Roséwave: Summer's Simple Pleasures

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Songs Considered Episode: Roséwave: Summer's Simple Pleasures
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Host: Robin Hilton
Guests: Lars Gottridge, Marissa LaRusso

---

Introduction to Rose Wave

Robin Hilton opens the episode by acknowledging the audience's eagerness for the return of the Rose Wave playlist after a two-year hiatus. The Rose Wave series, initiated by Lars Gottridge and Marissa LaRusso, is celebrated for its summery, breezy vibes that encapsulate the essence of carefree summer days.

Robin Hilton [00:22]: "They've had it with all the waiting and the wondering and they're just not gonna do it anymore. They want their Rose Wave playlist. They want it now."

Defining Rose Wave

Lars Gottridge elaborates on the concept of Rose Wave, emphasizing that it’s not confined to a specific music genre but rather embodies a "summery feeling" characterized by ease, breeziness, and emotional depth akin to artists like Carly Rae Jepsen.

Lars Gottridge [01:03]: "It's just that summery feeling. It's a little easy, it's a little breezy, it's a lot of feeling, it's a lot of Carly Rae Jepsen style emotion."

Marissa LaRusso adds that the Rose Wave playlist serves as a global compilation, featuring hundreds of handpicked songs from various eras, making it a versatile soundtrack for summer.

Marissa LaRusso [01:46]: "You will find literally hundreds of songs handpicked by y'all going back to 2017."

Featured Songs and Discussions

1. "Elderberry Wine" by Wednesday

Marissa introduces Wednesday, a band from North Carolina, highlighting their fall album Bleeds, which blends noisy guitars with country influences. She describes "Elderberry Wine" as the most "easy, breezy, warm, young love" track on the album, perfectly fitting the Rose Wave aesthetic.

Marissa LaRusso [02:58]: "It is perhaps the most easy, breezy, warm, young love kind of song on the record. So that all feels very wave canon to me."

Robin reflects on the evocative nature of the word "wave," appreciating how it encapsulates complex emotions beyond just pop tunes.

Robin Hilton [05:03]: "What a vibe."

2. "Come on Home" by the Lajadu Sisters

Lars shares a nostalgic moment at a community pool where "Come on Home" by the Lajadu Sisters perfectly matched the summer setting. He praises their fusion of Afrobeat, funk, and folk, along with their subtle feminist messages.

Lars Gottridge [07:12]: "They're very proud to be from Nigeria... kind of have this, like, funky, folky and joyous beat."

Marissa elaborates on their significance, noting their influence and the challenges they faced as female musicians in Nigeria during the 60s and 70s.

Marissa LaRusso [08:38]: "They were also, like, this feminist message."

3. "Aftertaste" by Katie Gavin

Marissa introduces Katie Gavin’s solo album What a Relief, describing "Aftertaste" as a "breezy, sitting by the pool" song that embodies the essence of Rose Wave.

Marissa LaRusso [10:28]: "It is extremely breezy, sitting by the pool with your girlies gossiping kind of vibe."

Robin connects the song’s wistful and melancholic undertones to the broader themes of summer memories.

Robin Hilton [11:20]: "This feels like Summer to me because everything's just a little wistful, just a hint of melancholy."

4. "Looking My Subtle Double Eyelids" by Haku

Lars introduces Haku, a Japanese band whose song "Looking My Subtle Double Eyelids" combines indie pop melodies with introspective lyrics. He appreciates the emotional depth juxtaposed with upbeat instrumentation.

Lars Gottridge [20:18]: "It's a feeling. It's a certain kind of sweetness. It's a certain kind of sadness, too."

Marissa expresses her affection for the track and its relatable themes, enhanced by its catchy melody.

Marissa LaRusso [22:39]: "I am obsessed. I'm so glad you brought it, Lars."

5. "My Song" by Labby Sifri

Marissa presents Labby Sifri and his track "My Song" from the album Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying. She highlights its universal appeal and heartfelt lyrics, making it a perfect addition to the Rose Wave playlist.

Marissa LaRusso [23:25]: "It's pretty much music that you could put on. And, like, no one would be offended by it."

Lars adds a personal touch by sharing his admiration for the song’s longevity and its deep emotional resonance.

Lars Gottridge [24:30]: "This is my song and no one can take it away."

6. "Diet Pepsi" by Addison Rae

Marissa concludes her song selections with Addison Rae's "Diet Pepsi," discussing its place in the pop tradition and its alignment with Rose Wave's focus on simple pleasures.

Marissa LaRusso [35:56]: "As a lover of diet soda, for better or worse, I'm gonna push back on that and say artificially sweetened, but feels amazing."

Robin humorously remarks on the song's title, linking it to the playlist's theme of light and refreshing experiences.

Robin Hilton [38:25]: "I guess Diet Pepsi feels like an appropriate name to me because it's artificially sweetened and a largely empty experience. But okay."

Insights on Wave Music

Throughout the episode, Robin, Lars, and Marissa delve into the emotional layers of Wave music, emphasizing its balance between joy and melancholy. They discuss how Wave serves as a soundtrack not just for fun in the sun but also for navigating summer's more introspective moments.

