In this new weekly feature, a different LEO staff member will share 7-10 of the songs they’ve got on repeat right now. (Songs by Louisville artists are marked with an asterisk.) Got a track that you think we’d like? Let us know at [email protected] or at the author’s email below.
Due to busy schedules, this week’s track list was split between staff writer Josh Wood and intern Giselle Rhoden.
Josh’s tracks:
If you’ve ever wondered what LEO news writer Josh Wood listens to while driving across town working on stories about city government and open records, it’s this kind of thing. It slaps over car speakers on gloomy winter mornings, but local punk rockers/self-proclaimed “thrash trash” Shitfire are even better live.
The Dubliners — “Óró 'Sé do Bheatha ‘Bhaile”
It’s St. Patrick’s Day week, which means a little more Irish music on my Spotify than usual (though a few classics and punk rock adaptations are always in the mix). “Óró 'Sé do Bheatha ‘Bhaile” means “welcome home” in Gaelic and went from folk song to rallying cry during the Irish War of Independence more than 100 years ago. Its chorus sung in unison, the version by the famed Irish traditional/folk band The Dubliners sounds like a rebellious chant and serves as a reminder that St. Patrick’s Day is about more than getting pissed on beer tainted with green food coloring.
Is Frankfort local? I’m counting it. I first saw bluegrass band Wolfpen Branch by chance in a barroom in Somerset right before the pandemic when they were a duo called Hancock & Shouse. Since then, the band has blossomed, playing bigger — and more packed — venues across the Commonwealth. “Nary” captures the spirit of their sound, with a fast banjo and fiddle laying the groundwork for soulful vocals about wanting to be a “free little bird in the hills of Kan-tuck-ee.”
Dropkick Murphys — “Black Velvet Band”
I told you my Spotify was overloaded with Irish this week. And nobody can really turn an Irish ballad into a punk rock song that feels like it was written for punk like the Dropkick Murphys. “Black Velvet Band” is a cover of an old Irish standard that tells the story of a young man betrayed by his pickpocket lover, who steals a watch, puts it in his pocket, and then rats him out, leading the British authorities to deport the man to Tasmania. Dropkick Murphys turn the song into something you can mosh to.
Alright, it’s not on my Spotify on repeat, but ever since this instant classic dropped on TikTok recently, I’ve been singing it non-stop to my dog, who counts cheese among her favorite foods. How could I not? Just check out the lyrics: “You gotta pay the cheese tax every time you're cooking/When the cheese comes out, this puppy comes loookin’/The rules are the rules and the facts are the facts/And when the cheese drawer opens, you’ve gotta pay the tax.”
Giselle’s tracks:
If you know anything about me, you know I love a music sample when it’s done well. Somehow, Masego managed to combine two of my favorite things: R&B and childhood nostalgia. How he was able to play a sample of DJ Casper’s “Cha Cha Slide” over smooth vocals and even smoother saxophone is beyond me. I know you’re probably thinking of giving this track a skip because of how ridiculous it may sound, but I promise you it’s worth the listen. Give the whole album a chance while you’re at it.
Since Kentucky can’t decide on whether it's winter or spring, I’m ushering in spring myself with some hyperpop. Stranger Club has the vibe I’m looking for, especially with “Daydreams.” It makes me feel like I’m cruising down the street with my sunroof open and the air doesn’t feel like an Arctic breeze. The perfect day has to have this song in my playlist. If only the weather felt as good as this song makes me feel.
My Morning Jacket — “Circuital”*
As a guitarist myself, My Morning Jacket has been a recent find that I’m pretty happy with. The acoustic and electric guitar sound like they’re having a conversation with each other (musicians, you get what I’m saying), and I’m just eavesdropping. This song is definitely what Gen Z (i.e. me) would call “a main character moment” with the rise and fall of the intensity of the acoustic guitar and the vocals to match. My Morning Jacket definitely gives you something worth a listen.
On my daily browse of my Spotify Release Radar, I found this song, and I’ll be honest, it threw me for a loop. I know many other people and I are used to “All of Me” and “Glory” by John Legend with the beautiful, tear-jerking ballads. This song has a new vibe for Legend, and I love it. It’s got a funk and a groove that I have been missing from music lately, and as a new JID fan, I’m glad to see him on this track. This song really is “Dope.”
Marc Anthony — “Vivir Mi Vida”
Keeping on theme with Josh and the non-American music, I couldn’t not mention the legend Marc Anthony. This one is older than the songs on my list, but it’s been on repeat for me lately. I’ve been recently trying to get my partner into more Spanish music, and I had to recommend this song. It takes me back to my study abroad in Spain last summer, and this song was my theme song. Don’t know Spanish like I do? So what. You can’t tell me this song doesn’t make you want to dance just from the music alone. “Vivir Mi Vida” (“To Live My Life”) is about enjoying your life despite the pain and suffering you may go through. Anthony reminds us that life is a journey that comes with good and bad days, but, regardless, we should smile, laugh, and dance through it.
