♪ September Music Department Recommendations ♪

Yousef and Marion, KCSB’s internal and external music directors, have compiled a playlist of their September favorites just for you <3 Enjoy!

 

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☆SEPTEMBER 2021 MUSIC DEPARTMENT PLAYLIST ☆

 

MARION’S RECS 

• Jonathan Richman – “That Summer Feeling”

– Jonathan Richman’s lyrics always cut deep. But as this summer comes to a close and I look back at all the summers that’ve gone by, this song not only cuts- it stings. 

• Chaka Khan – “Some Love”

– This disco tune is extraordinarily layered. It builds and builds, but does not break. You can choose to tune into the funky guitar, the driving bass & drums, the soulful piano playing, or Chaka Khan’s vocals- it’s all groovy, and it’s all a great time. 

• Idris Muhammad – “Could Heaven Ever Be Like This”

– You might recognize this song as the sample in Jamie XX’s “Loud Places,” but I promise it’s worth it to hear the original. This one is like a joyride of funky twists and turns. 

• Arcadia – “Election Day”

– Arcadia is a side project of three Duran Duran members: Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor. This song is the epitome of new wave synth pop, and for some reason it reminds me a lot of Halloween. I highly recommend blasting this in the car while driving on the freeway at night!

• Guru, Branford Marsalis – “Transit Ride”

– This song is beyond vibey. It is part of Guru’s Jazzmatazz Vol. 1 record, and it features Branford Marsalis of the legendary Marsalis family playing saxophone. This whole album masterfully combines the genres of hip hop and jazz to create something truly special. 

YOUSEF’S RECS

• Injury Reserve – Knees

– It broke my heart when Stepa J. Groggs died. He was a family man, a comedian, and an energy that I was immediately drawn to. Injury Reserve’s first song since Groggs’ passing, “Knees,” is about growth, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and self-acceptance.

• Ka – I Need All That

– Some say it’s abstract hip-hop, but I say that Ka makes art rap. The song isn’t necessarily about reparations, but rather the rightful claim to culture and efforts to take it back from appropriators.

• Wegz – تى ان تى

– The Egyptian trap equivalent of “Liberty Leading the People.” Wegz carries Egypt on his back with vehemence and a desire for retribution against the old regime.

• Dan Romer & Mike Tuccillo – In Those Tapes

– I cried when I watched the episode of Ramy where the titular character listens to the tapes that his father recorded for his parents in Egypt, letting them know what it’s been like to make his way in America. It hits close to home.

• MAVI – Bloodbath

– “My halo a little rusty, but I still got it.” Sometimes I worry that I’m losing myself, but when I listen to this song, I’m reminded of how lost souls can always find their way back.

DERIAN’S RECS

• Dj510mariko – “Yozyouhan Tansu Dance”

– This song makes me feel like I’m having manic paranoia. Highly recommended.

• The Halluci Nation – “Electric Pow Wow”

– Indigneous music is dreadfully difficult to find, and electronic variants even more so. So it’s neat that not only does this exist, but it also is a certified banger.

• Scott Walker – “Jackie”

– In my opinion, one of the greatest covers of all time. Scott Walker’s tones mix perfectly with lyrics that almost “dance.”

• OUTRAGE- “Doomsday Machine”

– Unfortunately, US Spotify doesn’t carry OUTRAGE’s finest album(2009’s creatively titled OUTRAGE) so I can’t recommend the phenomenal LANDSHARK. Even so “Doomsday Machine” goes HARD AF

• The Delgados- “All You Need Is Hate”

– I mean, are they wrong?