Happy Monday, folks! Looks like another round of snow is headed towards Northern Virginia this week, so I’m looking forward to a short week of work (and not administering the WIDA exam on Wednesday). Here’s some songs to get you through the snowy cold.

1. The Weather Station, “Neon Signs”: You could describe this as folk/Americana, or alternative, or “cosmic Americana,” my preferred genre. However you describe it, it’s good. The instruments fade in and out, entwine with one another then break apart, and the lyrics float in from the middle of absolute nowhere like they’ve just blown in from the desert. Good stuff.
2. Waxahatchee, “Mud”: New Waxahatchee means happy Charlie, even if it is just a single.
3. Wilco, “Handshake Drugs”: The deluxe edition of A Ghost Is Born was released Friday, so of course I’ve already listened to it. I’m a little disappointed the so-called “Expanded Edition” only included a single extra disc of early versions of the songs instead of the 9-disc full version that is apparently available out there for the diehards (yeah, I’ll probably end up tracking that one down. I’m a sucker for the iterative nature of songwriting).
4. Michgander, “Emotional”: I’ve dug this guy and his work since I first heard an EP of his several years ago, and his songwriting only gets stronger and his arrangements only get fuller as time goes by. Love it.
5. Electric Light Orchestra, “The Bouncer”: A bonus song off the Time album, and one that has a bouncy, fun little beat and all the trademarks of Jeff Lynne production.
6. Iron & Wine, “Call Your Boys”: I love the slide guitar work on this song. It’s subtle but effective, and the vocal melody is beautiful and sad.
7. Jesse Malin, “She Don’t Love Me Now”: I think it’s the horn section in this song that gets me.
8. Mark Knopfler, “Donnegan’s Gone”: A skiffle song about the guy who started the skiffle craze? Why not?
9. The Gaslight Anthem, “Say I Won’t (Recognize)”: Early Gaslight Anthem is full of punch and power and longing and more hair grease than was used on the set of the movie Grease. James Dean would be proud.
10. Jason Isbell, “Elephant”: Whenever I want to cry and feel absolutely beautiful misery, I put this song on. Works every time.