Anastasia K. 

I like me a song that masks as one from another era, and I Get No Joy by an English-born singer, song-writer and globetrotter Jade Bird could’ve easily blown Dido, or maybe Alanis Morrisette or Liz Phair even, off the top of the charts in the beginning of ‘00s. There is some sort of freedom and blasé kind of serenity that the song channels, despite its somewhat incongruous topic, which really remind me of the three icons. 

I have also been borderline obsessed (dad joke alert) with Borderline by Tame Impala, and their music in general – The Less I Know The Better, Patience and Desire Be Desire Go are full-on heart eyes emoji status. 

Maria

The end of summer kind of made for sadness: it doesn’t matter if you are happy with the passing heat, or terrified from the coming rains, it's simply impossible to avoid a slight melancholy from how quick and elusive time is.

So it's a perfect time to listen to Red Red Wine by Neil Diamond. A beautiful classic pop song, written many decades ago and recorded by different performers dozens of times, it is most dear to me in its original version. Its piercing simplicity is the best for me – yet another person who can only drink wine and complain about life.  Well, drink to that!

A much newer and much less classic song, I Like You ‘Cause You’re Free by Black Casino and the Ghost is also not very funny, and every time it gives me goosebumps on the lines:

“I like you ‘cause you’re free

I like you ‘cause you don’t like me.”

Very emotional and beautiful, and I love it with all my heart, but remember: an unhealthy relationship is not an option, so please like yourself, and don’t be afraid to be liked by others!

And welcome to fall!

Vadim

July 2019 was the hottest month in history. In August 2019, Greenland lost 12.5bn tons of ice – just one symptom of the island’s increasingly unstable climate. And that, no pun intended, is just the tip of the iceberg.

This month, the song most on my mind was A Minute to Breathe from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ mesmerizing score to the climate change documentary Before the Flood. Reznor, who made a name for himself with a unique brand of angry, vicious, and nihilistic sound, shows a very different side of himself, one deeply hurt by the cost of every second of humanity’s inaction. A Minute to Breathe is an apology to Earth, an admission of guilt, a confession that ponders: what if the planet’s better off without us?

But if you’d rather try and make a difference than wallow in self-pity, here’s another take on the same subject to pump you up – Not in California off of K.Flay’s latest album Solutions. Here’s what the singer herself has to say: “When Dorothy arrives in the Land of Oz, she looks at the strange houses and the unfamiliar plants and says to Toto, ‘We’re not in Kansas anymore.’ [...] I see the plastic islands and the melting glaciers and the 24 hour news cycle where people shout because loud seems to win and I think to myself, ‘We’re not in California anymore’ [...] I hope we choose teamwork and science and engineering and art. I hope we get back to California.”

Anastasiia L.

For me, summer is all about picnics, nature, friends and good music! You can find it all in the amazing patty-cake version of Taylor Swift and Zayn’s hit I Don’t Wanna Live Forever, performed by a group of wonderfully talented musicians. It’s so summery and beautiful, and very well-done. Just check out for yourself!