THIS IS LIL WHY

Emily Wells- Symphony No. 4 America’s Mercy War

This track showcases an impressive blend of potent vocals over walking strings and general symphonic brilliance as if Cat Power attempted contemporary classical though Miss Wells is generally classified under hip-hop classical. Still, how often do you stumble upon a violinist with an artistic interest in hip-hop? Lyrically Emily Wells presents us with a more obvious Ginsberg-y tirade, but in a calm, slow manner.

“Money just makes you hungry / America there’s your God.”

Nina Simone- Funkier Than A Mosquito’s Tweeter

How wonderfully apt is Miss Simone? This track is funky and fresh and marvelously relevant to social networking! If you happen to be missing some primal percussion from your day- and frankly, what day isn’t lacking in that? - than this one will have your toes a-tapping.

Bring on the funk.

Florence + The Machine- Jackson Feat. Josh Homme (Johnny Cash Cover)

Florence can’t really do any wrong, but this is right in so many ways. Her vocals transcend all genres as she effortlessly undertakes this folksy country classic. We can only imagine she’d be an angellic duet partner.

Doesn’t this just leave you Breathless?

Chris Garneau- Between The Bars (Elliot Smith Cover)

Stunning cover. More importantly this track appeared in The Skin I Live In, which suffiently succeeded in scaring the crap out of us. To be fair, Almovodar manages to frighten us in a tragically beautiful and scintillating way. His aesthetic technique is impeccable; the plot terrifyingly compelling. 

Caveat: this film may initiate an impulse to jump out of your skin.

Haroula Rose- Lavender Moon (The Hood Internet Remix)

Our favorite up-and-comer, Miss Haroula Rose, not only sings mellifluously, but also composes impressive, thoughtful lyrics. Naturally, her talents have not gone unnoticed in the realm of electronica. The Hood Internet cleverly picked Rose’s ‘Lavender Moon’ for a flowery disco inspired, electro lullaby. Bold move really- a folk remix and it’s hauntingly beautiful.

Time to wake up and smell the Roses!

Ani Di Franco- Untouchable Face 

The greatest Fuck You -and your untouchable face- song? Ani weaponizes her words here allowing the music to remain mellow for an impressively calm invective. The quiet tone to the music might make the lyrics even more effective.

“Fuck you for existing in the first place.”

Nirvana- Where Did You Sleep Last Night (Leadbelly Cover)

What’s a countdown without Nirvana? This one was a game changer for us, merging grunge with folk, the obsessions that followed the initial listening of this track. We found this cover to display was the rawest emotion of all the songs off of MTV Unplugged In New York, one of our favorite live albums. This was one of Kurt’s last shows and though it’s historical speculation here, we can just hear the desperation of the tortured young man in his final yawp, “shiverrrrrr.” Apparently he was asked to do an encore following the song, but refused knowing that he couldn’t top his performance of the Leadbelly classic. He was probably right.

“…Where the sun don’t ever shine I’d shiver the whole night through.”

Stars- Your Ex Lover Is Dead

Don’t be fooled by the morbid title, this is far from an angry punk tirade. In fact, the title is altogether misleading. This incredibly Dylan influenced track (re: ”When we meet again / introduced as friends…”) simply paints a portrait of encountering a former lover one evening, the awkwardness and the beauty of it all. There’s something profound about the past and the present colliding, and even more powerful that it happened at all.

“I’m sorry it’s over, I’m sorry there’s nothing to save.”

Bob Dylan- Desolation Row

Sometimes the world grows surreal, and you don’t know why. Yesterday’s masterpiece by Radiohead can only be topped by the opus of Sir Dylan, who can always empathize with those who feel out of place, lonely, and queer. For true Surrealism see Ballad of a Thin Man. For peculiar melancholy and disorientation of the world, see Desolation Row. Some people quote the Bible, Lilwhy quotes the true master, “Right now I can’t read too good / Don’t send me no more letters, no/ Not unless you mail them from / Desolation Row.”

Sometimes there’s nothing more consoling than Desolation.

Mumford & Sons- Ghosts That We Knew

New Mumford And Sons, lovely and mellow per usual. We’re loving the ghostly metaphors, especially since Florence Welch favors them as well. This track doesn’t seem to stray from their previous work, so hopefully the new album will be equally as profound as the first.

Ethereal vibes, yo.