Diane is a corporate lawyer from NYC living and working abroad.
On the surface she appears "strong, confident and gutsy" - but she had been feeling a drop in her confidence, and wanted a playlist that made her feel like the heroine in her very own, Wong-Kar-Wai-set-in-NYC movie.
In building Diane's Debop, we took note of her current and historical artist preferences, as well as the desired themes she wanted to explore: Life, Love, Happiness, Survival. We then stacked her playlist with a number of diversely strong, complex, badass (mostly female) artists, with the hopes that this playlist would act as the soundtrack she needed at that moment in her life, as she turned another year older. (September 2017)
You can read her questionnaire in full below, and you'll also find a few excerpts from her answers in the custom playlist below:
Diane -
In curating this playlist, I took into consideration the artists you’ve been loving, as well as your current state of mind - and from there, dove into selecting a range of tracks and artists I think you’ll love. I also noted your gravitation towards melody and rhythm, with a particular focus on the types of instrumentation you’ve been leaning towards (percussion, deep drums, violin, cello). My hope is that this playlist will act as a stepping stone and spark a curiosity in you to take an even deeper dive into these artists’ rich discographies and works.
To encourage an optimal listening experience, I’d recommend:
Setting aside 40-50 minutes of “undistracted” time
Listening on headphones
Reading the liner notes as you go through the playlist
Enjoy!
Your Personal Music Guru,
Deb
Here is the full playlist, but you’ll find each track individually broken down with liner notes below.
1. Unstoppable - Lianne La Havas
You mentioned having recently discovered the amazing Emeli Sandé, which led me to think you'll love Lianne La Havas, too. Another soulful R&B vocalist, this track is the lead single from her fantastic sophomore album that came out in 2015, which I hope you explore further (other standout tracks include 'Tokyo,' 'Green & Gold,' and 'Wonderful'). A perfect record set to scenes walking around the city, or listening at home with candles lit, contemplating life, growth, and being unstoppable.
Who’s an artist you recently discovered and loved?
"SWV, Emeli Sande, Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers"
2. Ain't Got Far To Go - Jess Glynne
This is a montage track for your life's movie, a la 'Devil Wears Prada.' It's the ultimate motivation song - one that matches Jess Glynne's powerhouse pop vocals and 90s throwback production - not to mention, the lyrics also reflect the same drive and mentality of not just surviving, but making dreams a reality. Perfect to play to pump yourself up on the morning commute, or when you need to tune out those coworkers. And like the song before, I'd recommend checking out this album in full as well if you dig this song.
Are there any genres or themes you'd like to explore in this playlist?
"I want to feel like I am [...] the main character of a movie set in NYC"
In what environment do you rely on music the most?
"Office when I am trying to tune out my coworkers; subway when I am commuting..."
3. Woman (feat. The Dap-Kings Horns) - Kesha
This song is a certified ANTHEM, especially when considering the trauma Kesha has overcome in her personal and professional life. Seeing how she has come out the other side with this new album is nothing short of empowering. Musically, she's shed her EDM 'Ke$ha' persona, and has returned to more old-school roots and songwriting skills. As a result, her vocals shine, and having the Dap-Kings horn section on this song gives it the retro patina that they lent to Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones. This is the ultimate pump up jam for motherf-ing WOMEN.
What changes have you noticed in your personality or sensibilities in the last 5 years?
"I used to consider myself very unique, independent and strong - but having been in Korea for the last 5 years, I feel like I've become much more conformed to everything, and in certain ways, less confident about myself."
4. Broken Clocks - SZA
This has been one of my favorite tracks from one of my favorite albums this summer. SZA is an alternative R&B artist who's been adored underground for a few years, and finally broke into the mainstream with this fantastic and cohesive debut album. This track paints a portrait of time - spent (wasted?) between love and work lives - but the whole album has been one that I tend to listen to when I'm alone, working or walking around. Vibes for days.
link / link / link
What's your current state of mind?
"Anxious about the future balanced with the need to live every day to the fullest."
