If you like the new folklore album, here's what you should listen to next.

Me and Taylor Swift have kind of an interesting history. I didn’t really learn about her until 2008-2009, when I moved up to a college town and made friends with some girls who introduced me to the mainstream country scene. One of them burned me copies of her music (thanks, Cait!) and while I liked some of the songs, 19 year old me felt a little too old for the big hits like ‘Love Story’ and ‘You Belong With Me.’ I was also deep into the rich indie music scene on campus, seeing bands like Bright Eyes, First Aid Kit, The Hold Steady, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Drive By Truckers and Iron and Wine at the college venue for free (RIP CDU.) Honestly there were just so many great lesser-known artists that I could see live that I dove head-first into that world and didn’t look back. Even then I could see that Swift was a talented songwriter (Tim McGraw, the Best Day and Fearless are some of my favorite songs from that era) but it was definitely more of a side interest/guilty pleasure.

Fast forward to medical school, when I hit a pretty rough patch between struggling with coursework and a floundering long-distance relationship. As if on cue, Swift dropped Red and between the title track and ‘All Too Well’ I had found the soundtrack to the very rocky 2012 I had been having. I spent a lot of time driving winding backroads and singing along off-key to some of the best break up music I had heard since discovering Rumours after getting dumped in high school. It easily remains one of my favorite albums of all time and sealed me as a TS fan for the foreseeable future. Songs like Holy Ground, Treacherous, and State of Grace to this day are among my absolute favorites. I've since loved everything she's put out, with an admitted emotional bias/attachment (and dragged my husband along into the fandom; he excels at singing along the wrong lyrics, relishing in the very wrong 'boys only want love if it's Georgia' since he knows it makes me cringe and laugh at the same time. He's going to be a great Dad, haha.)

 So when she rocked up with folklore last week, between my love for pretty much anything she does at this point and long-time passion for artists like Bon Iver and the National, I felt like this was the Taylor Swift album that was made for me. After a few listens I can say folklore has stolen the crown from Red for me as her best work yet. I tear up every time I hear the lines to epiphany, and my tears ricochet and peace really hit me on a personal level. I’m so stoked she did something different for this album and after a few listens, really found myself going back to some of those independent artists I loved back in college. After reading this round table talk at Atwood Magazine, I realized a big part of why I loved the sound is that it brought me back to a sound I really loved back then, but had drifted away from in recent years.

 One of the writers made a folklore-inspired folk playlist on Spotify, and while I love and agree with 99% of his choices, I wanted to add some of the artists and bands I loved in my college days. So in full disclosure, this is a total copycat idea 😊 I’ve highlighted a couple of the artists below. Most are more true folk than Swift’s album is (I feel like calling her album folk is a bit of a misnomer), but some (like the Sundays, Bob Dylan, Arcade Fire, and Maggie Rogers) I included because I can hear elements of their sound in folklore. I linked the playlist below... Feel free to have a look if you’re a music nerd like me, or just enjoy the spotify playlist. :)

Bob Dylan- I think in an interview somewhere Jack Antonoff or another collaborator mentioned that Betty had been inspired by Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan/Bruce Springsteen style, but I can’t find the quote now. As a huge Dylan fan, my best guesses were Don’tthink twice, it’s alright or Tangled Up in Blue. Any other ideas?

Jason Isbell- another of my absolute favorite songwriters, Isbell really knows how to make you feel some kind of way with his narrative style. I’d highly recommend his albums Southeastern, Here We Rest and The Nashville Sound (latter two are with his band the 400 unit as well.)

The Postal Service- Give Up was one of the first pop albums I ever purchased (ok confession time: typed this out and then realized Celine Dion came first- I got her greatest hits in 5^th grade because that’s what my friends were listening to. Still love her. No regrets.) It’s definitely more upbeat that folklore, but melancholy songs like The District Sleeps Alone Tonight and This Place is a Prison make for equally good quarantine listening.

Phoebe Bridgers- I have to admit I just this week got around to downloading Punisher. But Stranger in the Alps is a great album, and Motion Sickness made me cry the first 20 times I listened. Honestly, I would love to see her and Taylor collaborate on something. I think it could be really great, if either of them are reading this…(note: they are most definitely not reading this.)

 Bright Eyes- Conor Oberst was the original emo musician prodigy, starting to play professionally when he was only 13 or 14 years old. I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning was the sound of my high school years, and Cassadaga deserves so much more attention than it got (Four Winds is one of my favorite songs of all time.) When it comes to songwriting he’s right up there with Swift for me.  Also I have to thank him for introducing me to First Aid Kit, who I was lucky enough to meet when they opened for one of his shows in Tallahassee :)

Neil Young- forever a favorite of mine, and someone I have always admired for speaking his mind and writing politically-minded protest songs (see Southern Man and Ohio.) I love his heavier stuff too, but songs like Old Man, This Old Guitar, Heart of Gold, and Unknown Legend will always be among his best work in my opinion.

Maggie Rogers- this girl’s EP is unlike anything I have ever heard before, in the best way possible. The mix ofelectronics and nature yields such a unique and beautiful sound, it almost feels transcendental, and it’s a sound that is definitely all her own, which is such a rarity in the pop world these days.

Band of Horses- most of their music is decidedly more rock than anything Swift has done, but Infinite Arms was one of those albums that changed my life and that I’ll always anchor to a certain memory, one of with my family through rural Ireland playing these songs on repeat. Easily one of my favorite albums of all time.

