Playlist: Galentine’s Day 2019

Grrrls, it’s the best day of the year: GALENTINE’S DAY! Coined by Parks and Recreation character Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) back in 2010, Galentine’s has since been recognised by girls across the globe, and used as a light-hearted platform to celebrate the girls and women who enrich our lives.

We wanted to celebrate it with you in the best way possible: by chucking some of our favourite female-identifying artists on a big old playlist. We’re all about self-love & sisterly (not just cis-terly) love today, so have a read about our choices, then hit play!

Aretha Franklin & Annie Lennox – ‘Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves’
Whenever I hear this I immediately want to get up and dance. Two talented women coming together to sing about equality and independence never fails to make me feel good. It was released in 1985, but the lyrics are just as poignant today.
(Kate Crudgington)

The Julie Ruin – ‘Girls Like Us’
I couldn’t make a playlist and not include something from queen Kathleen. And this track from The Julie Ruin seems to sum up our feelings this Galentine’s perfectly. A unifying anthem for all us misfit grrrls, it never fails to pick me up and leave me feeling ready to face the world. (Mari Lane)

Argonaut – ‘You Are’
With motivational lyrics such as “You rock, you can change the world, you inspire boys and girls, you can do anything!”, Argonaut’s ‘You Are’ is the perfect motivational pop-punk anthem to unite and empower you and your friends this Galentine’s. (ML)

Honeyblood – ‘Babes Never Die’
Every time I hear Honeyblood’s Stina sing “Witch if I float / damned if I don’t” on this track it fills me with such a rush of defiance. It’s an anthem for resilience and I regularly return to it on days where I need extra motivation. (KC)

Sleater Kinney – ‘Modern Girl’
I’m currently reading Carrie Brownstein’s memoir ‘Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl’ (the title of which is taken from this track) and it is honestly one of the most enjoyable and refreshing reads – she just seems totally down to earth, unpretentious and incredibly witty. And one thing that particularly stands out throughout is (despite encountering various obstacles) the constant unwavering friendship and unity between Brownstein and bandmate Corin Tucker. (ML)

Wolf Alice – ‘Beautifully Unconventional’
I dismissed this song the first time I heard it on Visions Of A Life because it’s not as heavy or shoegazey as other Wolf Alice songs. When I heard it live and frontwoman Ellie dedicated the song to a female friend, it changed the way I listened to it. When I hear the track now, I think of how great that gig was and how great it is to celebrate all of the “beautifully unconventional” girls. (KC)

Panic Pocket – ‘Mr Big’
Inspired by too many formative Sex And The City marathons, ‘Mr Big’ is an uplifting ditty about desperately wanting your close friend to stop defining herself by her relationship status and focus instead on friendship. Strewn with memorable SATC quotes, highlighting the importance of friendship – “Don’t laugh at me but maybe we could be each other’s soulmates” – it’s a luscious slice of indie-pop from the duo. (ML)

Dream Nails – ‘Chirpse Degree Burns’
The mock-anxiety Dream Nails sing with as they lament about being ghosted on this track is so funny and so relatable! This is the perfect Galentine’s (and Valentine’s) Day anthem. (KC)


The Baby Seals – ‘Guuurl’
With their uplifting charisma and triumphant wit, The Baby Seals consistently champion autonomy and body positivity with their wonderfully tongue-in-cheek offerings. Celebrating all things female and breaking gender boundaries in all the right ways, with ‘Guuurl’ The Baby Seals assure us that we can indeed pee where want to. And we cannot wait to seem them live again for us at The Finsbury celebrating International Women’s Day on 8th March! (ML)

Miss Eaves – ‘Bush For The Push’
A vibrant celebration of self love, GIHE fave Miss Eaves’ ‘Bush For The Push’ is filled with all her trademark disco-punk energy, reminiscent of queen Peaches. An empowering and wonderfully entertaining call to be free to have the bush you want – “It’s your body, so have a little fun…” – it encourages us to celebrate and take pride in our body, whatever shape or size it may be. (ML) 

Nova Twins – ‘Hit Girl’
Georgia & Amy share a unique talent for making riotous new music, and they’re a brilliant example of what you can achieve when you’re working alongside your best friend. They’ve yet to release a song I don’t instantly fall in love with, and I can’t wait to catch them live again later this year at Cro Cro Land.(KC)

Lizzo – ‘Good As Hell’
I just can’t get enough of Lizzo’s joyous, body-positive spirit and immensely infectious offerings. And with motivational lyrics such as “Come now, come dry your eyes; you know you a star, you can touch the sky”, ‘Good As The Hell’ is the ultimate feel-good anthem to sing at the top of your lungs to your besties when they need cheering up. (ML)

