Infinite Love (feat. Sylvan Esso)

Explicit content warning

02/12/21 • 33 min

Sylvan Esso’s Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath are tired of your typical love song. They’re more interested in the music that flows from an argument, singing about heartbreak, and falling back in love with yourself. As Valentine’s day approaches, we talk to the duo about what it takes to make art together as romantic partners, crack open what a love song can be, and Hanif reads a poem by Nicole Sealey. For the playlist of songs curated for this episode visit http://bit.ly/oos-love

/ Show Notes /

Hanif references “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys.

Amelia references the song “Free” from Sylvan Esso’s recent release, Free Love.

Amelia references “Juke Box Hero” by Foreigner as her first favorite love song.

Nick references “They Might Be Giants” by Ana Ng as his first favorite love song.

Amelia and Nick reference Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” and Adele’s “Send My Love” as redemptive self-love songs.

/ Music In This Week's Playlist /

Sylvan Esso, Rooftop Dancing

Roxy Music, In Every Dream Home A Heartache

Whitney Houston & Cece Winans, Count On Me

Ghostface Killah, The Sun (feat. Slick Rick, Raekwon & Rza)

Bill Withers, Lean on Me

Robyn, Dancing On My Own

Nina Simone, Feeling Good

LCD Soundsystem, All My Friends

The National, Bloodbuzz Ohio

/ Credits /

Object of Sound is a Sonos show produced by work x work: Scott Newman, Jemma Rose Brown, and Babette Thomas. The show is additionally produced by Hanif Abdurraqib. Our engineers are Sam Bair and Josh Hahn of The Relic Room.

/ Show Notes /

Hanif references “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys.

Amelia references the song “Free” from Sylvan Esso’s recent release, Free Love.

Amelia references “Juke Box Hero” by Foreigner as her first favorite love song.

Nick references “They Might Be Giants” by Ana Ng as his first favorite love song.

Amelia and Nick reference Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” and Adele’s “Send My Love” as redemptive self-love songs.

/ Music In This Week's Playlist /

Sylvan Esso, Rooftop Dancing

Roxy Music, In Every Dream Home A Heartache

Whitney Houston & Cece Winans, Count On Me

Ghostface Killah, The Sun (feat. Slick Rick, Raekwon & Rza)

Bill Withers, Lean on Me

Robyn, Dancing On My Own

Nina Simone, Feeling Good

LCD Soundsystem, All My Friends

The National, Bloodbuzz Ohio

/ Credits /

Previous Episode

Oh Say Can You See? (feat. Wesley Morris)

It’s Super Bowl weekend, and we’ve invited critic Wesley Morris on to talk about Whitney Houston’s jaw-dropping rendition of the Star Spangled banner. On the 30th anniversary of her performance, we explore the beauty and complexity the national anthem holds for Black Americans and ask: how should we be listening to the National Anthem today? For the playlist of songs curated for this episode visit http://bit.ly/oos-wesley

/ Show Notes /

Wesley and Hanif reference Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye, and Jimi Hendrix’s versions of the National Anthem.

Wesley and Hanif cite Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s inauguration performances of the National Anthem.

Wesley Morris is the host of the podcast Still Processing, with former Object of Sound guest, Jenna Wortham.

Jahja Ling is the conductor laureate of the San Diego symphony.

John Clayton a jazz musician and composer, set to perform on a Jazz Cruise, in 2022.

/ Music In This Week's Playlist /

Whitney Houston, I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)

Sophie, It’s Okay to Cry

Craig David, 7 Days

Fireworks, Oh, Why Can't We Start Old & Get Younger

Shame, March Day

CHIKA, Crown

Jay-Z, Public Service Announcement

People Under the Stairs, Mid-City Fiesta

mxmtoon, All Star (by Smash Mouth)

/ Credits /

Next Episode

Baldwin and Me (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello)

When Grammy nominated bassist Meshell Ndegeocello read James Baldwin for the first time, her world shifted on its axis. Like many before her, Baldwin’s words reverberated into her creative process. In this episode, we speak with Ndegeocello about the literary ancestors who inform her music, the arc of her decades-long career, and Hanif shares a playlist of songs inspired by poetry and literature. For the playlist of songs curated for this episode visit http://bit.ly/oos-meshell

/ Show Notes /

Meshell Ndegeocello’s most recent project is Chapter and Verse, The Gospel of James Baldwin.

Meshell cites The Fire Next Time and Another Country as the texts that introduced her to Baldwin.

Meshell says the writers whose work she'd most love to put to music are Kiese Laymon, Joan Didion's The White Album and Sheila Heti.

/ Music In This Week's Playlist /

Mary Magdalene, Meshell Ndegeocello

The Sensual World, Kate Bush

Popular, Nada Surf

When I Can See The Valley, Leyla MCcalla

Samson, Regina Spektor

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Iron Maiden

Guantanamera, Celia Cruz