NPR Music - Songs that hit you hard

Episode Date: April 22, 2025

We asked listeners to tell us about the one song they couldn't stop listening to because of how it made them feel. On this episode we share some of their picks and the stories behind them.Note: This episode originally aired in Dec. 2024Weekly reset: Mochi street vendor, JapanEnjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [e-mail] Hear new songs from past episodes in the All Songs Considered playlists in Apple Music and Spotify.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Can you believe it has been a year since we did this show this time last year? It's kind of wild to think about that. It went by so fast for me. Are you at that point, Maitra, where it's just time is just going faster and faster? It is. I very much am like, wait a minute, I thought it was January. Wait a minute. I thought it was September.

What's happening? Yeah. So this is our new annual tradition that we started last year, our episode about songs that hit hard. We did a call out to listeners. and it turns out there are lots of songs that, you know, really hit lots of people really hard. We had a little form they could fill out online if they wanted to use that. Writing in, voicemails, telling us about a song that absolutely wrecked them one way or the other. Ugly cried too or just obsessed about.

So we're going to share some of those songs and the stories and the song picks and everything on this episode. So we'll get to as many as we can. Let's start with one of the written comments that we got. So this was a song a lot of people picked, which would be Sizzas, Saturn. Yeah. A single she released back in February. So people have been sitting with this for a few months now. Yeah.

But one of the listeners who wrote in was Mona from San Antonio. She says, 2024 was a rough year. I had two great losses and was diagnosed with two chronic illnesses. This song hit me hard because the lyrics summed up my emotional state of mind. How can things get any worse? How much more can you? can a person take?

The melodic sound of the song though was somehow soothing. It made me feel every emotion. It made me feel like I wasn't alone. I love this song because it is a feeling that I have had often. Yeah. Yeah, it just really makes you reflect on why am I going through these things? And is there a way to get out of this? And I think it's also, I think about the verse, if there is a point to being good, then where's my reward?

Yeah. which is something I think a lot of people often think about. Yeah. I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to do. Yeah. And why are all these things happening? Yeah. She also asks, why do we always seem to lose the good ones, right?

And the people who are just doing the worst possible things seem to thrive. Yes. That is something I definitely think from time to time. Yeah. It is interesting that so many people pick this song, and not all of them. came to it because they were necessarily struggling or hurting or unhappy. A lot of people, in fact, were feeling great, you know, and Saturn just sort of underlined their feelings for them

and sort of reinforced how they were already feeling. I think, you know, she asks, Cizida's in the song, asks all these big questions about, you know, why we're here and what's the purpose of suffering and things like that. But her voice, just the sound of her voice, the little, Arpeggiated sense, yeah. The production value in this just really give us that otherworldly connection. Yeah, and it just says everything's going to be okay. Or even if everything isn't going to be okay or we don't know, it's okay to ask these questions. Right.

Yeah. All right, let's go to one of the voice memos we got, and this is from a listener named Josh in Dayton, Ohio. And the song that he picked is Laura Marling's Child of Mine. My wife and I were blessed to have our first child on April 12th this year. Being parents has completely transformed our lives. I've never known time to go by so quickly, and I don't want to miss any moment. I've never known a love this strong. Laura Marling's song, child of mine is a beautiful, tender, and poetic reflection on raising a child.

I always end up crying hard during the bridge. Long nights, fast years, so they say, time won't ever feel the same. And I don't want to miss it. No, I don't want to miss it, and I'm not going to miss it, child of mine. I'm so thankful to have a song like this, to you able to remind myself, even when times are hard, the nights are long, that I don't want to rush any moments with this wonderful, amazing daughter of mine. Oh.

In the kitchen, life is slowing down, but it's still bitching. I got myself a ride, but I could break it. My back is still a strong. is I can't make it Plus your mind So who would rush right through It's a child of mine Child

Everything you want is in your reach right now Anything that's not I have to teach something Everything about you isn't you It's those who miss the Because it's fine So this song Child of Mine is from Laura Marlins album Patterns

We just talk We talked about another cut from it called Patterns and Repeat on our Best Songs of the Year episode. And this whole album just absolutely floored me. For much of the same reasons that our listener, Josh and Dayton mentioned, Laura Marling became a first-time mom not that long ago. And she actually recorded much of this album with her daughter in the room. And she kind of played the songs for her daughter that way. In fact, you hear a little sort of recording at the top there that makes me think that is from one of the sessions with her daughter. daughter sitting there listening. It made me feel so warm. Yeah. I don't have children of my own,

but so many of the lyrics of it felt very familiar in terms of the things that I'd heard my mother say. There was one, she says, I can't protect you there, though I'll keep trying. Sometimes you'll go places I can't get to, but I've spoken to the angels who'll protect you. Yeah. And mad if that don't perfectly capture sentiments that my mother has expressed. Yeah. It, is definitely something that I wanted to play for her. Josh, our listener, who wrote in, two things he said that I will co-sign on, the idea that it is so hard, it is so much work.