Lars Gottridge [20:16]: "A large part of Wave is actually sadness and being willing to be vulnerable about your sadness."

Marissa LaRusso [20:30]: "There's an emotional range to Wave. It's not just about fun in the sun..."

Conclusion and Upcoming Segments

As the episode wraps up, Robin teases upcoming discussions with Stephen Thompson about the top songs of 2022, tying it into the podcast’s 25th anniversary celebrations. The hosts encourage listeners to engage with the Rose Wave playlist available on various streaming platforms, promising a diverse and inclusive selection of tracks from around the globe.

Robin Hilton [39:29]: "I'm gonna put it in as many streaming services as I possibly can. I love being inclusive with Rose Wave."

Robin Hilton [40:43]: "And until next time, thanks, Stephen thank you, Robin. And for NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's All Songs Considered."

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Notable Quotes

• Robin Hilton [05:03]: "What a vibe."
• Lars Gottridge [01:03]: "It's just that summery feeling. It's a little easy, it's a little breezy..."
• Marissa LaRusso [23:25]: "No one would be offended by it."
• Lars Gottridge [20:18]: "It's a certain kind of sadness, too."

---

Takeaways

• Rose Wave is more than a playlist; it's an emotional journey that captures the multifaceted experiences of summer.
• The curated selections blend classic and contemporary tracks, offering a global perspective on what makes a song quintessentially "wave."
• The conversation highlights the importance of music in framing personal and collective summer memories, balancing upbeat tempos with reflective lyrics.

---

For those looking to immerse themselves in the Rose Wave experience, the playlist is accessible on major streaming platforms, offering a seamless blend of old favorites and fresh discoveries to soundtrack your summer days.

Transcript

[Amazon Pharmacy]

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[Robin Hilton]

Well, America has spoken. It's summertime.

[Lars Gottridge]

Summertime, Summertime, Summertime, summertime.

[Robin Hilton]

They've had it with all the waiting and the wondering and they're just not gonna do it anymore. They want their Rose Wave playlist. They want it now.

[Lars Gottridge]

This is not the vibe we're bringing to the party, Robin.

[Robin Hilton]

It's all Songs Considered. I'm Robin Hilton. And after a painfully long two year break, Lars Gottridge, Marissa LaRusso are back with some sweet summery jams to. Well, I don't know. What does Rose Wave do for you?

[Lars Gottridge]

What does Rose Wave do for me? Marissa, do you want to take.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Oh, my God. I was just about to say. Lars, you start. You are the founder of Wave.

[Lars Gottridge]

All right. There's this discussion in Slack about the band Higham and our colleague Otis Hart said, oh, yeah, they're. And I said, no, I think the preferred nomenclature is wave. And the idea was not to name a certain style of music, but a style of being where it's just that summery feeling. It's a little easy, it's a little breezy, it's a lot of feeling, it's a lot of Carly Rae Jepsen style emotion. But it isn't necessarily pop music and can be any kind of anything. So it started this series of summer playlists.

[Robin Hilton]

It's a good shorthand. Yeah, just. It just says so much. So if people search for on our site, all one word, you will find literally hundreds of songs handpicked by y' all going back to 2017.

[Marissa LaRusso]

That's right.

[Robin Hilton]

And if you know. And for a good while, it was a summer tradition for us. Haven't done it for a couple of years, but America really has spoken. We did get.

[Lars Gottridge]

We got emails.

[Robin Hilton]

We got emails. Oh, my gosh. Posts on social media. People are like, can you think of any reason why you haven't given us the Wave mix that we deserve? But I managed to convince you to come back, actually. The song that we've been listening to here, Summertime, Summertime, the 1958 classic by the Jamies. Kind of. Kind of. Can't believe you never featured this on any of your playlists.

[Lars Gottridge]

It feels a little too much like they're forcing me to have fun. Mandatory fun. That's not what I'm looking for.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, we should get to some of this new stuff that you brought. And these aren't all new songs necessarily, but, Marissa, why don't you start us off with something that you brought?

[Lars Gottridge]

Hmm?

[Marissa LaRusso]

What's the best place to start? I'm gonna start with the song Elderberry Wine by the band Wednesday. I love this band so much. They have a record coming out in the fall called Bleeds, and here's what I'll say. That album rips like. There are big, super loud, super noisy guitars on it. A lot of distortion, a lot of intensity. But here's the thing that makes them. This is a band from North Carolina, and they are very proud to be from North Carolina. They have this very country side to their music. And this song is from, I think, that side of the Wednesday discography. It is perhaps the most easy, breezy, warm, young love kind of song on the record. So that all feels very wave canon to me.

[Stephen Thompson]

Sweet song is a long con. I drove you to the airport with the e brake on. Ain't heard that voice in a long time. Had to check back there to make sure you were alive, angel. An electric car reverses toward me sometimes in my. That I give up and flip the board completely. But everybody gets along just fine. Cause the champagne tastes like elderberry wine.

