#EPs & Singles.

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Audio: Bored at My Grandma's House Shares Lush and Anthemic Ode to Love

New Audio: Bored at My Grandma's House Shares Lush and Anthemic Ode to Love @boredatmygrans @ClueRecords @EMINorthRecords @alex_greaves @nave_studios @supecatpr

Cumbria-born, Leeds-based singer/songwriter and musician Amber Strawbridge is the creative mastermind behind the rising British indie rock project Bored at My Grandma’s House. Strawbridge began recording music back in 2017 using the GarageBand app on her phone; she then updated her bedroom setup after saving the money to buy a laptop and Logic Pro. After a couple of years of self-taught…

[thevinylcornerblog]

Neill & The Blue Roses Promise Stellar EP To Come With Devastating "Play Me a Record" Teaser Single

Image courtesy of Michael Deppisch I first met musician Amanda Neill many years ago when she and her husband Christian were the proprietors of a sweetly intimate little Brooklyn, NY-based cafe known as Roots. Call it one of those friend-of-a-friend, simple twist-of-fate-type situations putting us into each other’s orbit that just so happened to stick good fortune in my crosshairs. Because, in…

[thewordisbond]

Elaina Monique Raises Neck Hairs In "Window" (Single)

Posted on https://www.thewordisbond.com/elaina-monique-raises-neck-hairs-in-window-single/

Elaina Monique Raises Neck Hairs In "Window" (Single)

Elaina Monique displayed her songwriting and production skills in her debut EP 'Kismet.' The single "Window" is taken from that EP  which is out now on all streaming platforms. "Window" is about a love that she hasn’t met yet. She yearns for this love to feel her face, embrace her, and in

[ubomag-blog1]

It’s ‘Paradise’ with Nialani

Just close your eyes and imagine paradise on the island of Kauai, that is where singer-songwriter Nialani Green hails from. Her voice is full of melody, soft with a little mystery and that is what makes Nialani so great.

By Aaris A. SchroederEditor-In-ChiefJust close your eyes and imagine paradise on the island of Kauai, that is where singer-songwriter Nialani Green hails from. Her voice is full of melody, soft with a little mystery and that is what makes Nialani so great.Reminiscent of both Sade and Aaliyah, Hawaiian native Nialani’s beautifully architected voice can move into several genres masterfully.…

[telomeke]

THE SIGN EPISODE 4 – MUCHNESS IN THE MIX (BUT THE NAGA AND GARUDA STILL PEEK THROUGH THE MUDDLE)

This episode of The Sign somehow managed to be a LOT and yet not quite enough (for me) at the same time.

After the languid pacing of Ep.3, set in far-off, semi-rural Nong Khai and punctuated only sporadically with moments of drama and foreboding, Ep.4 took a jarring tonal leap back into the darker, sleeker world of modern Bangkok as the boys got stuck into their day jobs as newbie investigators for a mysterious crime involving rape, abduction, torture, murder and media manipulation. 👀

Maybe it's just me, but the show is starting to show signs of having bitten off more than it can chew – with aspirations to being a fantasy, a procedural crime drama, a supernatural thriller, a comedy and a love story. Is it some of the above? All of it? At the same time? It's early days, but there are hints it may be going down the same meandering path trod by KinnPorsche, flailing in several directions on a whim. (At least KinnPorsche flailed with style, but I'm not sure The Sign has quite the luxury of a Romsaithong budget to ladle on the bucketloads of sugary gloss needed to make a ramshackle raft of uncohesive elements at least superficially appealing to the palate, if not exactly good for your soul.)

Don't get me wrong though. I think there is a place for the mixing and even blending of genres in media, and there is a long history of this in the Asian cinematic universe (what's coming to mind are Bollywood/Kollywood films in which a mafia tale can also be a love story and musical for example – echoes of KinnPorsche here, though most of KP's musical bits were tacked on in the after-concerts – and also Hong Kong movies of decades past where a martial arts movie could also be a slapstick comedy and nobody would bat an eyelid).

A culinary metaphor might be the easiest (laziest) way of making my point: the mile-long ingredient list and complex spicing of a curry may seem like you're inviting nothing but clashing and competition in the claypot, but careful dosing can stew them up into a sumptuous, unified result. And the myriad of ingredients in East and Southeast Asian noodle soups and flash stir-fries not only foreground contrasting textures and flavors in a single dish but actually celebrate them. Both approaches assert that artful assemblage and the right dosage can bring together disparate components (that might seem uneasy companions in their raw and uncombined state) to finish up with a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

I'm no media expert (necessary caveat inserted here) but I think The Sign needs quite a lot more finessing with all that it's taken on, and getting the proportions, mixing and balance correct will be the tricky bit given the wildly contrasting ingredients they've already added to the pot. I'm not convinced KinnPorsche got it right and I have concerns The Sign may slide down that slope too (if Ep.4 is anything to go by).

Even the acting is starting to betray the fact that Kruu A's assured directorial hand, so evident in the first three episodes, is possibly losing its grip on all the disparate threads and themes. (It's not too late for him to pull it back though, so I think the next two episodes or so will be critical to see if The Sign can live up to the promise of its first three episodes.)