But even at its worst, when you're just like, oh, my God, this is awful. It's still the greatest thing in the world. And, yeah, just that whole idea, again, about time Laura Marling talks about, and Josh talked about it. Just, you know, the days are long, the years are short, all the things that felt like an eternity in the moment, and you realize, wow, that was maybe two days or a week or something like that.

But Josh, the listener who picked this song, his story and his reflections, I think, are a good example of what we heard a lot in our callout this year. Just a lot of joy. A lot of joy. A lot of joy and almost defiant joy and, you know, intense gratitude. It wasn't all just, you know, tear-jerkers this year. That sort of actually is a great sort of segue, I think, into the next song. Yeah.

This next one was from Michelle, a listener in Philly. Yeah. And the song she picked is Beyonce's Two Hands to Heaven. And the reason this song hit me so hard is that I am 45 years old and finally met the love of my life. After going through so much, I finally found the person I know I want to spend the rest of my life with. And that song speaks directly to finding that true love and feeling like everything is going to be all right. Bottle in my hand, the whiskey a pie. Two hands to heaven, wild horses run wild.

God only knows why though. Ronstones and diamonds both shine in the light. Summer flings are your bearside. Slip into my dreams every night. be the good guy. Who am I to judge my baby? Am I to love my baby? Purple colored pink, sugar cane,

hitting them 16 switches. Candy, apple green, candy pay, swirling 24 and spinners. Swirl. Don't judge me, baby. So if you know the song, it's really sort of clear that the part that really was resonating with Michelle is that last part of finding that person. Yeah. Finding that person that you've been with.

waiting your whole life for, as you have been surrendering and you've been figuring out who you are and putting yourself together. And here is that other person that you've been waiting for. Yeah. I love that. Yeah. No, I'm so glad we picked this one too because, you know, what a gift to find true love at any point in your life. But, you know, she made a point of saying, you know, she's in middle life now and she's just so grateful now to have found it. That is just such a gift. I think one of the things that's great about this song, Two Hands to Heaven, is that it's It suggests a lot of struggle, but it's not, but it's not too explicit about it. No.

It's sort of implied. In fact, the whole idea that she's got a drink in her hand and both hands are raised to heaven, like that could be a celebration. Right. Or a plea. Yeah. Like, I always think about the surrendering part of putting your hands into heaven, but it's a very, it's a very complex song.

Yeah, there's a lot going on in it. Just, you know, Beyonce says something like 10,000 steps to, yeah, for you. find the time of your life, I think. Right, yes. And, you know, there's a journey there. And also acknowledgement and just that one little line that often the path to happiness is a lot of work. It is, yes. So that, of course, is from the Cowboy Carter album.

It came out at the end of March. All right, let's get to another one of the written comments we got. This is for the song, 25 by the band, Lake Street Dive. This is a song that I played on the show actually earlier in the year when it came out. picked by Sue in Cleveland, and Sue says, I turned 69 this year and I'm retiring at the end of the year. My mom passed away in August. All these life changes have me thinking about my life and what's coming next.

I'm happily married and I have been for many years, but this song made me remember the first time I fell hard for someone in college. Never quite gotten over that man, my first grown-up love. This song sums up those feelings of new love and how sweet it feels from a distance of decades. There was a time when I imagined us forever. I can't quite remember how I thought we'd work it out. I guess I would move to California or you to Boston.

I'd learn to like to stay at home. You'd learn to like... One of the stories that I tell myself about Don't take me to the grill I'll be an old woman With somebody else by my side One of the things that Lake Street Dive is so good at Is storytelling

Yeah It doesn't matter what song it is The storytelling in their music Always gets me in my feelings Yeah And then you add on top of that Rachel Price's voice and you just don't have any choice but to feel all the emotions.