Cyndi Lauper – ‘Time After Time’
With Galentine’s Day originally being coined by the ever inspirational Leslie Knope from Parks And Recreation, I just had to include this classic. ‘Time After Time’ soundtracks a rare moment of unity between contrasting characters April and Ann in the series, as we see the two coming together (with an appearance from Donna!), singing this song, showing the power of music in bringing us together. (ML)

Alanis Morissette – ‘Thank you’
This iconic 1998 tune from Alanis is the best thing to sing to yourself on a day where things aren’t going your way, or if you need a minute to take stock of what you’re really grateful for. Whether you do that in your head, in front of your bedroom mirror, or naked in the street like Alanis does in the video is entirely up to you. (KC)

Antony and the Johnsons – ‘You Are My Sister’
I can’t put into words just how utterly beautiful and deeply moving I find this song, so I’ll just leave it here: “You are my sister, and I love you, may all of your dreams come true.” Happy Galentine’s, sisters. (ML)

Listen to our special Galentine’s Day Playlist here, and give us a follow on Spotify if you fancy it:

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PLAYLIST: January 2019

We’re two weeks in to 2019 and whether you’re keeping up with ‘Dry January’, demolishing the leftover Christmas supplies, or simply carrying on like the trooper you are – we’ve put together a list of brand new music to help with all of the above. Take some time to scroll through our words and hit play on the Spotify link at the bottom of the page…

Big Joanie – ‘New Year’
Recorded at Hermitage Works with Producer Margo Broom and released via The Daydream Library Series (Thurston Moore & Eva Prinz’s label), Big Joanie’s debut album Sistahs is a stellar release from a band who have been actively working on and off-stage within London’s DIY scene for years. ‘New Year’ is the opening track on the record, and I love its focused, quiet yearning to kick-start something. (Kate Crudgington)

Lizzo – Juice 
Another utterly empowering and ferociously fun offering from GIHE favourite Lizzo, ‘Juice’ is filled with all the refreshing wit and funk-filled grooves that we’ve come to know and love from the Minneapolis artist. With Lizzo’s joyous, body-positive spirit and its immensely infectious, ’80s reminiscent hooks, ‘Juice’ is the ultimate feel-good anthem that you need to start your 2019. (Mari Lane)

The Choppy Bumpy Peaches – ‘Darjeeling’
What a musical delight from Luxembourg based The Choppy Bumpy Peaches. ‘Darjeeling”s mesmerising cacophony of instruments and sound, layering gently over each other, all drawn together with Julia Lam’s intriguing vocals. Such a heady and hypnotising sound. This track is taken from their first LP Sgt. Konfuzius & the Flowers of Venus which is out now, go check them out, The Choppy Bumpy Peaches. What a name. (Tash Walker)

Medejin – ‘Untitled 4’
There’s something about Medejin’s music which makes feel completely immersed in their sound, as if I’m in a room with no doors, covered ceiling to floor with speakers pouring out ‘Untitled 4’. A truly immersive dreamwave project from Jenn Taranto & Matthew Cooke. ‘Untitled 4’ is taken from their debut EP Eleni which is out now. I’ve got all my fingers crossed that Medejin will be bringing their Seattle sound to our shores in person soon. (TW)

Foxgluvv – ‘Crush’ (remixed by MOONOVERSUN)
Foxgluvv joined us in the studio as our first guest on the Get In Her Ears’ Radio Show this year, we talked with her about being a DIY artist, her particular slice of ‘hungover pop’ and this remix by Brighton based pop duo MOONOVERSUN. Released near the end of 2018, I cannot get enough of this remix and I urge you all to press play right now. It’s heavy on the electronics, pounding beats and warped vocals – dreamy. (TW)

Kill J – ‘Dead Weight Soldier’
Copenhagen’s Kill J has returned with a revenge fantasy in the form of new single ‘Dead Weight Soldier’. Following her fiercely political release ‘Strange Fruits of The Sea’ in 2018, this is the second track from her forthcoming album Superposition, which is set to be a poignant and unapologetic listen. (KC)

Cheerbleederz – ‘Staying Up Late’
Taken from last year’s EP Faceplant, Cheerbleederz’s latest single ‘Staying Up Late’ is filled with all the twinkling indie-pop melodies and honey-sweet vocals you could ever desire. With its jangly catchy hooks and a fuzzy whirring energy, it fills me with a comforting sense of joy on each listen. It’s also accompanied by a wonderfully animated, and super cute video, which you can watch here. (ML)