I think this loss of control is especially noticeable in Billy's acting for Ep.4 – his thespian chops had been confident and dependable enough in Episodes 1 to 3 (even during the high tension fight scenes and especially during the quieter emotional interludes with Babe). But in Ep.4 he crossed the line repeatedly and was visibly overacting in almost every take. I'm guessing they needed to amp up the energy level of his portrayal since Phaya is supposed to be a hot-headed garuda after all. But I think the actorly resources currently at Billy's disposal don't quite allow him to pull off the bigger emotions and scenes with authenticity, not just yet anyway. (Babe showed characteristic restraint throughout though, and I thought he consistently did a good job.)

Unfortunately Billy wasn't the only one falling short in the acting department; the extras and bit players were also allowed to ham it up no end (yes, I'm sorry for the kid who was sexually assaulted, but the hysteria on display was jarringly and completely inauthentic, and drew more mockery to the predicament rather than sympathy, which is such a shame). 🤷‍♂️

Special mention also for the OTT expressions of the investigative group during each team meeting – they all appeared to be reacting exactly in unison to every turn of events, whether it was exaggerated focus on new findings, flinching in collective disappointment whenever their leads were thwarted, or looking around suspiciously and suddenly when it was suggested the murderer might be one in their midst. It looked far too much like a group of actors responding to instructions from outside in, rather than a team of individuals reacting from inside out, each with their own agency but choosing to align themselves as one. And this should have been weeded out by the director, since we know this team was largely able to deliver on the acting front in the first three episodes.

I stand with Inspector Akk whose confused expression in most of the group scenes seemed to be saying "What the hell is going on here?" 🤣

(above) "Inspector" Akk Akarat Nimitchai: "What is going on? Why am I here? Why did I listen to my agent? I am an Actor!"

Although this is probably just The Sign telling us that Akk knows more than he's letting on, and the newbies he's assigned are doing a far better job than he thought they would (and which is maybe not the desired outcome?). 🤔

Anyway the writers dialled back somewhat on the naga/garuda mythology in Episode 4 to shine more light on the NCIS-style criminal investigation, and this isn't doing The Sign any favors because the mythological themes roiling beneath the surface were what set this series apart in the first place and made it such a fascinating watch.

We still got to see some of it though. Whenever the naga and garuda's inner energies are especially stoked, the lighting often plays along (e.g., the brightly sparkling lights that accompany garuda Phaya charging up his batteries at Ep.1 [4/4] 14.20 and Ep.3 [2/4] 19.07, PhayaTharn's toilet encounter at Ep.2 [4/4] 9.12, the Mekong rescue at Ep.3 [2/4] 19.18, and Tharn's erotic dream of him and Phaya having shower sex at Ep.4 [2/4] 5.52). When it's fiery garuda Phaya and watery naga Tharn experiencing this together, the lighting dances between warm tones (suggesting the flames of the garuda) and cooler blues (suggesting the watery world of the naga).

I think that's why they made such a big deal with the blue and red lighting in this scene:

Phaya and Tharn have just survived an encounter with an armed and possibly insane killer. The flashing lights (blue for the marine naga, red for the fiery garuda) quite literally signal them recouping their respective beast energies after their near-death experience. (I also like that in the screenshot above, the light on Phaya is blue while the light on Tharn is red – each seems to be reflecting what the other is giving off. 👍)

There are also a few other examples of the naga and garuda dynamics in Episode 4, if we look a bit more closely.

Naga Tharn really had to fight to overcome his aversion to the flames in the abandoned mental facility (the Molotov cocktail is also I think a callback to the naga fireballs of the previous episode); garuda Phaya on the other hand breached the fire without a second thought.

But in hand-to-hand combat with the masked Molotov man (an agent of the malevolent naga out to get him and Tharn I suppose) Phaya is swiftly overcome – take a look at where they're fighting though (at Ep.4 [3‌/4] 12.25); it's a forest clearing right at the water's edge (with water being the nagas' stronghold, while it seems to weaken garuda Phaya's abilities).

When Phaya insists he and Tharn have dinner, it's at a hot-pot place (a culinary experience of both fire and boiling water at the table, another metaphor for the coming together of the naga and garuda). And the red and blue lighting of the restaurant also pays homage to the mythological pairing:

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When Tharn is cooking breakfast for him and Phaya, it seems the sizzling on the stove is all it takes to remind him of his sex dream with hot-as-fire Phaya (although that is likely an induction hob though, not an open flame 🤣):

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And when offered the breakfast, Phaya lets us know in no uncertain terms he prefers the more liquid option (just as his garuda self has chosen a waterworld naga):

‌

OK so on to the most direct reference yet to the fantasy world-building in Episode 4 of The Sign – the visitation from the mysterious old woman spouting warnings and exhortations to Tharn and Phaya:

Her serpent bracelet and subsequent physical transformation show that she is most likely a nagini from Tharn's past life, come to warn the pair that the vengeful naga whom Tharn betrayed previously (see Heng Asavarid's interview spoiler here) is nearby and out to get them (remembering also that at least some of the nagas have the power to shapeshift).

My guess is her golden eyes and general coloration at Ep.4 [1‌/4] 15.40 are signaling that she's Wanwisa, Tharn's sister in his previous life as a naga:

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Going off-tangent just a little, the mysterious gran/golden dragon lady is another example of a wise and mysterious elder popping into a Thai drama to dispense life-saving wisdom.

