For this week’s intern pick, we decided to mourn the cancellation of Bonnaroo by picking songs that we wish we could’ve seen at this year’s festival. The beloved Tennessee music festival was canceled due to severe weather as well as flooding that made camping and festival conditions unsafe for the attendees. For more than 20 years, Bonnaroo has packed their lineups with incredible artists from all different types of musical genres. Check out what songs the interns wish they could’ve seen live at this year’s fest!
Ashley’s pick- “What’s His Name” by Thee Sinseers
For this week’s intern pick, I’m going with “What’s His Name” by Thee Sinseers. You may not recognize the name, but the sound will surely send you. The band hails from LA, with Joseph Quiñones at the front, fully dedicated to exploring soul and R&B in its earliest form. At first (and second) listen, this 9-piece crew equipped with brass and lo-fi drums makes you feel like you’ve just put on an old Temptations 45. I’m really excited to see young, traditional soul groups like Thee Sinseers enter the mainstream. Their music is effortlessly rich, drawing fans from Gen Z to Baby Boomers.
“What’s His Name” would’ve been a dream to see live at Bonnaroo. Quiñones’s unique vocal tone captivates, especially with the band’s brass section surrounding him. His songwriting comes straight from the heart. Lyrics like “And in the middle of the night / when I’m all alone / I’ll call you on the telephone” feel like a transmission from 70 years ago, delivered through Quiñones’s serenading. This track follows the formula for every great doo-wop song: slightly out-of-tune harmonies, simply and carefully placed guitars and drums, and lyrics about seeing your girl with another guy. I imagine myself at their set, looking around to see couples swaying and singles longing. Romance isn’t dead… it’s at the Thee Sinseers set! This track offers a peek into today’s resurgence of soul, an iconic genre revived by unknown legends like Thee Sinseers and more.
Listen to “What’s His Name” by Thee Sinseers below!
Quinn’s Pick – “Mansard Roof” by Vampire Weekend
With Bonnaroo canceled this year, I still find myself daydreaming about the songs I would have wanted to see live. My pick? Vampire Weekend’s “Mansard Roof.” It is the perfect mix of quirky and bright—ideal for summer and the Bonnaroo vibe. Vampire Weekend is known for blending indie rock with unexpected influences like Afropop, punk, and chamber music. The band was also slated to be one of this year’s headliners, and imagining that song echoing across a field at sunset feels almost too perfect to handle.
“Mansard Roof” was released in 2007 as Vampire Weekend’s debut song, and it is still one of my favorites from them. It introduced the world to their crisp, upbeat sound and Ezra Koenig’s clever lyricism. Clocking in at just over two minutes, the track feels breezy and effortless, with jangly guitars and infectious rhythms. The lyrics paint strange, specific imagery (“I see a mansard roof through the trees / I see a salty message written in the eaves”) that works beautifully with the nautical, swaying instrumentation. Even years later, it still captures that feeling of something new and exciting. This kind of energy would’ve made it a standout moment during their Bonnaroo set if they had included it.
Listen to “Mansard Roof” now!
Darci’s Pick: “Coffin Change” by Wallows
My intern pick of the week is “Coffin Change” by Wallows! As someone who has been a fan since the release of their first single in 2017, Wallows has always held a special place in my heart, and would’ve been at the top of my list for artists I wanted to see this year at Bonnaroo. “Coffin Change,” was released on their 2025 EP, More, and is not only a standout on the project, but is also the song I would’ve wanted to see the most at this year’s Bonnaroo.
The Los Angeles based-band, consisting of Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters, and Cole Preston, often dives into existential themes in their songwriting; however, “Coffin Change,” fronted by Lesmasters, takes this to a whole new level. The track focuses on the overwhelming anxieties caused by fleeting time that leads to inevitable death, as well as mortality’s relationship with the true price of life’s pleasures. The song asks the question of what is the point of living if everything will one day come to an end. With lyrics such as “Time, I used to waste all mine/Now time, time wastes me,” the song conveys a sense of spiraling when highlighting the time-sensitivity of life itself. What’s unique about “Coffin Change” is that despite its strikingly morbid lyrics and theme, there is a stark contrast with the track’s upbeat, indie-rock sound. The track’s lively instrumentation is further enhanced by surf-rock inspired guitars, and a driving drumbeat that cultivates a bright and energetic musical landscape. Throughout the song, Lemasters’ vocal performance is truly the bow that ties everything together. In the track, Lemasters is able to execute a level of skill and range that is unlike anything we have ever seen before from Wallows. His gritty, emotionally driven vocals create a sense of urgency that not only conveys the lyrical themes, but perfectly suits the instrumentals as well. The emotional intensity and energy executed in “Coffin Change” puts it at the top of my list when it comes to songs I wish I saw this year at Bonnaroo.
Listen to “Coffin Change” down below!
Quin’s Pick- “She’s Leaving You” by MJ Lendermen
In terms of who I would have wanted to see at Bonnaroo this week, no one sticks out more to me than MJ Lenderman. Hailing from Asheville, North Carolina (a city near and dear to my heart) Lenderman started playing guitar after a fixation he shared over Guitar Hero with a childhood friend. A young Lenderman would later enroll in a music summer camp, where he would meet other eager Asheville kids ready to play and catch the bug that is being in a million different bands. Lenderman would continue to play in a variety of other groups but would strike gold when he was asked to play in the band Wednesday in 2018. With Wednesday, Lenderman would rack up several credits, helping push out Wednesday albums, Twin Plagues, Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling ‘em Up, and most recently Rat Saw God. At the same time, Lenderman wouldbegin to compile his discography of solo work, including MJ Lenderman, Ghost of Your Guitar Solo, Boat Songs, and his most recent project, Manning Fireworks. If Boat Songs were to be considered his breakout project, then with Manning Fireworks, the world has seen MJ explode far past his humble beginnings in the mountains of North Carolina. Heis, in my opinion, one of the most exciting songwriters of our generation, both sonically and lyrically. For MJ, I can only imagine it’s up from here.
When thinking about what song I would like to see most from MJ live, it feels like there are too many to choose from. If I had to choose, however, I would have to go with “She’s Leaving You” from his most recent album. It is a song that showcases all the elements that make MJ’s music so effective. With a guitar tone that puts you somewhere between a honky-tonk and your local hardcore venue, MJ’s laid-back vocal sits perfectly on top of the swirling guitars. The cherry on top is MJ’s sardonic lyrics that remind you that even the most serious of events are something to be laughed at. Lyrics like “Go rent a Ferrari and sing the blues / Believe that Clapton was the second coming” remind us that even when things get grim, not everything has to be so serious.
Listen to “She’s Leaving You” down below!
