ATP! Lists: Valentines Day Playlist
(Words by: Emma Garland)
For an album that drew heavily on the story of Anne Frank for inspiration, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea features some of the most weirdly beautiful songs ever written and its title track may well be the finest example of that.
‘In the Aeroplane Over The Sea’ is a love-letter to life as a whole, which is the best thing anybody could ever hope to love, really. It’s personal, but not in a traditional sense – it’s all images and association, a scrapbook rather than a diary – and that’s what makes it more touching and tangible than the multitude of songs about breaking up, making up and making out.
Valentine’s Day is largely redundant for us true romantics who are sentimental fools twenty-four-sevz. And I don’t mean that in a ‘Love Actually’ sort of way, I’m talking about the people who prefer Wes Anderson characters to real people and sigh heavily whilst listen to Mineral in the rain.
We like Jeff Mangum because, enviable and effortless poet that he is, he could play a tissue box with some elastic bands wrapped around it and still come out with a song to make your spine tingle. His writing has the surreal, kaleidoscopic structure of a dream whose images revolve around physical sensation and awkward intimacy in a way that is both disorientating and gripping.
You can apply Mangum’s sense of wonder to anything, though, and ‘In The Aeroplane Over The Sea’ is one of those songs that everyone will have a different interpretation of, but the final line “Can’t believe how strange it is to be anything at all” is one that essentially trumps any scientific, philosophical or religious theory about life, because anybody who has taken five seconds to reflect on their own existence in a positive sense will have thought the same.
(Words by: Jordan Wyman)
All I can say is, thank you, Brand New. For those of us members of the all- exclusive Lonely Hearts Club, the dreaded “V-Day” is not one we circle on our calendars. Luckily there is one thing we are all good at, we all dream. We dream and wait for that special someone to run in to our rooms and take us on some magical adventure (in a totally not-creepy way). Brand New teaches us how to perfect this state. ‘Moshi Moshi’ is a tale of a boy dreaming of the girl he wishes he had to hold.
For the majority of us without cats, we must find some way to numb the loneliness. And what better way to do so than let our minds, bodies and hearts melt in Jesse Lacey’s voice. ‘Moshi Moshi’ is the love that doesn’t love you back, but you some how keep wanting more. Crushing is one thing, but getting your crush to like you is a foreign language (catch the drift). We sit in the back of class staring at their hair as it cascades down their head. We watch them float through the halls and almost graze us with their shoulders. But when it came to it, they don’t even realize our monumental love for every part of them. Brand New simply reminds us that we are not alone in the dreaming world, and that everyone in it is equally as lost and puzzled as we are. So thank you Brand New, for helping us in a time when we need assurance the most.
(Words by: Claire Louise Sheridan)
Whether you begrudgingly feign contempt through feelings of utter jealousy or embrace your romantic side wholly, it's undeniable that 'Stolen' pretty much epitomizes a fairy tale romance. From start to finish, both melodically and lyrically, this is a song to get lost in; as it paints a picture of perfection.
Chris Carrabba has the whole thing down vocally, and through a crescendo of beauty and vision of devotion, this track really has stolen the hearts of slow dancers and lovebirds everywhere. As nauseatingly Hollywood as it potentially seems; it manages to avoid cliché without leaving any emotion untouched.
As for what the song is talking about? Well, it's pretty self explanatory - true love. It’s as simple as that. Regardless of whether or not you find it vomit inducing or the stuff of dreams, 'Stolen' makes no apologies.
(Words by: Danny Juan Garrod)
When I think of Valentines Day, I don't think about the cries of wretched commercialism and supermarket cookie cutter presents/roses; I think about that small token or gesture that you think makes that person you're chasing, or with, know what they mean to you. That's because I'm a romantic (AND SO WHAT?!), and I can’t think of a more romantic song than this. The softly sung words of ''We'll dance off time to the songs we've never liked, and sing off key thinking it sounds alright.'' Yeah, it's slow dance soppy stuff, but I defy anyone's heart not to soften, even a small amount, while listening to this song taken from a forgotten chapter of Jimmy Eat World's back catalogue. Oh, and in case you were wondering why it sounds a bit different to modern day Jimmy; it is sung by guitarist, Tom Linton, not Jim Adkins.