Not sure if it's enough to be a trope, but The Sign's psychic gran calls to mind a couple of other almost deus-ex-machina plot-helpers:

the loong with the time-portal crystal ball in Be My Favorite; and

the wise monk at the end of Nang Nak (the Sine Inthira version).

There are surely others (but I just can't recall them at the moment). I also can't help but think Uncle Tong in Bad Buddy fits this mold as well, because his wise, unworldly advice helped PatPran re-think and re-chart their lives (except that Director Aof had the good sense not to spring this sage and magical loong on us at the very last minute, and introduced him to us earlier in BBS Ep.6).

Anyway, on to Ep.5 of The Sign. I can't wait to see what's in store, and hope they can get the series back on track! 💖

‌

[cherrylng]

STYLE Series #004 - Muse (August 2010)

"Oh hey, Cherry! I saw that you're gonna do another scan and translation soon! It's gonna be a lot to show us, isn't it?"

Page 4 - Muse Gallery Page 18 - “The Resistance” Interview

"Wow, that's neat!"

RETROSPECTIVE Page 32 - “Absolution” Interview (2003) Page 42 - -2000-2004 Memories of Muse conversation Page 46 - “HAARP”/Summer Sonic 06 Interview (2007/2006) Page 49 - “Showbiz” Interview

"Oh, wow, that's gonna make lots of Musers happy to see this!"

DISC GUIDE Page 62 - Album Page 72 - Album/DVD Page 75 - Compilation Page 76 - Single/EP

"Oh, that's... that's a lot for you to cover this."

PLAY & GEAR ANALYSIS Page 84 - Matthew Bellamy Tour Equipment (Guitar) Page 97 - Matthew Bellamy Tour Equipment (Amp & Effects Edition) Page - 103 Chris as a bassist Page 106 - Matthew Play & Composition Analysis Page 116 - Dominic as a drummer

"Are they... are they really dedicating the whole magazine just for Muse???"

100 ALBUMS TO UNDERSTAND MUSE 121 100 ALBUMS TO UNDERSTAND MUSE

COLUMN Page 52 - The History of the “Guitar Prince” up to Matthew Bellamy Page 56 - Finally, a breakthrough! The Key to Success in the U.S. Page 58 - In a league of strange and wonderful costumes? Fashion tips for Matthew Bellamy Page 80 - “Twilight” series inspired by Muse Page 134 - Muse's Origin in 90's Alternative Rock Page 138 - Loves melodies, layered guitars, and orchestras... Muse is a modern-day progressive rock band? Page 140 - Don't miss it! The rich world of “emo” resonating with Muse Page 142 - The best live act of our time = Muse's stage performance

FAN SITE Page 145 - The appeal of Muse, according to a fan site operator

"...Cherry, are you alright?"

Cherry: You know what, I'm gonna procrastinate on this by spam reblogging Muse posts or finishing up that Wobell fic that I've been working on instead!

[nightandsnow]

If you’re looking for a CHEAP concert to go to in Los Angeles please come out and see my band No Surprises on June 23 in DTLA!

Our new single just came out and this will be our EP Release show! Were an indie emo alt rock band heavily influenced by My Chemical Romance, Bloc Party, Interpol, Citizen, Title Fight, etc… all the good ones.

Come support local bands 🖤 and if you’re not in LA give us a stream or two :)

[d-criss-news]

An Evening with Darren Criss by CUPB Cornell University Program Board

Sat, Apr 13, 2024 5 PM – 6 PM EDT (GMT-4) Statler Hall

Join the Cornell Program Board and the Cornell Asian Pacific Student Union for an exclusive Q&A event featuring the multi-talented Darren Criss! Happening on Saturday, April 13th at 5 pm in Statler Hall this event is an insightful conversation with the Emmy-winning actor, singer, and songwriter.

Since bursting onto the pop-culture landscape over a decade ago in Fox’s hit TV show GLEE, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Darren Criss has embodied the kind of kaleidoscopic artistry that’s entirely uninhibited by form or genre. For this concert, Darren will be performing well known songs featured throughout his wildly eclectic career as both a songwriter and performer, including those from Glee, Starkid and the Broadway shows he’s starred in.

Before Darren Criss exploded into the internet’s subculture as both an actor and songwriter for the YouTube viral hit A Very Potter Musical in 2009, he had made a small name for himself playing unique interpretations of popular songs he’d perform at cafes and bars in his hometown of San Francisco. Little did he know that the same knack for covering tunes would serve him well in 2010, when he was cast on FOX’s massively successful musical series Glee, from which many of his performances of popular songs would lead to several Billboard-topping records. In 2015 his songwriting also landed an Emmy nomination for Best Original Music and Lyrics, from penning the song “This Time” for the show’s series finale. Criss has continued to write and produce music extensively through the years, whether for his own releases as an artist or as a songwriter for theater, film & television. In 2019 Criss created, executive produced, starred in, and provided all the original songs for his short-form musical comedy series Royalties, and earlier this year provided the music & lyrics for the opening number of the 2022 Tony Awards: Act One. As an artist, he most recently delivered a genre-diverse collection of "character-driven" singles as part of his 2021 solo EP titled “Masquerade” (BMG) , and in the same year, released a full-length Christmas album titled- aptly- A Very Darren Crissmas (Decca).

