Playlists for calm, hope, and anxiety relief

If you need 'em!

My brain is slightly off-kilter right now, as pretty much all I can think about is tomorrow’s election. I’m assuming I’m not alone. There’s nothing I can say to make the week any less stressful — but hopefully some music can help!

And since this is a newsletter covering so many fantastic artists, I figured I’d link out to a few favorites who have released powerful statements lately, in case you might want to like or share them. Reposting can seem meaningless, like social media “slacktivism,” but we have to hope the little things add up — even if it helps convince just one person who might not vote to change their tune.

• With that in mind, here are some inspiring messages from Olivia Rodrigo, Bruce Springsteen, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Ratboys, Remi Wolf, The National, Gracie Abrams, Maggie Rogers, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Bad Bunny on why they’re all voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

• If you’re interested in taking action in the homestretch, I recommend these opportunities from Vote Save America.

And now, some playlists! Later this month we’ll get back to our regularly scheduled programming and I’ll share some excellent new songs + albums. For now, hope you enjoy this quick little dispatch.

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Isle of Calm from NPR Music was put together at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, as “six hours of music to soothe your jangled nerves.” Holds up! [ft. Julie Byrne, Brian Eno, José González, The War On Drugs, Raveena, Smokey Robinson]

look to the rainbow from rising soul star Olivia Dean was another pandemic playlist, made in April 2020. It’s loaded with some of my absolute favorite calm songs: “Bless The Telephone,” “Cranes In The Sky,” “A Calf Born In Winter,” “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” “Lay Down,” and many more gems.

Anti-Apocalypse Mixtape comes from climate scientist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and her new book, What If We Get It Right? “50 or so songs that remind me of climate, that capture ‘anthems for victory, love songs to Earth, tunes for tenacity, and sexy implementation vibes.’” [ft. Prince, Khalid, Andrew Bird, Bibio, Lake Street Dive, Haim]

the best we can do is a playlist for staying positive from comedian Alex Edelman, who has been canvassing in swing states with Knock For Democracy. [ft. The Avett Brothers, Brittany Howard, Spoon, Bright Eyes, Radiohead, Guster]

Bath Oblivion from New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme is an old reliable mix of symphonic selections. It’s curated for calming baths, but I can vouch that it works in many contexts. [ft. Roberta Flack, Billie Holiday, Nancy Sinatra, Irma Thomas, Dusty Springfield]

lullabies for grown ppl, from Hear Hear reader Julia Widmann, is full of soothing modern classics. [ft. Sylvan Esso, Big Thief, Clairo, Maggie Rogers, beabadoobee, Hozier]

Autumn Nocturnes: Romantic Mid-Century Jazz Selections comes from Matt Perpetua of Fluxblog, and it is is exactly as advertised! “Gentle, wistful piano-centric jazz.”

Keep Hope Alive from former chief White House photographer Pete Souza is full of all the straightforward standards you’d expect. [ft. Aretha Franklin, Buffalo Springfield, Brandi Carlile, Bob Dylan, U2, you get the picture!]

This last one is also corny as hell, and I’m slightly embarrassed to share it, but hey, maybe it will resonate. I made a playlist of “hopey changey music” a few days before Trump’s inauguration in January 2017 to try and combat my despair. It’s full of earnest Obama-era anthems and a few niche faves. I added a few songs from this campaign cycle — including Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” Maggie Rogers’ “Light On,” and a fresh live recording of “The Promised Land” from The Boss.

Make your plan to vote, and see you on the other side of election day!