5 Songs I Love w/ Atticus Kane

Following the release of his latest 12-track album 'News From Delphi', Flex caught up with Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Atticus Kane to discover what influences his alternative folk-pop sound. If you enjoy Kane's picks, be sure to check out 'News From Delphi' at the end of the article.

1. Judit Halasz - A Luca Babám

Judit Halász’s music is the soundtrack to my early childhood. Her music is universally loved across the country, there are 3-4 songs of hers you could start singing in the middle of the street and people would join in, knowing all the words by heart. Her sound combines elements of Hungarian folk music and country rock. She incorporates the pedal steel into her sound which is such a beautifully unique instrument. Her sound is the inspiration for my album News From Delphi—like her, I wanted to incorporate the pedal steel in a way we don’t usually hear. Her song, A Luca Babám, has such a raw power and irresistible groove yet there is also a gentle sweetness to it. The lyrics tell the story of a person who still sleeps with their childhood doll even though it is missing its eyes and arms, as it still brings comfort to know that your ‘old friend’ is there anytime you need some emotional support.

2. Bob Dylan - Only a Pawn in Their Game

What can you say about Bob Dylan that hasn’t been said before? Just when you think you can nail him down, he subverts your expectations. His career is full of incredible music: from Freewheeling’ to Highway 61 Revisited to New Morning to Blood on the Tracks all the way through Love and Theft: each album is a unique experience. Yet, for me, it is hard to overstate the genius of his early work. I don’t know what you were like at 23 years old, but the idea that you could write a deeply meaningful and shockingly poignant song like ‘Only a Pawn in Their Game’ at such a young age is in itself baffling. Yet, he did it. Listening to the song today, with what the state of the world is, sadly, the frustrations voiced by Dylan are just as vital as they were when he published it in 1964. From the first line "A bullet from the back of a bush took Medgar Evers’ blood” you are hooked and you are overtaken by the urgency of Dylan’s message. I live close to Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers collage and every time I get to my subway stop (called ‘Franklin Avenue-Medgar Evers College’) I think of this song and its message. As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, this song is a reminder that the work of creating a more perfect union is far from complete and that we have to keep fighting to ensure that the powers that be cannot treat citizens as ‘only a pawn in their game.’

3. Beyonce - Schoolin’ Life

Someone always has to be on top and if you’re being honest, it is impossible not to admit that Beyonce is at the pinnacle of what it means to be an artist. She is an incredible songwriter, singer, performer, and at the same time she stands for something bigger than music. She’s firmly grounded in her identity yet always reinvents herself and her sound. She has hits on top of hits so it is difficult to pick just one of her songs but one of my favorites of hers is Schoolin’ Life. There is a poem by the famous Hungarian poet Attila Jozsef called ‘Születésnapomra’ which means ‘For My Birthday.’ It tells the story of how he was kicked out of university for a poem he wrote that was critical of the government. Because of this, he wasn’t able to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a teacher. The last verse of the poem says: “Én egész népemet fogom / nem középiskolás fokon / taní- / tani!” Which means: “I will teach the entire population, and not on a high school level.” Schoolin’ Life always reminded me of this poem. When Beyonce says “Who needs a degree when you're schoolin' life?” She is echoing the same sentiment: you don’t need to be a teacher to educate people. And I dare say, we could all learn a thing or two from her.

4. Brandi Carlile - That Wasn't Me

I first discovered Brandi’s album The Story (produced by the legendary T Bone Burnett) when I moved to NYC in 2010 and have been a fan of hers ever since. Listening to that album now brings back memories of the excitement of settling in and discovering the city for the first time. Brandi is a songwriter’s songwriter, her music reaches out and touches you. The first time I heard That Wasn't Me I started crying even though I was in the middle of a crowded subway car in New York City. But how could you not get in your feelings when you hear the raw emotional power in Brandi’s voice as she asks ‘Did I bring shame on my family? Did it show that I was weak?’ I challenge anyone to listen to this song and not get teary eyed.

5. Frank Ocean - Forest Gump

I remember listening to Channel Orange for the first time and being shaken by it. For a lack of a better word, it was a disturbing experience. How can someone be so distant yet so vulnerably familiar at the same time? How can music disturb the soul in such an existential way? How is it possible to develop a profoundly deep and meaningful relationship with a person you’ve never met? These are just a few of the thoughts you can help but wonder as you’re listening to Frank Ocean. In Forest Gump, his voice perfectly conveys the emotional awkwardness of wanting to but being afraid to express feelings for a persona as he sings “You’re running my mind, boy.” Listening to this song is like gaining an intimate understanding of what unrequited love feels like. And that is the ultimate goal and reward of all art: the ability to put you inside the head of another person.

Listen to Atticus Kane ‘News From Delphi’

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