Typically the weather outside influences what “music mood” I am in, and because Lubbock has been experiencing abnormally rainy conditions lately, I’ve been listening to some of my favorite rainy day music.
1. “Apartment” by Young the Giant
Formerly known as The Jakes, Young the Giant was signed by Roadrunner Records in 2009 and released their album “Young the Giant” in 2010. The band’s first three singles, “My Body,” “Cough Syrup” and “Apartment” reached the top five of the U.S. Alternative Songs chart.
2. “Heartbeats” by José González
González’s trademark is soft, melodic sounds with a solo acoustic guitar. He is also in a band called Junip and has performed songs for many blockbuster hits, such as “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and “The Blind Side.”
A couple of other songs by González include “Stay Alive” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”
3. “Dead in the Water” by Ellie Goulding
Goulding is from the UK and with a distinct, unforgettable voice, she entrances listeners. Her song “Lights” was on the top of charts in 2011 and she now has featured music in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “Divergent.”
“Mirror” and “Human” are a couple of other great songs by Ellie Goulding.
4. “Atlas” by Coldplay
Coldplay is a British group that earned worldwide fame with their single, “Yellow.” The band is also known for their albums “Parachutes,” “Mylo Xyloto” and “X&Y.” This past May they released “Ghost Stories,” which is available in more than 100 countries.
“Charlie Brown” and “Clocks” are a few of my other favorites from Coldplay.
5. “Blood” by The Middle East
In 2008 the band released an album called “The Recordings of The Middle East” and then split up. Eight months later, the members got back together and re-released an abridged version of their debut album as an EP in May 2009, through Spunk Records in Australia. The song “Blood” is featured in many films, such as, “Crazy, Stupid Love,” and “Accidents Happen.”
Additional listening from The Middle East includes “Fool’s Gold” and “The Darker Side.”
6. “Pines” by High Highs
High Highs is an indie rock band from Sydney, Australia. They have recently released their debut album, “Open Season,” and have toured with Vampire Weekend.
“Ivy” and “Horses” are a couple of other favorites from High Highs.
7. “Hide & Seek” by Imogen Heap
Imogen Heap is an English songwriter and composer. She has produced four solo albums and her 2009 album, “Ellipse,” earned two Grammy nominations. Her new album, “Sparks,” was released in August.
More songs by Imogen Heap include “Little Bird” and “Wait It Out.”
8. “Misguided Ghosts” by Paramore
Paramore is a rock band from Franklin, Tennessee. They started in 2004 and released their first album “All We Know Is Falling,” in 2005. They released “Riot!” in 2007 and shortly after, it went platinum. Last February, not long after the album “Paramore” was released, the song “Ain’t It Fun” became the highest charting song for the group.
Other Paramore songs that are worth listening to include “All I Wanted,” “Pressure” and “Misery Business.”
9. “Unarmed” by Mariah McManus
McManus was born in Utah and has been a musician since she received a set of musical instruments for Christmas at the age of 13. She released her first album, “Nice to Meet You,” six years later. McManus is known to channel Imogen Heap for creativity and Taylor Swift for pop influences.
Other songs by McManus include “Nice to Meet You” and “Say It Again.”
10. “Like Real People Do” by Hozier
Andrew Hozier-Byrne, or more simply known as Hozier, is the son of a musician. In 2013 he released his debut EP “Take Me To Church” and his second EP “From Eden” in 2014.
Other songs by Hozier include, “Take Me To Church” and “Cherry Wine.”
Some great songs!
Another fun trick to do is to go to rainymood.com in one tab, and then open another tab for YouTube (or iTunes, Spotify, or whatever), and pair the two 🙂