The Seldom Scene – Joshua
Wanted Man – Interlude
Dane Paris – Sharp Minds
Wicked Olde – Old Joe Clark
The Moderate – Late 90s
Memphis Gold – Serves Me Right
Theater of Soul – Memories Of A Time Long Ago
Annette Wasilik and the Wonder Band – You Are Free
Time Is Fire – 100 Pieces DUB 2
Nancy Joie Wilkie – Which Way To Go
Justin Jones – You Saved Me
Rod Hamilton – Zoey
Jan Knutson – Blink
Lo-Fang – Look Away
David King – Razor Sharp + Interludes (Bend Language, Sketches 1 & 2)
K-Murdock – Lunar Illusion
Marian McLaughlin – Your Bower
Hailu Mergia and the Walias – Muziqawi Silt
Anthony G. J. M. – Universe Collide
Swings – New Year

Ocobaya – Messix
ROM – jerry princess taste
Aaron Tinjum and the Tangents – Roving Instrumental / Interlude #1
Opus Akoben – Babies
Stephen Allen Kochersperger – The Quest
Lisa Ann Wright – Lucinda
Wes Swing – Dilate
Matt Rippitoe – Ladybugs
Drop Electric – Santo Domingo
Asparagus Media – Dubalicious
Jonathan Parker – Sundown
Sol Power All-Stars – Djidjo Vide
Letzkus Lanou – Glory
Troy and Paula Haag – Lies & Cries
Mary Chapin Carpenter – I Am A Town
The Meer – Canopy
A Tale Of – We Rise and We Fall
Griefloss – Charon
Marian McLaughlin – Even Magic Falters
Patuxent Partners – Washington County

Kev Brown – Threat
Sriram Gopal – Nadia
Marian McLaughlin – Fourth Son
My New Mixtape – Sunburn Suburb Someday
Luke Denton – Montana Sky
The Harry Bells – Matilda
So Spirited – WildLives
Reginald Cyntje – Atonement
The Seldom Scene – Working On a Building
Tereu Tereu – Crackle And Hiss
Sam Phillips – October
Miter – Yr Gold
STROMA – SC Jam
Zenon Slawinski – Ice On the Glass
Atoka Chase – Tick Tock
igloo two – first life
ZOMES – Se Genom Tiden
Anthony G. J. M. – Universe Collide
aerialist – Pegasus
Bobby Thompson – Again

Jon Camp – To Your Door
The Funk Ark – Tam Tari Ta
Trouble Funk – Trouble Funk Express (Instrumental)
Sriram Gopal – Almost Spring
The Orchid – A City of Plaster
The Harry Bells – Love, Love Alone (Honest Lee Naive Tongues remix)
Dupont Brass – Slow Jamz
Shannon Gunn and the Bullettes – Stormy Monday
Flash Frequency – Wolf of The Night
Melanie’s Magic Mellotron – Serotonin Syndrome
M.H. & His Orchestra – Marko, You Lie So Beautifully
Warren Wolf – Knocks Me Off My Feet
Jail Solidarity – Lights Out
Protect-U – Invisible Halo
Lands & Peoples – Bad Habits
Wicked Olde – Red-Haired Boy
The Seldom Scene – Last Train From Poor Valley
2nd Story Band – Dirty Mother
Akua Allrich – Shot of Sugar
Marian McLaughlin – Legend of the Neighborhood

Buildings – Water In Water
Drop Electric – Church of Glass
ZOMES – Equinox
Girls Love Distortion – Psychic Raygun
Jonathan Parker – East Lorain
Fort Knox Five – Reach (Instrumental)
Marian McLaughlin – Will-o-the-wisp
The Petticoat Tearoom – Love Isn’t Gone
Iritis – Gates of Dawn
GroundScore – My Perfect Spot
Cartoon Weapons – WTLFO
Feedel Band – Girl From Ethiopia (Live At WAMU)
Bad Brains – Cowboy
Paperhaus – Cairo
Matt Chaconas – baby bear obliquity
Baby Bry Bry – Is It Anything Or Is It Everything
Protect-U – Dit Floss
Troy and Paula Haag – Lies & Cries
Speedwell – Two Conquests
Lower Dens – Stem

Patuxent Partners – Washington County
ZOMES – Ruminants
Supper Club – Chambray
Fort Knox Five – Swinging On a Rhyme (Instrumental)
Tomás Pagán Motta – Love In Her Lies
Justin Jones – Miracles
Kev Brown – Always (Instrumental)
Be Still, Cody – Wrong Right
Buildings – Everything Is Possible
Lifted – Silver
Sun Machines – Mono Mind
Derek Evry – Wake Me Up
Iritis – Pedal
A Tale Of – Oh, We Owe This to Ourselves
Nitemoves – Ashe
The Petticoat Tearoom – Kundalini
Jonathan Parker – CO86
Girls Love Distortion – Sleepwalking
Dawit Eklund – Lies Are Chic
Masego – I Do Everything (More For Cruisin’)
Otis Infrastructure – Furniture
Oooh Child Ensemble – Diko’s Groove
Extra Golden – It’s Not Easy
Kev Brown – Party People Dedication (Instrumental)
Marian McLaughlin – Your Bower
The Greatest Hoax – Opus no. 28
Marvin Gaye – What’s Happening Brother
Aerialist – Naiad
Wanted Man – Interlude
Baby Bry Bry – Slumzzz
April + Vista – Theme In Adagio
Stranger In the Alps – Love/Afraid
Swings – New Year

1. Even Magic Falters

“A few years ago, I kept getting sick. I tried all kinds of things to help improve my health, like herbal steams and Kundalini yoga classes. Sometimes, I felt like I was imbibing potions or concocting spells. Despite all my efforts, nothing felt like it was working. I ended up having this realization that things happen to the body that are beyond our control. Meditating on mortality reminded me of mystical stories, like the quest for the fountain of youth and encounters with wizards. That led me to read a story about Merlin. I was surprised to learn that his infatuation with Lady of the Lake led to his downfall. Magicians and wizards are often portrayed as invincible beings, but reading about their weaknesses showed a more relatable and human aspect to these supernatural characters.”

