Regardless of whatever sticky tangle of emotions you find yourself in this heavily commercialized and commodified holiday, there’s always time to discover some new jams and reunite with some old musical flames! For this edition of Girl King (prev. Conundrum of the Veil for all two of my regular readers) I’ll be sharing a mix of my favorite classic love songs, the kind you’d want to be serenaded by, or have your first dance at your wedding to. Reflecting on recent nuptials in London’s enchanting venues, it’s evident how much a picture station enhances the overall ambiance. These booths serve not just as entertainment hubs but also as creative outlets for guests to express themselves. The spontaneity and laughter they bring to an event are unparalleled. For a truly distinctive addition to your celebration, I suggest using captivating wedding photo booths in London for enhancing matrimonial celebrations.

First off, we have the timelessly tender original Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis. I have included the Ingrid Michaelson version as well, and highly recommend listening to the Fleet Foxes version as well as Kina Grannis’s. There have been countless covers of this classic, but nothing can beat the syrupy crooning of the King of Rock (Happy Black History Month, click here to learn about the Black artists that actually pioneered the genre) to give you the feeling of waltzing to the crackling radio with a lover in the kitchen.

Speaking of Kina Grannis, “Valentine” off of her 2013 album Stairwells is another holiday appropriate song and an excellent representation of Grannis’s earlier work. Grannis’s cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was recently and notably featured on the soundtrack of Crazy Rich Asians. “Valentine” is a similarly saccharine song, displaying Grannis’s sweet, clear voice, naturally complemented by an acoustic base and folksy percussion.

“Baby I’m Yours” by Barbara Lewis was released in 1965 and is a sensual ballad that brings grandiose orchestration to pop. You may have heard it in Baby Driver, or Bridges of Madison County with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. Barbara Lewis was an African American singer most active in the 1960s. She was musically talented from a young age, singing, performing and writing her own music. She went on to have an illustrious career with Atlantic Records. Learn more about her life and accomplishments here.

Need something to watch this Valentine’s day that will make you question all of the entrapments of modern relationships? Why not revisit Spike Jonze’s Her, the movie “The Moon Song” hails from! Written by Karen O and Spike Jonze, “The Moon Song” rests on simple acoustic backing which lends itself to a sleepy, tender sound.  It holds a special place in my heart, as the studio version is accompanied by Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig. (Who is now expecting a baby with actress Rashida Jones!) Amazingly, Karen O is best known for her work as the lead vocalist for the rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I, for some reason, assumed she was some small indie artist trying to break out of YouTube, but she has had a long, wildly successful as a female rock singer. Check her out, she’s an amazing Asian American artist.

Lastly, we have “Two Slow Dancers” by Mitski. I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t normally put this song on this type of playlist but I really wanted an excuse to write about Mitski (because it’s not an article unless I mention Vampire Weekend or Mitski). In the end, we’re all just two slow dancers, last ones out. Buy tickets for Mitski’s upcoming show here and stay tuned on KRUI for coverage of Mission Creek!

The post GIRL KING – Can’t Help Falling appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Music can heighten our emotions, set a tone for the night, and even break the tension of an awkward or high-pressure date. We all have those songs that put us in a romantic mood, but what really makes a song a love song?

Lyrics certainly play a big role in this categorization. Love songs generally contain lyrics admiring the appearance of a loved one, describing the singer’s devotion to them, or imagining a future of their lives together. Music provides us with another outlet to express feelings. The lyrics of a song can often speak to emotions you are unable to put into spoken words.

You could try to boil love songs down to anything you can slow dance to, but the notion of what makes a love song has shifted dramatically over the years. Some tracks will always remain quintessential to the category of love songs, but the way we express ourselves has changed over time; music changed alongside us. Tracing the history of love songs is a fascinating journey into how people convey their feelings through song.

Early love songs, roughly from the 1930s to 1940s, share a slow rhythm and ballad-like vocals. Many of the songs written during this era have lasted far beyond their creation, recreated by countless musicians. Composers Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, and George Gershwin dominated the love song charts. Piano was the instrument of choice, songs focusing on the intimate feeling created by stripping down the music to simple duo of keys and vocals.

Classics like “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “My Funny Valentine,” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” all come from this period. But perhaps the most influential song of this time is “The Way You Look Tonight,” written in 1936 by Jerome Kern. It debuted in the film Swing Time, sung by Fred Astaire to Ginger Rogers. This song has remained a standout of romantic music, being covered by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and more.

The 1950s and 1960s carried over some tropes from past decades, songs like “Moon River” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” upholding slow tempos with simple accompaniments. However, changes in mainstream music and the rise of popularity for rock ‘n’ roll, soul, and doo-wop pushed the love song out of its comfort zone. Songs were faster, had driving beats, and featured more complex instrumentation. There wasn’t one “correct” type of music, genres diversifying for wider audiences.