As an actor, Criss is a veteran of the stage whose Broadway credits include the titular role of Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2015), How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (2012), and the most recent 2022 revival of David Mamet’s seminal play American Buffalo alongside Laurence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell. In 2018 his work in Ryan Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story received wide critical acclaim, earning him a Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Critics’ Choice Award. He was most recently seen starring in Netflix’s hit series Hollywood, for which he also served as executive producer.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of Hollywood's brightest stars and engage in meaningful dialogue about his career, influences, and future projects. Mark your calendars and join us for an unforgettable event!

[skeeverboy]

the front bottoms are so beautiful to me. i could listen to their full discography in order and the growth of their music is fascinating, progression in lyrics and songwriting and instrumentation and comfort. their albums make a very clean timeline to me

ihmf-s/t all has a very similar vibe. it’s like they recorded it all in a basement (which they actually did, for a lot of them) and it almost feels personal. like you’re watching them practice their band.

toth has its own completely unique vibe for me, maybe because it was the first album i really listened through and fixated on, but the lyric writing gets a little less blunt, and the instrumentals get a little more melodic.

liberty and prosperity, joanie, and back on top start to feel much more produced. a lot more electric guitar feauturing, way more experimentation. for instance, the speaking in plastic flowers, GDP’s participation in this era. this was really a time for serious growth.

i know a lot of people hate going grey. i didn’t love it at first, but it feels like a pivotal moment in tfb history. it feels almost like a defined turn from their old style into their new one. it’s exploring new territory. it’s a segue between back on top era and sickness & in flames.

is&if i know is a lot of people’s favorite album. it’s really good. it’s way more produced, fun auto tune stuff previously not used in their music (which then also became a feature on yawyhow). it’s definitely decisively in the “pop punk” genre rather than kind of straying the line between folk punk and emo like their older stuff.

yawyhow is exactly where i’d expect them to end up. more produced, fun with auto tune, it’s like amped up is&if with a different lyrical vibe. i can’t wait for their next album, whenever that is, and see where they end up.

(i’m ignoring grandma eps and singles)

[mackmp3]

Aotearoa Music Month

It's almost the end of NZ Music Month, here are my personal favourite Aotearoa artists and a few song recommendations :)

(If you listen to one song from the list make it Old Peel)

Aldous Harding. Words cannot explain the sheer bonkersness of Aldous Harding. One of her earliest songs shares the name but seemingly little else with Titus Groan, the gothic-fantasy novel by Mervyn Peake, and the music video for 'Lawn' features her in a prosthetic lizard tail. Performing live, she often stares straight ahead as though she is not quite sure why you're all looking at her. Her songs, sometimes joyous (The Barrel, Fever, Lawn), and sometimes yearning (Pilot, Party) sometimes just bored (Ennui), are all unmistakably her. Her last few albums have been produced by PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish, and her band includes multi-instrumentalist H. Hawkline (Cate Le Bon collaborator). 2022's Warm Chris was my favourite album of the year, I listened to it almost everyday for two months, the standout line (from 'Fever' being 'the weather/opened up like a birthday card' which is just beautiful. Her best song, though, I think is 'Old Peel', a 2021 single in which the percussion is Harding banging on a coffee mug with a stick. And she does this live as well.

2. The Beths. The Beths are one of those wonderful indie bands whose music all sounds so cheerful but the songs are all about the crushing weight of your insecurities. They've released 3 studios albums and an EP, but I reckon their debut, Future Me Hates Me, is their best one - standout tracks are the title track, 'Happy Unhappy' and 'Uptown Girl'. Their sounds is a mix of contemporary indie pop (lots of chirpy backup vocals) and classic indie rock dirt, especially on 'Future Me Hates Me', though their new stuff is pretty heavy live. They also use a lot of the old NZ made amps and gear that was made here in the 60s and 70s when it was too expensive to import stuff( ask any adult who was in a band here when they were younger and they'll probably have one). 'I Want to Listen' from last years' 'Expert In A Dying Field' is really lovely, if you aren't in the mood for songs about not knowing if you're lovable cos they've got a fair few of those.

3. Voom. Voom are probably on the lesser known side, but their 2006 album 'Hello, Are You There' is right up there with Grandaddy and Built to Spill. It's one of those albums with like 17 songs but some of them are less than a minute long. Beautiful indie rock, full of classic stuff like 'Jimmy's Got A Boner' 'My Friend Satan' and 'I'm Leaving Forever'. The best song on the album is 'B Your Boy', which I could listen to for a very long time, and we're going to cover it in my band and I'm so excited. It's just a perfect song.

Those are my top three (at the moment) honourable mentions are -

Reb Fountain - I saw her live. It was scary. I loved it.

Marlon Williams - last year he invented a genre, Māori disco pop, wrote the most danceable song of the year (My Boy), and played bongos on 'Come To Me' (Björk cover) live.

Vera Ellen - Some nice pissed off indie rock. 'I Want 2 B Boy' is very cool.

Pickle Darling - very vibey bedroom pop, lots of delightful little tunes. Also they work at a record store in my hometown and is always really friendly when I'm in there :)

Tiny Ruins - I'm not the most familiar with their stuff but one of my friends tells me to listen to them all the time so they must be good. Indie folk.

The Clean - Dunedin sound band, not super familiar with them but they have a song called 'Point That Thing Somewhere Else' which sounds like Sonic Youth but somehow even cooler.

Dimmer - 'I Believe You Are A Star' sort of like Portishead, by ex-Straightjacket Fits musician Shanye Carter. loudest show I've ever been to.

