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Showing posts from October, 2020

"Tampa" - Small Black

Catchy AF synthpop band Small Black have returned after their five-year hiatus with their new single, "Tampa." It's slightly slower and moodier than the work we've come to expect from this undeniably talented group. But it's also … in a way, kind of a perfect sound for this time of year.  Happy to welcome them back - if you've never heard Small Black's album "Limits of Desire," I recommend you do so ASAP (if you like synthpop or chillwave at all.) 

"Standing in This Dream" - My Dear (Emily in Paris OST)

 As most people who know me well know, I am the most basic bitch. So when "Emily in Paris" arrived on Netflix earlier this month, I binged it immediately. I may not like fashion that much, or wine, or be attracted to men (although I can see the appeal of Gabriel a million percent), but I loved it anyway. The soundtrack to "Emily in Paris" is quite good too - sprinkled with French pop, indie, and some classic cuts (like "La Vie en Rose," because of course).  But by far my favorite track on the OST is "Standing in This Dream," a song from six years ago which I feel like - if my life were a movie - I would want played over the credits. It's an upbeat piece of French pop, kind of vaguely reminiscent of Tahiti 80. Listen below, and stream "Emily in Paris" if you're looking for something very light, easy to watch. (Except for the moments with her boss, which gave me secondhand anxiety.) 

"Let Me Love You Like a Woman" - Lana Del Rey

First of all, what a year it has been to be a Lana Del Rey fan. I don't mean this in a positive way - it's the same sort of feeling I have about enjoying ice cream from time to time while having some latent lactose intolerance going on. I remember some moments around the "Ultraviolence" era felt a bit eyerolly, but nothing quite at the level like what she's been up to since "Norman Fucking Rockwell" positioned her at a career high. From "question for the culture" to the mesh not-really-a-mask ... there has been no shortage of frustrating moments lately. I'm not sure what else to say here - I'm a fan, but the music and the person are at odds for me.  I haven't really dug into "Violent Bent Backwards Over the Grass," but what I have read/heard has had some promise. Largely speaking though, I think her songs outshine her poetry dramatically.  Anyway, let's just get to the music. "Let Me Love You Like a Woman" is

Tis the Season for Rilo Kiley Covers

Yes, I know. I've been writing a poem on the premise "your older sister listened to Rilo Kiley" for a while now because I feel like that's a friend's hip old sister in the mid-2000s band of choice. I did listen to Rilo Kiley (and adore Jenny's solo career) but I wasn't in to them in their heyday, so to speak. I bought "Under the Blacklight" at Target after a college class one day if I remember correctly.  Also, side note: You MUST listen to Jenny Lewis's instagram lives - they are so, so good. Just saying.  Well it turns out Bandcamp is releasing a Rilo Kiley tribute album, which is well deserved as they were truly one of the best indie bands to emerge from the early 2000s. The album "No Bad Words For The Coast Today: The Execution Of All Things Covers Comp" celebrates the RK 2002 "Execution of All Things," which is one of the band's best works. The full album featuring indie bands like Adult Mom and Diet Cig will be

"Over the Pond" - EJ Worland

Just caught wind of a new track by a soulful Aussie (yes, again) singer - EJ Worland. It's called "Over the Pond" and from the first few notes, you are transported to another world - an older, more lush world (especially if you're like me and have basically been isolated all year, it's a nice escape.)  But his video for "Over The Pond" - from masks to video calls - shows how the world really is right at this moment. (The song also is a nod to his move from AU to the USA last year.)  Said Worland about "Over The Pond," "Like the majority of the world, COVID has had a huge impact on my career. I haven’t been able to book shows and no one knows when the next gig will be and when we all can enjoy live music again. I've found comfort and support in listening back to "Over The Pond". For me, the song speaks to the anxiety of today. It has helped me solidify that I need to stick to what my purpose is, and that's to take charge o

"Chang-E" - Emmy the Great (new album out 10/9)

Emmy the Great drops her new album tomorrow on Bella Union - the fastest album she says she's ever created.  "April /月音" was completed after a trip to to her birth city Hong Kong in 2017. In early 2018, Emmy the Great made "April /月音" in a two-week period in Brooklyn - which was delayed for release until now because of her maternity leave. After recording this album, Emmy moved (for good) back to Hong Kong.  Since her original trip to Hong Kong, things have become quite tumultuous there. Said Emmy. "I’ll never know why the city called me back, but I know what it gave me. In return, I want to give it this album. That Mid-Autumn, nobody could have predicted what was to come, neither the atomization that began with the anti-Extradition Law protests in June 2019, nor the struggle for democracy that continues now, through the Covid-19 pandemic. To witness your birth city in its greatest moment of need is a powerful, humbling event, and I know I watched Hong Kong

"Salt Licorice"- Jonsi featuring Robyn

 This was the collaboration I didn't even know I needed (or would much less get) this year. "My Scandinavian pain," sang by the Sigur Ros crooner toward the beginning of the track. And although the lyrics might say another story, the song itself is such an upbeat and unique pop song that it's hard to pull away.  Jonsi's newest album "Shiver" dropped yesterday, which (as far as I can tell) is getting good reviews. But this truly fantastic duet right is enough for me (listening to the Jonsi album is on my to-do list). It actually reminds me a bit of another Scandinavian - Fever Ray.  Also, can I just say, I'm so happy we are seeing more of Robyn these past few years? I missed her.