This week, get to know the editor of this blog, Kelsey Jones. Read on for a peek into her music taste and be sure to check out her Selects playlist!

Name: Kelsey Jones (she/her)
Hometown: Sioux City, IA
Year: Senior (SUPER Senior, actually)
Field(s) of Study: Arts Management, Communication Studies
SCOPE Position: Editor-in-Chief of AMPLIFY

Listen to SCOPE Selects: Kelsey Jones on Spotify

The Deep Cuts

This playlist is scattered all over the place with some all-time favorites of mine, in addition to some tunes I’ve recently been infatuated with. There’s a bit of everything for everyone, so I hope y’all enjoy listening and can find some new music you like!

I started this playlist with a few songs that I grew up on. Honestly, I don’t know where my taste would be today without the solid foundation of my mom’s music. ‘80s pop has always been one of my favorite genres, so I had to put in a few of my favorites, “I Can’t Wait” by Nu Shooz and “Fade to Grey” by Visage. Following that, I was obligated to include “Human Nature” by Madonna, the first song I performed in drag.

I enjoy some opera-esque singing, as you can hear in Roger Doyle’s “Spring Is Coming With a Strawberry in the Mouth” and Malcolm McLaren’s “Madam Butterfly.” FKA Twigs is one of my favorite artists, and “thousand eyes” is my personal form of gospel music. It wouldn’t be true to myself to make my Selects without including something by Lana del Rey. Although my love for her has wavered a bit over time, “Old Money” is a song that I’ll always find touching.

“Siberian Breaks” was one of the first songs I’ve heard where I’ve thought whoaaaa, this is a masterpiece. MGMT has been one of my favorite bands since I was young and this is one song I’ll never skip. I love the sound of strings, apparent in Mitski’s “Shame” and Alice Coltrane’s “Universal Consciousness” which plays around with sound in an exciting, enticing way. Funny enough, I found that song through a meme.

I really appreciate genre-bending artists, especially at the intersection between electronic and rock. Some of my favorites here are Aurat’s “Nasha”, Varsovia's "Ellos quieren sangre" and Ssaliva’s “The Longest Sleep.” To wrap up my Selects, I ended with a few songs that I simply find fun. SOPHIE’s “Eeehhh” makes me feel like I’m on a real-life Rainbow Road – it may sound silly, but that’s the best way I can put it. Bladee and Ecco2k’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” is a song that immediately puts me in a good mood and I hope you will find the same.

Three Favorite Albums

• Heaven to a Tortured Mind by Yves Tumor
• MAGDALENE by FKA twigs
• 7G by A.G. Cook

Favorite Concert Experience

This past September, my mom and I had the chance to go to Primavera Sound Los Angeles – the first Primavera festival in the States, so it was a super special experience. On the first day, we got to see Shygirl, Stereolab, Mitski, and Lorde – I'm pretty sure I had an out-of-body experience hearing “Ribs” live. The second day brought us Machine Girl, Kim Gordon, and Drain Gang (Bladee, Ecco2k, Thaiboy Digital, and Whitearmor). We even got to mosh with Machine Girl, which was an unforgettable moment. Later on, we saw Khruangbin, Nine Inch Nails, and Danny L Harle, who played one of my favorite sets, shock-full of energy from the stage to the crowd. On the final day we watched Boy Harsher, Arca, and Arctic Monkeys. Arca's performance was one of my favorite shows of all time, just amazing all-around.

Hobbies / Interests / Fun Facts / Campus Involvement

I’m always consuming media of some sort. Honestly, I’m usually having a solo dance party to the songs on this playlist. You’ll oftentimes find me watching films, my favorites are anything by Agnes Varda or Christopher Nolan. If you couldn’t tell from the playlist, I appreciate some variety. I also enjoy reading when I have the time, mostly nonfiction but I do love a good story. Right now I’m in the middle of “The Secret Life of Plants” and Jennette McCurdy’s “I’m Glad My Mom Died.”

With my moon in Capricorn, I’ll pronounce that I do enjoy working. I'm a server and floral assistant, which is an industry I’d like to go further into once I graduate. There’s nothing better than working with flowers and making peoples' special moments even prettier. Being a member of SCOPE, it’s right to assume that I also adore live music – when my favorite artists have a show, you know I’ll be there!