Dandelion Head in the Songs That Make Him Feel Sad
Dandelion Head is the solo project of Jason Blynn, a Melbourne/Naarm-based musician with roots in Los Angeles. Following the dissolution of his former project, Harper Blynn, the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist got to work on his debut solo album, Yay BlynnThis was first published in 2017.
Blynn later moved to Melbourne, where he adopted the name Dandelion Heap. He’s also finished work on his second album, Blue Dream. Three singles have been released to date, including ‘Sad Eyes’, which is paired with a charming, lo-fi video from directors Lewis and Callum Mitchell (aka the Hotel Naomi) and Adrienne Couper Smith.
Dandelion Head – ‘Sad Eyes’
In the preceding Blue DreamDandelion head tells us what songs make him sad. This includes classics by Gal Costa and Lee Hazlewood. Also, songs Blynn co-wrote along with Rose Elinor Dougall. You can find all of Blynn’s selections in the playlist below.
Songs to Make You Sad by Dandelion Head
Coco – ‘Empty Beach’ (2021)
J. Blynn: This is one of my favorite breakup songs. The lyrics perfectly capture that silence, the vast space, and endless time in between when you suddenly find your self swimming after a split. It’s so lonely. This song was released in 1996. Coco was a bit of a secret, but I knew one of the band members –Danny from Lucius – and I think that added to the feeling of intimacy and nostalgia the song gave me. It’s effortlessly beautiful, and an absolute gut punch.
F.J. McMahon – ‘Early Blue’ (1969)
Blynn: F.J. McMahon After he returned home from Vietnam, he made this recording. Although the whole album has a beautiful, haunting quality to it, I find this song about not wanting out of bed to be my favorite. It’s so beautiful and sad, and then you realise that he is probably wrestling with some kind of PTSD, and it’s just devastating.
Lee Hazlewood – ‘Wait and See’ (1968)
Blynn: The brilliance of this song is that the line, “Everything’s gonna be alright”, is not what you think it is. This guy fucked up big time and he’s apologising, so when he sings that refrain, I hear it as a mantra of hope sung to himself. There’s so much desperation in it, maybe even delusion, because it’s pretty clear things are very much not all right. But the music and beautiful arrangement tell me it’s the good kind of hope, the kind that keeps us alive and moving.
Rose Elinor Dougall – ‘That’s Where The Trouble Started’ (2019)
Blynn: This is the song I co-wrote. Rose, and it documents a friendship gone wrong over time based on one little lie, captured in the line, “a lie lives a long life”. It is tragic, and it leaves you with so much regret. Lies can have so many negative consequences. It can affect your behaviour and perhaps even your self-image. You must act according to it or you will be caught. This song is a strong argument for being truthful.
Gal Costa – ‘Como 2 E 2’ (1972)
Blynn: For me, this is the legend Gal At her most vulnerable and raw. The lines that get me are, “When I sing, don’t believe it / Just come, I’m not in danger”. And then later, “Everything is the same when I’m singing and when I’m silent.” She feels this pain, and the resignation in knowing there’s nothing she can do about it is where the darkness and beauty is for me. She’s laid bare. But she loves singing, and that’s enough, she says later. The story is told by her music and her voice.
Say Lou Lou – ‘Waiting For A Boy’ (2023)
Blynn: This is the song I composed with Elektra and MirandaWe discussed their experiences with being around people who had much to learn. Although I find the song to be empowering, the image we painted is very heartbreaking. It’s someone waiting for their partner to change, tolerating mediocrity, stuck with the burden of the mundane, taking on an outsized chunk of keeping the relationship stable and moving forward, then finally realising you’ve been languishing and this person won’t change. These women are deeply rooted and were able express these feelings so clearly.
Mouth Tooth – ‘Please Don’t’ (2020)
Blynn: An ugly banger from the emo/folk Kings Mouth Tooth. This band is amazing. The music is rich and atmospheric and invites to melancholic beauty. “Please don’t tell me I’m bad / I’m already so sad” has to be one of the most raw, unabashedly sad lines I’ve ever heard. It’s a plea for giving you a goddamn break, born from utter desperation. “My life is about you” conveys such earnestness that is deep and soulful, never trite, but just raw and fully committed, even if it’s wrong and never gonna work out.
Sylvie – ‘Sylvie’ (2022)
Blynn: This is one of my favorite examples of music that has the vibe of a song. This music is a powerful emotional statement. It’s languid and melancholic, becoming almost a mantra when they sing, “Sylvie don’t you cry”. It takes me to a moment when painful memories begin to fade, and you’re left in the still and quiet space of reflection, with all its loneliness and isolation. Sylvie This band is so easy and effective in creating that feeling. I love this band.
Sibylle Baier – ‘The End’ (2006)
Blynn: Sibylle Baier’s Colour Green is one of the most haunting and atmospheric records I’ve ever heard. There’s such a lonely, melancholic mood to all the songs, but this one is the gut punch for me. The lyric, “Time is over where we could simply say I love you,” is just devastating. Time passes. The nature of love changes. Things that were once simple get complicated, and that’s where the real work in a relationship happens. And a lot of times things just don’t work out.
It’s like feeling broken up with someone, and suddenly, the person you loved, who made you smile and was the center of your universe, is just another person. It’s such a strange lonely feeling.
Dandelion Head – ‘Two Hands’
Stay up to date with Dandelion Head via the artist’s website and Instagram.
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The post Dandelion Head on the Songs That Make Him Sad This article was first published on Music Feeds.