Happy Sunday and Happy Father’s Day! Apologies for the late send...I was celebrating my mom’s birthday this weekend and had a full day of festivities today.
Today’s post is a mix of a little bit of everything. I’ll be putting all the selections into a playlist so you can follow along, starting with Spotify since that’s my go-to.
Jackie - Eli Smart
Some songs sound like very specific moments. “Jackie” by Eli Smart is one of those. With a jangly guitar lick and breezy tempo, it feels like a soundtrack to a summer afternoon drive with the windows down.
The song wrestles with the idea of miscommunication, wanting to connect with someone you fancy but feeling like your words are falling flat.
Eli calls this sound “Aloha Soul,” and it fits. He’s from Kauai, raised on The Beatles, funk, and family jam sessions. And it shows. You can play it in the background or let it take you somewhere.
My Stove’s on Fire - Robert Lee Folsom
Released in 1976, “My Stove’s On Fire” by Robert Lester Folsom is a hidden gem that sounds like it got left off the Dazed & Confused soundtrack. It's funky folk-rock jam built around a tight groove. It’s raw, it’s catchy, and it captures the airy and happy feeling of summertime.
Originally buried in his indie record Music and Dreams and the Abacus Atlanta Sessions demos, the track’s now resurfaced on streaming and has found a second life online with new listeners catching on to its magic.
This is a perfect summer song for your playlists. Listen below 🙂
Any Light - Loving
“Any Light” by Loving is one of those understated, tender, and almost weightless songs in how it moves.
The track opens the band’s 2024 album of the same name, and it sets the tone perfectly. There’s two parts to this song. The first part is your mind waking up and the second part feels like your soul coming alive. HAHAHA that might be too deep but that’s what it feels like to me. The guitar riff on the second half of the song is so melodic and buttery.
Musically, it’s got that warm, analog haze Loving is known for: lo-fi textures, soft drums, vocals that feel more like a thought than a performance. It’s gentle, but never lazy.
There’s something meditative about it all.
“Any Light” might not ask for your attention, but if you give it, it’ll stay with you.
Quote of the Day
"Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."
Video of the Day
Today’s video is a quick PSA: go watch Becoming Led Zeppelin. It’s an incredible deep dive into the formation and early rise of one of the greatest rock bands of all time. What makes it hit even harder is that it’s told entirely from the perspective of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. It’s raw, personal, and straight from the people that live it. If you consider yourself any kind of music fan, this one’s essential.
Photo of the Day
I chose this photo solely because my dad loves Led Zeppelin. This is an image of Robert Plant & Phil Collins at the Be Bop Club in Greenwich Village, 1983. I wonder what they were talking about, what do you think?
One love!