Just as this past winter had us shaking our heads and had some kids praying for snow, the weather recently has been unbelieveably nice for central Illinois in March. But spring is about much more than the weather. It’s about more than flowers and vibrant colors. It’s about a promise. The promise of melting snow and the thunderclouds on the horizon that promise to wipe out everything in its path. It’s about a bright day with a cool breeze and being happy to see gray days because of what we think they hold. It’s about starting to shed your skin, shaking off the bluster of winter as you do. We hope you enjoy our picks!
“Lazy Bird” by John Coltrane
It might have made more sense to go with Charlie “Bird” Parker when talking about spring songs, but, to me at least, “Lazy Bird” is what I hear when I think about spring. It’s lively and bright, like the birds outside my window, but it’s smooth, or legato, and it just works perfectly with atmosphere outside. When I play this song I just want to point my speakers out the window and lay on a hammock in my backyard, soaking in the music and the beautiful weather.
– Chris Davies
“Raincoat Song” by The Decemberists 
This song covers the other end of the spring spectrum: the dirty, no good rainy weather that is absolutely no fun to be a part of. I find it particularly poignant because every time I plan for rain it just seems to rain more. This is a beautiful song though, and perfect for those dreary days spring is bound to bring. – CDD
“Snow is Gone” by Josh Ritter
This year might not be the best year for this song, considering practically the whole nation has experienced a fraction of the snowfall of 2011. But “Snow is Gone” is just an exaltation of the new season, even if the new season is actually a metaphor for a rough patch in a relationship. – CDD
“Brand New Orange” by Limbeck
This song is not really about spring at all, but the first time I heard it I thought the opening line was, “The winter months bring real bad luck.” Going with that understanding of the lyrics, I felt it was a great song about the changing of the seasons and the rebirth that comes with spring, blah blah blah. It’s actually about waiting tables and stuff, but Limbeck is my all-time favorite band and I’ll take any excuse to listen to one of their songs. – CDD
“Metamora” by Field Report (née Conrad Plymouth)
Field Report is a group led by Milwaukee’s Christopher Porterfield. Until earlier this month, his band was known as Conrad Plymouth, but a cryptic message on their Facebook quietly announced the end of CP and the beginning of Field Report. Under the moniker Conrad Plymouth, the band released a self-titled EP through the label (Ten Atoms) run by the guys at the Muzzle of Bees blog, and it is fantastic. This song, “Metamora,” is all about rebirth and growth and is perfect for spring. Since the band just made their debut as Field Report at SXSW, I don’t know if this will be on their forthcoming album (recorded at Justin Vernon of Bon Iver’s studio), but it’s worth seeking out nonetheless. – CDD
“Two of Us” by The Beatles
The Beatles have a huge catalog that showcase their individual talent and diversity in song writing. This song has a sweetness of lyric and harmony that is deceptively simple. Even though it is a McCarthy written song, it doesn’t play like the overdone melodrama of his other love songs. It invokes a time of life that promises to shape the future, while enjoying the present. What’s a little petty theiving and pyromania between friends? – JoAnne Cammarata
“Thunder Road” by Bruce Springsteen
The theme is “promises.” Spring is about the promise of what comes next. Springsteen paints the picture of escape even if no one actually goes anywhere. The song takes you there and back and there again, providing the incentive to dust off the hot rod and tear it up, just a little, before taking that great leap into adulthood. – JAC
“1979” by Smashing Pumpkins
Billy’s ode to childhood. This one isn’t so much a lyrical expression of promise as it is the musical expression of bleakness. Spring isn’t all vibrant colors and warming tempatures. Sometimes it’s the gathering storm, in the distance, that reminds you that Mother Nature does not suffer fools lightly. & neither do the Pumpkins. – JAC
“Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2” by Pink Floyd
Spring means a lot of things, one of them is the promise that the end of school is near. But by the time you get to Pt. 2 on Roger Waters’ concept of insanity, the end is not only not in sight, it’s being blocked by The Wall that’s formed, literally and figuratively. From the first twang of guitar to the choir of under-paid school kids, the song delivers on the promise of chaos and growth. – JAC
“Sanctified” by Nine Inch Nails 
Did you ever have one of those perfect spring breaks that wasn’t a cliche? The kind where you drank the town out of beer — like seriously drank up all the Corona in every bar, tavern, and pub? That perfect week in 1995, this was the song on the jukebox, all night, every night. – JAC
Other songs that make us happy in the springtime:
“In the Spr
ing” – Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons
“Sliding Glass Door” – Elsinore
“Wake Up” – Arcade Fire
“Chin Up, Cheer Up” – Ryan Adams
“I Feel Free” – Cream
“I’m Always in Love” – Wilco
– Crystal Pratt
“Hamilton Road” – Ducktails
“Vacation” – Beach Fossils
“Hall” – Baths
“Cannibal Resource” – Dirty Projectors
“Powa” – Tune-Yards
“New Chain” – Small Black
“Mixed Bizness” – Beck
“Jeepster” – T.Rex
“Sweet Thing” – Van Morrison
– Liz Faermark
“Funeral” – Mates of State
“Bloodbuzz Ohio” – The National
“Brothers” – The War on Drugs
“Lips Like Sugar” – Echo & the Bunnymen
“Up or Down” – Ken Andrews
– Isaac Arms