Triple Mango NL08: Guilty Pleasures and a Slow Rodeo
PJ Harvey 🥭 Sky Dust Drifter 🥭 Olivia Rodrigo 🥭 and my good bud Sue
Hey there!
Joined this week by my good bud Sue patching in from Toronto who among being a music head, all-time playlist curator, and general knower of cool things, shares an affinity with me for a well-timed guilty pleasure song.
On many occasions after work (we worked together), Sue and I would toss together playlists filled with ‘guilty pleasure’ songs from everyone in attendance and would proceed to dance/sing around the office to the best of our abilities. If my memory serves (probably doesn’t), the flavors of guilty pleasure tracks went something like this:
I’ve played this so many times that my friends hate when I play it now, but it’s good
It feels kinda weird to sing along to this knowing what we know now, but…
Whatever the song choice was, it was rare that it didn’t hit. Quite the opposite. When timed well, guilty pleasures tend to stoke the flame, break the ice, and help us let our guard down by belting out Robyn at the top of our lungs while atop a table.
And in that spirit, Sue and I dove into a few this week to share with you below along with some selections of what else we’ve been rinsing to bring it down to earth.
TBH - “no guilty pleasures" because we should never be ashamed of what we enjoy.
Here’s what we’ve been listening to and digging up 🥭🥭🥭
Album: Danielle Ponder - Some Of Us Are Brave (2022)
Sue: I stumbled upon this album not too long ago, and it's been on repeat ever since. There's this kind of dark, mysterious vibe that sometimes reminds me of the Fugees but it's mixed with that soulful groove à la Nina Simone. And her lyrics are so smart. This lady needs to be a household name. There are some real anthems on this album.
Album: Sky Dust Drifter - Forager Records (2022)
Nick: I seem to be gravitating to all things cosmic country/Americana at the moment which brought me back to Forager Records, one of my favorite labels specializing in digging up dusty obscurities. This one’s a cosmic medley of sun-soaked psychedelic folk and soft rock that’s been a great soundtrack to cook to (in both senses).
If you’re into this, they’re releasing a part two of this cosmic cowboy series next month - Forever Gamblin’ On You.
Album: Caroline Rose - Loner (2018)
Sue: Caroline Rose's "Loner" also has been a staple in my rotation for a while now. It's not the newest release, but it's definitely one of my favorites from the past couple of years. There's something refreshing about it that drew me in right away. The lyrics are clever and introspective, with a quirky charm that's hard to resist. And musically, it's got this unique sound that sets it apart—it's like nothing else out there.
Album: Nico Georis - Cloud Suites (2023)
Nick: A good amount of the records I’ve been picking up this year have been purchased with the morning soundtrack in mind and this one has been a go-to lately. Gentle, bubbly, piano-driven ambient from ‘all-genre keyboard player’ Nico Georis out of Los Angeles. Just as good at home as out in the wild.
Archive: PJ Harvey - Stories From the City (2000)
Sue: This album was released in 2000 when I was 14, and it's been a steady favorite ever since. It's got that raw honesty and intensity that really resonated with me as a teenager. I think it's the perfect soundtrack to the rollercoaster ride of adolescence.
Archive: Electrelane - The Power Out (2004)
Nick: I only found Electrelane a couple years ago but they’re squarely in my wheelhouse as they’re in that lane of Stereolab and Broadcast with the fuzzy, vintage electronics with a shoegazey bent. This was their first vocal-driven record as their previous releases were a bit more ambient and instrumental.
They also worked with legendary producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies), a frequent collaborator of PJ Harvey.
Guilty Pleasure: Olivia Rodrigo - Sour (2021)
Sue: A guilty pleasure for me is a song that I might not exactly play when others are around, but when I’m alone you can bet I’ll crank it up and sing along at the top of my lungs.This album is one of those guilty pleasures.
Teenage angst at its finest, perfected by Olivia Rodrigo. As a young girl I would have loved this; and apparently I still do. Please don't analyze my psychology.
Guilty Pleasure: John Mayer - Last Train Home (2021)
Nick: My most played song of 2022 falls squarely in the I’ve played this so many times that my friends hate when I play it now, but it’s good category. Many of my friends likely do not agree on the latter part of that sentence but I will not be deterred. The Maren Morris feature rounds it out as I could very easily put her track ‘The Middle’ with Zedd in this spot as well.
Guilty Pleasure: Kali Uchis - Just a Stranger (2018)
Sue: This is a song that draws you right in. It's fun and kind of hot at the same time. Kind of feels like the grown-up version of Olivia Rodrigo. And it has that smooth beat. You just have to dance to that. A great song for a solo dance session at home.
Guilty Pleasure: Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour (2018)
Nick: One of my favorite playlists of Sue’s is her playlist Slow Rodeo, dedicated to indie-folk, blues, and alt-country, an intersection of genres that we both have a soft spot for. ‘Spacey Kacey’ not only fits right in there but is also what one might describe as cosmic. She has accompanied me on many a morning commute.
It’s hard to categorize a Grammy-winning AOTY as a guilty pleasure but it’s a short list of people who have heard me sing these ones. That list will be growing now.
🥭 Here’s a Spotify playlist that has a taste of everything mentioned 🥭
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See ya in a couple weeks for NL09 with another good bud!
Nick
🥭🥭🥭