And I noticed as I was sort of looking over what we were going to be listening to, there's a lot of songs about memory. Yeah. A lot of songs about the past and nostalgia. And they are able to tell this story and thread that needle in such a very simple way where it's very specific to whoever in the group was a songwriter, but you can pull your own parts of your own past, loves and easily laid on top of that. Yeah, it is not hard to relate to a lot of the ideas and feelings

that come up in this song, at least for me at this point in my life, and I'm sure many other people too. I think the thing that I am moved most by in this song is that, you know, this person who's reflecting on their youth in the past, and it's long gone, but they only have good things to say about this person that they're thinking about, right? Right. And that is something, you know, that just deeply moves me whenever I see that kind of kindness in, the way that love can endure like that, even when you know you weren't right for each other in the long run, that you wish only the best for him.

You know, you and I both brought our own picks in, songs that we want to talk about. Let's just go ahead and do yours because it's a good one. Sure. My pick is the song Traditions by Don Richard and Spencer Zahn. And it's a very simple song. But there is a line in it that just kills me every time. You call it lucky.

I call it blessings. Mama covered a mirror when it rains. She'll lay that brick in front of the door just in. You call it superstitions. I call it tradition. You call it lucky. I call it blessing. The same day, my brother wears saint's shoes.

Must be a frank thing. Because when I wear them shit, they lose. My baby don't go anywhere without this Carolina blues. Your mama's boy, she a tall hell fan too. Bestitians, I call it tradition. You call it lucky, I call it blessing. Does this make you think of your mom? It does.

It makes me think of my mom. It makes me think of my grandmothers. It makes me think of all of those people. not even just the women in my life, but the people in my life who sort of layered on to me. The different sort of cultural family bits that really made me who I am, and a lot of them having to do with faith. Because when I think about what some of our superstitions or what Don is saying are really our traditions, a lot of them are about faith, you know, wearing the saint's shoes, hoping they'll win.

wearing your, it's all about us, these small little acts of faith. Yeah. Hoping that we do our part. And it's hard to believe in those things, and they may not make sense to anybody else. And that for me is why the line, you call it lucky, I call it blessings. It's so important to me. Well, when I listened to this, I immediately clocked two things. One, North Carolina, even though you're from South Carolina, right?

Yeah, but the Carolinas, and family. because I know how important family is to you. Yeah. And I kind of thought this was actually a nice companion piece to the Duran Jones. Yeah, it is. I thought about, like, oh, here I am again, picking another thing that really sort of speaks to my Southern upbringing all these sort of like family parts.

Faith. Yes, exactly. All these things that sort of help inform who I am. And like I said, it's not a super complicated, complex song, but it really just sort of gets to the root of. of who I am. Yeah. No, I get it.

And it's such a beautiful song, too. This whole album is such a, there's so much serenity in it, right? It's just gorgeous. It was hard to pick what song of it because I love so much of the album. Yeah. And that album's called Quiet and a World Full of Noise. You want to get me to listen to something? Call it Quiet and a World Full of Noise.

And that title track is absolutely beautiful. I definitely recommend people check it out. Well, the song that I picked also speaks to Faith, little bit. And it's also, I think, pretty simple to follow, but yeah, is just so moving and powerful to me. It's a song that I played earlier in the year on the show. It's called God Person by Maddie Diaz. I grow of the room. I show up alone. I come here to watch. Other people know what I can only guess Because I'm never sure and I don't like commitment if there's something more

They sing their songs close in their eyes Seeing the light in a different light How does that happen? Why is it beautiful? Why isn't magic and tragic? I don't know God person, but I'm never not searching, looking at the sky, staring at the ocean. If there's something to know, then hold it.

I can't say that I'm not a God person. Talking to my dad, talking about my mom, after 20 years, what the hell went wrong, And how can I avoid making the same choices And stay on the Carolina coast living in the morning This is my song of the year. This song just... And I have spent so much time Trying to understand why does this song just devastate me.

It's not explicitly joyful or sad. But I think it's, you know, when her voice starts to soar a little bit. I'm not a God person searching. Looking at the sky staring at the ocean If there's something to know Then I want to know it I can't say that I'm not a person

There's just so much awe At life in that moment I don't know, that sort of simple wonder at life It's all wrapped up in this song to me When you sent it And I sort of settled on what my song They were such perfect companion pieces Yeah.