[Robin Hilton]

I really love this song. And, you know, we were talking, Lars, about how evocative the word wave is. Like, you instantly know what you're gonna get. And this isn't what I assume when I hear the word wave, Marissa.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Oh, really? I don't know. For me, there's just something that's so. Like, the ideal way to listen to that song is driving in a car with your friends with all the windows.

[Robin Hilton]

Down and a glass of wine.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Well, okay. Okay. So maybe you have one designated driver and everyone else has enjoyed some, and you're, you know, driving in the car. I don't know. That feels very wave in spirit to me.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I guess what I'm thinking is that when I hear. I just assume, like, nothing but pop bangers or bops, you know, just like you're saying. It's a much, much more complicated vibe than that.

[Lars Gottridge]

It's a feeling. It's a certain kind of sweetness. It's a certain kind of sadness, too. A little bit too. It's like allowing yourself to be in the emotion at the moment that you're having it. And so hanging out with your friends in a car.

[Robin Hilton]

What a vibe.

[Lars Gottridge]

What a great.

[Marissa LaRusso]

What a vibe.

[Lars Gottridge]

What a great vibe. And that leads me right into the next song. I Want to play? Which was also a vibe. I was at a community pool with some friends and their kids, and kids were splashing in the pool. There were teens who were not trying to look too cool, but playing volleyball, but they were still kind of looking cool. And there's a nice shade from the trees, and it was just like a nice day. And then all of a sudden, this song comes on, and my friend Jess says to me, this is the perfect song for right now. And it was a song by the Lajadu sisters called Come on Home.

[Robin Hilton]

This came on a jukebox or something at the pool.

[Lars Gottridge]

I think somebody made a playlist.

[Stephen Thompson]

Sam. Ooh, ooh.

[Robin Hilton]

This is great. I mean, if you were at the pool where I grew up and someone put a song on the jukebox, it was probably the Doobie Brothers.

[Lars Gottridge]

Oh, King. So far. So wave. Absolutely.

[Robin Hilton]

You know, Or. Oh, I can't believe I'm blanking on their name. They did that song, Elvira. I remember hearing all the time.

[Lars Gottridge]

Time.

[Robin Hilton]

Hell, Vira, Giddy up. No one. No one. You don't remember that? What was that? Oh, the Oak. Was it the Oak Ridge Boys? But this is great.

[Marissa LaRusso]

I love this song.

[Lars Gottridge]

These are twin sisters from Nigeria who are making music in the 60s and 70s, and they are very popular in Nigeria. And their story is fascinating because they wanted to make music. They loved the afrobeat that was happening at the time in Nigeria. They loved the funk music that was happening in America, and they loved folk music that was happening in America. But in Nigeria in this time in particular, women weren't really allowed to do this kind of thing to have music careers. So they, in addition to just making great little funky bops, they were also, like, this feminist message. And all of their songs kind of have this, like, funky, folky and joyous beat.

[Robin Hilton]

So the. Is it Ledaju la Jadu lejadu Sisters, Come on home. So that's from a 1979 album called Horizon Unlimited.

[Lars Gottridge]

Great, great record. I can't recommend enough, so I'm just.

[Robin Hilton]

Here for the hang. I don't really. I just want to hear what you guys are bringing, so. And we've got a lot of stuff we want to play, so, Marisa, let's go back to you.

[Marissa LaRusso]

So Lilith Faire. Are you guys familiar with Lilith Faire?

[Robin Hilton]

Are you kidding me? Okay, well, I went through a major, major Lilith Faire phase. Well, back when that was really popping back in the 90s.

[Lars Gottridge]

And.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, no, it was like, if you get out my CD logic notebooks, they're full of all the albums from that time, Jewel.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Okay. Well, I have honestly been talking to people my age and a little bit younger lately who have never heard of Lilith Fair. Don't know that this festival, this all woman lineup existed. Don't know that it was enormously successful. I've gotten a handful of TikToks in my TikTok feed from young women being like, can you believe that they made this music festival with, like, you know, Sheryl Crow and, like, Indigo Girls? And it was women. And people went, anyway, all of that to say that there was an album that came out last year called what a Relief by Katie Gavin, and she is perhaps best known as the front woman of the band Muna. But what a Relief was her solo album, and she described it in all of the interviews that she did around the album as being Lilith Fairy Air Corps, which I think is so great and so extraordinarily wave at its core. So, anyway, the song that I would like to play by Katie Gavin is called Aftertaste. I think it is extremely breezy, sitting by the pool with your girlies gossiping kind of vibe, which has wave written all over it.

[Stephen Thompson]

My hair got long, your hair got cut. You wear the same old sweater. It's good to see you. We're catching up. We're talking about the weather and I'm the empress in my new clothes and I think that you must know and you're taking pity on me pretending you don't see I feel naked when you look my way you can see it on my face. You're the only reason I came here. You're the only reason I stay here. And I'm living on the after days. Don't you tell me it's too late. You're the only reason I came here. You're the only reason. It's so clear to me now.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, I gotta be honest, the vibe you're channeling in your pics. Marissa, I'm. I'm there for it. This feels like Summer to me because everything's just a little wistful, just a hint of melancholy, you know, it's like there's a weight to all of it in a way. It's not too breezy.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Yeah. Robyn, I was going to ask, what's your relationship to.

