When we began listening to the songs we had each selected for this summer’s Elevate playlist, we didn’t hear just our usual upbeat, positive, “move you forward” kind of songs that have primarily filled our last two Elevate playlists. Instead, we heard hurt, anger, and frustration, and we knew that we needed to create a third playlist this year, songs of ReSIStance (because while we are angry, we love a good pun). Help Is On The Way stayed on the Elevate playlist because, in

I believe this was the first song I saved to the 2026 summer's playlist. It was such an obvious choice, I'm not sure I even listened to it all the way through before adding it. Originally, I had grandiose visions of writing some groundbreaking thoughts about this song. Yet, as I listened to it over and over—waiting for the groundbreaking idea to come to me—I realized the simplicity of the lyrics was the groundbreaking idea. They were already saying exactly what I wanted to sa

There are songs you listen to, and then there are songs you live in. California Stars, by Wilco and Billy Bragg, built from the unfinished notebooks of Woody Guthrie, is the latter for me. I am a sucker for a good metaphor, and this song opens with one of the best: stars not as something you look up at, but as somewhere you can go. A bed. A place to lie down. That reframe gives me everything I need. Two Guitars Before the words even land, the song tells you how to feel throug