Playlist | Monochrome Rainbows

I know the Black Iris has been on a political bend lately, which I suppose was unavoidable. So I offer this playlist as compensation for all the torture. Some of these tracks are ones I’ve discovered recently, while others are old gems I’ve been rediscovering. On a personal note, it should be noted that I’ve been in a certain mood these past few days. Maybe it’s life, maybe it’s November, maybe it’s the monochrome weather. I dunno. But be warned, almost every song here, especially the mellow ones, are a reflection of that mood. Be it in melody or lyrics. I don’t know if that’s a good thing. But it’s November. Who cares. Nothing has to make sense. Not always. Right? Ok. Yeah.

• In Rainbows – Radiohead | A great album. Not my favorite though (nothing beats ‘the bends’ for me) but there are tracks on this album that are brilliant. The unavoidable percussions of Reckenor make for a song that I can best describe as rare and risky art, while the grungy tones of tracks like Nude can put you in a trance. Videotape, is simply a haunting epitaph to a life past with lyrics like: “When I’m at the pearly gates, This will be on my videotape….You are my center when I spin away, Out of control…This is my way of saying goodbye, Because I can’t do it face to face.” It’s best listened to in the dark.




• Where Are You Going? – Dave Mathews Band | I adore this song. It reminds me of sophomore year in university, when I really didn’t know where I was going. Actually, come to think of it, I still don’t. Hence the song. “Are you searching for answers, underneath the stars?”
• From Where You Are – Lifehouse | A b-side track that is simply too beautiful to be put on an album. No drums, just melancholy and an endless guitar riff. Originally written for an Allstate advertisement about teenage driving deaths. “And I miss you, And I wish you, were here”
• Lesson Learned – Alicia Keys ft. John Mayer | I admit, I’m not the biggest fan of Keys, but I’m a huge fan of Mayer. This is the latest song on the former’s new album. Mayer brings his guitar, a bit of vocals and his rock-jazzy-bluesy mood with him. “It’s called the past cause I’m getting past. And I ain’t nothing like I was before. You ought to see me now. Yes I was burned but I called it a lesson learned”
• Iris – Goo Goo Dolls | The goo’s are one of my favorite bands, and this is probably one of everyone’s favorite songs. I’ve grown reattached to it recently, specifically for its honest chorus. “When everything’s meant to be broken, I just want you to know who I am”