🎙️ Songs That Don’t Suck: Frisson, Folk Rock, and the Power of the Perfect Song
Welcome back to another emotionally electrifying episode of Songs That Don’t Suck. This week, your host Mark Bradbourne dives into one of music’s most mystical and intimate effects: frisson — that tingling, goosebumpy, hair-on-the-neck-raising moment you get when a song hits just right.
⚡ Have You Ever Had a “Skin Orgasm”?
Yes, we’re talking about that feeling.
Scientifically known as frisson (from the French for “aesthetic chills”), this physical and emotional reaction can be triggered by:
- 🔊 Dynamic shifts (like a sudden volume swell or vocal entrance)
- 🎻 Specific instruments (cello, violin, piano)
- 🎤 Powerful lyrical delivery or unexpected harmonies
- 🎼 Sudden tempo or key changes
- 🎭 Emotionally charged lyrics or cinematic production
Mark recalls moments of frisson from Broadway shows like Come From Away, and encourages listeners to explore a six-day-long playlist of frisson-inducing tracks (link in the show notes). If you experience it—let him know what song did the trick!
🧠 Fun fact: A 2007 UC Berkeley study found that people who experience frisson have stronger neural connections between auditory and emotional regions. Basically, you’re a musical superhuman.
🎶 5 Songs That Just Might Trigger Frisson This Week
Mark’s curated batch this week is a blend of gritty, groovy, harmonic, and heartfelt. Put on your headphones and prepare for potential chills.
1. Love Nor Money – “Average Cell”
🎸 Blues Rock | Punk Vocals | Classic Groove
Think Oasis meets early Black Keys with a dash of Iron Maiden’s Paul Di’Anno. Punky, riffy, and attitude-packed, this is one of only three songs they’ve released—but it already sounds like a future live anthem.
🎧 Frisson factor: That gritty guitar riff paired with a hard-edged vocal groove.
2. Fantastic Cat – “Later On”
🐾 Americana | Deep Vocal Harmonies | Modern Eagles Vibe
Self-described as “folk rock for pussies,” Fantastic Cat delivers rich harmonies and a chunky lead guitar nestled into a tapestry of mandolin and soulful lyrics. Fans of The Wild Feathers or The Band will dig this.
🎧 Frisson factor: The vocal blend. Think Crosby, Stills, Nash… with a twist.
3. Rola – “We Owe You Nothing”
⚡ Grunge Rock | Chunky Choruses | Acoustic Layering
With Seattle-style grit and layered textures (including a buried acoustic guitar in the verses), this track punches hard and holds on tight. It’s one of those songs a band knows is the one.
🎧 Frisson factor: The chorus impact—clean verse to roar transition is perfection.
4. The Chase – “Unbreakable”
🎷 Ska-Infused Rock | Horn Section | Jazz Flute Solos?!
A song with cake-like sass, mighty-mighty boss tones energy, and jazz flute? Yes, please. It’s danceable, fast, and fun—and Mark may or may not have hit 85mph listening to it in the car.
🎧 Frisson factor: Unexpected jazz flute and rapid-fire vocals that leap from the speakers.
5. The Publix – “Red Flag Verified”
🚨 Alt-Rock | Emergency Alert Sample | Fuzzy Basslines
This one hits hard. Arctic Monkeys swagger meets punk heat. A warning-siren sample juxtaposed with lyrics about emotional red flags makes for a haunting, high-energy closer.
🎧 Frisson factor: The national emergency alert sample woven into the outro is brilliant.
🎧 Final Word: Chase the Chills
“Frisson is a reminder of what it means to be alive. To be emotionally impacted by art.”
If you’ve ever cried to a guitar solo, lost your breath in a harmony, or hit repeat on a track just to feel that drop one more time—you’re not alone. Music that moves us physically is music that stays with us forever.
Mark wants to hear from you:
💌 What song gave you frisson? Hit him up at mark@songsthatdontsuck.net
📸 …and I quote…
❝ For me, frisson is an amazing experience. It’s when I’m reminded what it’s like to be alive. ❞
— Mark Bradbourne, Songs That Don’t Suck 🎧
