Mariel and I are back again for another round of music recommendations. Sadly, this is the last month Mariel will be contributing to the music blog post. We will miss Mariel and have appreciated her recommendations for the past half-year. Let’s send Mariel off with four more great music recommendations for you to enjoy! For each musical recommendation, we will include a link to the album and a sample song from that album. We hope you enjoy and discover some new artists!
If you feel so inclined, please email us at reference@deerfieldlibrary.org with your own recommendation. We’d love to hear them!
Sam’s Picks:
ARTIST: Elephant Gym
ALBUM TITLE: Elephant Gym on Audiotree Live (2018)
Elephant Gym is a math rock band from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The three members of the band are siblings who love experimenting with different sounds and rhythms of the post-rock genre. Purely instrumental, this live album is recorded by Audiotree and oscillates between relaxing, tranquil sounds and energetic guitar riffs.
SONG TO CHECK OUT: “Finger”
SIMILAR ARTISTS: Explosions in the Sky, Delta Sleep, Physics House Band
ARTIST: Snail Mail
ALBUM TITLE: Valentine (2021)
Snail Mail is the stage name for singer/songwriter Lindsey Jordan from Maryland, who has played her guitar since the age of 5. Her Indie-Rock sound is infused with introspective lyrics and lo-fi guitar work. This is Snail Mail’s second album.
SONG TO CHECK OUT: “Valentine”
SIMILAR ARTISTS: Phoebe Bridgers, Japanese Breakfast, Boygenius
Mariel’s Picks:
ARTIST: Leonard Cohen
ALBUM TITLE: Songs of Love And Hate (1971)
Leonard Cohen’s third album is exactly what its title promises: less melancholic than The Songs of Leonard Cohen and slightly more bitter, these songs see-saw between passion and anger above Cohen’s rolling guitar lines. His brilliant lyricism always provides something new on a revisit.
SONG TO CHECK OUT: “Avalanche”
SIMILAR ARTISTS: Cat Stevens, Tom Waits, Tim Buckley
ARTIST: Neko Case
ALBUM TITLE: Hell-On (2018)
Alt-country queen turned indie rock staple Neko Case is unmatched in her strange, evocative music. Her most recent record feels like an encapsulation of her entire career—moving from haunting alt-country ballads to galloping pop to dark rock sounds, Hell-On is the perfect primer for new listeners.
SONG TO CHECK OUT: “Hell-On”
SIMILAR ARTISTS: k.d. lang, Laura Viers, The New Pornographers
Community Recommendations:
- Ted G recommends: Artist: Lettuce; Album: Unify
- Emily K recommends: Artist: Florence + The Machine; Album: Dance Fever
To be featured in this section next month, send your music recommendation to reference@deerfieldlibrary.org or leave a comment on social media!