[Robin Hilton]

I mean, I think it. Well, I was going to say I think it must taste like sewer water. But if I'm being honest.

[Lars Gottridge]

We'Re about to. Here we go. Let's do.

[Robin Hilton]

Lars is uncapping a bottle of. As we speak.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Oh, my gosh.

[Robin Hilton]

Marisa. Where are we talking to you from right now?

[Marissa LaRusso]

I am in my closet in Brooklyn, New York.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I'm sorry, you can't be here. I was gonna say that. If I'm being honest, I don't think I've actually ever had rose just because everything. I mean. All right, let me just say that anything described as light, bright and refreshing, I mean, that's just not what I'm looking for when I'm reaching for a bottle of wine. I want something dark and leathery and woodsy to go with the night, which is the space that I like to inhabit. But you brought it here. And I have a coffee mug, so.

[Lars Gottridge]

We'Ll just get some nice audio. There we go.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay. Oh.

[Lars Gottridge]

Oh, God.

[Robin Hilton]

How do you do it?

[Lars Gottridge]

This is admittedly the cheap one that I just got from the grocery store around the corner.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Lars, can you give us some tasting notes?

[Lars Gottridge]

We got some, I would say, grapefruit. It's very sweet.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Oh, beautiful.

[Robin Hilton]

It's so sweet. So I've said this before on the show. I most recently was talking with Stephen Thomps about this because he really, really loves Muna. And I've kind of missed the Moona boat, but I like Katie Gavin's solo stuff more. I don't know, it's got a little more character or warmth to it.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yeah, it's real loose.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Marissa LaRusso]

I think that makes sense, Robin, because most of Muna's biggest hits are so like, get on the dance floor and cry and this. I don't know. If you are a Lilith Faire attendee, this is right in your lane. I feel like.

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[Robin Hilton]

All right, coming up later on the show, Stephen Thompson will be here to talk about our number one songs from 2022. We've been doing a different year at the end of every episode this year, starting with the year 2000, going all the way up to 2024. It's for our 25th anniversary that's coming up, plus your weekly reset, so keep listening for that. Also, a reminder you if you like the show, the best way to support it is to tell a friend about it and leave us a review on Apple or Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts or I guess you could underwrite the show. That'd be a good way to.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yeah, just give us money or just.

[Robin Hilton]

Give us some cash. I don't know how much you holding? What do you have? What are we talking about here? So all the songs, Lars and Marisa that you picked over the years for, they're scattered across a bunch of different playlists or subcategories. These are pretty great. Single and sauced. Swipe right in. 30 songs.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yeah. Shout out to Sydney Madden. That one was amazing.

[Robin Hilton]

Brilliant. Here's another one. Sipping and sprinting. Sipping and sprinting. A playlist for running drunk, I guess.

[Lars Gottridge]

No. All right, here's something I want to make perfectly clear. Yes, when we started was a part of it. But over the years, my understanding and way that I approach ros wave has nothing to do with beverages at all. It's just something that makes you feel good.

[Robin Hilton]

But, you know, well, I have run drunk and I. I don't recommend it. I would, I would go back when I was used to run. I used to run like about 50 miles a week and I would go to, like, I'd go to a happy hour after work or something. Right?

[Lars Gottridge]

Sure.

[Robin Hilton]

And then I'd come home and go for a run and I'd be half in the bag.

[Lars Gottridge]

Ouch.

[Robin Hilton]

It's a good way to burn it off. Anyway, there are a lot more different playlists here, but my personal favorite that y' all did is can youn dig it? 25 golden jams from a 1969 vintage vintage oh, yeah.

[Lars Gottridge]

Lauren Onke.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, did she do that one?

[Lars Gottridge]

She did that one.

[Robin Hilton]

So, you know, as I said, I was just here for the hang, but when I saw the 1969 playlist, I thought, okay, if it's gonna be that kind of party, I can play something here.

[Lars Gottridge]

Okay. Please.

[Stephen Thompson]

Honey, you do me wrong but still I'm crazy about you Stay away too long and I can't do without you Every chance you get you seem hurt me more and more but each hurt makes my love stronger than before I know flowers grow to rain but how can love go to fame?

[Robin Hilton]

Barbing gay. Ain't that peculiar?

[Lars Gottridge]

It's got a nice shimmy to it.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, my God.

[Lars Gottridge]

That's what you need.

[Robin Hilton]

Anything. Anything from Marvin Gay works. So if we're. If we're thinking about memories of summer and when summer was great, I did used to really enjoy it when I was growing up. I would go for these long bike rides in high school. And the Walkman was a fairly new invention at that point. I know I'm dating myself, but it meant that I could ride around on my bike and listen to music for the first time ever.

[Lars Gottridge]

Oh, man.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, it was. I cannot tell you what a novelty that was and how special that was. And I had this playlist I made, and it was full of Marvin Gaye stuff.

[Lars Gottridge]

You mean a mixtape?