Argonaut – ‘Girl Talk’
An empowering, punk-pop anthem, with motivational lyrics such as “You rock, you can change the world, you inspire boys and girls, you can do anything!”, Argonaut’s ‘Girl Talk’ is the perfect pick-me-up to kick start the new year. Filled with shimmering hooks and a magnificent punk-rock spirit, it’ll leave you ready to face 2019 with all the immense, buoyant energy that it oozes. As well as getting hold of their brilliant latest EP The New Argonaut EP, you should also make sure you catch this band live – they completely blew us away playing at our gig at The Finsbury last week! (ML)

Panic Pocket – ‘Mr Big’
Inspired by too many formative Sex And The City marathons, Panic Pocket’s ‘Mr Big’ is an uplifting ditty about desperately wanting your close friend to stop defining herself by her relationship status and focus instead on friendship. Flowing with a twinkling charm and the London duo’s impeccable tongue-in-cheek wit, the track oozes honey-sweet harmonies alongside shimmering melodies and a gritty synth-driven energy. Strewn with memorable SATC quotes, highlighting the importance of friendship, it’s another luscious (and super relatable!) slice of indie-pop. (ML)

Micropixie – ‘New Year’s Day’
Micropixie is a British artist based in San Francisco who has recently found herself on The New York Times Top 10 Playlist for new songs which is amazing. We love this track from Micropixie which moves to its own beat whilst taking “a high-concept approach to offering commentary on a world that is torn by injustice, violence and war, and financial misdoings.” From all of us here at Get In Her Ears a huge well done to Micropixie, she’s definitely someone to watch out for in 2019. (TW)

Tallies – ‘Easy Enough’
Taken from their new self-titled debut album, Tallies’ latest single ‘Easy Enough’ oozes a captivating, dreamy haze as the raw vocals of Sarah Cogan soar alongside a whirring scuzz. With its shoegazey spiralling hooks and luscious emotion-driven energy, it’s impossible not to get sucked into its hypnotic allure and fall instantly in love with the unique, swirling  charm of this Toronto-based band. (ML)

Amaal – ‘Not What I Thought’
I’ve been enjoying this song a lot since I first heard it just over a week ago. ‘Not What I Thought’ comes from Somali-Canadian artist Amaal Nuux who has returned to music following much time spent on her activist work as the Goodwill Ambassador for Somalia Women and Children. Drawing influences from both her personal life experiences and her travels in all her work and music, this is her latest single out released on 10th January. Strong beats, warped samples and emotionally evocative vocals ‘Not What I Thought’ by Amaal earns a firm place on our January 2019 playlist. (TW)

Beckie Margaret – ‘New York’
My absolute favourite! Beckie Margaret released this heart-breaking track at the end of last year, and I’ve not been able to stop listening to it since. Beckie’s resilience in the face of heartbreak is what makes listening to her music so rewarding. Even in her seemingly weakest moments, her powerful, pure vocals provide an aching relief that can be felt all the way from the end of Southend Pier in her hometown, to the lonely shores of the city she sings about. (KC)

David Bowie – ‘Lady Grinning Soul’
It’s been two years since the death of the legendary David Bowie, and whilst it’s easy to lament the gap he’s left in the musical world, it’s much easier to put on his records and celebrate all of the wonderful art he left behind. ‘Lady Grinning Soul’ is taken from Aladdin Sane, one of my favourite Bowie albums. I’ll certainly be spinning it in tribute to the Starman over the next few weeks. (KC)

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PLAYLIST: July 2018

British summer time is in full swing, and the gorgeous/overwhelming heat makes every day feel like a summer holiday *wipes beads of sweat from brow*. If you’re stuck behind your desk however, fear not! We have a red hot set of new tunes to see you through the rest of the month. Take some time to scroll through our track selections, and hit play on the Spotify link at the bottom of the page…

 

Hercules & Love Affair – ‘Blind’
Taken from their self-titled album released in 2008 – the same year I attended London Pride for the first time – and without a doubt, the theme tune to me fully embracing my sexuality; feeling proud of who I was and strong enough to come out happily in all aspects of my life. Last weekend marked the end of the Pride Festival in London, with the Pride in London march on Saturday, where I marched with Switchboard the LGBT+ Helpline that I am a Trustee for. It was a great experience, and only mildly marred by the TERFS protest at the beginning. As a cis-gendered lesbian I denounce everything they stand for and pointedly want to say that I do not agree with any of their statements. I marched for the achievements we have made in society throughout the years to now, but also for all the essential changes still to come…one thing remains the same, it’s about standing for equality. Equality for everyone, everywhere. (Tash Walker)

