Selected by: Bernard B. (Huntington Beach, CA)
Mellow laid back groovy tunes.
Selected by: Ruby B. (La Crescenta, CA)
Kendrick Lamar & SZA - Gloria (Live at SoFi Stadium, LA – Barricade) | Grand National Tour 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOrN5qHiiQI&list=RDTOrN5qHiiQI&start_radio=1
Selected by: Emily B. (Brooklyn, NY)
One of my all-time favorite songs is "The Steps" by HAIM, where the sister trio confidently asserts “I don’t understand why you don’t understand me!” Backed by a strong bass line and punctuated with electric guitar and drums, it’s a powerful anthem with the sisters at the center - like several others off Women in Music Part III.
Five years later, I quit is an album with a different tone, and the sound and lyrics I find lean more towards self-reflection and coming to terms with the past. In a way, "The Steps" feels like almost the opposite of "Love you right" - the sisters are still the narrators at the center, but instead of accusing another of not understanding, they ask “could you recognize it’s hard to love you right?” By the end - after a lovely combination of acoustic guitar, vocal harmonies, and well-played keys that are undeniably influenced by their producer Rostam - we hear acquiescence at the reality of the situation and a different kind of confident conclusion. “So I guess I’ll never find the strength to love you right … I don’t know how to love you right.”
Haim - Love You Right - Live at the Mann, Philadelphia, PA
Selected by: Melanie L. (Bluffton, SC)
This song has a catchy beat, plus I love that this girl band was put together on a "making the band" show which brings back nostalgic memories of MTV (RIP). Additionally, my daughter who is 7 loves it!
Selected by: Hannah B. (El Segundo, CA)
Sabrina Carpenter - Go Go Juice (Live at The Short n' Sweet Tour)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GkpIXRr6A8
Selected by: Chris P. (El Segundo, CA)
I may be cranky, but this seemed to be a terrible year for new music. Exhausting rehashes (Craig Finn from Hold Steady!) to outright schlock. And this song is no different. A slow traipse through tired tropes. . . .but wait!!!! There's a key redeeming element. Right when you are begging the radio to do anything to end this misery, about 60% of the way in, the duet begins. In a cool swap Ella Langley goes from singing the harmony above Riley Green's baritone (I have no idea who this is, but I bet AI can generate a pretty good cookie cutter likeness), to singing below his tenor when they swap narrator. Better still, she has this absolutely divine Alabama twang that turns "house" into a clipped "howz". . . if you love a little alto bluegrass in your ballad, this is just too good. Honestly, just fast forward to about halfway through the song and let her take you away. So in a milquetoast year of tunes, my song to hear is the last 40% of this one!
Bonus Pick: Chappel Roan was pretty exciting, and Caamp, if you like them, has "Mistakes." The rest. . . meh
Riley Green - Don't Mind If I Do (The Voice Finale) ft. Ella Langley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiC3TZ32c2g&list=RDiiC3TZ32c2g&start_radio=1