Hatchet reporter Talia Weisner shares her latest musical obsessions.

“Video Games”
Lana Del Rey

In the days of Auto-Tune, it’s not often the music world stumbles upon a talent as pure and honest as Lana Del Rey’s. Effortless and soulful, her ballad “Video Games” evokes a subtle 1970s vibe with a sound reminiscent of legendary pop star Stevie Nicks. Del Rey’s silvery tone has a touch of rasp that works beautifully with the simple lyrics, which revolve around her frustration with a lover’s neglect. This song is a refreshing change from the catchy, insipid radio pop of modern day and inspiring in a way that forces us to take a look back at our musical roots – pure voices, real lyrics and a bit of soul.

“We are Young”
Fun. ft Janelle Monáe

Fantastic. Simply fantastic. This song is indie bubblegum at its finest. Its feel-good, up-beat sound is unique without sounding weird and comfortably poppy without getting annoying. That, coupled with its lyrics, chanting lines like “Tonight we are young, so let’s set the world on fire,” make for a lively anthem of youth. This song, recently featured on “Glee,” seems to have put this band on the market. And if all their songs are as fun – pun intended – as this one, they might just stay there.

“Sleep”
The Roots

Often prosaic and unnecessarily vulgar, rap has acquired somewhat of a disparaging reputation. The Roots, however, true to the genre’s origins in staunch poetry with a touch of grit, have consistently risen above that stereotype to shell out their signature breed of raw, slam poetry-esque, satisfyingly tough rap.  “Sleep,” the first track off their newest album “Undun” – a concept album detailing the tragic life and premature death of a hustler – is perhaps one of the group’s best pieces to date. The track features the powerful and evocative lyrics we’ve come to expect from this talented bunch of musicians. Paired with both strong beats and short spurts of unadorned melody, this song – not to mention the entire album – is nothing short of remarkable.