This one song called 'Gaskrankinstation' by the Headless Chickens, it's hella dark but pretty damn cool. post-punk.

Special Mention to Flying Nun Records, the actual coolest record label.

[we-are-houseguest]

a resplendent sub audio experience

hey y'all. just finished off bass for this upcoming as-of-yet-unnamed ep and it went great. rach was incredibly on the nose, crushed much of it in one take - makes my life easier, for sure.

we had three basses on deck for this set of tracks: a fender geddy lee jazz, a regular white fender jazz and a fender p-bass - we used all three, but it was mostly the jazzes. i'd say roughly half and half (though we did record one song with the white jazz and the p and i'm gonna blend them). lined that through rach's pedalboard (which is pretty minimal for bass, but don't be fooled): boss waza chorus, diamond compressor, polytune. she has an old school russian big muff that we're gonna re-amp a couple parts through, too.

lined that into a super bassman with an 8x10 cab and mic'd the whole thing with a single sm7b. we actually decided against a di track because, frankly, this setup sounds INCREDIBLE.

so that's that. rach's bass parts in the can. all we need now is everything else!

~ beth

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Audio: Baltimore's Devin Nash Shares a Sultry Club Banger

New Audio: Baltimore's Devin Nash Shares a Sultry Club Banger @heygroover @romainpalmieri @DorianPerron

Devin Nash is a Baltimore-born and-based singer/songwriter and musician, who quickly established a sound that blends contemporary R&B and 80s synth pop with the release of his full-length debut, 2016’s Her. Her achieved commercial success with the album’s songs appearing on VH1’s Black Ink Crew Chicago and MTV’s Teen Mom — and he performed at the BET Awards. Nash’s forthcoming EP…

[rabbitechoes]

may was a decent, but not extremely exciting month for new singles. some of the songs here are among the worst i've heard this decade, some are just alright, and a select few are absolutely incredible! the biggest singles released this month were apart of the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. i covered those songs in a separate post which can be found HERE! to check out my thoughts on some of the albums, EPs, and mixtapes that came out this month click here!!! also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter <3

"Risk" - Gracie Abrams

◇ released: May 1, 2024 ◇ featured on The Secret of Us - Gracie Abrams (not yet released) ◇ genres: folk pop, indie pop

I don't think I've heard a single Gracie Abrams song before, but unfortunately "Risk" doesn't make me want to hear more. The folk pop stylings here are so generic and Abrams presence isn't felt at all. One of those songs that just goes in one ear and out the other. A song built out of cliches. Not sure if I'll give The Secret of Us a chance after this, we'll see. What a way to start the month!

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"Buried Alive" | "Together" - Chance the Rapper

◇ released: May 2, 2024 | May 17, 2024 ◇ featured on Star Line Gallery? - Chance the Rapper (not yet released) ◇ genres: conscious hip hop, jazz rap, pop rap

Chance the Rapper has released two new singles this month seemingly in preparation for his new album Star Line Gallery. It's been like 10 years (wow) since Chance's heyday with mixtapes like 10 Day and Acid Rap. Since then, he's been on a bit of a downtrend culminating in his catastrophic debut album The Big Day in 2019. These new songs set him back on the right track a bit. You can tell they mean a lot to Chance, but they can sound a little dull at times. I do really love the beat on "Together," but I enjoy his verses more on "Buried Alive." So, yeah these songs aren't super fulfilling, but maybe he can recover nicely into a decent album.

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"Starburned and Unkissed" - Caroline Polachek

◇ released: May 2, 2024 ◇ featured on I Saw the TV Glow (Official Soundtrack) ◇ genres: indietronica, indie rock

Caroline Polachek's dreamy contribution to the I Saw the TV Glow soundtrack is really good. This sounds unlike what Polachek has become known for. These long, spacey verses are a surprise, but a welcome one. As is the atmospheric production. The chorus amps up the energy nicely, it's really beautiful. I haven't gotten a chance to see the film, although I've heard it's really good, but this song rocks.

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"Tennessee" - Kevin Abstract

◇ released: May 2, 2024 ◇ featured on (maybe) Glue - Kevin Abstract (not yet released) ◇ genres: trap, pop rap, cloud rap

I used to be a massive BROCKHAMPTON fan back when I was in high school and I've tried to stay up to date on what the former members have been up to in the wake of the boyband's dissolution. I feel like I've done a decent job until now. It's like two days before this post goes out and I'm just now learning of this new Kevin Abstract single featuring Lil Nas X. I mean, it's fun. There's some funny bars, but it does feel far too loose and clunky. Kevin was the driving force behind BROCKHAMPTON in the group's later days, but I fear the bloom might have fallen off of the rose just a bit. Maybe I'm overreacting because of this silly single, but he just hasn't made anything interesting in years. He also released that god-awful "Once in a Lifetime" cover this month. I truly hope he can recover and make something cool again.

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"Whiskey" - Arooj Aftab

◇ released: May 7, 2024 ◇ featured on Night Reign - Arooj Aftab ◇ genres: chamber folk, chamber jazz

Covering this song here in case I don't get the chance to cover the full album this month (it comes out the final day of the month). This song rules so hard. This is my first time hearing Arooj Aftab's stuff and this beautiful blend of chamber folk and jazz tickles my brain in the right way. Her vocals are so gorgeous too. "Whiskey" is the kind of song that sounds like ocean waves gently brushing up on the shore. The lyricism cuts deep too, both in the words themselves and how they're delivered. Great song.

