Songs For The Season: Winter Playlist

The winter season, at times, seems to consist of a love hate relationship. Being from Boston, I know many fellow Bostonians who rue away the long, tired, and cold, New England season, dreaming of palm trees and open shores. But, there is something ultimately rewarding about making it through the courses of the cold. A hidden sense of pride, fulfillment, and new adventure that has kept me close to home during the season.

But, being a small part of the UTG writing team, my New England heritage is not shared with a vast group of writers from all over the world. In turn, we here at UTG decided to pool together our writers for a list that proves the versatility of the season, and what it may mean to each other. There is reason to bask in the small cracks of light as they come, or huddle near a fire as a storm slowly passes overhead, either way, winter is a beautiful time of year that finds itself as the catalyst for internal investigation, and we believe there is nothing better to accompany that than the gift of sound.

What does winter mean to you?


The Appleseed Cast – “As The Little Things Go”

There is something wonderfully alluring about untouched snow. Accompanying a newly formed landscape of white reinvention with “As The Little Things Go” will keep anxieties buried, all while leaving room for new enlightenment. – Drew Caruso, Reviewer / News & Feature Writer (Twitter)

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Margot And The Nuclear So So’s – “On A Freezing Chicago Street”

Nearly any early-catalogue Margot song makes me want to take a cold-weathered walk, but “On A Freezing Chicago Street” seems to be the most appropriate for the occasion. – Brian Lion, Co-Owner / Editor / Feature Writer (Twitter)


Bon Iver – “Flume”

‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ is filled with croaking cabin wood and winter acoustics, and it all starts with these chill-inducing chords that have you reaching for a blanket. – Nina Corcoran, News & Feature Writer (Twitter)


Ed Tullett – “In Cure”

In the summer time I want upbeat, high energy music blasting through my speakers. In the winter though, I want the opposite. Ed Tullett’s “In Cure” from his Trawl EP is the perfect companion to a chilly Saturday evening indoors. — Kriston McConnell, News Editor/Writer & Reviewer (Twitter)

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Modern Baseball – “Hours Outside In The Snow”

This highlight track on Modern Baseball’s phenomenal album ‘Sports’ calls to mind the feeling of cold air on the face of a desperate lover as he stands outside of his girl’s house in the middle of the night on a cold Christmas Eve. — John Bazley, News & Review Writer (Twitter)

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Mineral – “February”

Mineral wrote so beautifully about winter that it’s hard to believe they were from Texas. Much of their catalog reminds me of the cold and snowy months, but “February” stands out for its simple, powerful lyrics and a wall of guitar noise that recalls the sound of a midwestern blizzard. – Troy Sennett, News & Review Writer (Twitter)


Owel – “Snowglobe”

Remember the days of snowmen and sled riding in your youth? If you’re having trouble, listen to this song and let it all wash back into your memory. – Jacob Tender, Managing News Editor / Feature Writer / Co-Owner (Twitter)


Balance Problems – “Winter Sun”

The humble splendor of “Winter Sun” proves that even on the most frigid of days, the world is still a beautiful place, and serves as a tender reminder that, in order to appreciate warmth, we must sometimes endure the cold. – Kyle Florence, News & Feature Writer (Twitter)


Alexisonfire – “Burial”

“Burial,” the epic closing track on Alexisonfire’s final LP, chillingly captures that somber essence of feeling alone while cooped up in the middle of a snowstorm when warmer weather and better days just feel so far off. — Kevin Blumeyer, News & Review Writer (Twitter)


Pedro The Lion – “The Longest Winter”

Winter, based on whoever views it, can be about the time passing. Burying deep within the snow, it only solidifies momentous growth within its change. But, given the chance, Pedro The Lion can easily remind us how truly hibernating the season can be, all within the four minute stint of “The Longest Winter.” – Drew Caruso, Reviewer / News & Feature Writer (Twitter)


Foreigner – “Cold As Ice”

Whether you’re completely sober or three ‘special’ hot chocolates deep and making your way to a taxi on crowded streets, you can never go wrong with an impromptu rendition of “Cold As Ice.” — James Shotwell, Feature Writer, Editor & Co-owner (Twitter)


Krobak – “It’s Snowing Like It’s the End of the World”

Much like the cold front blowing around my northeastern Ohio home, this song is really long. – Jacob Tender, Managing News Editor / Feature Writer / Co-Owner (Twitter)


Minus The Bear – “Hooray”

Minus the Bear’s “Hooray” is rich in nostalgia and the hope of holding onto the past, and there’s nothing quite like grabbing a few friends and headling out to old sleddin’ hill to make you feel young again. The snow will melt, the seasons will change, we all get older, but this feeling is one thing we’ll never have to grow out of. — Kevin Blumeyer, News & Review Writer (Twitter)


Comeback Kid – “Wake The Dead”

The winter seems to make people either depressed or angry. If you fall into the latter, this track will help you vent some of those frozen frustrations. — James Shotwell, Feature Writer, Editor & Co-owner (Twitter)


Ólafur Arnalds – “Near Light”

Let’s wrap this up with an absolute beauty to lie naked next to the fire with. – Brian Lion, Co-Owner / Editor / Feature Writer (Twitter)


“The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.”

-Robert Frost

Drew Caruso
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