Dear what’s-your-name, it’s me. I’m that guy who was too scared to say a word to you in your class all semester. I’m that guy who was too nervous to approach you on the bus when I saw you reading one of my favorite novels. I’m that guy who was intrigued that your lips curled up into a tiny smile after every sip of tea. I’m the guy that flashes you an anxious smile as I notice you’re blasting one of my favorite songs. Hell, maybe you even know me already. A crazier thought: maybe you even have an interest in me as well. But this isn’t unrequited love. It’s unrequited anxiety. Perhaps somewhere in a parallel universe I’m buying you your favorite flowers and making you personalized playlists, but in this one, I’m making a playlist for myself because I can’t even ask you what your name is or tell you how awesome I’ve come to think you are.

There’s a lovely word in the Yaghan language.  Maybe you know of it, maybe you don’t.  Mamihlapinatapai.  It means something along the lines of a look that is shared between two people that desire the same thing but neither is willing to make the first move.  This could be someone you’ve known for a while, or maybe that person you think you’re getting caught gawking at but maybe they were gawking first.  Go out and live and find out.

This one goes out to anyone who’s had their own what’s-their-name in their life.

 Flume – Insane (ft. Moon Holiday)

https://soundcloud.com/flume-1/insane-feat-moon-holiday

Flume recently played at the Mezzanine in San Francisco and has been one of my favorite acts in electronica.  This particular song recently had an awesome music video released for it recently and it has the feel of something that’d be in the soundtrack for Drive.  The song starts off with the lyrics “You don’t have to be afraid / You don’t have to be brave / Living in a gilded cage” which anyone who’s been shy about approaching someone or admitting their feelings to someone might sympathize with.  People fear the unknown far more than the known and maybe that should be applied to your (potential) love life as well.

The Kite String Tangle – Given the Chance

The song is clearly less about someone who’s too scared to do something, but someone who has been rejected and hasn’t given up, but it applies to the situation. As they say, if you never ask, the answer is always no.  If someone is on your mind enough that “heart is all scars when [they’re] not around” then you should find out if you would be “Given the Chance” for the sake of your sanity.

The xx – Fiction

I normally try to avoid posting things by REALLY well-known artists unless they’re remixes or mash-ups, but I’m making an exception here. Anyone who knows me well (or even anyone who knows me barely at all) knows I’ve had a chronic obsession with this band for years.  As it so happens, today marks the one-year anniversary of their sophomore album and my favorite track from the album is this song.  This song fits in all kinds of situations of heartbreak, but I think certain lines exemplify the situation of not being able to make a move with lines such as “you’re more than I can believe would ever come my way” and “come real love, why do I refuse you? Cause if my fear’s right, I risk to lose you.”

Zeds Dead – Shut Up & Sing V2.0 v Greta Svabo Bech

Greta Svabo Bech has one of the most desirable voices in EDM having featured in such songs as Raise Your Weapon by Deadmau5 and a personal favorite of mine, Chronicles of a Fallen Love by The Bloody Beetroots.  She recently teamed up with Zeds Dead to make a 2nd version of her song Shut Up & Sing.  Zeds Dead has done some work in the past reinterpreting songs that I have been impressed with such as their remix of Lies by Marina and the Diamonds.  As she describes it, “Shut Up & Sing’ is about feeling trapped in a situation and finally working up the courage to do something about it, even if you don’t know what you’re gonna do.”  The hard hitting percussion is motivational on its own, but Greta Svabo Bech’s vocals are undoubtedly what make it hit home.

Kendrick Lamar x Clams Casino – Poetic Justice (Mash-up by Andrew Gentry)

In the original version of Poetic Justice, Kendrick Lamar teams up with Drake to rap about romantic problems (given the theme of this week’s list and the mention of Drake’s name, I don’t think you consider this much of a surprise at this point).  In this mash-up, Andrew Gentry extracts Kendrick Lamar’s lines and puts them against Clams Casino’s song I’m God and they make a perfect couple.  Funny how that works.  Sometimes you can’t see the possibility of two things being a perfect match, but you find out once you try.

Lolo – Weapon for Saturday

https://soundcloud.com/lolomusic/lolo-weapon-for-saturday

Let’s change it up a bit now.  Maybe you’re feeling a bit brave now and you think what’s-their-name can become something more.  Lolo’s not exactly the strongest vocalist, but she’s brimming with confidence.  Weapon for Saturday is one of those songs that I listen to and I suddenly feel awesome about myself.  It’s a song that makes you feel like you can conquer anything your heart desires.

Big Data – Dangerous

Big Data adds another song to get pumped up to with Dangerous.  It’s got a catchy bassline, the kind that makes you strutt while you listen to them on your headphones.  I feel like Tom in (500) Days of Summer after he leaves Summer’s place when I’m listening to this song.  There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by high fives from strangers and animated birds for 4 minutes and 40 seconds.

FMLYBND – Electricity

I’ll be ending things with a little love song.  Electricity by FMLYBND is bursting with synthy poppy happiness.  If I had to put my description of a first kiss in song form, it might sound something like this.  FMLYBND are incredibly close with each other.  They live together, cook together, get tattoos together, all that lovely stuff.  Hell, maybe down the line you could be in that kind of a relationship with the person who’s piqued your interest.

As usual, please comment or e-mail me with suggestions or feedback. I’m always up to listen to what you have to offer, and every once in awhile your recommendations may make it here.