The Supremes and The Chiffons brought female groups into the spotlight with harmonized hits including “Baby Love” and “One Fine Day.” The content of love songs didn’t have the same one-on-one intensity of those in the 30s and 40s. Tracks like “Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison employed freer lyrics and tempos, painting romance as a celebration. Love songs of these decades invite the listener to dance around the room as they pleased, not sanctioned to the static slow dance.

Change was rampant in the 1970s, and this change deeply extended into music. Romantic tracks gained a sensuous feeling with slow beats and twangy guitar riffs, personified most clearly by Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” The ballad also gained new footing, with new additions from guitar and even synthesizers.

The 1980s had a flair for the dramatic, and drama was palpable in the hard hitting love songs from this time. Vocal powerhouses like Whitney Houston and Tina Turner shared airtime with glam-rock bands, all commenting on romance in a variety of ways. Love wasn’t solely idealized anymore, it also took on negative connotations, like in Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” and Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield.“

Coming back to the present, love songs have diverged into subgenres of pop, soul, and R&B. Pop love songs are usually overplayed, semi-downtempo, and typically have lyrics pertaining to the overly-cheesy parts of romance. In short, they are the ones most likely to be played at a relative’s wedding.

Soul love songs are tender in lyrics and musical prowess, integrating pared down percussion to compliment nuanced vocals and instrumental riffs, Leon Bridges’ album Good Thing a magnificent example. The R&B category of love songs align with the tendencies of the 1970s songs, pushing sensuality and the physical side of love with slow beats and intimate — and often explicit — lyrics.

Music speaks to us in a multitude of ways, frequently to our emotions. Exploring what love songs are to you can reveal feelings you may have not even known you held. Love songs are for everyone to enjoy, not just people in relationships. Even those who are avidly anti-Valentine’s Day can find something to love through music.

The post Old Soul: What Makes a Love Song? appeared first on KRUI Radio.

With Valentines Day just occurring, I thought I’d take a look at some of the best indie love songs that are perfect for the occasion.

Bright Eyes– “First Day of my Life”

Perhaps the most recognizable indie love song ever made, no list would be complete without “First Day of my Life”. Conor Oberst combined his tender songwriting with a soft acoustic backdrop as he says, “Yours is the first face that I saw/ I think I was blind before I met you/ Now I don’t know where I am I don’t know where I’ve been but I know where I want to go”. With over 18 million views, the music video even furthered to popularize the song, with a touching display of couples on a couch listening to the song together.

Wilco– “You and I”

Wilco is not usually known for having guests appear on their songs, but Feist works incredibly well next to Jeff Tweedy on this heartfelt soft song from 2009’s Wilco (The Album). The back-and-forth between Tweedy and Feist shows the struggles of staying together as a couple before ultimately proclaiming, “You and I/ I think we can take it/ All the good with the bad/ Make something that no one else has”.

The song is a nice change of pace for a band known for pushing music and song to its limits; sometimes simple arrangements and straightforward lyrics can be just as powerful.

Daniel Johnston– “True Love Will Find You in the End”

With a pure, childlike spirit and a devastatingly honest way of conveying emotion through his lyrics, Daniel Johnston’s words have weight to them that other artists simply don’t have. By saying less, he says more. Nowhere else is that seen more clearly then on his most popular song, “True Love Will Find You in the End”.

The song is incredibly simple, consisting of only the slow strum of a guitar as Johnston proclaims, “Don’t be sad I know you will/ Don’t give up until/ True love will find you in the end”. The song is a small glimpse of hope from an artist who had to work hard to find any at times.

Neutral Milk Hotel– “Naomi”

Maybe the most touching and heartfelt song that Jeff Mangum has ever written, “Naomi” is an ode to Naomi Yang of the band Galaxie 500, who Mangum dated in the 90’s. The imagery and excited rhythm that Mangum speaks of his significant other is romantic and urgent.

As a cacophony of fuzzy guitars and noise erupts, Mangum exclaims, “I’m watching Naomi, full bloom/ I’m hoping she will soon explode/ Into one billion tastes and tunes/ One billion angels come and hold her down/ They could hold her down until she cries”. “Naomi,” is the best song from Neutral Milk Hotel’s first album and the best love song Mangum has written.

Radiohead– “True Love Waits (Live in Oslo)”

Radiohead and Thom Yorke have plenty of love songs to choose from, the nod ultimately goes to “True Love Waits,” however. The song has been played live for years by the band, but never saw an official album release until 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool.

