By: Devana Petrovic, Staff Writer
If you’re anything like me and you find grocery shopping an incredibly mundane chore, I assure you, the way to fix that is with some tunes. Whether or not you already have your own playlist for grocery store runs or you’re intrigued by this concept and are thinking about trying it out, these songs will make those gloomy errand days at your local crusty No Frills not so boring.
“LA Dream” by Julia Jacklin
This Australian singer’s style is most commonly described as indie-folk or borderline alternative country — and although country is not my usual music genre preference, her lyricism and relaxed vibe makes her music perfect for romanticizing dull situations. “LA Dream” blasting in my ears while I’m trying to decide which salsa I want to buy oddly makes me feel like I’m the main character in an indie short film. Coincidentally enough, the first line of the song goes, “Why’d you go to the grocery store on the day you planned to leave,” and if that beautifully sad lyric doesn’t make you want to pretend that you’ve just had your heart broken, I don’t know what will.
“Lauren” by Men I Trust
By Canadian indie-pop band, Men I Trust, “Lauren” is more of an electropop song which, with lead singer Emma Proulx’s soft voice, makes for a dreamy yet boppy vibe. To be honest, the style of this song feels like it could be played in the background of a store, but because it’s not annoyingly catchy, and since the band does a great job of finding a balanced rhythm, it’s the best kind of background music, and will probably not distract you from the big decisions you might need to make at the supermarket. Do I gamble with those muffins that may or may or not turn out to be stale, or settle for my usual breakfast food choice of chocolate chip Eggos? I can only decide with “Lauren” playing in the background.
“Paul” by Big Thief
This is just one of those songs where even if you may have never heard it before, it feels and sounds familiar. It’s comforting, safe, and ideal for when you’re alone with your tunes. Maybe it’s just me, but songs like “Paul” by Big Thief, that have a certain chillness and bring that feeling of security, are exactly what I need to make me feel less lonely when I’ve once again found myself in the ice cream aisle — despite having only come for toilet paper.
“My City” by Better Oblivion Community Centre
Maybe I’m biased for this one since I’m a huge Phoebe Bridgers stan, but this indie rock duo with Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers has absolutely nailed every song they’ve produced. For me, “My City” is just the perfect middle ground between a fun dancy song and something mellow. If you’re unmotivated to finally do your grocery shopping, a fun bop like this one might do the trick for you.
