It's Cool To Cry
Sorry That I'm Late!
The Playlist
But not that sorry.
What a week of music. I was busy two days ago with a job interview and some other homework that couldn't be put off, so I didn't get to write this up until a bit later than normal. Pardon the delay, but the job interview went well, so it was worth it.
I get to open this week with K.Flay's team up with Party Favor, whom I know nothing about and is utterly ungooglable. That said, I'm suspecting they're an EDM production team. K.Flay is on point as usual, talking about hitting the limits of being human in a way that'll resonate with all of you who are as chronically depressed as I am okay let's move on and not just use this playlist as a way to exorcise personal demons hahaha fuck
Yeah, it's another remix of My Agenda. I'm sorry, but I fucking love Dorian Electra and Anamanaguchi, so what the fuck was I supposed to do? Okay, we'll dial it back down for Japanese Breakfast's piano-driven cover of Yoko Ono's Nobody Sees Me Like You Do. I'm so glad that Yoko's getting such a strong collection of tributes right now.
Sorry, Michael Bublé, but my divorce is too fresh for your specific flavor of love songs. Pretty good, tho. This pop-rock track from shallows. and Aaron Gillespie is really fucking rad. Soaring and engaging, I'd love to hear more from this duo.
Indie rock band Beirut's new B-sides and lost songs album is finally here and it's about as accessible as anything I'm used to from them. I love this shit, but it's really not going to be for everyone and honestly, that's where I feel that music as a whole really shines. Perfectly palatable stuff is often just boring.
Speaking of new albums, Anaïs Mitchell's first new record in a decade, and notably her first since her Tony award winning masterpiece Hadestown, is finally here and it's one of the most exciting things on my radar right now. I can't wait to sit down and let this one sink into my being.
Oh my god it's Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama. Hyperpop is such a blessing to all of us and if you don't like this, you don't understand me and I suggest you let that marinate.
Penny and Sparrow's new album is here. It's a beautiful collection of indie folk tracks that will transport you to new places. It's their seventh record and the first that they've self produced, creating a cinematic experience that's unique in their discography. I'm really excited to see where they go from here and to get some time to live with this record.
There's a new record from Eels, which if you're anything like me, is a band you know primarily because of their association with the Shrek films. Okay, I'll stop talking and embarrassing myself.
No I won't.
I know it's basic as hell for me to call Trixie Mattel my favorite drag queen, but hot damn how could she not be when she's putting out shit like this and collaborating with genre veterans Shakey Graves? This is amazing folk-country and I just can't imagine not loving this with my whole heart.
I'll admit that I don't know anything about ginla, but seeing Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker listed as a featured artist on their new single was enough to pull me in and I'm glad it did. We get this kinda lo-fi acoustic indie track that plays two voices against each other throughout the whole thing in a really satisfying way. ginla's on my radar now, for sure.
There's a new single from former Kurt Vile guitarist Steve Gunn, and a weird-ass pop-punk track from Head Smashed that claims to feature Sum 41, Bad Religion, and ITCHY, but uh... I don't believe them. This smells sus, but it's really fucking good, so I guess I don't care?
Electropunk frontwoman of Crystal Castles, Alice Glass is here with a bass heavy new track titled LOVE IS VIOLENCE, which is (I think) the final single prior to her solo debut on February 16th. I'll write more about this at that point.
And then we get the incredible bluegrass of Old Crow Medicine Show as they collaborate with Molly Tuttle, who I hold up as one of the best voices in bluegrass at this moment. Get excited for this album, cause it's going to be pure fire all the way through.
Holy fuck I was not expecting Toro y Moi's Postman to slap this hard. I had zero expectations going into this and I almost didn't stop grooving to this to make time to write. Holy fucking shit.
Fuck you, here's some deathcore from Nylist, Pablo Viveros of Chelsea Grin, and Koko, from Oceano. FUCK. The kick drum is too clean, though, right? That's either programmed or crushed to fuck in a compressor.
Hahaha, I love this collab between The Maine, Taking Back Sunday, and Charlotte Sands. Why do I want to two-step to these full band verses? This feels like it'd fuck at an Emo Night and I hope there are DJs who are spinning it alongside all the classic shit. I'd kinda like to see Dorian Electra or Chester Lockhart take a stab at remixing this.
The Kilo Kish and Vince Staples track somehow lands between dubstep and hyperpop on its production stylings, which really tickles me. What a treat.
The warm air smelt of thunder and I was happy.
And So I Watch You from Afar - IV In Air
Brit-rockers Franz Ferdinand are doing a greatest hits record, so here's a new single from that, cause what's as greatest hits record without one completely unproven track thrown in for good measure?
This Bloc Party track is serving Gary Glitter vibes, right? Is that just me? Oh, and The Chainsmokers have a perfectly fun pop track that I thoroughly enjoyed. I love mass market pop music.
Disclosure have teamed up with mega-producer Zedd for a four-on-the-floor melodic anthem that leans hard on the title of You've Got To Let Go If You Want To Be Free throughout its duration.
R&B singer Pink Sweat$ pulls in Tori Kelly for a harmony-centric slow dance that I really hope is the harbinger of a second record from Pink Sweat$. Keep your eyes on this one.
Radiohead side project The Smile has another single out, so you indie heads are probably ecstatic right now. Nerds. You have fun, but I'll be down at the next track as Royal & The Serpent's energetic indie-pop EP goes on repeat for the next month, despite its notable lack of Rivers Cuomo.
Former NPR Tiny Desk Contest winners Tank and The Bangas have a neon drenched new funk-bass and OP-1 driven single in No ID while NEIL FRANCES keeps the vibes chill and reverb drenched with a full album available today.
We've got dancehall from Kranium and skate punk from Escape From The Zoo before we head into an accusatory track from R&B singer-songwriter Lady Wray's third studio album: Piece of Me.
I had no idea who LEYA or Julie Byrne were before hearing this hauntingly beautiful track, but I highly recommend this and will direct you to Pitchfork for a brief write-up, since they know more than I do on this one.
Suki Waterhouse is another that I didn't know before putting this playlist together, but hey if she's good enough for Sub Pop, she's good enough for me. Big fan of what I'm hearing here, so I'll absolutely be watching for what's next.
I don't know who needs to hear this
Sometimes it'd good to sing your feelings.
Tomberlin - idkwntht
Indie singer-songwriter Ty Segall has a cool one this week in that he just scored the documentary film Whirlybird, which is about helicopter-based reporting in Los Angeles. I'm loving all the percussion and staccato sax in this track. It's a really cool new flavor from Ty and I'm excited to see if he keep pursuing this new career direction.
Now, you didn't really expect me to get through this whole playlist without some massive transgender energy, did you? Thank God for Addison Grace's I Wanna Be a Boy, a new transmasculine masterpiece that will hopefully give comfort and joy to a generation of kids who are about to realize that they don't have to conform to the gender expectation laid upon them at birth.
I wanna be a boy,
Or at least be in a body
You could love.
Addison Grace - I Wanna Be a Boy
There's a new record from deathcore veterans Whitechapel and it shows a lot of growth from when I last listened to them. It's dynamic, engaging, and honestly feels like it's deathcore for the radio rock crowd. Kinda feels like Breaking Benjamin in an alternate life, and that's a really fucking cool thing.
I think I really needed MØ's new song Cool to Cry. I remember being mocked by my mom for crying as a kid. From that moment on, I completely closed off my ability to cry until recently when I started taking estrogen. Crying is healing and healthy and I'm glad to hear a song that can validate that for me.
Anyway, that's all I have for this week. I hope you enjoy this playlist as much as I did. It's one of the better ones we've had recently.