Stuff I'm listening to, February 2024 edition
Stuff I’m listening to, February 2024 edition
A quick note: You may notice that this email looks different than previous installments of Citizen Cane. I had to switch newsletter hosting services again, because Mailchimp has an utterly bizarre quirk in that it does not allow social media sharing of newsletters. I was unable to link installments on Twitter/X and other social media websites, and was thus unable to share my work with potential new subscribers. Obviously, this was not a great solution to a problem that Mailchimp itself caused by discontinuing Tinyletter. RIP.
Has it been A YEAR since I last shared one of these? It has! What the hell. The links below go to YouTube videos; a Spotify playlist of all the songs can be found here. This playlist is more nonsensical than usual. You’ve been warned.
Mitski, “Bug Like an Angel” (2023): This song has folky and unsettling vibes, which is a great combo if you’re me. The background vocals that kick in at :51 are astonishing.
The Third Mind, “Across Tall Grass” (2023): Americana legends Jesse Sykes AND Dave Alvin in one band? Yes, it’s happened, and it’s awesome. This song features gorgeous vocals and a considerable amount of guitar noodling. I mean “guitar noodling” as a compliment.
New Order, “True Faith” (1987): I watched this Trash Theory video about “Blue Monday” recently, which prompted a mini-New Order listening binge. “Blue Monday” is a classic, but “True Faith” is the New Order song that lives rent free in my head. It’s almost too catchy.
Chelsea Wolfe, “The Liminal” (2024): I am entering my 10th year of Chelsea Wolfe fandom, and it’s been a privilege to watch her career flourish as her sound has expanded. Like many of my favorite musicians, her music is hard to categorize. Is it goth folk? Doom trip-hop? Alternative melancholy? It is all of these things and more!
Alanis Morissette, “Straightjacket” (2008): I wrote on Twitter years ago that this is the best pop song ever written about gaslighting. I stand by that assertion. (I refuse to call Twitter "X" because Elon is that terrible, and does things like whatever this is when he's mad that people don't call the site by its new name.)
Ween, “Mutilated Lips” (1997): This is a very relaxing song with the worst title imaginable. Please do not let that put you off listening to it.
Laura Jane Grace, “Dysphoria Hoodie” (2024): THERE’S A NEW LAURA JANE GRACE ALBUM OUT. And there’s a song about gender dysphoria on it that is amazing. Hell yes.
Nouvelle Vague, “Girls on Film” (2024) : Nouvelle Vague also has a new album out! I adore this Duran Duran cover, which I listened to approximately five times in a row yesterday as I was trying to listen to the new album. Some people might think that the whole M.O. of this band — chill covers of 80’s songs — is gimmicky, but it takes skill to do a gimmick this well...and to do it for two decades and counting.
Brittany Howard, “Prove it to You” (2024): Alabama Shakes is a fantastic band. If you haven’t heard lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard’s solo work yet, you are missing out. This song is a little Eurodance-flavored and it just works.
Bjork, “Headphones” (1995): I recently got into the podcast 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s, which has an episode dedicated to “Hyperballad” from 1995’s Post. I figured that it was time for me to revisit Post, since it’s one of my favorite Bjork albums. Appropriately, “Headphones”-- the last song on the album--sounds spectacular on headphones.
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