What's your favorite song about moving forward?

The first thing that came to mind was Reliant K's Forward Motion. I don't know if it's the chorus or bridge or some other song part but what the prompt has rattling in my head is this segment:

'Cause I struggle with forward motion I struggle with forward motion We all struggle with forward motion '> Cause forward motion is harder than it sounds Well every time I gain some ground I gotta turn myself around again It's harder then it sounds Well, every time I gain some ground I gotta turn myself around again

Kind of feels like moving forward today to be honest. I don't actually listen to Reliant K much - I've probably not listened to this song in a decade or more - but it's what came to mind.

Share a song that captures the feeling of being completely content. This is that song - Some Alone Time by No Spirit.

What song makes you feel like you're breaking free?

Oblivion by Alaska Reid fits this for me. It's poppy and airy and carries with it a feeling of transcendence. I think the lyrics don't necessarily fit the prompt (they are focused more on past love lost) but the overall feeling very much does for me.

What's your favorite song about second chances?

Two very different options came to mind. I'll go with the one that's one of my all-time favorite songs. It's February by Mineral.

and the snow falls down melts before it even hits the ground and i'm standing here listening to the sound of your hand washing back and forth across my filthy heart

and i don't know if i should say "i'm sorry" or "thank you" i try to speak but the tears choke the words and i think i finally know what they mean when they talk about joy.

You might be tempted to automatically read a Christian soteriology into this if you grew up with a certain worldview but that would be a mistake see here for more discussion on that. What you should read into it (probably - make your own judgement here) is the challenge, the power, the need and reality of forgiveness and second chances in everyones lives. We mess up. Whether it's with friends or family or colleagues or random strangers we meet out and about, we all have moments were we stand bare before others reliant on their grace and forgiveness extended our way. The joy of that second chance that comes from these moments is what this song captures.

What's a song you associate with your hometown?

Down in the Valley by The Head and the Heart. I think a lot of it is because I don't really know what my hometown is - its more or the less the places you find me haunting at any given time. I think this song captures that feel. Whenever I hear it I get a sense of peace, of longing, of home. It's a good one! Here's a sampling of the lyrics:

I know there's California, Oklahoma And all of the places I ain't ever been to but Down in the valley with whiskey rivers These are the places you will find me hidin' These are the places I will always go These are the places I will always go

I am on my way I am on my way I am on my way (on my way) back to where I started

Share a song that feels like a prayer.

There are so many that fit here. One that stands out though is If I Could by Mineral. To be clear (because it gets more debate than it should): Mineral isn't a Christian band. A lot of there songs feel like explorations of life and spirituality and people make assumptions from that. If I Could is like this. I love the last verse:

And I know I don't deserve this The capacity to feel To laugh and to cry and to praise For that I live and breathe and wake each day Is nothing less than your grace In awkward and glorious movement

That kind of encapsulates life: whether a prayer to the universe, Jesus, some other conception of god(s), or something else entirely, it's an "awkward and glorious movement" of grace.

What song makes you want to write a letter?

This is an older song, released in 1995, but Somewhere When Your Heart Glowed the Hope by Starflyer 59 came to mind. As to the letter, in this moment I was thinking of what it'd look like to write something to myself to try and capture hope lost. Life hasn't always been fun and games but hope has been pretty consistent. It's hard to find sometimes these days though. For a shoegazing song and band, this song captures that feel (for me at least) of a glowing hope kindled.

What's a song you associate with your favorite holiday?

It's not Christmas without the Bifrost Arts version of Salvation is Created. I LOVE it. It features a singer named Aimee Wilson and it creates the perfect mood, celebrating hope in the midst of what seems to be all encompassing darkness. The song itself is from a Russian composer who composed it for the Russian Orthodox Church in 1912 before facing a lot of persecution.

I just had a moment re-listening (Christmas in July?) and finding some sort of tendrils of hope to cling to amidst all the darkness around us right now.

The only bad thing about it? My wife absolutely hates it. 🤦

Making up my own prompt today... What song is defining your July 4th experience today?

Easy but sad one. The Happiest Place on Earth by Desaparecidos. It's the perfect mix of despondent rage and Oberst's brand of pop to provide a cathartic listen on a day that should be defined by freedom but is instead overshadowed by the establishment of local concentration camps, remote torture camps, the loss of necessary social services that is already resulting in untold chaos and death, all in the name of some billionaires making bank.

I want to pledge allegiance to the country where I live I don’t want to be ashamed to be American

Not today.

What's your favorite song to listen to while doing chores?

Technically, Girl Talk All Day but that's not on Apple Music so I'll pick something else. Basically I want something upbeat and danceable to some degree if I'm doing chores. As an alt, I'll list Mew's The Seething Rain Weeps For You as it fits that vibe and is a lot of fun (as an album) in its own way.