Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Eli (class of 2024) and features tracks by the indie folk/rock band Mt. Joy.
Mt. Joy
Indie rock band Mt. Joy is both an international sensation and an underrated group. If you are a fan of alternative, indie, or rock music, give the group a listen. Here are some of their greatest hits.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
The Lumineers are an alternative-folk band founded by Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites in Denver, Colorado. Their first studio album, titled The Lumineers after their band name, was released in 2012 and features popular hits like “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love.” The band’s traditional sound, lively stage presence, and heartfelt lyrics drew in loyal fans from across genres and led to impressive feats for the group. The Lumineers were nominated for two Grammys after the release of their first album, highlighting their potential and influence in the folk (and popular) music scene.
For me, the Lumineers’ music is so special because it brings up childhood nostalgia while still holding present-day significance. I first heard their classic songs on the radio and my iPod growing up, so the lyrics and melodies became ingrained in my mind even as I explored other genres and artists. The past few years, I’ve fallen back in love with folk-inspired music, including the Lumineers’ latest releases. Each of their albums hold true to the group’s soulful and acoustic roots while exploring new themes that appeal to a wide variety of listeners. From “Flowers in Your Hair,” to “Cleopatra,” to “Donna,” to “ROLLERCOASTER,” the Lumineers consistently put out songs with catchy verses and simple chords, allowing their audience to easily sing and play along.
If you’re looking to explore folk music, The Lumineers features tons of hits and is the perfect album to start out. It’s available for checkout in the Parsons Music Library so give a listen if you’re interested!
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
This original studio album, released by the Lumineers back in 2012, remains one of my favorite albums of all times. While “Ho Hey” might have been the most popular song to reach national radio stations and launch the Lumineers’ career, some of the more subtle songs on this track are ones that I listen to on repeat while taking a walk, studying for a test, or falling asleep. In particular, “Dead Sea” and “Slow it Down” are two songs that I have fond memories of singing to in the car as I drove around my suburban town with my mom back in high school. The songs off this album provide unique narratives, yet are open enough to allow for personal application and interpretation of lyrics and melodies.
The Lumineers have an extremely unique sound in my opinion. Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, the two songwriters of the group, craft beautiful lyrics that are both relatable and mysterious, harkening back to a bye-gone era of simpler times. Violinist Lauren Jacobson, pianist Stelth Ulvang, bassist/backing vocalist Byron Isaacs, multi-instrumentalist Brandon Miller and cellist/vocalist Neyla Pekarek all add to the complex layering and strong beats backing each song.
Since the initial release of The Lumineers album in 2012, the Lumineers have released two studio albums. In 2016, they released Cleopatra which went platinum. Then, on September 13th, the Lumineers released their third full-length album titled III. The band began their international tour on November 6th in Munich, and will begin the North American portion of their tour in Chicago on December 7th. If you are interested in catching one of their concerts near Richmond, you can see them perform in Charlottesville on February 16, 2020 or in Washington DC on February 28, 2020.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
John Mayer, the egotistical, narcissistic, prodigious, reformed paradox of a musician is by far my favorite artist of all time. When people think of John Mayer, they typically think of him for one of two things: his iconic love songs or TMZ headlines articulating exactly how he broke Katy Perry’s/Taylor Swift’s/Kim Kardashian’s/Jennifer Anniston’s heart. Either way, I rarely see people appreciating his musical talent or his raw songwriting genius. There’s a reason Eric Clapton calls him a “master” guitarist. And for me, there’s no better example of this mastery than on his fifth studio album, Born and Raised.
You wouldn’t guess it at first, Mayer often speaks in interviews about how his favorite type of music to write is blues. You get hints of this on sprinkled across his other hit albums, but Born and Raised is his real tribute to this passion. From first looking at the album art, it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary album from hit-machine John. There’s no photo of Mayer trying to seem like he doesn’t know his picture is being taken, and no angsty black and white filter over the whole image. No, Born and Raised sports old-fashioned text intertwined with clockwork, adorned with phrases such as “Music by John Mayer” and “Stereo Recorded Sound.” No glitz or glam, no profile shots algorithmically calculated to get girls to pick up the tape. Just the title, and a little style to set the tone.
Now, the music. The tracks on this album are slow, gentle folk songs, with a Mayeresque vibe to them. It opens with “Queen of California,” as Mayer immediately flexes his technical muscles with a flowing, articulated, methodical guitar riff cover almost the entire length of the song. It almost sounds like “Why Georgia” at first, but the album’s themes sink in after a spell. A gentle, clean electric guitar accents the track with smooth bends which work alongside Mayer’s voice to keep you interested.
Another highlight of the album comes with the fifth track, “Something Like Olivia.” If you’re still questioning Mayer’s prowess on the guitar, just watch the music video on YouTube. The fact that he can keep this riff going effortlessly whilst singing is beyond me, and the studio version certainly displays his mastery well. The lyrics are repetitive yet meaningful, and the chorus is easy to sing along to. “Something Like Olivia” is about a girl, but it’s not a love song. It’s a jam.
Finally, we have the title track. “Born and Raised” is deservingly named after the album (or… vice versa?), as the simple chord progression leaves Mayer’s voice at the forefront. A harmonica finishes out each chorus in lieu of a guitar solo, an ode to the unique blues/country rock theme of this album. Lyrically, “Born and Raised” is a strong track, telling the story of how he feels that life has passed him by, and how he no longer feels like he has dreams to work towards: “I still have dreams, they’re not the same/They don’t fly as high as they used to/I saw my friend, he’s in my head/And he said, ‘You don’t remember me do you?’”
As a whole, Born and Raised is a break from Mayer’s routine, and it feels like the first album he made more for himself than for the public. It’s not a collection of hits, and it’s not a collection of his best guitar playing. It’s a collection of jams, and though he would continue his adventure into Americana with his next album, Paradise Valley, it was a testament to the kind of music Mayer wanted to make. If nothing else, it’s a collection of good songs, and an album I think everyone should listen to.
![David Lee [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]](https://i0.wp.com/blog.richmond.edu/parsons/files/2019/12/The_Lumineers_2013.jpg?resize=584%2C438)