[Robin Hilton]

It was a mixtape, yes. It actually was, in fact, an actual mixtape on cassette. You see, I've got been conditioned now to say playlist. It was an actual cassette. And I remember I had, like, Inner City Blues was on it. And I tried to remember what else was on that playlist. And I remember Queen Somebody to Love. I had Rolling Stones. You can't always get what you want. That was always my end of summer song. It was the last thing I'd listened to before school started again.

[Lars Gottridge]

That's a great tradition.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. And then I had Guyana's Adagio by Khachaturian. Do you know that piece?

[Marissa LaRusso]

I'm not familiar.

[Lars Gottridge]

Let's see.

[Robin Hilton]

This is how it goes. It was famously used in 2001 A Space Odyssey. This is playing if you know the film. When he's.

[Lars Gottridge]

He's running.

[Robin Hilton]

He's running.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yeah. Okay. I thought. Okay, Yeah, I can see it. Yeah, he's.

[Robin Hilton]

It's when he's jogging around the circle. And I don't know why I put this on my mixtape, but I have many memories of listening to this as the sun's going down and I'm on my bike speeding down the country roads of Kansas.

[Lars Gottridge]

Well, you know, a large part of Wave is actually sadness and being willing to be vulnerable about your sadness, okay?

[Marissa LaRusso]

Oh, absolutely. I feel like there's an emotional range to Wave. It's not just about fun in the sun, because, you know, summer can be full of heartbreak and hardship, and you need a soundtrack for that, too.

[Lars Gottridge]

So there is this band from Japan called Haku, and they had this viral TikTok of them doing Japanese tongue twisters. It was absolutely delightful. And, like, fell in love with the band as a result, and they put out an EP at the very beginning of the year. It is one of those indie pop songs that's very swoony but sad at the same time, which is exactly my speed. And the song title is Looking My Subtle Double Eyelids.

[Stephen Thompson]

Shiloh.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yeah. The translation that I read, it's like she's looking in the mirror and she is describing her features as a young Japanese woman, but at the same time, she is wondering about her love life, she's wondering about the future. She is very much in her feelings. And here we got this little peppy indie pop song to kind of get her through it.

[Marissa LaRusso]

This is the first time I've heard this song, and I am obsessed. I'm so glad you brought it, Lars.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, I think this is one. You don't really need to know what she's saying, maybe.

[Lars Gottridge]

So the top comment on YouTube, understanding 0%, feeling 100% cute. 100,000%.

[Marissa LaRusso]

That is exactly it. Yes.

[Robin Hilton]

And I think it's only on video. I don't find it anywhere.

[Lars Gottridge]

They have an EP that came out earlier this year.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, okay.

[Lars Gottridge]

It's just a few songs. They had an album come out a couple years ago. I'm obsessed with them. I desperately need them to come to.

[Marissa LaRusso]

The U.S. i think I'm also going to go slightly wistful here, and I'm gonna play a song by Labby Sifri called My Song. Are you guys familiar with this?

[Lars Gottridge]

No. This was. This is a new one to me.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Oh, my gosh. Okay. So it's from this album that honestly gets played in my house a lot, called Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying. The title track is really good, too. I almost picked that song. But everything about this song, to me is, like, so sweet. His voice is so sweet. The lyrics are so sweet. It makes me think about a way that you defined Wave many, many years ago, Lars, which is, like, you know, if you're at, like, a backyard barbecue and a bunch of your extended family is there, this is music that you could put on. And, like, no one would Be offended by it.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Marissa LaRusso]

And obviously, inoffensive is not, like, a huge compliment to music, but I genuinely mean, like, anyone I think could hear the song and fall in love with it.

[Robin Hilton]

Critics are saying it's not offensive. No.

[Marissa LaRusso]

But I really do mean it in a genuine compliment sort of way.

[Lars Gottridge]

This is my song and no one can take it away it's been so.

[Stephen Thompson]

Long.

[Lars Gottridge]

But now you're here Here to.

[Stephen Thompson]

Stay.

[Lars Gottridge]

And I wonder if you know.

[Stephen Thompson]

What it means to find your dreams.

[Lars Gottridge]

Come true.

[Robin Hilton]

Marissa, this is so nice.

[Marissa LaRusso]

It's so great.

[Robin Hilton]

Love it. Love the piano. His voice is incredible.

[Marissa LaRusso]

And there's a chance that someone might hear this song and not be familiar with him, but think that the song sounds familiar, and that is probably because it was sampled by the artist formerly known as Kanye west on his song I Wonder. I think I probably heard that Kanye song before I heard this record and. And recognized it immediately. An amazing other story that I heard about Labi Sifri is that another song of his was sampled by Eminem. And I read that when Eminem was trying to get the sample clearance, Laby Sifri asked him to take out all the homophobia from the song before he.

[Lars Gottridge]

Would clear the sample, which is so.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Awesome and an incredible. I wish that could be a metric for all sample clearance of all time. But, yeah, I love this record so much. It's called Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying. He has a lot of really wonderful albums, but that's one that I'm the most familiar with.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, that's really beautiful. The song again, called my song from 1972.

[Lars Gottridge]

I'm gonna keep it in the 70s. And I'm gonna say this out loud because I was thinking about it today, and specifically in reference to this song. I need to make a friend with somebody who has a boat. This has been a goal of mine for many years. It doesn't matter if it's on the ocean or on a river or on a lake.