Because one song is sort of asking the questions, and the other song is not giving an answer, but sort of figuring out your way to an answer. And this is me asking the questions about it. Yeah. I think for me, too, it's the idea that she is finding God or the possibility of God in all of these tiny little things in life. One of which she says at the very top of the song

is like going to a show with people or something, just standing in the presence of others. Right. I'm looking behind either sky, and I see the ocean where it all came from and where it's all gone. Sometimes I can feel it, and maybe I can't say that I'm not a God person.

I talked with Maddie Diaz briefly about this song. She said she almost didn't include it on the album. Oh. All right, Mitra, let's get to another one of the voice memos we got. Yeah, we got a lot of emails and voice memos from listeners about pets. Pets, yes. So this one comes from Olivia in Washington State, and the song she picked is Love Song from a Dog by Shovels and Rope.

I was listening to a random playlist, and I had the music interrupted by a phone call for my vet. They were calling to give a not-so-great health update on my dog, and my dog has been my best friend. through everything. So as I'm sitting there taking in this terrible news and I'm crying and telling my dog how much I love him, as soon as the call wrapped up, the playlist just kicked back on and started playing the next song and love song from a dog came on. It might sound kooky, but it felt like I was meant to hear it in that moment, like my dog was trying to tell me how much he loved me

right back. And I think this song is just such a beautiful ode to that special bond and partnership between a human and their dog. Dogs are just so loyal and loving and they give so much to us. And it's nice to get that little moment to hear from their perspective. So I still cannot listen to this song without crying. Heck, I can't even talk about it without crying. And I know my, my remaining days with my soul dog are numbered, but I am forever grateful for this beautiful touching song. I was born in a metal by stream, original, and no one there but my mother and my team running in my dream fastest you ever seen. When I met you, it was just a like being born

There was no past to mourn I lay around in this necklace I adorn Never worry about a storm Every night I'm warm One world A blind love sick fool

Running like I'll die If I don't get to you Running like I got More legs than two Running like a song that I was born to do. I remember when I lost a dog that I had had for 14 years, this was a few years ago,

somewhere I saw, and I don't remember where I saw it, or who said it, but somebody said, we're here on this planet to learn how to be good. And dogs already know how to be good, so they don't need as much time as we've got. So I thought that was a lovely explanation for why we don't get as much time with our dogs as we'd like. I love the chorus of this song.

Yeah. It's so fun. The running like I'll die if I don't get to you. Yeah. But also I just, I love that structure of talking about the love, the loyalty, the companionship. Yeah. That character in the song wants to sort of make sure they have. You are the center of their world.

Yeah. Yeah. And inevitably they become the center of your world. Running like I got more legs into. Running like it's something that I've seen. had to do. Running like I only got a little more light.

Running like your love is going to save my life. Running like you think I'm going to run all night. Running, running, running, running, running. Well, this was a song that I missed this year. I don't know how I did, but I'm so glad

that our listener, Olivia, in Washington State, left a voice memo about it, and we got to hear it. This is another voice memo we got from a listener named Mary in Massachusetts, and she picked Kendrick Lamar's song, Man at the Garden from his album G&X that just came out. This year, Man at the Garden by Kendrick Lamar

hit me in a way that I really wasn't expecting. From the very first listen, that repeated refrain, I deserve it all. It lodged itself in my mind, sort of like a mantra. I feel like every time I revisit the song, I find new layers to unpack, especially that ending crescendo. Tell me why you think you deserve the greatest of all time,

It always brings me to tears. It's such a profound and challenging question. And it really makes me reflect on my own sense of worth. What do I really deserve and why? For years, I've struggled with undervaluing myself. And this song feels like a wake-up call at its heart. It reminds me that while greatness may be subjective, we all deserve peace and maybe the courage to believe in our own potential.

Twice emotional stability. A sound body and tranquility. I deserve it all. Like minds and let me. that's enemies, stock investments, more entities. I deserve it all. VVS is white diamonds, GNX with a seat back reclining. I deserve it all.

Put my homes on the beachfront. Flying private, what you eat for lunch. I deserve it all. The respect and the accolades. Lamping on the island watching castaway. I deserve it all. For Harry Good, that passed away, sent $2.5 million on the average day. I deserve it all.

