NEW DISSOLVED WAVES
Hi hi lovelies,
I’ve been meaning to splurge about music in a blog post for ages alas ages has passed and here I am.
I don’t know how other people stumble across new music, but my main plug has been through Spotify. It’s been such a good plug that even me, a world-renowned stingy shit, decided to buy the £5 student premium account. [They should bloody sponsor me for this] [All that exposure to my 4 loyal followers and no mula…shameful].
Spotify has the “Discover Weekly” and “Radio” feature which has been a godsend for me. I have found many a gem by using those. So without further ado, here are 5 tracks discover weekly got bang on for me:
(Superficial disclaimer: I ain’t no music guru*. I like some sounds and these are the sounds I like.)
1) SYLVAN ESSO
My first exposure to this band was in my first year of university. I like to do a music swap game with friends where there’s a ‘I play one, you play one’ policy, which swiftly descends into a chaotic “oh no, lemme play you this other one first quickly and then you can have two goes after.” Which is usually pioneered by yours truly. My mate Banji played me ‘Hey Mami’ and ‘Coffee’ which are both on their self-titled album. And I was hooked. I loved the electro feel, sharp beats and her ethereal but bold voice.
General Interesting Wikipedia stuff:
· They are an American indie pop duo from Durham, North Carolina.
· Formed in 2013.
· Members: Lead singer Amelia Meath and producer Nick Sanborn
Their new album ‘What Now’ is f a b. I binged all the songs, and I usually don’t indulge in listening to all the songs in an album- but I kept listening and I didn’t want it to stop. It has this glitchy, offbeat vibe and I’m for it. The song Spotify Discover Weekly chose was:
'KICK JUMP TWIST'
Other songs I liked were: Die young, Radio, Rewind.
2) ANIMA!
This band I actually discovered on discover weekly- it was a discovery on par with that of Christopher Columbus. [Without the murderous rampage, mass genocide and you know, not actually, like discovering anything].
I seriously am all for this band; from the electro/indie sound, to the palpable social commentary laced in each track. So good. I noticed that they have a very similar sound to Sylvan Esso, and it so happens that they took inspo from them. So maybe i is a music guru*.
General Interesting Wikipedia stuff:
· They are an alternative electronic duo from South Africa and California.
· Consisting of Arielle Vakni and Vicente Espi
· Anima stands for ‘the breath of life in each of us’
· Formed in 2016
· Formed in 2016
On their website they describe their new album ‘Art:Work’ as an exploration through the creative process itself. I think this album is actually stunningly inquisitive and poignant. It’s not only an artwork in terms of production but it is lyrically piercing. For me, Arielle’s lyrics flawlessly articulate important social commentary in such an artistic and melodic way. They both manage to pry into societal norms and values and ask intriguing questions about the foundational building blocks of society whilst still enchanting you enough to bop along to the beat.
M A G I C A L.
Here’s a snippet of her lyrics at work:
“Losing all the love between the lines dividing rich and the poor,
Are we working to live, are we living to work more?”
Music that makes you think. I could go on about this band but I’ll let your ears do the work.
'MOVING MOUNTAINS'
Other songs I like: Blood, Pencils, The Seed, Genius…. [whoops that the whole album.] [I like the whole album.] [Listen to the whole album, pls & thnx.]
3) SHEEP, DOG & WOLF
I think it took 3 seconds of this song playing before I *right-clicked* *add to playlist*. This song just produces such a melodic harmonised eargasm. You could even say the soundwaves almost dissolve in your ears…hence why I added it to my playlist = Dissolved waves. No-one gets why I named it that, but I think it makes perfect sense???
As I was doing research on the artist my mind blew up.
Daniel Mcbride, the artist, is a young Mcbride so to speak. He was just a young 19-year-old Mcfella when he created Glare; “writing and producing all his stuff in his room”. Excuse you. That’s crazy Mctalented.
General Interesting Wikipedia stuff:
· Consisting of Daniel McBride
· Debut EP in 2011 (he was 17) (when I was 17 I had a quarter life crisis) (which ones more impressive, you decide)
4) BLU & EXILE
This is a gem. I don’t know what the genre is called. But its like a rustic off beat dirt hip hop. Infusing a vintage feel with contemporary hard-hitting beats. And the lyrics are very raw and honest, you can the lyrics emanate from an inquisitive mind.
General Interesting Wikipedia stuff:
· American hip hop duo, consisting rapper Blu and Producer Exile.
· Formed in 2007
The song Spotify Discover Weekly chose was:
'A LETTER'
Other songs I liked: Ease your mind, Maybe one day.
5) YO LA TENGO
Last but not least Yo La Tango. I like listening to this band on the tube. It transports me into a sort mellow daydream state. But it still has a rhythmic kick to it. You should definitely give it a listen and tell me what you think.
I really think I should do more research on the songs I have in my playlist, I have so many random tracks I listen to without exploring their background or even listening to their album. And then I build up my own [usually incorrect] image or perception of the band. Like I thought Yo La Tengo was one of those new hippy atmospheric bands from somewhere in, like, Portland. Little did I know.
General Interesting Wikipedia stuff:
General Interesting Wikipedia stuff:
· Yo La Tengo are an American indie rock band formed in New Jersey in 1984
· Consisting of Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew.
· Georgia Hubley is a badass drummer. I love female drummers, it’s just so b a d a s s [those were my exact thoughts before I forced myself to learn drumming 5 years ago] [I feel so badass when I drum…not sure I look it though]
* * *
I Just feel like saying for all the tracks:
“I like this song…that’s it. Go and listen if you wanna see if you like it too.”
I don’t necessarily know what makes me like a song. I know nothing of production value nor the complexity of music production. All I know is that when I listen to certain tracks, my body involuntarily wants to sway and jive and move to the music. I like what I like. You like what you like. You may like some of what I like. That cool. I may like some of what you like. Equally as cool.
As Abed articulated so distinctly - Its all cool cool cool.
Thanks for reading friends,
Tea x x
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