An estimated 98% of us experience earworms. Despite the annoying times that we can’t get a chorus or a hook of an overplayed pop song out of our heads, getting a really good earworm stuck can be one of the best things ever.

We here at Nerdist are dead-set on bringing you those types of songs, if only for the weekend. We’ll be scouring the internet for the best earworms we can shove into your meaty brains!

I feel as if I may have gone a bit too deep into musical obscurity with Grand Buffet last week. No regrets there, it’s just I understand that there are some people who aren’t going to like a group like that (they’re wrong, but I get it.)

I’ve still been in a hip hop listening mood so this week, along with weather changing in colder climates, I thought I’d bring you a bit of a different Atmosphere. Get it? Atmosphere. The weather is changing and there’s a group I enjoy called Atmosphere. Do you get it!? I need to know if you do. Please write me. I’ll wait for a response.

My editors inform me I cannot wait for a response as this article is not an email. Anyway, weather is getting colder, this group is from Minnesota, and they’re called Atmosphere. It’s kind of fitting.

Say Shh

This anthem to colder climates and – lets say – more docile surroundings sums up the hip hop duo Atmosphere perfectly in my mind. Intricate lyrics, catchy beats, interesting samples (Chocolate Milk’s 1976 “How About Love“), and a unabashed passion for otherwise less exciting cities and towns combine to make one hell of a song that will undoubtedly get stuck somewhere in your head. As a hip hop group there is still some bravado, but they manage to display it in a fairly humble, if not self-deprecating, way. Here’s an example:

Guns and Cigarettes

DJ/producer Anthony Davis (Ant) and rapper Sean Daley (Slug) live up to the general expectations most would have for a hip hop group with this track, but do so in a humorous way. The chorus exclaiming “I wanna be bigger than Jesus and bigger than wrestling/Bigger than the Beatles and bigger than breast implants” gets the point across but in a way that manages to poke some fun at hip hop culture. They show a level of introspection in their music that is all too rare these days. Most tracks end up playing out as thoughtful poetry. This next one in particular has a rather unorthodox narrative.

The Waitress

Told from the perspective of a homeless man and his analysis of his life and the struggle he has (and causes) with a waitress at a coffee shop. Most wouldn’t think twice about the bum sitting in the corner at a coffee shop but that person (we all can bring a couple to mind) has their own thoughts, feelings, loves and fears. Knowing his presence is painful to others but wanting nothing more than to connect. It’s a heartbreaking snapshot of what a person caught in unfortunate times could be going through.

However that’s not to say Atmosphere can’t be incredibly positive. I love positivity. Positivity is cool.

Sunshine

Much like “Say Shh,” this is a track about appreciating what you have. Doing your best to enjoy the good things in life and pushing past the crappy parts. Stepping away from the stress of life and enjoying the bits of your day that are truly amazing. With winter approaching, there may not be too many warm sunshine filled days left this year but for now, let’s enjoy what we can. Cant say it much better than they do “Woah let it shine.”

I know there are Atmosphere fans out there. Let me know what your favorite tracks are in the comments below!

Image: Rhymesayers Entertainment

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Image: Atmosphere

Blake Rodgers writes for Nerdist from Chicago IL where he lives happily with his Guinness World Record for High Fives. You can be his pal by following him on Twitter (@TheBlakeRodgers)