I MADE YOU A PLAYLIST, Vol. 9: "High Voltage"
Rock on ⚡️
*insert endless 🤘🏼 emojis here*
Lately I’ve been straying from my usual breezy spring indie pop soundtrack and reaching instead for the intense fuzzy guitars, addictive bass lines, and dynamite drums of ROCK. AND. ROLL. What the heck is it about a just-right guitar tone that makes you feel like a superhero? (I suppose this is the reason rock music exists at all, but gosh, it is effective!)
Anyway, if you’re here to get technical, might I suggest that you… not. I don’t know a ton about guitars, or why guitars sound the way they do, or which one you should pick up if you want sound A versus sound B.
But I *do* know how they make me feel, so, without further ado, please enjoy this iconic scene from 10 Things I Hate About You, which embodies one of my favorite things about a nice solid riff: it gets you out of your head and onto the proverbial paintball course so you can have a little fun.
“ARE YOU UP FOR IT?!!” Here we go. 🎸
LISTEN
“Boilermaker” by Royal Blood
I do not know what other-worldly substance they injected into this song, but whatever it is I am fully addicted. The drums! The groove! The head-banging potential! It has it all. Royal Blood is a UK duo whose brand new album Typhoons is 100% worth a full listen, but this live recording is—dare I say—even more incendiary than the studio version? A must-watch.
Also on repeat recently: Bleachers’ latest single “Stop Making This Hurt” / Laura Mvula’s “Got Me” / Middle Kids’ “Stacking Chairs” / …and the entire new Aly & AJ album, which is literally called a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out and then into the sun ☀ so of COURSE you should listen to it.
READ
The Olivia Rodrigo Edition
Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR is obviously taking over the world and obviously I wholeheartedly approve, partially because the Swiftian vibes are just SO strong but mostly because goodness gracious, her songwriting is brilliant. If you’re still on the fence and haven’t watched the “good 4 u” video, watch it immediately. She’s a star.
“Pop’s Buzziest New Songwriter Knows Exactly What to Say” by Spencer Kornhaber (The Atlantic)
Personally, I love a good extended metaphor and excessively poetic songwriting, but Olivia keeps it simple, gets straight to the point, and finds a way to smash your heart open anyway. This piece by Spencer Kornhaber (one of my favorite critics) is a smart analysis of why her songwriting style just works—but also he’s not afraid to poke a few holes in her ever-ascending hot air balloon of superstardom. Either way, I’m hooked.
“How Olivia Rodrigo Became a Canvas for Millennial Nostalgia” by Julia Gray (The Ringer)
This helped me make some sense of all the silly “I’m too old to be loving Olivia Rodrigo” discourse. So many interesting points here, but in the end, good music is Just! Good! Music!
*P.S. - “jealousy, jealousy” and “favorite crime” are the ones for me
*P.P.S. - Hot take, courtesy of Fashionista editor-in-chief Tyler McCall: “good 4 u” > “deja vu” > “driver’s license”
FOLLOW
Shelf Isolation is an Instagram Live book club/podcast/weekly hangout sesh hosted by, and I quote, “2 musicians, trapped on either side of the planet, exploring the wild, untapped universe of Rock ‘n’ Roll Literature.” The two musicians, of course, are Joshua Speers (who sings one of my favorite songs of all time ever) and Matt Thomson (lead singer of a British rock band called The Amazons).
Every week they break down a music-related memoir, biography, novel, movie, documentary… you name it. No matter the topic, their discussions are thoughtful and (highly) entertaining, and I always learn something new. A few of the artists you’ll hear on the playlist below—i.e. Royal Blood and Sheryl Crow—actually came from recent Shelf conversations or recommendations. (Tysm, Shelf!)
Follow along here:
PLAY
Hear me out: If electric guitars could talk to us, they would simply say “you can do anything!” on a constant loop. I mean… right?! (If this is wrong, please don’t tell me. I like it here.)
*Note: If you’ve seen the critically-acclaimed 2000s film Aquamarine, you are perhaps familiar with the talking starfish earrings that offer sweet compliments to their wearer every 10 seconds. This is exactly what I’m picturing, except way more badass.
What I’m trying to say is that pop bops are great for adding pep to your step, sure, but sometimes what you really need is some extra power in your punch. Enter: gritty, gravelly, way-too-loud guitars, bass lines, vocals, drums… all of which have somehow formed a sort of personal security blanket as post-pandemic life picks up its pace and all the things and people I missed over the past year get harder and harder to keep up with during this strange and exciting period of re-entry.
This playlist is a mix of rock, pop, blues, country, current faves and trusted tried-and-trues, but all of my picks have two things in common: 1. They have absolutely nothing to do with the so-called Rock Canon because I am the farthest thing from a rock historian. Do with this disclaimer what you will. 2. These songs must be played at the highest possible volume.
I sure hope your family/roommates/neighbors are up for an impromptu secondhand jam session.
“High Voltage”
Boilermaker - Royal Blood
Remember to Breathe - Sturgill Simpson
It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll) - AC/DC (a doozy, i know, but pay attention to the final few seconds as you head toward Gavin DeGraw — i’m low key obsessed with this transition)
I Don’t Want to Be - Gavin DeGraw
Empty Heart - Grace Potter (WHAT a VOICE — listen to this one too if you haven’t already)
Only Angel - Harry Styles
You Wreck Me - Tom Petty
Doubt It - The Amazons (keep eyes and ears on them—they know their stuff and I can’t wait to hear what’s next)
F.N.T. - Semisonic
Sweet Rosalyn - Sheryl Crow
Crawling Kingsnake - The Black Keys
The Wire - Dirty Honey (the whole Dirty Honey record is a blast and a half — this one’s my fave, but don’t miss “Tied Up” or “Another Last Time”)
Creepin’ - Eric Church
Million and One - Royal Blood
Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
steve - Sydney Sprague (come for the epic opening line, stay for the second verse + pre-chorus when things get really interesting)
Haunted - The Band CAMINO (a head-banger for the ages, IMO)
Number One Hit of the Summer - Noah Gundersen
I Can’t Quit - The Vaccines
Science Rat - Gabriel Bernini (def worth giving the whole album a spin)
Hard To Make A Stand - Sheryl Crow
Lipstick Wonder Woman - Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown
Soundcheck - Catfish and the Bottlemen
Glitter Ain’t Gold (Jumpin’ for Nothin’) - Gary Clark Jr. (it’s simple. Gary = 🔥🔥🔥)
Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones (what can i say, it’s a classic for a reason)
When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
Listen to the whole thing HERE.
Or RIGHT HERE if you use Apple Music!
I hope you have the best time blasting this while driving, doing yard work, cleaning the kitchen, OR before a big meeting, scary phone call or whatever you have on the horizon. ⚡️ As the guitars would say, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!
Thanks for being here.
Natalie