(Words by: Jon Ableson/Emma Garland)
The movie 'Juno' really had one of the best movie soundtracks of the last decade. Besides featuring established songs from The Kinks, Cat Power and Mott The Hoople, it gave precedence to ‘Anyone Else But You’ by The Moldy Peaches, which instantly became relatable to teenagers across the globe, spawning a series of worldwide YouTube covers and including a notable rendition from Hayley Williams of Paramore and Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory.
The cute vocal interplay between vocalists Adam Green and Kimya Dawson as their child-like lyrics bounce back and forth really is reminiscent of the joy and innocence that comes with falling in love. (You know, before it all goes to shit and you become a cynical asshole forever.) It’s playground love at its finest. It’s hair-pulling, tongue-poking and sharing your packet of potato chips on the bus. It’s all the things that tend to get lost with age and increasing self-awareness. Forget your grown-up nonsense; all anybody really wants to do is eat sweets and play video games with they person they like most, and Green and Dawson have written a song that runs up to you, kisses you on the cheek and reminds you of just that.
(Words by: Victoria Patneaude)
On the list of songs sweeter than our conversation hearts, The Cab's 'Endlessly' is right there at the top. With singer Alexander DeLeon crooning about working hard to give his gal all she’s dreamed of – like that house on the hill with the view of the town – it's no wonder this song made the list. Of course, it also helps that the singer, who is already a pretty smooth talker on his own, teamed up with Bruno Mars to pen this track. Anyone with a hint of romanticism in his or her body doesn’t stand a chance. With its delicate piano strain interwoven with a strong drumbeat, vibrant strings and a tinge of guitar, 'Endlessly' has every component of a perfect The Cab-style love song, one that most likely had every female – and some male – fan melting into a pile of lovesick goo when they first heard it. (And every time afterwards, for that matter.)
We can only imagine just how many significant others have dedicated this song to their beloved, and with good reason. The Cab says all the words we never could, and, well, it's safe to say that we – or, this writer at least – would gladly take that 25 cents plastic ring from the shop down the street.
(Words by: Claire Louise Sheridan)
Although it's a song shrouded in mystery and cloaked in dark imagery, the incandescently addictive nature of the passion it represents is undeniable to all who hear it. At over 9 minutes long, ‘Konstantine’ “with a K” explores a world that we can only dream of scratching the surface on comprehending.
On paper, it’s potentially a little too ambitious to produce a track so lengthy, indeed a concern that Something Corporate initially held themselves. Yet ‘Konstantine’ seeks to unravel the complicated confusion (or should that be ‘Konfusion’?) that such powerful emotions of devotion ignite. Easily relatable, its lamenting nature somehow avoids transcending boundaries of self- indulgence and becoming drawn out - perhaps solely because of its heartfelt beauty.
With nods to Jimmy Eat World and the sentiment of wishful thinking on 11.11, it would scream happily-ever-after if it weren't so deeply complex and lined with regret. But that's what makes it perfection in itself. After all, what's an epic romance without a few twists and turns?
(Words by: Danny Juan Garrod)
Okay, so we could have gone for something way more warm and fuzzy from the Blink back catalog, but who could argue that 'Josie' is, in fact, probably the best love song that they have ever written?
Admittedly, a massive portion of Dude Ranch could be used for this paragraph but lets pick the glaringly obvious one of the lot. 'Josie' is just honest. It's a rough as hell, d-beat bait, brat punk snarl of a track, but every single line is screaming about how lucky Mark [Hoppus, bass] feels, and that's awesome: 'She brings me mexican food from Sombrero's just because (yeah, just because)'.
Blink nail it, they get it. Love is about lame little details, not the big grand gestures. Things you do for one another, little gestures here and there, watching lame TV and just hanging out. Just because.