[Robin Hilton]

All right, so anyone out there listening right now? Email us allsongspr.org this sounds pretty serious.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yeah, it really is.

[Robin Hilton]

So I think the point we're trying to make here is we need a boat.

[Lars Gottridge]

And you will hear this song on it.

[Stephen Thompson]

SA.

[Lars Gottridge]

1975 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is a trio called Azimuth. They mixed funk and jazz and samba, and it was all very cosmic. And they have this great song called Faza du Chakunta. Marissa, you can't see it, but I have, like, a little smooth, stank face.

[Robin Hilton]

Of course I'm picturing It smooth stank face.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yeah, it's kind of like, you know when there's a really great bass line and the bass guy is making a bass face, but it's like. But it's like sometimes they're kind of ugly. This one's like. It's smooth. It's like.

[Robin Hilton]

Let'S see. So that's Azimuth A Z Y M U T H from a self titled album, came out again in 1975. That's a great pick. So I think you each have a couple more tracks you want to play. And Marissa, we're back to you.

[Marissa LaRusso]

So I am a longtime fan of Katie Crutchfield, aka Waxahachie. She put out a record in 2020 called St. Cloud, which was this huge step up in terms of her songwriting, in terms of production, in terms of embracing this, like, Americana sound. And I think that marked the moment where Katie Crutchfield became a patron saint of wave. Do you think that's true, Lars?

[Lars Gottridge]

Yes, absolutely.

[Marissa LaRusso]

So ever since that record came out, I feel like there's tons of things I could pick to be on this year's Wave playlist to make it into the canon.

[Stephen Thompson]

But.

[Marissa LaRusso]

But I'm going to go with Much Ado About Nothing.

[Stephen Thompson]

I throw it in the right direction. Please don't look my way? You stare directly in my eyes? Cause you are brave? You drive around in circles? Talking yourself out of rushing? I sit alone and wait? So patient. Much Ado about Nothing.

[Robin Hilton]

So this didn't come out on the original release of Tiger's Blood, right? That came out 2024.

[Lars Gottridge]

The Deluxe. Deluxe version, yeah. You know they make a deluxe version every six weeks now, right?

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Okay. And a thought just occurred to me as well, which is that Tiger's Blood, her last record, is named after a snow cone flavor. And I'm like, snow cones. That is so Rose wave having snow.

[Lars Gottridge]

1,000%. Yes.

[Robin Hilton]

I really used to love getting snow cones. The real, like, the faker, the better, right?

[Lars Gottridge]

Like fake giant. Just giant pieces of ice.

[Robin Hilton]

And the crunchy kind, too. Not the shoes. Shaved, fluffy stuff that just sort of dissolves in your mouth when you need the crunchy.

[Lars Gottridge]

Like, so the stuff that ruins your teeth.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, exactly. Little pieces. But, I mean, it's all ground up. It's little pieces. And all the syrup would pool at the bottom of the cone.

[Lars Gottridge]

Oh, my God.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

And then you end up drinking the last.

[Lars Gottridge]

I have so many memories of, like, riding my bike through my neighborhood as a kid just to go to the snow cone place with my little brother. And it just being, like, the best thing in the world.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, that's a great pick. Much Ado About Nothing. Lars, let's go back to you.

[Lars Gottridge]

I like to think of this next artist as sort of like a precursor to Katie Crutchfield and Waxahachie. So Linda Ronstadt is one of my favorite singers of all time. And the hallmark of her artistry is that she was always willing to try new things. She was a soft rocker. She sang ballads, she did Mexican folk songs, she did show tunes, she did opera. She's done a little bit of everything. And that, to me, is sort of like a nice little tenet of rose wave trying new things and willing to be vulnerable. And in 1980, she. After a decade of making soft rock and kind of like folky rock songs, she decided to put out a New Wave record. It is such a fun record that nobody talks about anymore. And in particular, I love this song called How Do I Make youe?

[Stephen Thompson]

How do I make you? How do I make you wanna see me? You're so young but your feelings are deep how do I make you? How do I make you? How do I to make you feel for me? You put your head on my pillow and you fast asleep.

[Robin Hilton]

I do remember when this came out, and it was weird at the time because. Yeah, I mean, I was thinking of, like, Blue Bayou or something like that from her. That's what we would hear at the pool. And this came out and I remember thinking, like, this sounds like Pat Benatar, because Pat Benatar had just had, I think, her first record, maybe the year before, something like that.

[Lars Gottridge]

And Blondie was in the air.

[Robin Hilton]

Blondie was totally in the air.

[Lars Gottridge]

And, like, she worked with, like, a person who knew how to write these kinds of songs. His name is Billy Steinberg. He wrote Like a Virgin.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, okay.

[Lars Gottridge]

He wrote Eternal Flame by the bang.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, wow.

[Lars Gottridge]

So, like, she knows who to work with. It's so fun. I. Yeah, can't recommend. This is a great first song, but the lyric is, how do I make you dream about me? Which. Oh, my God, what a rose. Waif sentiment. Oh, my. Like, the peak of desire, but doing it in a very cute way.