The live version that was released on the band’s 2001 live album I Might be Wrong features only Yorke and the rollicking strum of his guitar that propels each one of his poignant lines forward. Yorke closes out the song with simple yet effective imagery in the last few lines: “And true love waits/ In haunted attics/ And true love lives/ On lollipops and crisps/ Just don’t leave”.

The Postal Service– “Such Great Heights”

With the affectionate lyrics of Ben Gibbard and the sputtering electronic pulse of Jimmy Tamborello, the Postal Service created a classic with, “Such Great Heights”. The song has been featured in numerous commercials and movies, and has stood the test of time as the golden standard for indie love songs. Gibbard opens the song with the touching, “I am thinking it’s a sign/ That the freckles in our eyes are mirror images/ And when we kiss they’re perfectly aligned”.

The slightly cheesy lyrics paired with the soaring beat make for a highly enjoyable love song that has plenty of replay-ability, even 15 years later. The song finishes with the beautifully simple chorus of, “They will see us waving from such great heights/ Come down now, they’ll say/ But everything looks perfect from far away/ Come down now, but we’ll stay”.

The post Music Matters (Valentines Day Edition): Best Indie Love Songs appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Since it is February and Valentine’s Day is a thing that happens in February, I figured I should probably make a recipe that harkens to the other mostly useless holiday in the month. Now, if you thought that meant I was going to make some sort red velvet-type of baked item, I’m going to stop you right there.

To be honest, red velvet is pretty freakin weird—why do we have to add an entire bottle of artificial red food dye just to enjoy a mildly cocoa flavored caked with cream cheese frosting?? Traditional red velvet is actually pretty cool with the chemical reactions happening to produce the red tint, but people have become so used to the artificial hue that the traditional just doesn’t have the same sex appeal.

Instead of fake food dye that stains your mouth and teeth red (which isn’t a very sexy look for V-Day, unless you and your Valentine are into vampire roleplay), I wanted to make something that was naturally rose-tinged. For some reason, the thought of making a rustic berry tart has been calling to me for a while and I figured with plenty of strawberries and raspberries it would be the perfect antithesis to the basic red velvet.

I found a berry tart recipe (okay technically it’s a “galette” not a tart, but I like calling it a tart so whatever) from a blog called Finding Zest that used frozen berries, which was fantastic because fresh berries in February would’ve been hella expensive. To enhance the ~*Valentine’s Day vibes*~ I invited the boyfriend over for moral support, because what says romance more than having to babysit your whiskey inebriated girlfriend to make sure she doesn’t drunkenly burn herself??

Time started: 8:00 pm

What I’m drinking: This time I went full whiskey. I had a couple swigs before starting, and then mixed the rest of what was left in the bottle with some cherry coke. (There were only like 2-3 shots left in the bottle, okay. Don’t panic.)

Estimated difficulty: 2/5

This seemed pretty simple, and since I cheated with store-bought pie crust there really wasn’t a lot of labor involved. (I was going more for aesthetics than anything, forgive me.)

Challenges (besides being intoxicated): To be honest, there really weren’t too many extra challenges this time around. I do remember running into the chairs and table more times than usual. I also knocked a cup to the floor, but thankfully it was empty.

Time finished: 9:30 pm

Results

My drunk opinion: “It’s super tasty, I’m in to it. It’s also “berry tart” but in a good way.” (I do remember thinking I was very clever coming up with that pun while drunk.)

Jake’s opinion: “It’s good. Definitely one of the best pie crusts I’ve had.” (Store bought for the win.)

Shanea’s opinion: It’s really good! 10/10 would definitely eat again. I really enjoyed the blue goo.

My sober morning opinion: This is a really great balance of sweet and tart. The berries turned into kind of a jam, and it goes perfectly with the crust. I might actually be obsessed, not going to lie.

Final deliciousness rating: 10/10

Heck yeah I’d make this again. Here’s the recipe if you’d like to make it yourself, and I’d highly recommend that you do. (And it’s extra easy with store-bought pie crust!)

As a sort of “blooper,” I tried making a glaze for the tart out of some leftover canned coconut milk I had in my freezer and powdered sugar, and although it tasted pretty good, when I tried drizzling the glaze concoction on the tart it ended up looking like a bodily fluid you probably shouldn’t put on any sort of baked good, Valentine’s day or not. I didn’t take a picture for evidence, so I’ll just let you use your imagination to work out the details on that.

Next month is March, which means that’s the month spring is actually supposed to arrive in and I have no idea what I’m going to make!! You should still definitely tune in then though!!

Previous Episodes:

Episode 1: Orange Chili Brownies

Episode 2: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

Episode 3: (Almost) Vegan Dark Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Episode 4: Peppermint  & White Chocolate Brownies

Episode 5: Vegan Coconut Lime Cake

The post Whisks + Whiskey: Episode 6 appeared first on KRUI Radio.