Indie Music Madness: A Seven-Song Playlist of March Minglers

March is a fascinating month, particularly in the Philadelphia region. It's a grab bag of unpredictable weather conditions. The month starts out rather cold and snowy, just like this playlist. But before you know it — like this playlist too — sun starts sneaking through. However, just when you're getting comfortable and relaxing into radiant rays of sunshine (also like this playlist) a surprise snow squall cold snaps you back to reality. But before you can get your thermals back on, the ground thaws again. This time for good. The mingling of snow and sun is over and spring is here to stay.

1. Volcano Choir — "Comrade"

When I first heard this song, immediately I thought "Bon Iver." That makes sense, because, as it turns out, Volcano Choir is an experimental collaboration that includes Bon Iver's frontman Justin Vernon. Though Volcano Choir undeniably has a Bon Iver-like feel, Volcano Choir's sound is less minimalistic and more muscular. The track starts out with a hollowed-out longing personified through Vernon's whispered vocals. Before long, though, "Comrade" cascades into a burgeoning castle of multi-tier harmonies and frolicsome folklórico guitar. Quiet openness melts into euphoric mysticism, just like the last March snow melting in the early spring air.

2. The Panics — "Majesty"

Cocooned in my comforter, a willing prisoner of my own bed sheets, I close my eyes and allow myself to be swept away on a bootstrap-hitching adventure led by The Panics. The texture of this track is all widescreen prairie skies, rock-hard soil, and snowcapped mountaintops. Sweeping and gutsy, and suitable for announcing the arrival of spring, the world-swallowing ambition of this song suggests new discoveries lie ahead.

3. Mutemath — "In No Time (Pierce Fulton Remix)"

I associate Mutemath, a soulful and slightly psychedelic alt-rock band (that hasn't been active since 2018), with amped up music that gets my blood pumping. This remix by Pierce Fulton, however, gets my heart pumping too. Its composition feels like one of those first perfect days of spring: warm, uplifting, and astoundingly sublime.

4. Jónsi — "Go Do"

Jónsi (who is the vocalist for Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós) makes incredible feel-good music. Not the cheesy, quick fix kind of feel-good music. But the truly authentic and blissful kind that buzzes you with joy from the inside out. So the next time you're having a lethargic day where you can't motivate yourself to do anything, put on the supremely happy "Go Do." Be ready to take the world by storm.

5. Beirut — "A Candle's Fire"

By snowstorm. As has been known to happen in mid-March in the Mid-Atlantic area. Doubtful that'll happen again this year, but if it does, let the blizzard blow over with Beirut. Thoughtful and unhurried, this meditative muser lends itself well to snowing yourself in with introspective thought. I imagine the track was recorded late at night in a tundra terrain, in a sparse cabin lit only with a flickering candle. The nature of this song is confessional and inward-looking as it mulls over the instability of relationships. It's a contemplative counterpart to a dark and dreary winter night.

6. Animal Collective — "Purple Bottle"

Then the snow melts one final time. And the freshness of the springtime landscape is mirrored by the fertile soundscape of Animal Collective. This frisky find comes galloping in with a heavy drum beat, and shortly thereafter, relies increasingly on other-worldly instrumentation and energizing vocals. There's a conversational breakdown in the middle of "Purple Bottle" containing lively and lucid lyrics. My favorite line, although hard to pick, is "I wear a coat of feelings and they are loud." This is one of the best descriptions about love I've ever read. And one of the best songs about love I've ever heard.

7. Kodaline — "Love Like This"

Speaking of love, and contrary to the name of this track, you'll never love a spring song as much as you love "Love Like This" by Kodaline. With the solid vocal harmonies of this Dublin-based band, as well as their clever use of the harmonica and mandolin, it's easy to understand why Ireland has fallen in love with these lovely lads. In spring, love is in the air. When listening to this award-winning Irish rock band, love is also in the ear.