It's Epic Winter Playlist Time!

Oh, winter in Syracuse. How beautiful. It’s even better knowing that the gorgeous snow and crisp nippy chill will never keep us from getting an education in this district...

But seriously, winter can be a pretty awful season when you consider lack of snow days, college application deadlines, midterms and miserable weather. Not to mention the ultra-materialistic month of December. If you’re sick of listening to overplayed holiday tunes on the radio, flip the switch and add these to your listening library. You won’t regret it.

1. “Winter Song,” by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson
This duet is a sighing reassurance to those who feel lost and alone. Bareilles and Michaelson have strong yet gentle voices that give you a sense of relaxation - imagine falling asleep in front of a fireplace while the cold wind roars outside your cabin. The piano and calm singing are perfectly paired with a cup of tea or hot chocolate, warmth and security on a cold winter night.

2. “From the Morning,” by Nick Drake
Listen to Drake’s voice here (no, not the rapper). This piece reminds me of a sunny winter day, looking out a window to a sea of glistening snow. Perhaps this makes it a good snow day song. It’s perfect for reading and relaxing to, and it pairs well with a cup of English breakfast tea. Consider using it if we ever get a spontaneous day off.

3. “Boats and Birds,” by Gregory and the Hawk
Listen here:
Boats and Birds by gregandthehawk
Take a moment to listen to this song. Wonderful, isn’t it? Gregory and the Hawk is really Meredith Godreau, but the performance pseudonym comes from childhood - her brother’s name was Gregory and he had an imaginary pet hawk. The striking thing about this song is the power behind the words. It’s a song about letting go, about learning to move on even when it’s difficult. Godreau’s whisperish voice pulls at your heartstrings, backed by a simple but resonant acoustic guitar. Cuddle to this song.

4. “All That I Want,” by The Weepies
Listen here:
The Weepies - All That I Want by Funartgal
The Weepies have pulled it off - a holiday song that isn’t. The song isn’t obnoxiously cheery, but instead, mellowly pleasant. It’s got a feel-good melody that you’ll be humming along with after a few replays. The benefit here is that while the song is hummable, it doesn’t stick around in your head like some of the other annoying holiday jingles. Go for a winter drive with this song playing in the car stereo and you’ll understand exactly what I mean - so much better than the Christmas-centric radio stations. Credit for introducing me to this amazing duo goes to RamPage assistant news editor Katie Cieplicki.

5. “You Love Me,” by Kimya Dawson
Listen here:
You Love Me by _dollsy
Yes, you heard Dawson’s music in the movie “Juno,” but some of her better works are the ones that no one’s bothered to look up. This is one of my absolute favorites from her. It’s resigned but beautiful, saying so much in so few words. The simple language and rhyming take me back to childhood songs. It’s the remedy for winter insomnia - a teenage lullaby.

6. “Better,” by Regina Spektor
I love nearly everything about Spektor - the combination of her voice, her piano skills and her look create a magical performer. Her songs are always highly emotional and personal - you can hear it in her singing. This song asks, “If I kiss you where it’s sore, will you feel better? Will you feel anything at all?” For those of us suffering from the winter blues, it’s nice to hear that someone cares about our feelings, isn’t it?

7. “Arizona,” by The Young Danes
Listen here:
02 Arizona by TheYoungDanes
Jamesville-Dewitt High School seniors Ben Carbone and Adam Goss have produced a short EP with their band, The Young Danes; this is one of my favorite tracks from it. If you’re from Syracuse, you’ll definitely relate: “I’m getting sick of the grey, and the snow and the rain...” The solution to this problem? “Let’s rent a Winnebago, and go to Arizona!” It’ll distract you from the depressing Syracuse winter, at least for a few minutes. To listen to more awesome Young Danes music, find them on Facebook and iTunes, or get ahold of Carbone or Goss in the halls!

8. “Daylight,” by Matt & Kim
Listen here:
Daylight by mattandkim
This duo met in 2004 while attending Pratt Institute in New York. Neither one had touched an instrument before, but they’ve got such a wonderful sound now. This is another distraction from the miserable weather here... a song about happy summer things and sunshine and daylight! Yay!

9. “Call It Off,” by Tegan and Sara
Listen here:
Tegan and Sara - Call It Off by Ella Petronella
Tegan and Sara are two Canadian identical twins who’ve stolen my heart. They’ve written the perfect winter break-up song here... “Maybe I would have been something you’d be good at. Maybe you would have been something I’d be good at,” the lyrics lament. “But now, we’ll never know.” The piece is not slow and sappy, but rather, tense and edgy, capturing the more accurate feelings associated with such a subject.

10. “Galaxy Ideas,” by Brandon Strouse, prod. D. Shiggy
Local rapper Brandon Strouse got featured in the first issue of J-D RamPage this year with his crew, including J-DHS senior Dominick Scicchitano and 2011 graduate Sean Horan. With a nice beat and a sped-up version of “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People, Strouse has got some rhymes to die for. It’s a great energy-booster in weather where all you want to do is sleep. Plus, it’s legally free! Pick up a copy right here: http://www.datpiff.com/Brandon-Strouse-From-Zero-mixtape.273493.html

11. “Maybe I Will,” by Julia Nunes
This guitar-strumming, ukulele-playing girl is another favorite of mine. Her voice is so strong and emotional! Plus, her songwriting skills are simply fantastic. This is an upbeat track about relationship drama - perfect to have in hand for pre-Valentine’s Day stress. Plus, the cheery ukulele sound is like a sip of sunshine in dark times.

12. “The Christmas Waltz,” by She & Him
Listen here:
She & Him - The Christmas Waltz by MergeRecords
Zooey Deschanel of Fox’s “New Girl” sings in a duo! And she’s great! She teams up with musician M. Ward and covers vocals on tons of whimsical, folksy tunes. I put this on the list because it’s definitely occasion-appropriate. Her voice is sigh-filled and mellow - so nice to listen to. This is some chill, non-crazy Christmas music to sing, dance, or open presents to.

13. “Shh,” by Frou Frou
Listen here:
Frou Frou - Shh by illestali
More winter driving music, definitely. There’s a bop to this for sure, but there’s also a soothing side to the song. Imogen Heap’s layered voice on this track creates a mystical sound. The electronic beats will lull you into a stupor momentarily. “Don’t make a sound - shh and listen.”

14. "Snow Song," by The Mountain Goats
Suggested to me by junior Phoenix Robertson, this song is folksy but rock-infused at the same time. Listen and you'll feel like you're in the center of a whiteout blizzard, the eye of a storm. This is a wonderfully simple yet intricate piece. Of course, it's another mellow snow-day song, too - hint hint. Fingers crossed, pajamas inside-out, right?

15. “Sprawl II,” by Arcade Fire
Listen here:
Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) by marklawson
This one builds and builds, getting more and more perfect as it goes on. It starts out with a humming feel and a pulse that continues through the entire song. Really, the subject of the song applies to us completely - we’re suburban kids, living in the sprawl of suburbia. This beautiful song captures so accurately the true feelings that teenagers feel. We’re trapped in the suburbs during our adolescence. There’s a definite feel of “Us versus Them” here, between the adolescents and the adults. I love these lyrics:
“Sometimes I wonder if the world’s so small, that we could never get away from the sprawl. Living in the sprawl, dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains. And there’s no end in sight - I need the darkness, someone, please cut the lights.”

That’s it. The end of your winter playlist. Someone - please, cut the lights.