Truth be told, I stole borrowed the idea for this playlist after listening to Craig Finn’s podcast, That’s How I Remember It. Craig asks a lot of interesting questions about music and memory, and one recurring question is asking guests if they associate certain albums with certain seasons. After hearing the soothing sounds of Loving’s new album, Any Light, my mind immediately went to the calm wintery days in some of Brooklyn’s quieter neighborhoods. In the spirit of those minimal days, we asked Loving to compile their own “winter” playlist. And just as winter is quickly becoming spring, you don’t have many dates left to catch Loving out on the road (tour dates below).
—Keenan Kush, Talkhouse Director of Operations
Fog Lake — “bandaid heart”
Maybe it’s my Seasonal Affective Disorder that aligns this one with winter for me. Walking around in the snow, nowhere in particular to go. The silence of the winter landscape, the vastness, the cold. I also like the little clips that enter, as if faded memories trying to find coherence.
Grouper — “Poison Tree”
Now it’s the part of winter that feels like it won’t end.
Johnny Nash & Suzanne Kraft — “Photo With Grey Sky, White Clouds”
This is the feeling of many winter mornings where I’m from. It’s hazy, undefined. Some days, the morning darkness can linger on you like a coat as you move along.
Leonard Cohen — “Winter Lady”
One from the master. A passing warmth.
Joni Mitchell — “Song To A Seagull”
I guess I put the heroic songwriters side by side. I especially like the banter at the end, the notion of prescribing a “frame of mind” to the listener.
John Martyn — “Go Easy”
Do just that.
Caroline Polachek — “Go As A Dream”
Is this wintry? I don’t know but you should watch the KEXP session of her performance of this one.
Broadcast — “Winter Now”
I thought for a moment this playlist might just make itself through selecting great songs with the word winter in it (the secret songs of this playlist: “Winter is Blue” by Vashti Bunyan, “Winter’s Love” by Animal Collective).
Wiltold Małcużyński (performing Chopin) — Waltz No. 3 in A minor, Op.34, No. 2
I don’t know why but I was only recently introduced to the brilliant film work of Jonas Mekas. This piece was in a short and now I just keep returning to it religiously (I was previously somewhat of a nocturne devotee). Actually, I don’t really do playlists and I was tempted to just submit a record of these performances.
It begins as a threnody, then something more mystical occurs, then a kind of red wine drunken dance. Then it evens out, the unselfconsciousness of a hangover, the curiosity of snow, what it does to time and the silence it generates. OK, just listen.
Nina Simone — “If I Should Lose You”
Frisson. Possibly tears.
P.S.
Chet Baker — Spring is Here
Loving Tour Dates:
03/19 – Washington, DC – DC9 ^
03/20 – Philadelphia, PA – PhilaMOCA ^
03/21 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge ^
03/22 – Boston, MA – Armory ^
03/23 – Montreal, QC – Foufounes Electriques ^
03/25 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern ^
03/26 – Detroit, MI – Pike Room ^
03/27 – Chicago, IL – Schubas ^
03/28 – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club ^
03/29 – Minneapolis, MN – Turf Club ^
03/30 – Des Moines, IA – xBk ^
04/01 – Denver, CO – Meow Wolf ^
04/03 – Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell ^
04/04 – Boise, ID – Neurolux ^
04/06 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre ^
^/ Fog Lake supporting
(Photo Credit: Zoe Alma)
