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Find classic hits in this Valentine’s Day playlist

Add these classic love songs and heartbreaker anthems to a Valentine’s Playlist

Natalie‌ ‌Dean‌ ‌|‌ ‌Entertainment‌ ‌Editor‌ ‌ ‌

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, and this season of love can best be enjoyed ⏤ or not ⏤ with music. Jam out with these 40 songs, half being love songs and the other half being heartbreak anthems. These songs can create an upbeat tone during date night or enjoy quality alone time if flying solo this year. Or, hit shuffle, grab some ice cream and see how the night goes. 

The playlist has artists from Etta James, Prince, Cyndi Lauper, Oasis, and all the way to Soulja Boy and The Pussycat Dolls. This lively playlist can add some excitement to this year’s Valentine’s Day, no matter someone’s relationship status. Find the official playlist ready to stream on Spotify @thewesternhowl:

Love songs:

  1. “A Sunday Kind Of Love” — Etta James 
  2. “If I Ain’t Got You” — Alicia Keys 
  3. “Every Breath You Take”— The Police
  4. “Wonderwall” — Oasis
  5. “Cupid’s Chokehold / Breakfast In America” —  Gym Class Heroes
  6. “Kiss Me Thru The Phone” —  Soulja Boy, Sammie
  7. “Tainted Love” —  Soft Cell
  8. “She Will Be Loved” —  Maroon 5
  9. “Hopelessly Devoted To You” — Olivia John-Newton
  10. “Can’t Take My Eyes off Of You” —  Frankie Valli
  11. “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love Babe” —  Barry White
  12. “Let’s Get It On” —  Marvin Gaye
  13. “My Girl” —  The Temptations
  14. “Love Her Madly” — The Doors
  15. “Kiss” —  Prince
  16. “More Than A Woman” —  Bee Gees
  17. “Lucky” —  Jason Mraz, Colbie Callait
  18. “Better Together” — Jack Johnson
  19. “My Stove’s on Fire” —  Robert Lester Folson
  20. “Baby, I’m Yours” —  Barbara Lewis

Heartbreak songs:

  1. “One Is The Loneliest Number” —  Harry Nilsson
  2. “I Hate This Part” —  The Pussycat Dolls
  3. “Everybody Hurts” —  R.E.M.
  4. “Jar Of Hearts” —  Christina Perri
  5. “I’m Not In Love” —  10cc
  6. “What a Fool Believes” —  The Doobie Brothers
  7. “Time After Time” —  Cyndi Lauper
  8. “Heartbreak Hotel” —  Elvis Presley
  9. “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE” —  Tyler, The Creator
  10. “F*** Being Friends” —  Jessie Reyez
  11. “Bad Religion” —  Frank Ocean
  12. “Sign Of The Times” — Harry Styles
  13. “when the party’s over” —  Billie Eilish
  14. “Someone Like You” —  Adele
  15. “Fix You” —  Coldplay 
  16. “Baby Come Back” —  Player
  17. “Gonna Hurry (As Slow As I Can)” —  Dolly Parton
  18. “I Have Nothing” —  Whitney Huston 
  19. “My Heart Will Go On” —  Céline Dion
  20. “We’ll Meet Again” —  Vera Lynn, Sailors, Soldiers, & Airmen of Mer Majesty’s Forces

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Artist Spotlight with musician Neal Cranston

A Western student and musician with many talents 

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

While majoring in history and minoring in geography at Western, senior Neal Cranston has still been able to build himself a strong audience for his music over the years. Cranston taught himself how to play the guitar, harmonica and has continuously developed 14 years of experience with the piano. He regularly explores different areas of music, but the piano is his favorite instrument to play. Cranston said he learned to “train the ear to play what you hear;” he admits it’s not the most traditional route to go when mastering instruments, but it’s kept his passion for music alive because of its organic roots.

He first found his passion for music in the third grade, where he began teaching himself to play piano by ear. He was first drawn to music on his own and spent time at home in Canby, OR ⏤ where he trained his ear to pick out melodies and practiced his piano skills. After he started honing his talents in different music genres and gaining more experience, a family friend encouraged him to take lessons and explore the scales on the piano. 

The years of his hard work have paid off, with his talents booking him in-person gigs at restaurants, weddings and wineries. Cranston described one of his favorite experiences which occurred last December. He was playing Christmas music on a beautiful grand piano at a winery and saw CJ McCollum from the Portland Trailblazers in the audience. 

When he isn’t playing for venues or famous basketball players, Cranston works on his own music, and even released his first single, “Make it Without You,” this September on all streaming platforms.

With help from some friends, he was able to record and produce this single that incorporates old school rock with a modern vibe. He wrote the lyrics in a few days and crafted the rest of the song for a few months before releasing it, taking time to make sure the song stayed true to his rock roots and live band feel, while also taking influence from modern music.

Along with developing more albums and EPs, Cranston is also curating music that highlights his strengths in piano and other instruments. He hopes to release more music that incorporates raw human feelings and experiences, as he believes that “there’s a lot of power inside the human aspects of music.”