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"Ronald" - Falling in Reverse, Tech N9ne & Alex Terrible

◇ released: May 7, 2024 ◇ featured on Popular Monster - Falling in Reverse (not yet released) ◇ genres: metalcore, nu metal

The first time I pressed play on "Ronald" I paused it barely 3 seconds in. I've had a profound dislike for Falling in Reverse and Ronnie Radke in particular, not just because I think their music sucks extremely hard, but because he's a terrible person to boot. He likes to claim he's being "cancelled" or whatever, but if you keep getting allegations thrown your way ... y'know where there's smoke there's fire. Anyway, I'll be honest the farthest I can get into this song is the 1 minute mark. I don't dislike metalcore (see my glowing review of the new Knocked Loose album), but this is BAD metalcore. One of the worst things I've heard all year. Deeply unpleasant song whose target audience is men who go out of their way to make women uncomfortable and also punch holes in their drywall.

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"Take a Bite" - beabadoobee

◇ released: May 9, 2024 ◇ featured on This Is How Tomorrow Moves - beabadoobee (not yet released) ◇ genres: alternative rock, pop rock, indie pop

beabadoobee's last full-length album was an enjoyable listen. Not something incredible, but just some really solid indie pop. "Take a Bite" is a bit more of the same, except everything feels a bit punchier. Her vocals have more bite to them and the instrumentation feels weightier. Pretty impressed by this one, decently high hopes for the upcoming album.

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"360" - Charli XCX

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ featured on BRAT - Charli XCX (not yet released) ◇ genres: bubblegum bass, electropop

Alongside a star-studded music video, Charli XCX has dropped another single from her upcoming new album. This could be my favorite single so far. It's just a fun listen with some incredible production. It's so bold, especially in Charli's delivery. There's not really a big chorus or anything here, it just sort of strings you along in an entrancing way. Seeing this opens the record has me excited. I'm loving each new single for BRAT more than the last, my hopes are getting higher!!!

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"Gold River" - Parannoul

🥇 BEST SONG OF THE MONTH

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ genres: noise rock, shoegaze

Holy shit. "Gold River" has Korean shoegaze sensation Parannoul cranking up the noise and sharpening his songwriting chops which yields absolutely stunning results. This track wastes no time at all, it just fires on all cylinders all the way through. That chorus is just noise rock bliss. Also, the drums on this track are fucking killer. It's just so well-crafted while also maintaining the scrappy energy that's present throughout his previous work. If this leads to a whole album of material like this, we could be in for Parannoul's strongest work to date. Regardless, I still see very big things ahead for him.

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"HIND'S HALL" - Macklemore

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ genres: political hip hop, conscious hip hop, hardcore hip hop

We've all given Macklemore a hard time over the years, but I do have to commend him for dropping this track. In the midst of the beef between megastars that's defining the hip hop landscape currently, Macklemore, of all people, drops this scathing protest anthem. Here he raises support for the ongoing student protests against their universities investing in Israel and companies with ties to them as they commit this ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. I agree with Macklemore's sentiments here more than I enjoy the track, admittedly, but it's bold of him to do this. More artists with much larger platforms than Macklemore should be speaking out on this. Here is the link to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.

Free Palestine 🇵🇸 !!!!!

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"I Had Some Help" - Post Malone & Morgan Wallen

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ genres: country pop, pop rock

I mean, it isn't good. Shouldn't be a shocker to like anyone at all. Post Malone has been in his feature bag over the last few months after middling appearances on both Taylor Swift's bloated new album and Beyoncé's new record, but this is definitely the least enjoyable of them all. I simultaneously see the appeal of Morgan Wallen and I don't. It's like he was made in a lab to be the next big country star. To make sure the genre never evolves in the public eye and keeps clinging to its worst aspects. Just a piss-poor attempt at a country song of the summer and with our luck it will probably be just that.

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"BOA" - Megan thee Stallion

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ genres: trap, hardcore hip hop, southern hip hop

Despite the harassment lawsuit leveled against Megan thee Stallion last month by a former cameraman, she seems to just continue on business as usual. Who knows if that lawsuit will hold any weight, but I will say that "BOA" is an excellent single. Like she just kills it. The beat rocks and her presence is so distinct. No one sounds as confident and brash as Megan thee Stallion. It's not unfounded confidence either, her talent speaks for itself. Loved this, I just hope one day she can channel all of this energy into a consistently great project.

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"HE KNOWS" - Camila Cabello & Lil Nas X

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ featured on C,XOXO - Camila Cabello (not yet released) ◇ genres: alté, dance-pop, alternative r&b

Y'know what? I know "I LUV IT" was universally clowned, and rightfully so, but "HE KNOWS" is surprisingly pretty decent. It's nothing remarkable, but it's got some nice production and it's the least grating that Cabello has potentially ever sounded. Lil Nas X offers some sultry verses that are also a pretty nice touch. I wanted to be a hater, but I can't be with this one!

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"Gimmie A Light" - Ice Spice

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ genres: hardcore hip hop, sample drill, uk drill

More standard fair from Ice Spice on "Gimmie A Light." If you like her stuff, and I enjoy a good bit of it, you'll probably put this one in your playlist too. Besides that, not much to comment on. I will say though, can she stop with the poop bars? It's becoming a trademark for her and she needs to break away from it before it's too late.

