#jhsplaylist

Woke up this morning to find that Canadian legend Gord Downie has finally left the mortal stage & I can’t quite describe the absurdly personal sense of loss I feel. Love the Tragically Hip or hate them, they’ve been a steady soundtrack to those of us growing up here above the 49th parallel for the last 30 years or so, and for me in particular, I’ve had a long love affair with his lyrical chops, for the emotional nerves laid cryptically bare somehow in the kind of rock songs that got played at bars or at hockey games just as often as they did in my living room. 

I was never lucky enough to see them live in person, but when he announced last year that his brain cancer was terminal, and their subsequent farewell tour sold out all over the country, I had the distinct pleasure of watching the CBC’s live airing of their final show on a big screen in a pub, crammed shoulder to shoulder with other fans who cried & laughed & sang along with the incredibly poignant bravery of a man & a band going out sharing their art, doing what they loved. I’ll never forget the way that felt, and tonight I’ll be pouring another one out for him.

The lovely @pantheonofdiscord tagged me in this, and while I love music I listen to SO MUCH & I hate making decisions, so I just plain cheated here. But more tunes for y’all, so, uh...sorry not sorry. ;) Click song titles for links through to YouTube vids! 

1."Brother", "Rumbrave", and "I Came Around" - Murder by Death

Here's the thing: I have no idea how more folks in the Supernatural fandom haven't heard of Murder by Death, because their early stuff especially is so thematically and sonically in line with the aesthetics of the show. And sweet crispy jesus, they have a cellist as an integral part of the band (who is intimidatingly babely in person I might add), which is an automatic win in my books. I've been lucky enough to see these guys live twice, and I definitely recommend checking them out album by album.

So brother, raise another pint/ Rev up the engine and drive off in the night/ See you somewhere, some place some time/ I know there's better brothers, but you're the only one that's mine.

2. Sable On Blonde - Stevie Nicks

I think I rediscovered this song because the author of a fic I was reading made note that they'd had it on repeat incessantly & I was like YES that's a good fucking song. And it is. It's got keyboards, it's got mournful electric guitar, it's got Stevie, and what more do you need for witchy winter morning vibes, really?

3. At The Center Of All Infinity - Yuri Gagarin (full album)

Our Kitten loves this album and so do I. I blast it & she lays down in front of the speakers and purrs her face off. It's on the heavier side, yet approachable, with some great prog-y guitar solos and a Swedish stoner "space-rock" feel, and I actually find it super energizing to write to.

4. Cry - Carly Rae Jepsen

Okay, so I'm pretty sure I listened to the album EMOTION by Ms. Jepsen at least 40 times this summer because it's super catchy & feel-good, and also kind of a modern-day pop masterpiece with an 80's feel (and, I swear to god, MAD Dean/Cas vibes in the lyrics of most of the songs). This is a killer B-side off that album which just wrecks me with its synth, its beat, and its plaintive vocals.

5. Lotta Love - Choir! Choir! Choir! ft. Sarah Harmer

We've covered cellos, we've covered synth, and now we get to the third thing that pretty much guarantees my listening pleasure: goddamn three part harmonies. The original C!C!C! is based out of Toronto, I think, and it's pretty much a large, free-from group of people who all get together, learn a song, and sing the heck out of it. They have a ton of awesome covers on YT (their Space Oddity is a standout), but I love Sarah Harmer, and this version of a Neil Young classic is particularly soulful.

6. Uthuling Hyl - Osi and the Jupiter (full album)

Honestly, I dont even know how I came across this band or this album, and I don't really know how to describe it; my best stab is "ambient progressive dark norse folk" but basically it sounds like it's halfway between the Lord of the Rings soundtrack and if Radiohead made a soft metal album with input from Bjork. It's really interesting & soothing by turns, and it's in fairly heavy rotation on my writing playlist.

7. I'd Rather Be With You - Bootsy Collins

First of all, I freaking love Redbone by Childish Gambino, which samples Bootsy here. Second of all, Bootsy Collins. He's funk royalty, this song bumps, and Andre 3000 probably wouldn't be the man he is without this intensely cool dude having paved his way.

8. Careless Whisper (Beave Remix)

I don't know much about Beave except that they're an Irish DJ who drops the kind of whomping deep dirty house that makes me wish I was still 22 wearing glitter and staying up all night dancing myself sore at the gay bar. Those were, as they say, the days. Some might say you don't fuck with a classic like this, but I say I've had myself some excellent boogie breaks to this edit.

(Bonus: this trap remix of Careless Whisper is stonkingly ridiculous and I love it.

9. Warm Enough - Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment (ft. NoName Gypsy & J. Cole)

jfc these LYRICS though.

Deceptive carnations, our wedding we announced On Sunday for the holy of it/ Solely covet me and you, for you and I/ Are blissfully tethered to simple redeeming When sadness gets worse and we don't know why/ Our city is bleeding for crimson/ I don't protest, I just dance in my shadows/ Hallow be thy empty/ When my name don't sing, shallow waters/ Under bridges don't forget 'bout me/ Who are you to love me and not call me by my name?

10. Need to Feel Your Love - Sheer Mag (full album)

I totally get that some people do not jive with the vocals of this Philly punk rock group, but they & this album have seriously grown on me. It's got serious cred & I bet Dean would be totally into it. :p

11. Sisters - A Tribe Called Red ft. Northern Voice

Another banger! First Nations music doesn't tend to get much representation in the mainstream media, and ATCR have been amazingly successful at helping to break down that barrier with their unique EDM. Their shows have been some of the most energetic & electrifying I've ever been to, and I 100% recommend going if you ever get the chance.

12. The Darkest One - The Tragically Hip

I'm still not over Gord & I probably never will be. Let's round out our Canadian contingent with probably the most Canuck music video that ever was.

13. Anais Mitchell: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Oh Anais...somehow over the last 2 years I managed to forget that I'm absolutely in love with the woman who wrote Hadestown, the folk rock opera based on the myth of Orpheus & Eurydice. I have been such a fool, and rediscovering her lyricism has been like coming home.

Like much of the destiel-leaning fandom, I am currently having lots of Feelings about the season 13 premiere & trying to channel them into a post-12x23 fic that I’ve been wrangling for weeks. Shared this song in the Pinefest chat because it really resonates with me (& not to mention brings the pain), and thought it was prudent to share it here too because the lyrics are so beautiful & poignant. 

I think lots of people in fandom are in general agreement that “I Found” by Amber Run is A Very Destiel Song, but to me it’s very specifically this stunning a capella choral rendition sung in what looks like…an abandoned cathedral?