Ok. So… Alonemas. Alonemas is kind of the flip side of Valentine’s Day, a celebration of self-love that affirms that being alone doesn’t mean it’s lonely. It’s also a moment of solidarity for all of our single homies in which we send them love so that they may realize that love is more than cuffing or chocolate hearts, a universal constant that we share with all through our friends, our families, and all others that we may encounter in our lives.
Only Shallow — My Bloody Valentine
A few years ago, KCPR was blessed with an article written by a former DJ of ours who waxed very deeply about the relationship between shoegaze and love, and I would encourage any of the folks spending their “Alonemas” alone — as it should be — to read the article. Shoegaze has a remarkable ability to blast out all feelings or at least allow you to resonate with the cold, lonely bits. Here is to you lonelybirds; may this shoegaze wash away your pain like the cycle of a washing machine.
Pol Roger — Jimmy Eat World
You there, the solitary person walking along the road. Do you notice the stars above you? The wisps of clouds illuminated by the moon? How about that daisy swaying next to you? Illuminated in gold and white during the day, it shines a new monochromatic hue. The nighttime dew sparking in moonlight glow along its gentle petals. Unappreciated by most. You see, dear friend — the challenge of solitude is not getting through to the next day but to be, “alone, but not lonely.”
Not Me — Peach Pit
Congratulations, you made it to the party! Bad news: no one wants to talk to you and I think your crush’s tongue is in that other guy’s mouth on the couch over there. I know, it has been a rough week, and really, it has been a rough quarter. And while that alcohol in your system may be amplifying the embers in your jealous heart, why don’t you mosh to this song instead?
Boredom — Tyler the Creator ft. Rex Orange County
Loneliness can sometimes feel listless, inert and suffocating, almost as if one is drowning in a murky lake of boredom, and no other song does such a job of representing this listlessness in style than “Boredom.” Listening to Rex Orange County croon for someone, anyone, to “find some time to do something” with him feels a little bit too much like laying on the bed and watching other people’s Instagram feeds. While the intensity builds with Rex, the hit with Tyler slows everything down, seconds to minutes and hours to days. We are stuck, but at least we can be stuck in style. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Jaxon Silva is a content writer and DJ for KCPR. Cindy Nguyen is a DJ trainee and designer for KCPR.