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"Delphinium Blue" - Cassandra Jenkins

◇ released: May 14, 2024 ◇ featured on My Light, My Destroyer - Cassandra Jenkins (not yet released) ◇ genres: art pop, downtempo

I enjoyed Cassandra Jenkin's last single and this one is pretty great too. Very atmospheric art pop that just draws you in so nicely. The minimal instrumentation makes you just sink into it all. Like you're diving gently into a pool that is just the right temperature. Beautiful track. Looking forward to the new album even more now!

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"FromHere" - NxWorries ft. Snoop Dogg & October London

◇ released: May 14, 2024 ◇ featured on Why Lawd? - NxWorries (not yet released) ◇ genres: neo-soul, west coast hip hop

NxWorries, Anderson Paak and Knxwledge, have released another - far more substantial single this month. Featuring some jangly guitars and Paak's smooth vocals. It also features incredible vocals from October London and a lowkey verse from Snoop Dogg. Dogg's verse sounds like it was recorded on an iPhone, but it's masked pretty well by the gorgeous beat underneath.

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"Samurai" - Lupe Fiasco

◇ released: May 17, 2024 ◇ featured on Samurai - Lupe Fiasco (not yet released) ◇ genres: jazz rap

Lupe Fiasco has unveiled the opening track to his upcoming album Samurai and it's really good. Every time I hear something from Lupe, I'm like "holy shit, this is incredible. I need to dive into his discography soon!" but I never do. Getting the same feeling here. He's a very distinct rapper and lyricist. He also has an incredible ear for beats. I love the jazzy production on this cut. Really looking forward to this new album! Maybe I'll finally dive into his albums soon.

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"Sexy to Someone" - Clairo

◇ released: May 23, 2024 ◇ featured on Charm - Clairo (not yet released) ◇ genres: sophisti-pop, soft rock

This new single from Clairo sounds like it's trying to capture the feeling of a soft rock hit from the 70s. She does it pretty well, this is a fun listen, but I just wish it was more exciting. I think Clairo is a really good songwriter and I've enjoyed a lot of her past material, I just think she's gotta do something with some more bite sooner or later. Anyway, I don't want it to seem like I dislike this track. I don't, it's a very pleasant listen and I'm excited to hear what the rest of the album will sound like!

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"How Sweet" | "Bubble Gum" - NewJeans

◇ released: May 24, 2024 ◇ genres: k-pop, contemporary r&b

The only K-Pop group I have the energy to keep up with, NewJeans, have dropped two new tracks this month and they're a lot of fun. They have made some of the most enjoyable pop bangers of the last two years. These two tracks are no different. I absolutely adore the production on "Bubble Gum" especially. Those funk guitars and cloudy synths just sound so amazing together. Just so much fun. I'm always gonna lock in whenever NewJeans drop some new stuff.

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"Turn it up" - PinkPantheress

◇ released: May 24, 2024 ◇ genres: contemporary r&b, alt-pop

PinkPantheress dropped a new single which means I had to clear out like a minute from my schedule to give it a shot. I kid, this is one of her more substantial cuts at 2 minutes 30 seconds. The short song formula really works for her, so I understand why she doesn't buck the trend too much. This track is no different. Love the hazy melodies here. Sounds like a club banger for people who don't go to clubs, i.e. me. I'm not sure if a new album is on the way given it wasn't too long ago that she gave us her debut album, but we shall see.

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"Grippy" - Cash Cobain & J. Cole

◇ released: May 24, 2024 ◇ genres: drill, east coast hip hop

A song so bad that I don't believe it's real. In the midst of the Kendrick/Drake beef that Cole tapped out of before things got too messy, he drops this collab with Cash Cobain entitled "Grippy." Ok look, I get being horny, but this song is like disgustingly horny. Filled with some of the worst bars all year courtesy of both perpetrators. One line of Cole's in particular, "She said she was gay until I slayed, now she strictly dickly," was so disgusting I physically cringed. The whole "fuck you straight" thing was gross when The Weeknd did it years ago and it still rings horrible here. Alongside "Ronald" from earlier, this is a contender for worst song of the year. I'm sorry, but if you even dare consider J. Cole to be in the "big 3" of anything other than corny weirdos after these last two months in particular, you're delusional. "Don't mess with Cole when he's in album mode" my ass.

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"Death & Romance" - Magdalena Bay

◇ released: May 28, 2024 ◇ genres: baggy, pop rock, neo-psychedelia

Magdalena Bay have been teasing stuff for the last few weeks now with very cryptic videos on social media, but there wasn't an announcement of new music until this past week. The duo's last album, Mercurial World, is one of the finest pop records of the decade so I'm always hyped to see what they have in store next. "Death & Romance" is one of their best, bar none. A psychedelic, piano-driven banger with one of the best pop songwriting I've heard all year. Despite the aesthetic surrounding the song and the lyrics about death, this song is such a fun listen. The instrumental bridge in the middle is so exhilarating. God, this song just rules. I have incredibly high hopes for the next full-length project from them, this is fucking awesome.

