What better way to pretend you’re in a warm and happy place then with a mixtape full of sun? WPGU’s music staff made it just for you, so if you need to chase the dreary winter days away just close your eyes and listen.
“Thirty-Three” by the Smashing Pumpkins: I always think of this song when I’m walking down the street in winter, maybe walking to class. Billy Corgan beautifully captures that when he sings lines like, “So I pull my collar up and face the cold, the earth laughs beneath my heavy feet, at the blasphemy in my old jangly walk.” Listening to this song will make that wind chill a little less numbing. -Stan Polanski
“Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye: Feelin’ lonely and cold? Turn this classic on and get real steamy, real fast. Don’t be ashamed. “I’ve been really tryin’, baby…” -Lise Graham
“A-Punk” by Vampire Weekend: You can’t really argue with Ezra Koenig and the running bass line and playful guitar riff. This song feels so much like summer, I can’t even handle it. It’s like if the Beach Boys were all geniuses who went to Columbia University, Played Lollapalooza, and had a drummer who loved wearing basketball jerseys. -Boswell Hutson
“Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” by Stars: I had gotten used to driving around in the winter, under snow covered tree branches at night while listening to this song, and when I saw its corresponding video, it made sense that this is the perfect winter driving music. -Madeline Rehayem
“Wait” by M83: This ballad by M83 whispers winter to me. I find it’s calm yet looming emotion depressing, but the kind of depressing that comes from a good song in a cold room with a warm blanket. The fuzzy drums and guitar combined with Anthony Gonzalez’s ghostly vocals make it impossible not to lose yourself in this song. When listening to this song all I want to do is lay with my head under Christmas tree lights, and I suggest you do the same. -Kelly Mincey
\”I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun\”
“I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun” by Beach House: Beach House released this song for free last winter following their album Teen Dream, and the song feels like sunlight reflecting off of fresh snow. The beat and Victoria Legrand’s smooth voice blend perfectly in a song that is unmistakably meant for the cold, yet somehow glows. The simple statement of the title and wistful lyrics of longing make this dream pop track enchantingly beautiful. -David Christians
“White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes: This is one of my ultimate winter songs when I want to feel nice and cozy. The lyrics are quite fitting, describing ‘the pack’ as being “swallowed in their coats with scarves of red tied round their throats”, and the repetition of these lyrics make it easy listening when you just want to lay around and let your mind wander. Not to mention that Fleet Foxes gorgeous sound is a perfect compliment to a snow covered landscape. -Mada Larson
“Sparks” by Coldplay: I love listening to this song while looking out a frosty window with a cup of hot chocolate. This song envelopes you in peaceful warmth, like a blanket on a chilly day. At first Chris Martin’s lilting words are like the cold rattling against your windows, but the warmth in the instrumentation constantly reminds you that a cozy, warm indoors is always beckoning. There’s a transition in the lyrics, the song becomes more optimistic with lyrics like, “My heart is yours/ It’s you that I hold on to,” and by the end there are “Sparks” to keep warm. -Joanna Nowak
“Horchata” by Vampire Weekend: Last December I decided to go get Horchata at a local burrito joint and I encourage you try it too this year. This song is a perfect song to keep you warm, It’s upbeat and just makes you want to dance and sing along until you forget that you cant feel the tips of your fingers. -Joe Winner