Keep my name by the world leaders. Keep my crowds loud inside of beats. I deserve it all. more money more power more freedom everything heaven that allowed us I deserve it all I I thought this was an interesting one to share because you know where I grew up it was a real sort of pull yourself up by your bootstraps you know don't complain just do your job keep quiet expect nothing and returning it it's taken me a very very long time I mean I'm still not comfortable with it but it's taken me a very long time to get to a point in my life

life where I was even a little comfortable with the idea of getting anything at all. Right. You know, I still can't relate to the, I don't know, the defiance or whatever, the confidence in this song. The confidence that he has saying that, you know, he deserves it all. I mean, well, I think when I look at the lyrics and I listen to him, I'm thinking about the fact that he's saying, I put in the work. Yeah.

Of course I deserve this. And that's a hard, like you just said, that's a hard thing to really settle within yourself because we're conditioned to not sort of make that declarative statement of like, yeah, I deserve this. Yeah. And I think it's even more a push in him doing that as a young black man from a certain community to say all these things. I put in the work.

I did the hard stuff. I did the hard stuff physically, emotionally, professionally. I deserve happiness and peace, as Mary said. Yeah. I love that that's the point that Mary made sort of at the very end of her voice memo was, what do you deserve for all of this? And as she points out, and it's in the song, too, is like, I deserve love and peace. And doesn't everybody.

Right. And since this has come out, I have seen so many people in social media saying, yeah, Kendrick said, I deserve it all, and he's right. Yeah. Well, I mean, he is Kendra. He is Kendry. But, you know, that speaking into onto us or speaking into us pouring into us via this song, like, yes, it is okay to claim your joy and your success. You do deserve it all.

And what a great song. It is a great song. It is a great song, too. Yeah. All right. Let's get back to some of the written comments we got. Our next one comes from Marcia and Belfast, Maine. The song she picked is One Last Dance by Baby Rose.

Marcia says, the first time I heard this song, I cried. Baby Rose sings hauntingly of running into a former lover and how the feelings still burn. As I age and reflect on past friends and lovers, memories of broken relationships bring an aching swell of emotions. And I hope those people know, even when these connections either slowly drifted apart or burned down in raging flames,

my heart still has a place for them and gratitude for their place in my life. It's You know I still remember I'm trying so hard But I can't forget you And I know that things have changed Didn't think I'd see

If you never see But four old time Doing better Now you're here Looking good as ever Know that things have changed It has a lot in common With that 25 song

from Lake Street Dive, that all idea of, you know, looking back at someone who was a part of your life and having only good things to say. Yes, and great storytelling in it as well. I immediately was seeing them encounter each other. Yeah, and like, oh, man, you look great. Ah. Was not expecting you to look that good.

I love the nostalgia in this song. And, you know, shout out to Bad Bad Not Good on the production and they've been there phenomenal, sort of giving us that feel. And then she, Baby Rose, has this amazing, beguiling voice that I'm always, every time I listen to her, I'm trying to like, wait, I'm just trying to figure it out. Yeah. So it just all adds into this sort of great, almost, in my mind, black and white sort of movie feel. Sepia tone.

Exactly. Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. So good. Do you know the singer Celeste? Yes. Oh, God. Do you know her song Strange?

No, I don't know that one. Oh, no. We're going to do a bonus song here. Let's play a little bit of Strange. Okay. I am still making strange. Oh, man. Oh.

Again, I'm sitting here in my mind, seeing the movie. Yeah. I'm seeing these scenes. Yeah. I don't want to take anything from Baby Rose. One last dance. It's a great, great song, too. This actually, quite a few people picked this song from Celeste, Strange, but we were only doing new stuff.

Right. So I couldn't do it. I think this came out. maybe, gosh, four or five years ago. And it just devastated me when I first heard it. But it's that same idea, you know, like all the people in your life who were total strangers, then you become friends, you become lovers, and then strangers again. And because there's that line in the Baby Rose song of, I know you'll be a right if you never see me again.

Yeah. Like we're probably never going to see each other again, but I'm good. Yeah. I know you're good. Yeah. And we've made those different stages. in our lives. I love those stories of figuring out how people come together and how they fall apart. Yeah. Oh, so beautiful. Okay, well, look, we'll put together a playlist with full versions of all of

these songs and a whole bunch of the other ones that the listeners submitted because there were just way too many than we could put on here. But if people search for NPR on Spotify or Apple Music, they'll find the playlist. Hit hard in 2024. But let's do one more. And so many we could choose to go out on. I thought we picked this one from Adrian Linker, the singer Adrian Linker. It's called Sadness as a Gift. And I don't know, not really any additional commentary, really needed on that idea of sadness as a gift. There's this great line. I don't remember where I heard it where someone said, what is grief but love enduring?

