
Twenty One Pilots

The Bjorklund-Jarvie household has a serious thing for Twenty One Pilots - we listen to them ALL THE TIME, have both albums on vinyl, and are going to their concert in February. (SO EXCITED.) They have so many great songs, but "Ride" is my absolute favorite. It's off their Blurryface album, and I listen to it at least twice a day. Remember how I've said that Twenty One Pilots have an uncanny ability to put into song exactly how you are thinking/feeling? "Ride" does that with the line "I've been thinking too much/help me." As a chronic overthinker, that struck a chord (HA MUSIC PUN) with me. Not to mention the reggae beat and the rap section (which I love oh so dearly). 

Ashes to Ashes
David Bowie

"Ashes to Ashes" is a song that I had more or less forgotten about until James and I went to see the South Dakota Symphony play a Prince/David Bowie concert at the end of October. "Ashes to Ashes" was one of the songs they performed, and I suddenly loved it. It's eerie (especially if you watch the music video), and since I had almost no memory of it, it was like getting to hear a brand new David Bowie song. I cannot stop listening to it - I listened to it four times in a row on the way to work yesterday, and I've listened to it three times since I've been home for work today. I think I have a problem.

Good
Better Than Ezra

Speaking of songs whose existence I had forgotten, "Good" crossed my radar after years and years of absence - I don't know where or why I heard it, but it's been wedged in the 90s music part of my brain ever since. It's so catchy, and the guitar is so delightfully 90s that it gives me all sorts of nostalgic fuzzies. And I'm only a little bit ashamed with James catches me listening to it in the car.

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There are the five songs! Stay tuned (HA! I'm on a roll with music puns!) for more, especially since Christmas music is just around the corner...