[Robin Hilton]

It sounds a little stalkery, though. Well, I know how much you love Linda Ronstadt, and I actually, when I was trying to thinking if it's anything that I could possibly contribute, I actually considered a couple Linda Ronstadt cuts, but I wouldn't have thought of this one, so. Great pick.

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[Marissa LaRusso]

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[Robin Hilton]

I mentioned, Stephen Thompson is going to come on here at the end of the show and talk about our number one songs from 2022 as part of our 25th anniversary conversations. We've been having spring and summer, and of course, we'll have your weekly reset. But both of you still have one more song that you want to play. And Marissa, I think what you've been saving the best for last.

[Marissa LaRusso]

I've certainly been saving something.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I was just trying. I'm not saying I personally think it's the best.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Earlier in our conversation, you said that you felt like Rose Wave. You expected pure pop. And so I had to bring some of that to the show for sure. And so I would like to discuss the song Diet Pepsi by Addison Rae.

[Stephen Thompson]

My boy my ass looks good in these ripped blue jeans My cheeks are red like cherries in the spring Body's a work of all you to die to see Untouched XO yum lustless in the back seat say love seeing I see.

[Robin Hilton]

Is she the real deal? Because I've been getting some poser vibes.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Is she the real deal? That's such a fascinating question, Robyn. And I do think that she comes from a tradition of pop girlies that would say, what is real? You know, what does that mean to be a real deal pop star? I do think she works.

[Robin Hilton]

What is a poser now?

[Marissa LaRusso]

What even is a poser? I do think that she comes very much from, you know, the Lana Del Rey lineage, who is a person who's very interested in, you know, authenticity, for sure. But then also she really comes from the Britney Spears lineage, which is, you know, kind of pinnacle of Quote, unquote, manufactured pop star. And I think she has a little bit of Madonna in here. Who in there? Which, you know, that's another person who would question the real.

[Lars Gottridge]

About a month or so ago, I actually sent a voice memo to Marissa and to Lindsey McKenna are my co creators in Rose Wave. It was a hot day. I was walking home from work from the Metro, and I was listening to the Addison Rae record because a lot of people who I respect liked it. And I was like, all right, fine, I'll listen to it. And it wasn't clicking for me. It all felt a little anonymous. It was really hot out, so I ducked into the bodega that's just down the street from where I live, and I got a cherry Coke, icy.

[Robin Hilton]

I'm on the edge of my seat here, Lars.

[Lars Gottridge]

And just as I was sipping my cherry Coke icing, Diet Pepsi by Addison Rae came on and.

[Robin Hilton]

And you thought, I'm going to have Diet Pepsi instead. It's working.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yeah. And then. And then something clicked for me because the original intent of Rose Wave was always about simple pleasures and not having to think too hard about it. And that was when this song did click for me.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I guess Diet Pepsi feels like an appropriate name to me because it's artificially sweetened and a largely empty experience. But okay.

[Marissa LaRusso]

As a lover of diet soda, for better or worse, I'm gonna push back on that and say artificially sweetened, but feels amazing.

[Robin Hilton]

Not compared to the real thing.

[Marissa LaRusso]

I will say that the first time I heard the song Diet Pepsi, I was like, what is going on here? Did not land for me. But, yeah, my love of diet soda did give me a generous heart towards the song. And I think after repeat listens, yeah, I think that that puts it in the Wave canon for sure.

[Lars Gottridge]

Sometimes you just don't have to think too hard about it.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, that's fair. Well, there's obviously a whole lot more music that we could play here, Lars. I think you're gonna do a playlist. Yeah. Where people can find full versions of these songs and a bunch more and a bunch.

[Lars Gottridge]

It's gonna be from any era, from any style of music from all over the world. I love making this as international and global and as fun as possible.

[Robin Hilton]

So that'll be in Spotify and Apple.

[Lars Gottridge]

I'm gonna put it in as many streaming services as I possibly can. I love being inclusive with Rose Wave.

[Robin Hilton]

All right, so you've got one more song that you want to take us out on.

[Lars Gottridge]

So Amerie is sort of like the Mariah Carey of summertime. Because Mariah Carey owns Christmas.

[Robin Hilton]

Right, right.

[Marissa LaRusso]

Of course, we all know this.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yes, my queen. But Amerie owns summer mostly based on the song why Don't We Fall in Love. It's a song from 2002. It's from her debut album, All I have. And the thing that I love about why We Don't Fall in love is that it captures the desper inspiration and sweetness around a summer love. Like, it actually, like, has, like, a nice rhythm to it that makes you want to walk down a street on a hot summer day, hand in hand with your boo and eating your snow cone eating your snow cone drink your iced coffee, your iced tea, what have you. And everything feels good and new and fresh.

[Stephen Thompson]

So many things I'm going through so much that I want to do.

[Robin Hilton]

All right, we'll go out on this, but keep listening after the song. Stephen Thompson will be here to talk about our number one tracks from 2022. That, plus your weekly reset all coming up the lars Gottrich, Marissa LaRusso. A grateful nation thanks you.