From... Was that from you? No, that was from Marvel. That was from Wanda in... Oh, you're right. Vision. Vision says that, yes. Yes, that is.

What is grief? Thank you, Marvel, the Marvel universe. Super deep, but that is so true. Yes. What is grief, but love enduring? And so anytime, yeah, whenever I got sad about losing somebody or whatever, I think, what a gift to be able to, that they left you with so many great memories. Yeah.

Yeah. All right. Well, anyway, this song from Adrian Linker, Sadness as a Gift, it was picked by Michael in Massachusetts. And he writes, if love is a gift, so too is the sadness that accompanies our memories once it's gone. Holding our hand while we've vivid. visit the past or the future we once imagined. How sad, how wonderful it is that the love we shared with someone never really dies. And then Michael says, it hit me hard before, during, and after my short-lived relationship this year. What can I say? I'm a yearner. You know what, Michael? I'm a

yearner, too. Same here, Michael. You're in good company. So we'll go out on this. Thanks so much, Maitra again. Thank you so much for having me, Robin. And a quick reminder to keep listening after the song as we continue to celebrate the 25th anniversary of all songs considered. Stephen Thompson and I have been looking back at the show's number one songs from across the years. Coming right up, we're going to look back at the year 2009. You and I both know there is nothing more to say. Chances shutters shining eyes and turned her face away. Leaning on the windowsill

You could write me someday and I think you will We could see the sadness as a gift and still Feel too heavy to hold Snow falling I try to keep from calling Watch the spring turn to winter firefly Seasons go so fast Thinking that this one

All right, as I mentioned, we're celebrating the 25th anniversary of All Songs Considered all this spring and into the summer by looking back at our number one songs from across the years. We're doing a different year in each episode. This week, we are up to 2009. Stephen Thompson back again to talk about what stands out from that year. Hey, Stephen. Hello, Robin. You know, Stephen, I still laugh when I think about how we were going to do all 25 years in one episode. We're just going to sit down and.

knock out 25 years of music. As long as you pick one 20th of a song for each year. I mean, we're not even playing full songs, but I, you know, I thought, and maybe it'll be a little long. Oh, but what folly that was, because we're only up to 2009 now. And we're kind of doing this as a name that tune. You know, we're trying to surprise each other with our picks here. What's the first thing that you think of when you think music in 2009?

I'm glad you asked what do you think of when you think of music in 2009 because I thought you were going to be like, what's the first thing you think of when you think of the year 2009? What is the first thing you think of when you think of 2009? I would, I was thinking because I got divorced in 2010. And so I think of 2009 as like, we are in the best economy since 1928. Oh, gosh, that was a terrible time. Now that you, now that you mentioned it, I was totally underwater. So happy to remind you. Yeah, I was totally underwater in my house. And I, I had to sell it. Yeah, I had to cut a check to the buyer.

I had to pay them. Anyway, we digress. Anyway, we digress. You'd probably like me to play a song. So this is your number one song for that year. Oh, it's my favorite song because I'm trying to represent. I love this song, but to me this represents 2009. Let's do it, yeah.

Oh, yeah. Home. Edward Sharp in the Magnetic Zero. Very good. Jesus Christ May nothing Please be more This song represents 2009 in a lot of ways

And one of those ways Is just in terms of the larger themes Of what music was sounding like There was kind of at this ever-increasing number of bands Where they just seem to acquire more members As they move through the world As I recall there was an all-songs intern

Really nice guy Who like, I can't remember what instrument he played But he wound up joining Edward Sharpen the magnetic zeros for a time. Oh, really? It's like my internship's ending. Might as well just go and play the triangle for Edward Sharpen the Magnetic Zero. I don't remember what he actually played. But this for me is kind of kicking us into the stomp and clap era.

This is the we have four drummers. You don't want to know what our tour bus smells like. But like big, you kind of band as community. band as kind of a flood of emotions. And that, for me, was the experience of hearing Edward Sharp in The Magnetic Zero's for the first time at Rachel Ray's Day Party at South by Southwest. You know, was like walking into the room and seeing this huge disheveled band of oddballs play this song that is just a flood of nostalgia and emotion. Yeah. That is, it is, it is recalling.

