Every other week, Staff Reporter Jillian Morabito showcases some of the tunes you should be tuning in to. Here are her picks for your new Must Listen Playlist:

“I Should Live in Salt” by the National

The Ohio band is back with their sixth studio album, “Trouble Will Find Me,” released this past May. The entire album will take you on an emotional roller coaster if you listen to it in one sitting. “I Should Live in Salt” is the opening track and an immediate standout. The regretful lyrics detail the lead singer’s remorse about abandoning his brother when he left to college so many years ago. Whereas the rest of the band is composed of brothers, lead singer Matt Berninger was the only one to be on the road without his. 

“Painful Like” by Austra

This Canadian band, Austra, released their second album, “Olympia,” last month. “Painful Like” is one of their better tracks, as it describes “the disillusionment of growing up gay in a small town and finding solace in the arms of a lover.” Katie Stelmanis’s voice echoes that of Florence Welch and Sia, with the music sounding like a fusion of electro and alternative. 

“Body of Work” by the Mynabirds 

Indie-pop doesn’t get much better than this Mynabirds album. With soothing vocals and drums that sound straight out of a Tracy Chapman album, “GENERALS” is a stand-out LP. Just the line “Freedom is what you do with what / With what’s been done to you” assures you Mynabirds is certainly on the right track to making purposeful music.  

“Ain’t It So” by Papa

It is a shame if you missed this local L.A. band at this past year's Springfest, but don't worry, because their EP (though two years old) is perfect. “Ain’t It So” is not the only highlight because all five tracks are pristine, with the addition of the newly released “Put Me to Work” and “If You’re My Girl, Then I’m Your Man.” Any music by Papa is perfect for those endless days of summer, whether you’re driving to the beach or trying to stay as air conditioned as possible. 

“To Wish Impossible Things” by The Cure

Some say eyes (or chocolate) are the window to the soul, but did they ever consider a violin solo? “To Wish Impossible Things” not only contains this, but also tells a story of former love. It is a song of acceptance, yet yearning for what was and what might have been. If you’re a fan of One Tree Hill, you may remember this from the scene where Peyton and her (*spoiler alert*) biological mom bond over the best written songs of all time. 

Contact Staff Reporter Jillian Morabito here.