These days, Cranston can be found performing socially distanced shows at certain local restaurants and venues, like Wayward Sandwiches in Canby, OR. If he’s not performing in person, he’s probably developing his website, or posting more music on his YouTube page, Neal Cranston. Make sure to keep up with new songs, shows and interactive posts on his Instagram @neal_cranston_music.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu 

Beat holiday stress with some funky tunes

Enjoy a playlist that travels through the ‘60s and ’90s

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

The holiday season is finally here, and while it’s an exciting time to spread cheer, some days are longer than others. People need ways to unwind and kill time in between the holiday get-togethers. Here are 15 songs to help distract from the stressfulness of the holidays, ranging from the 1960s to 1990s; there’s bound to be quite a few throwbacks and other well-loved tunes. Find a few artists to revisit, and add some of these groovy classics to a playlist. Don’t forget to check out the playlist with all these hits under “Beat the holiday stress with some funky tunes~” on Spotify at TheWesternHowl.

  1. “Just the Two of Us” — Bill Weathers ft. Grover Washington Jr.
  2. “Give Up the Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)” — Parliament 
  3. “Juicy” — The Notorious B.I.G.
  4. “What’s Going On” — Marvin Gaye
  5. “Love Train” — The O’Jays 
  6. “Blue Bayou” — Roy Orbison 
  7. “Play That Funky Music” — Wild Cherry
  8. “Little Lies” — Fleetwood Mac 
  9. “Boogie Wonderland” — Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions
  10. “Funky Town” — Lipps Inc.
  11. “Get Down on It” — Kool & The Gang
  12. “Love Her Madly” — The Doors
  13.  “I Wish” — Stevie Wonder
  14. “Night Fever” — The Bee Gees 
  15.  “Get Down Tonight” — KC & The Sunshine 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

 

Review: “Terra”

Review of the digital-only album from Eric Alexandrakis

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor 

A new digital-only album from Grammy-nominated musician, Eric Alexandrakis, is hitting the mainstream. “Terra” has been described by producer, Minoan Music, takes heavy influence from the 1960s psychedelic pop and new wave music. They also build off pop-styles from the late ‘70s and ‘80s. Take all this and mix it with a decent amount of Pink Floyd vibes, and there’s “Terra,” an alternative album that can be enjoyed by many. 

This 28-track album is jam-packed with plenty of alternative songs for anyone who wants to explore new music. The concept for “Terra,” as described by the artist, is inspired by his adventures while traveling and manages to weave in a compelling and poignant narrative of the artist’s life. Compared to his other albums, “Terra” has more of a unique feel with Alexandrakis’ use of an ancient 16-track machine. 

Along with this, the tracks are crafted with the help of bass player John Taylor of Duran Duran. In these multi-layered songs, Alexandrakis takes the listener on an emotional journey with his artistic lyricism — “Terra” will take you for a wild ride from start to finish. 

To follow some of the older stories Alexandrakis has produced, other albums like, “I.V. CATATONIA: 20 Years As a Two-Time Cancer Survivor” and “Hell On Earth” can be found on Apple Music. 

Overall Rating: 7/10, for the musical journey I went on. I would recommend this to people that enjoy exploring innovative music.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Steady tunes to study to: song recommendations

A collection of study songs from The Western Howl staff

The Western Howl Collective

With the beginning of school, there are so many things to prepare: supplies, textbooks, resources, study routines and much more. However, a strong study playlist is key in being successful. These are some recommendations from the Howl staff. Hopefully, these songs will encourage someone to create an individual study playlist for a wonderful term. 

 

Brianna Lelieur | Entertainment Editor

“The Last Cherry Blossom” by Rudemanners — This is a Lo-fi song off an entire playlist, it is upbeat and very soulful. 

 

Rylie Horrall | Managing Editor

“I Miss Those Days” by Bleachers — My study playlist changes a lot but this song is almost always on it. I like listening to it because it has a mellow and relaxing beat that helps me focus without the words being too distracting. 

 

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

“Cassini” by Curtis Schweitzer — I enjoy this song because it’s soft enough to not distract me while studying. I also like that the melody isn’t overly repetitive or predictable.

 

Sean Martinez | Copy Editor

“Vertigo” by Khalid — I don’t often listen to music while studying, but for me, it’s easy to get lost in the process of writing or studying while this song is playing. Plus, this song is about Khalid asking himself the big questions, making it a great song for concentrating on whatever task is at hand.

 

Kyle Morden | Head Designer

“comfy vibes” by LilyPichu — Sit back and relax; it’s time to get comfortable with some Lo-fi beats. No matter how stressful studying can be, this song will create a calm atmosphere for any listener.

 

Cora McClain | Editor-in-Chief

“I’ll Keep You Safe” by sagun — There’s a Lo-fi song for every occasion, and studying is no different.  I’m easily distracted and lyrical songs often make it harder for me to focus on work, so Lo-fi is my go to. The repetition and distortion that sagun’s uses keeps my brain engaged for long study sessions while not breaking my focus.

 

Kiara Wehrenberg | Photo Editor

“Dream Catcher” by Damu the Fudgemunk — This song is good for me to study because there are no lyrics for me to get distracted by while writing. I also like how the music is upbeat enough for me to stay focused and not fall asleep — most songs by this artist have a similar style perfect for studying. 

 

Stephanie Moschella | Digital Media Manager 

“3 Nights” by Dominic Fike — This song gives me the summer vibes that we all missed out on this year. It’s calming and melancholic, and leaving it on repeat helps drown out all the noise around me while I study. 

 

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor 

“Dr. Wanna Do” by  Caro Emerald  — After a long study session I like listening to some electric swing or Jazz to boost my mood and overall attitude. However, I usually don’t listen to anything while I work — it’s difficult for me to focus as is, and adding music to the mix doesn’t help me in my studies. 

 

Listen to the playlist here!

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