[Marissa LaRusso]

It was my pleasure to be here, Robin. Thank you so much.

[Lars Gottridge]

Robin just took another sip of his Roseanne. He's making a face.

[Robin Hilton]

It's actually, it's a little like champagne. It has a little champagne. It's like without the bubbles.

[Stephen Thompson]

It takes such a load off to let you know that you're the only one I never want to go Things I never did know I want to do I love I never felt Now I feel for you why just swallow each and every else of my pride Everything you do I want to feel again Ain't no use for us to pretend why, why can't we why can't we why can we fall in love? Fall in love.

[Robin Hilton]

All right, Stephen Thompson, back now to talk about our number one songs from 2022 as part of our look back at the past 25 years of all songs considered. Welcome, Stephen.

[Lars Gottridge]

Hello, Robin.

[Robin Hilton]

So 2022 was a. Was a pretty big year for me. It was the first year I did not do a Top 10 albums or songs list at all.

[Lars Gottridge]

Why not?

[Robin Hilton]

I don't really know why I didn't do one, but I haven't done1 Since 2021, I think. You know, I was so deep into new music Friday. You know, I used to host new music.

[Lars Gottridge]

I know this life.

[Robin Hilton]

I think you're starting to figure it out that you listen to so much music and your ears start getting bigger and bigger and bigger and you start just loving so much more stuff.

[Lars Gottridge]

Are you sure this Isn't just we're getting older.

[Robin Hilton]

I don't think it is that. I think it.

[Lars Gottridge]

You meant figuratively.

[Robin Hilton]

Yes, I meant figuratively literally. Our ears are dropping. No, I just think I found while hosting New Music Friday and consuming that much stuff that I found it nearly impossible to whittle it down to just, oh, tier 10 albums, the 10 best songs, because I just loved so much stuff. But you know, you've been going first just about every time we've done this. But I'm going to go first with what I think is maybe what we would pick as, as our number one song for 2022.

[Lars Gottridge]

That's great. Take it off my list because I got too many. Oh, yeah, we don't need to play Name the Tune.

[Stephen Thompson]

Mommy, daddy, look at me I went to school and I got a degree all my friends call it the big D I went to school and I got the big D I got the big D I got the big. I got the big D I went to school and I got the big D. Is your muffin buttered? Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin? Excuse me, What? Excuse me, What? Hey, you over there on the chaise long in your underwear. What are you doing sitting down? You should be horizontal. No.

[Robin Hilton]

So Atleg Chaise Long from their self titled debut actually dropped as a single in 2021. So if you.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yeah, some of it, some of us had it on our year end best list in 2021.

[Robin Hilton]

I mean, NPR Music had it on their best songs list for 2021. I think we got that list wrong, by the way, because the number one song that NPR Music had for that year was Lil Nas X's Montero. Call Me by. I mean, it's a great song.

[Lars Gottridge]

That's a great song.

[Robin Hilton]

But I would have given it to. And Wet Leg came in second with Jay's long. I would have maybe given it to Wet Leg that year. But the album that it's from came out in 2022, so that's why I'm picking it.

[Lars Gottridge]

Yeah. And of course Wetleg has a new album out now called Moisturizer that is absolutely, absolutely phenomenal.

[Robin Hilton]

Just no sophomore slump or whatever.

[Lars Gottridge]

All killer, no filler.

[Robin Hilton]

It's like, yeah, it is a fearless, fearless follow up to the self titled record.

[Lars Gottridge]

Terrific, terrific record. And honestly, it's hard to narrow down 2022 to just a song or two as well. You know, you could go with one of the songs that kind of permeated the monoculture like About Damn Time by Lizzo would make a lot of sense here. But honestly, I'm gonna go with arguably my favorite song from definitely my favorite album, Bum.

[Robin Hilton]

Is this Muna what I Want? Yep. Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

And when I see my friend put something on the tongue I'm going to ask for one Cuz that's just what I want, want, want what I want, want I want. I spent way too too too many years not knowing what what I wanted, how to get it, how to live it. And now I'm gonna make up for it all at once. Cause that's, that's just what I want.

[Robin Hilton]

I don't know. Know, I guess it's pretty great stuff. Maybe I really need to spend.

[Lars Gottridge]

Somebody should have told me about this.

[Robin Hilton]

Why, why am I just now finding this out? Yeah.

[Lars Gottridge]

Phenomenal live band too.

[Robin Hilton]

So 2022, as you said, very difficult year. To really sum up very quickly, I would also mention Alex G's Runner came out there, came out that year. Porridge Radios Back to the radio from the album Water Slide, Diving Ladder to the Sky. That song came out in 2022. Oh, Noah Kahn's stick season, the title cut from that record, came out that year as well. So much we could talk about. But we'll go out on this. And until next time, thanks, Stephen thank you, Robin. And for NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's All Songs Considered.

[Stephen Thompson]

What I wanted, how to get it, how to live it. And now I'm going to make up for it all at once. Cuz that's, that's just what I want. I want the full effect. I want to hit it hard. I want to dance in the middle. It it's.

[Marissa LaRusso]

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[Marissa LaRusso]

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