2. Your Bower

“After watching a David Attenborough special on bowerbirds, I felt compelled to write a song about their whimsical behavior. Male bowerbirds build twig-like caves and decorate them with all kinds of found objects. It’s fascinating that they tediously weave these complex designs, all in hopes of attracting a mate. I see correlation between the bowerbird’s craft and my own songwriting, as we both use song paired with intricate structure to lure in listeners.”

3. Kapunkah

“‘Kapunkah’ means ‘thank you’ in Thai. It was one of the first words I learned how to say while traveling in Thailand. Although I couldn’t speak Thai, I wanted to be able to express gratitude when interacting with people. While visiting a small island in the Andaman Sea, my friends and I met some locals who took us on a series of memorable adventures. This was such an enriching trip, and it left a positive impact on my spirit. I came up writing this festive song as a way to give thanks to everyone who took part in these vibrant encounters.”

4. Ocean

“Water is a recurrent theme throughout this album. It’s such a powerful and transformative source of energy. I spent some time contemplating bodies of water and tried to apply their attributes to my own life. For example, ponds create self-contained habitats, so I’d use that imagery when focusing on my own self-development. Glaciers move at their own pace, which I’d keep in mind while practicing patience. These musings helped me find grounding when I would feel unsettled about things. I ended up turning these thoughts into a song about a wandering sailor. The sailor wonders what it would be like to belong elsewhere, but in their heart knows that they’re right where they should be.”

5. Calm Canary of the Arctic Sea

“One time, I read this article about a beluga whale that learned how to imitate the human voice. It inspired me to write a spin-off story where the beluga whale develops the ability to communicate to humans but is viewed as a spectacle. From there, the song explores the ideas of consciousness and existence. As fun as it is to marvel about extraterrestrial life throughout the universe, it’s heartbreaking to realize how destructive we are with life on Earth. This song channels the helplessness I feel when acknowledging the continuous damage our planet faces from human impact.

“The beluga whale is called the ‘canary of the sea’ due to its high-pitched chatter. By using this nickname, I’m able to allude to the phrase ‘canary in a coal mine,’ where canaries where used to detect environmental hazards. I wanted the beluga whale to represent an innocent messenger that could warn humans about their dangerous habits.”

6. Fourth Son

“In English heraldry, the first son inherited the family estate, while the second and third son went to work in the church as priests. The fourth son was left to carve out his own line of work. His cadency symbol was the legless martlet, symbolizing restlessness and the inability to settle due to the lack of a designated role.

“While I was working on my first album, I really identified with the concept of the fourth son. I was trying to find my own path as a musician, but felt like I wasn’t making enough progress or meeting people’s expectations. Instead of pursuing a full-time job, I took on various gigs that offered flexible schedules so that I could focus on music. Sometimes I felt looked down upon because I didn’t have a prominent position, but I knew that I had to pursue my musical endeavors. I faced a lot of external and internal challenges along the way, but I ended up covering so much ground and accomplished a lot of ambitious projects.”

7. Alexander

“Once I had this vivid dream that I was a young mother that witnessed the accidental drowning of my toddler. I woke up feeling an immense wave of grief. Later on that day, while walking along the Potomac River, I couldn’t help but recall the visceral imagery from the dream. I took a break to sit by the water and began piecing together scenes from the dream through song. If I could interpret this dream, it’d probably stem from my uncertainty around the idea of parenthood. I’m old enough to be a mother, but I’m not sure I’m ready to handle that responsibility.”

8. Will-o-the-wisp

“Last spring, my boyfriend and I were both planning respective solo hiking trips. Even though we were excited, there was some worry in the back of my head. What if we came across some conflict in the woods? I tried to rationalize that problems can arise anywhere in life, and reminded myself that fear is a present obstacle that can keep you pursuing new experiences. It was right around then that I came across the concept of the will-o-the-wisp. According to folklore, will-o-the-wisps are glowing, supernatural orbs that appear in swamps and forests at night. Known to be mischievous or even malevolent, will-o-the-wisps often lure travelers off their paths with their hypnotizing glow, only to abandon them in the dark. These troublesome spirits felt like the perfect symbol for the anxiety I was having around solo hiking.”

9. Legend of the Neighborhood

“Aaron Brown and I met in high-school guitar class, immediately bonding and developing a close friendship through music. When we graduated high school, we both bought our dream guitars. I got a nylon Cordoba and he bought a Dimebag Darrell electric guitar. It was the first and only check he ever wrote, as he died shortly after.

“When I heard the news, I went to a gathering at his parents’ house. As people were pouring out memories of Aaron, someone said, ‘He was a legend of the neighborhood, always walking that black dog around.’ When I got home, I started writing a song about Aaron as a way to process my emotions. That line that I overheard really stuck out and became the introduction to a little a cappella ditty, which in due time morphed into a groovy track celebrating his exuberant spirit.”

10. Paint-chipped Windowsill

“The lyrics for this song were originally intended for something that my friend wrote. He had this melancholic guitar track and asked if I could come up with something to accompany it. It reminded me of waking up and watching a snowstorm unfold. We never got to put that song together, but I carried those lyrics with me for years. I was just about done putting songs together for Spirit House when I came up with my own guitar part for those words. It felt appropriate to wrap up the album with this stripped-down song.”

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