From shoegaze to lo-fi to introspective indie to drone metal, these songs have one thing in common: They’ll envelop you. More than just lyrics and instrumentation, they’re atmospheric songs that provide a completely immersive, sometimes entrancing musical experience. They’re background noise in the best way.
The beginning of the year can bring a lot of stress. Remembering where your classes are, dancing around your weekly budget or even just adjusting to the Columbia heat can be pretty taxing. Whether you’re looking for a warm, embracing wake up playlist for your drive to campus or you need something to center you while you study, these songs have your back. Both unobtrusive and intimately detailed, this playlist is built to enhance your focus and encourage calm by being just engaging enough to keep you on track (but not so in your face that you’re distracted). In other words, you might forget these songs are on, but you’ll never want to turn them off.
Intruxx — Glass Animals
Lover Is a Day — Cuco
Not in Love We’re Just High — Unknown Mortal Orchestra
i was all over her — salvia palth
psst, teenagers, take off your clo — Car Seat Headrest
I Want a Flying Delorean — Black Bear
Sometimes — My Bloody Valentine
Funeralopolis — Electric Wizard
Always Sad — The Jesus and Mary Chain
Natural Devotion — The Spirit of the Beehive
Cosmic Vibrations — Foxygen
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart — Wilco
Weird Honey — Elvis Depressedly
1937 State Park — Car Seat Headrest
715 - CRΣΣKS — Bon Iver
Skiss 2 — Alice Boman
Impossible Soul — Sufjan Stevens
When You Sleep — My Bloody Valentine
Ease — Elvis Depressedly
Feels Like Heaven — Ariel Pink