Fleetwood Mac- considering they are one of my favorite bands of all time, it was surprisingly easy to pick ‘Storms’ for this playlist. I have a lot of love for both Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie; their words (and Lindsay’s) brought me through my first break up back in high school (as stated above, Rumours changed my life,) at the age when you feel those kinds of emotions at 10 times the magnitude compared to when you’re older.

Iron & Wine and Calexico- the In the Reins EP is one of my favorite albums of all time and I’ll forever be grateful that these two artists have continued their working relationship over 10 years later with a new full-length album. Be careful though- 16, Maybe Less will tear you apart.

Songs that sound like crisp fall air

Music has always been such a massive part of my life. From early childhood I have distinct memories surrounding music- of listening to Bob Dylan crowing hoarsely outside on our patio, to falling asleep on a long haul in our big green van to the sound of No Doubt's ex-girlfriend. I would watch VHS tapes of B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughn with my Dad in his smoky music room, and lie on itchy blankets in the grass on a warm, wet Florida July evening listening to my Mother play the Sousa Alarm in a university band (she wasn't a student there, to be clear- she just loved playing so much she convinced the conductor to let her play each summer. Wonder where I get this love of music from...)

One of my most distinct memories is that time of year when the weather changes (yes, it happens in Florida too)- the air becomes crisper, clear, dry and cold. We had a family car when we were growing up- a gold 1980s Volvo that belonged to my grandmother and was shared among the cousins who were old enough to drive for years after she passed away. My brother and I inherited it around 2005. The AC worked intermittently at best, and those cool mornings driving to school with him were some of my favorite memories from high school.

We both became obsessed with the In the Reins EP. I've written about it before- the blend of Americana steel guitar and Mariachi-style brass instruments blends into a strange-sounding album that's only imperfection is being too short. Here's one example but I highly, highly recommend listening to the full EP. It is easily one of my favorite albums of all time. (Sidebar: I ran into Sam Beam in the parking lot before he played a show when I was in college. It was one of the best moments of my life. Later that evening he dedicated the song 'History of Lovers' to his 'friends from the parking lot.' I have the blurry digital photo to prove it too if you keep scrolling.)

This is a terrible picture and I love it so much. Taken at The Moon in Tallahassee in 2008.

All this to say, I love how music brings you back to a specific place and time in your life. It's such a beautiful, strange phenomenon, isn't it? Also on my fall list: Snow Patrol's Final Straw (the opening track) and Taylor Swift's Red (the whole album, although I'm not as into the more upbeat, pop tracks.) What's on your fall playlist?

Checking In

Hello! Breaking out of my sleep deprived phase to check into this space. My brain feels like I'm back in intern year mode again- the overall hours are WAY better but switching between 3 pm- midnight and 10pm-8 am shifts is really putting my circadian rhythm through the ringer. LOL. Oh well. Here's a mix of things I've been reading about/thinking about lately.

Upsetting piece from Vice on coerced sterilization of indigenous women in the U.S. and Canada. If you think mistreatment of Native peoples of North America is in the past, this article is a sad reminder that this is simply not true.

On the positive side, stories like this one remind me that it's not all bad news out there. Amy Yeung is doing amazing work both on the sustainability front and keeping children from going hungry in Navajo reservations. You can shop her store- a mix of upcycled pieces, unique vintage and hand-crafted Native American jewelry and arts- online here.

Interested in working towards a more planet-healthy diet and don't know where to start? Tania from joyfelicityjane.com recently published a guide on her experiences. Her instagram is full of great recipe stories and some favorite vegan restaurants around London and beyond. Even if you don't feel like you're up for the challenge of going completely vegan, have a look around- swapping out even a couple of meat-based meals per week for beans, pulses or other veggie options can make a huge difference in your health and the health of the planet. P and I recently tried her chickpea curry and loved it.

On a similar note, this study has been making rounds in the news, and it seems like most outlets are focusing on the observations of increased stroke risk in vegans and vegetarians. Reading through it, it looks like the risk of stroke could be as little as 1.02 times greater to as high as 1.4 times greater risk, or roughly 3 more strokes per 1000 people. While they did adjust for fruit and vegetable intake, to me it wasn't totally clear if they were able to control for proportion of calories coming from processed foods (such as nut cheeses or veggie meats.) It will be interesting to see what subsequent studies show...

Unless you've been living under a rock, you are probably at least aware that Taylor Swift released a new album recently. Since 1989 came out I never know what to expect when she says an album is going to be different from her prior work, but this one is pretty great. Rolling Stone put out this article ranking all her songs up through Reputation, if you're interested in a deep dive (I completely agree with their choice for number one track.) And you know you've got musical street cred when Pitchfork reviews not only your new album but 5 of your prior works (they also clearly recognize the lyrical genius that is Red, haha.)

And for anyone still hating on popular music (I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's pretty much nobody, haha), this meme dissection says everything I could possibly want to say on that as someone who grew up with a love for folk rock, classic rock, country and blues and zero interest in boy bands or Britney Spears. Music can move us in so many ways. We're not in high school any more, so you're not a sell out for loving different types of music. Neil Young's Ragged Glory and Harvest albums are just as genius as Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 and Iron and Wine's EP with Calexico. Its more fun that way anyways...

This is getting long and rambly! I'll blame the weird work/sleep hours. Happy hump day! I'm going to try and post a few more travel posts and a couple more personal ones in the next couple weeks. All depends on how my work/school schedule goes. :)