5. If You Need To, Keep Time On Me - Fleet Foxes
This indie folk group had taken a 3 year hiatus after their previous (fantastic) album, during which Robin Pecknold, the lead singer and writer, went back to school (at Columbia University). Fleet Foxes has always written poignantly about life and getting older - and this album is no different. The album is titled after a wonderful F. Scott Fitzgerald essay, "The Crack-Up" which begins, "Of course all life is a process of breaking down..."
"The first resonance was feeling like I’d cracked myself to some extent. I read the essay at a time when I wasn’t really sure what I cared about exactly, which is something Fitzgerald addresses a bit. I wasn’t focusing on music, I was trying to find other hobbies but nothing else had quite the same pull." - Robin Pecknold, via Pitchfork
Musically, this album beautifully encapsulates a lot of complex emotions and anxieties of breaking down while growing up, reflecting the period of introspection that served as fuel for the writing.
What changes have you noticed in your personality or sensibilities in the last 5 years?
"In terms of sensibilities, I've experienced a lot in terms of life, death, travels, and everything in between - so I've become much more aware of everything as it is the case with age."
6. New York - St. Vincent
This song somehow makes me homesick for New York even when I'm walking through it, so I can only imagine how you might feel listening to it. She manages to capture nostalgia imbued with a sense of loss in such a simple way, which I think is what makes it so powerful - and frankly, this song is unlike most of her other work (which typically has a more experimental/art-pop edge). But no matter what, Annie Clark is a unique visionary in everything she does, and her bad-ass guitar shredding is always inspiring to see.
Music Video
What's your current state of mind?
"Homesick and confused with bursts of daily happiness in forms of food, small victories, and having some physical distance from some other real problems harvesting in the U.S."
7. I Need My Girl - The National
Here's another band that always manages to capture life's poignant moments beautifully. It's partly Matt Berninger's melancholy yet empathetic voice, but the simplicity of this song - which helps highlight the complexities of love as we get older - is what makes it powerful as well. As Berninger puts it, "“I Need My Girl” is one of the most direct, earnest love songs we’ve ever written. I wrote it about missing my wife and daughter. It’s pretty simple. It’s not about any other thing."
Are there any genres or themes you'd like to explore in this playlist?
"Love, Life, Happiness, Survival."
8. Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell
Of all the wonderful and perceptive songs that Joni Mitchell has written, this feels the most universally resonant. She wrote this song when she was only 24 years old, and the first version released in 1969 is simply her singing over her guitar - the lyrics come across as wise beyond her years, but you can still hear the curiosity in her bright, young voice.
However, the version I picked for this playlist is from the year 2000, when Joni was 57 years old. Same lyrics, sung in a voice that wears its wisdom - you can hear it crack and quiver on certain notes, but every word she sings holds a multitude of emotions. The instrumentation is equally more complex as well - lush strings that stretch and complicate the simple chords she had written over 30 years prior - a musical embodiment of how time and age can make something that was beautiful to begin with, even more so.
Original 1969 version
9. Who Knows Where the Time Goes (Live) - Nina Simone
One more song from the '60s (they really excelled at beautifully asking the Big Rhetorical Life Questions back then). This one was originally written by Sandy Denny, but I've included a live cover by Nina Simone, who prefaces her performance with her own insightful words of wisdom on the nature of time. Her performances are known to have been explosive and powerful, but there's a beauty in the quiet restraint she shows in this cover, where she asks the eternal question, "Who knows where the time goes?"
10. Call It Dreaming - Iron & Wine
Wrapping up the playlist with one of the most positive and life-affirming songs I've heard in a while. This is the lead single from Iron & Wine's new album, 'Beast Epic,' which sees them returning to their powerfully simple acoustic folk roots. The song starts like a typical Iron & Wine song: a single guitar with Sam Beam's comforting voice - as the song itself progresses, the voices and instruments layer, build, and "fall into place," swelling into a joyous and anthemic chorus of embracing the now, and giving all the love you have. A beautiful message to hold onto and act out as we all get older, I'd say.
Lyrics
Are there any genres or themes you'd like to explore in this playlist?
"...at home just relying on this playlist as I am at my desk looking for direction in life with candles in the room while I run the laundry."