Indian Queens – ‘Pretty Little Thing’
Equal parts driving and delicate: Hackney trio Indian Queens have shared their new track ‘Pretty Little Thing’ – and it’s as attractive to the ears as its namesake suggests. Released via Cool Thing Records, the single is an infectious blur of hypnotic vocals and shoe gaze guitar sounds. They received a standing ovation after their set at Robert Smith’s Meltdown Festival last month, and this track has been swirling around my brain ever since. (Kate Crudgington)

Handsome Eric – ‘Oh No’
I fell a bit love with Handsome Eric on seeing them support Shamir last week at Camden Assembly. As the raw, honest emotion of Stephen O’Dowd propels the track, whirring hooks and a driving energy bring to mind Manchester artist, and personal favourite, Kiran Leonard. Totally luscious lo-fi scuzz of the best kind. (Mari Lane)

Nova Twins – ‘Lose Your Head’
GIHE faves and last week’s guests on the radio show, the immense Nova Twins have just released their ferocious new single ‘Lose Your Head’. Having received acclaim from the likes of The Guardian, and none other than Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, the duo continue to prove themselves to be one of the most exciting bands around with the snarling vocals and addictive, frenzied energy of this latest offering. (ML)

The Empty Page – ‘Deeply Unlovable’
We’ve been massive fans of The Empty Page’s gritty, grunge-fuelled offerings for a while now, and we cannot wait for them to blow us away once again at The Finsbury on Friday! (ML)

Queen Kwong – ‘Raptures’
Slow-building bass lines and mesmeric vocals combine on Queen Kwong’s ‘Raptures’ to form a beguiling request to escape unwanted memories. No stranger to adversity, Queen Kwong (aka Carré Callaway) shows how her “cursed mind” is still as sharp as ever on this brilliant new single. (KC)

Carolyn’s Fingers – ‘Twice Born’
LOVE THIS! Experimental pop band Carolyn’s Fingers always deliver such refreshingly unusual music, where I just don’t want to even try and predict where their music will go to next. There is something about there music that consistently dabbles with art/performance and still I am yet to see them live. A firm ambition of mine. Totally DIY in every way, we full support Carolyn’s Fingers. (TW)

Gazelle Twin – ‘Hobby Horse’
Warped, uncomfortable, but morbidly fascinating: avant-garde artist Gazelle Twin has returned with a new image and this un-nerving new single. I can’t wait to hear more of her unusual electronic cacophonies on her upcoming record, Pastoral, on which she “exhumes England’s rotten past, and shines a torch over its ever-darkening present”. Sign. Me. Up. Now.  (KC)

Pitou – ‘Give Me A Glass’
So gentle, so beautiful, and so delicate. ‘Give Me A Glass’ by Pitou is taken from her new EP I Fall Asleep So Fast, released via Mink Records. I think this track is just mesmerising, and it probably helps that it was the first song I listened to after meeting my niece for the first time. So here’s to raising that glass to the new addition in my family! (TW)

Anna Aaron – ‘Why Not’
Love love LOVE! From the disjointed off-beat vocals, to those heavy beats that underpin this track; how can you not enjoy this?! Described as “crunching electronic pop sound”, I think that perfectly sums up this raw slice of intentionally aggressive music. (TW)

Lizzo – ‘Boys’ 
Another utterly empowering and ferociously fun offering from GIHE favourite Lizzo, ‘Boys’ is filled with all the refreshing wit that we’ve come to know and love from the Minneapolis artist. Reminiscent of the legendary Missy Elliot, this track’s funk-filled groove and joyous sex-positive spirit provides the perfect summer anthem. (ML)

Belako – ‘Over The Edge’
I saw Spanish band Belako at Finsbury Park last Saturday kicking off a day of fantastic music from QOTSA, Iggy Pop, Brody Dalle, Deap Vally and more…. And they are now my new favourite band – it was one of the most impressive, engrossing sets I’ve seen for a long time. They delivered each gritty slice of post-punk with a raw, swirling energy and explained that his track ‘Over The Edge’ is “against gender violence” – a poignant and necessary subject. And I just love its immense, gnarly passion. I’m now thoroughly addicted to their latest release Render Me Numb, Trivial Violence. (ML)

Asylums – ‘Millennials’
Essex indie rockers Asylums have returned with their highly anticipated second album Alien Human Emotions – released via their own label Cool Thing Records – and ‘Millennials’ is one of the stand-out tracks on the record. Slower in tempo, but just as powerful in delivery; the single laments the “generational generalisations” that millennial kids face in today’s society. (KC)

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