Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Amy (class of 2025) featuring solo songs by members of the American indie supergroup boygenius.
The boy geniuses
Boygenius, a band comprised of three singer-songwriters (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus), grew enormously popular over the summer, but the majority of listeners are only familiar with the solo music of Bridgers. As a regular listener of both boygenius and the three artists’ solo works, I wanted to shed some light on some of my favorite songs from each of them.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Susanne (class of 2026) some songs for the shorter, colder days of autumn.
Autumn Anthems
As the days get shorter and the air grows colder, it’s always fun to listen to music that matches the ambience of our weather. This playlist features songs with a range of folk, indie, pop and acoustic roots that take inspiration from the natural world around us. Whether you’re cooking festive foods, hosting a game night with friends, or hiking in Virginia’s breathtaking mountains, this soothing yet upbeat playlist is sure to have you singing along and inspired to reconnect with the earth.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring a collection of Indie Covers by Music Library student manager Cole (Class of 2021).
Cole says:
“I’m a huge fan of musical covers; seeing how great artists interpret one another’s work is purest joys of being a music fan. There are, of course, certain covers that everyone knows (Jeff Buckley’s cover of John Cale’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s original “Hallejulah” comes to mind). But I have a particular affinity for covers done by indie artists. I love seeing how smaller acts put their own unique spin on familiar songs, dancing on the line between fidelity and novelty. Collected below are some of my favorite covers by indie and alternative artists.”
Richmond native Lucy Dacus graduated from Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School and attended Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also one third of the indie supergroup boygenius, alongside Julien Baker and Pheobe Bridgers.
Bonus: Punch Brothers – “Reptilia” (originally by The Strokes)
This is one of my favorite covers, though it was never formally released and cannot be included in the Spotify playlist below.
Editor’s Note:“Spider Sounds” invites members of the University of Richmond community to share their thoughts about items in the Parsons Music Library’s collection. The links included will take you to the library catalog record for the item in question, or to additionalrelevantinformation.
Today’s installment of “Spider Sounds” comes courtesy of Music Library Student worker, Liza (class of 2017) and features indie folk band Bon Iver’s second album, “Bon Iver, Bon Iver”. Thanks for contributing to Spider Sounds, Liza!
A promotional photo of Bon Iver frontman Justin Veron taken around the time the album was released.
Differentiating himself from the typical sounds of “folk,” Vernon combined chamber pop with an edge to create his own sounds from scratch. His soulful voice remains a unique characteristic that no other singer sounds like; he evokes an earthy virtuosic voice that you can easily get lost in when listening to his lyrics.
The album is composed of 10 songs, each representing a place. In particular, “Holocene,” is one of my favorite songs on the album because of its ability to trigger dozens of emotions within seconds. I would recommend listening to Bon Iver when you’re in a “chill” and relaxed mood or even when you’re studying, so come by the Parsons Music Library to check it out!
