Yep, that’s right. Someone in the Respawning hierarchy though it’d be a good idea to let me talk about music. 2018 is a new year, with 52 weeks to fill; so I thought I’d recommend 52 tracks, one for every week of the year. Here’s the first batch, lasting us until the end of March– some old favourites, some unknowns, some weird stuff and something familiar. Hopefully there’s at least one track for everyone here.
(The date for each week is the Sunday that ends the week. Because 2018 is fun like that.)
Jan 7- The White Stripes- Fell in Love with a girl
The first week of January is all about waving goodbye to the last days of your holiday break, so get the year off to a good start by air-guitaring around your kitchen in your undies. ‘Fell in love with a girl’ by the White Stripes is the perfect tune to put you that energetic, confident, and explosive mindset.
Jan 14- Vampire Weekend- Oxford Comma
I only recently discovered this one. It’s back to work time, and with that comes the need to get your shit together after several weeks of sleeping in and easting too much. Vampire Weekend’s ‘Oxford Comma’ reminds me of that feeling you get when you look yourself in the mirror ready to absolutely smash it. Brush your hair, tie your tie- don’t give a shit about the little things. You da man. Or da woman. Whatever.
Jan 21- Mat Zo feat. I SEE MONSTAS- Sinful
One of my old favourites, this one- and my A level history teacher declared it “a level 4 tune”, so it’s certified phresh.
Funky and stylish, ‘Sinful’ is the perfect track to lighten the mood when you’ve inevitably crashed a few weeks into the work year/Spring term. Relax, you’ve got this.
Jan 28- Cage the Elephant- Come A Little Closer
Equal parts contemplative and explosive, ‘Come a little closer’ comes to us from Cage the Elephant. You know, the ‘No rest for the wicked’ guys. It’s great, just give it a go.
Feb 4- Blur- Parklife
You survived January. Congratulations, the year’s off to a great start. Reward yourself with something fun and stupid. Parklife. For most of us, it’s payday, too. So enjoy yourself!
Feb 11- Woodkid- I love you (Acoustic)
February, for some reason, always ends up being a really reflective month for me. Maybe it’s the cold, maybe it’s the fact that I’m almost half way through the academic year and that scares the fuck out of me, or maybe it’s just because I’m prone to overthinking. Who knows. Anyways, February is four songs that are great for lying back on your bed and thinking to. Because it’s as good a theme as any. Woodkid’s ‘I love you’ comes in two flavours- the traditional Woodkid version, heavy on Baroque drums and bells with a strong, dynamic energy to it; or the acoustic version, with nothing but a Piano and vocals. Both are incredible pieces of music, and I’d suggest you check them both out.
Feb 18- Billy Joel- Piano man
A classic you’ve probably forgotten to put in your library. Here’s your reminder.
Feb 25- Shawn James- Through the valley
Another recent find of mine, this song builds from quiet and contained to growly, raw, and emotional with nought but a guitar and Shawn’s voice. There’s not much I can say other than ‘Why aren’t you listening to it already?’
March 4- Muse- Resistance
Muse is one of those bands that I’ve known about for years, make exactly my type of music, and yet I didn’t actually listen to until that weird few days between boxing day and New Year’s Eve in 2017. Anyways, Resistance is my favourite track of theirs thus far and it’s a great song to round out our slightly depressing February.
March 11– AC/DC- Thunderstruck
February is over. Let’s pack in the depressing shit and get back to what we do best- feeling like the we’re on top of the world. A hard injection of AC/DC should get you feeling all good again damn quick.
March 18- Milky Chance- Fairytale
Because god knows that at some point this week, you’ll need tochill the hell out.
March 25- Gorillaz Feat. Andre 3000 and James Murphy- Do Ya Thing
Anyone that knows me knows that the best response to me mentioning Gorillaz is to grab your ears and run, lest they be talked clean off. But I showed restraint, and only put 1 song on this list- and I settled on Do Ya Thing, their 2010 single that really makes you want to sing along when Andre 3000 declares himself to be the shit, loudly, for several minutes. This really is my go-to song when I’m ready to kick life’s arse. A rare occasion, maybe, but still a fun one.
April 1- Rex Orange Country- Sunflower
To conclude the first quarter of the year, it’s Easter weekend. It should, if we’re lucky, be starting to feel like the world is warming up again for a kick-ass summer a few months from now. Treat yourself to ‘Sunflower’, a warm, fun, and personal song by Rex Orange Bound make you feel fuzzy and comfortable inside. You’ve made it this far; stand tall!
Well, that’s your lot. Until March, at least, where we’ll be re-doing this article with another 12 songs to keep you down until July. Happy listening!