It's just like a song that is just a flood of all the things you appreciate about life. And listening back to it now, there is this element. I mean, part of it is you played the part of the song where it's like, holy moly me, oh, and I'm like, oh, this is so cloying. Yeah, totally. But at the same time, all of my resistances fall away. This is a very sweet song. And to have this shambles come in really spoke to me in 2009.

Yeah, and they brought that. to the tiny desk as well. Such a classic. It really is. And it makes me think, you know, as we've gone through all these years, we have been reminded of trends and things like that, as you mentioned, the Stomp Clap. There was a real arc to that as well that I think was dictated in no small part, there's lots of things, but dictated in no small part by the punishing economics of touring

with 27 people in your band or whatever, because that all began to, you know, it kind of peaked and then it started to fade away where you didn't get all the stomp-clap bands anymore just because... Just the economics of paying four drummers. Right. And just moving people around and, you know, but, oh, that's a great pick.

And that is a band I've not thought of in a long time. So we did a version of this show, an anniversary show in 2016 for all songs considered Sweet 16. I've mentioned that as along the way here as we've been doing this. And the song that we picked for 2016 was Grizzly Bears.

two weeks, which I think that's a pretty great pick. But I'm going to go with my personal favorite from 2009, and I think you might know what this is. All right. Are you stuck? It's beautiful. Is this alluvium? Oh, no, that's a good guess, though. Oh, is this antlers? Yeah. Okay. That incredible voice belongs to Peter Silberman. If you remember him. Yes, this album from the Antlers called Hospice that came out in 2009, and this is the song Kettering from it. It was the hospice was a feel-good rock. It really was. For the whole family, it's just a devastating album about this, a woman who's dying of bone cancer and she's in hospice. And Peter Silberman has been, you know, he was very reluctant at the time to talk about how autobiographical the album was. But, you know, he did say that it was based at least in part on things that did happen in his life and in his relationships. and this album, it just wrecked me in all the best ways.

And I still reach for it every now and then. It is all emotion. It's very beautiful. But it is like, it's going for your tearducts. It's not messing around. Yeah. And it sounds beautiful, but there's a rawness to it that I really appreciate. And when I kind of scanned through, what were my favorite, what was my favorite album of

2009? It was this record called The First Day of Spring by Noah and the Whale. Oh, yeah. Beautiful. full record. But it is like, that is a heartbreak record. That's a concept album about a breakup. And not to knock grizzly bear. Right. But like for me, grizzly bear is a great band that I was left me cold. Yeah. And like those guys are still out there doing great work. They're doing film scores and they're incredible. Yeah. Like it's not a knock on grizzly bear at all. But like,

I didn't feel like I had really the language to speak about it. Yeah. Compared to to what we're talking about with Edward Sharp and the antlers, two very different bands that are still like going for like an emotional big swing. Yeah. We're only playing a little bit here of two songs. Yeah, there is no way to be comprehensive about an entire calendar year, especially when we're squeezing out about 50 different genres. I know. But you must have, if you want to just rattle off a few others from from that year that stand out to you. Oh my gosh. Well, I mentioned Noah and the whale. This was, 2009 was when my love affair with the band Y Oak began. What a great band. Swell season put out a gorgeous record in 2009.

Nico Case put out a phenomenal record in 2009. Yeah, tons and tons of stuff. I mean, again, like, I don't even know, oh my God, the thermals. Oh, yeah, wow. Thermals had a string of, you could drop many different calendar years and find a great record by the thermals. Certainly Jason Lytle, he had yours truly the commuter. Fever Ray had an incredible album that year.

Lorre Gibson, Beast of Seasons was 2009. We've already been talking about. Sharon Venetton had a big record that year. ear. Yeah. The number one alternate pick for me, though, that I was going to play was a cut from Fan Farlow, which is another great stomp and clap. Great stomping clap band. And a really lovely tiny desk if people go back and check that out. You know what else came out in 2009? White and nerdy. No. By Weird Al Yankovic. I think it's the greatest Weird Al Yankovic song. But we'll go out on this and until next time. Thanks, Stephen. Thank you, Robin.

And for NPR music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's all songs considered. You know.