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"Frogs" - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

◇ released: May 29, 2024 ◇ featured on Wild God - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (not yet released) ◇ genres: art rock, neo-psychedelia

Nick Cave and his pals in The Bad Seeds have released another single in anticipation for their first new album in 5 years. I might like this more than the last song they dropped. I love the sounds they play around with here. It's incredibly lush, almost triumphant sounding. Cave's vocals sound a bit strained as he belts out almost exclusively in a higher register. The choral backing vocals and the occasional horn flourishes are a nice touch too. It sounds so much more hopeful than The Bad Seeds' last few records, but Cave's lyrics still have that edge to them. I'm very much looking forward to this record!

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"Houdini" - Eminem

◇ released: May 31, 2024 ◇ featured on The Death of Slim Shady - Eminem (not yet released) ◇ genres: pop rap, comedy rap

Unfortunately Eminem released a new song right as the month was drawing to a close. This is the lead single to his new album, The Death of Slim Shady, which sounds like one desperate plea to people outside of his audience that he's not completely washed yet. Remember Slim Shady? Yeah, now come listen to my new album! This song's music video proves that too as Eminem faces off with his older self and even brings back the Rap Boy persona from years gone by. "Houdini" itself isn't very good at all, but what did you really expect? Eminem has been doing old man raps for years now and he's desperately trying to still come off as edgy and whip-smart, but he fumbles at every point. The core of the song is a shitty sample flip of "Abracadabra" by the Steve Miller Band and the bars just sound like a bratty child trying to be provocative. This sucks!!! Can't wait to be terrorized by new singles from him leading up to this album!

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psssst. i made a discord server ... if u wanna join here's the invite https://discord.gg/rsHMenTU see u there and thank u for reading :3

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Pavement - Glad I'm Not Dead

Pavement recently wrapped up a tour of Japan/Australia/New Zealand — and the reunion rolls on, with some festival dates coming up and a residency in Iceland. Not sure if they'll make it out to my neck of the woods in 2023 (who wants to pay for me to go to Iceland though???), but I'd love to catch them again — the Denver show was incredibly fun.

In the meantime, let's dig into this fantastic Anazgnos compilation "personally selected from favorite performances via fan-sourced, freely shared audience recordings." The entire repertoire — 59 songs! — is represented here. What didn't they play this time around? I feel like "Rattled By The Rush" is one of the major missing tunes, but you gotta appreciate that Pavement really dug deep into the catalog this time around.

And hey, as I mentioned last year, I was honored/privileged/shocked to be asked to contribute a little essay to Pavement's official tour program. Since that piece of merch appears to be sold out, here's that little essay ...

“What does it mean, a mistake or two?” Stephen Malkmus asked in the dead center of Slanted and Enchanted, Pavement’s 1992 debut LP. Thirty years later, it still feels like the defining question of the band’s career. From their scratchy early singles to the more polished surfaces of Terror Twilight, Pavement’s albums and live performances were filled with what, for other groups, might be called mistakes. Think of how 1994’s Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain kicks off: a cacophony of jumbled notes, off-kilter rhythms and room noise — all before launching into the majestic preamble of “Silence Kid,” the pieces magically falling into place. Think of how that same LP ends, cutting off abruptly mid-verse, incomplete but somehow completely satisfying. Pavement famously called one of their first EPs Perfect Sound Forever, but perfection was never the point. A mistake (or two) could be just as beautiful.

“Honor thy error as a hidden intention” was one of those semi-mystical koans found in Brian Eno’s legendary Oblique Strategies way back in the 1970s. In some ways, it’s an artist’s “Get Out Of Jail Free” card, saying that an accident can be framed in any he or she likes. But over the course of a decade, intentionally or not, Pavement went even further, building an entire aesthetic identity around finding the meaning in mistakes, in seemingly random lyrical connections, in opposing impulses. After all, this is a band whose breakthrough hit — “Cut Your Hair” — was a song that dealt honestly (and humorously) with the fear of having a breakthrough hit. Contradiction and complexity are the hallmarks of our age — why shouldn’t they be reflected in our music? It might be this tension that keeps Pavement relevant after all these years, with new audiences falling in love with the group, and a hotly anticipated 2022 reunion tour that sees them playing on larger stages than ever before. (Well, that and all the sweet guitar action and impossibly hook-y choruses that send you ba-ba-ba-da-ing into the night.)

“They need to try harder!” complained one of our finest music critics — a cartoon teen known only as Butt-Head — about Pavement. It was a common assertion back in the 1990s, especially when it came to the band’s live shows, with the dreaded “S” word being thrown around liberally. And sure, if you talk to anyone who caught them during their initial run, they’ll tell you about the false-starts and fuckups, the time original drummer Gary Young stopped the show to perform a drunken headstand, or the unpredictable technical difficulties that might have arisen. (True story: the first time I saw Pavement — the Hollywood Palace, September 15, 1994 — curls of ominous smoke began rising from Malkmus’ amp in the middle of the set. It was hard to tell whether SM thought this gear malfunction was frustrating or hilarious. Probably both.) But don’t be misled. Amidst the hijinks, a Pavement gig was, much more often than not, a glorious thing, offering an openness and pure flow that most bands of the era lacked entirely. Here was a rock band that eschewed rock god moves and poses, instead casually inviting fans into a musical universe that could be heavy as a thundercloud or as fun as the most fun day of your life — sometimes within the space of a single song. That welcoming spirit can still be found whenever and wherever Pavement steps onstage. The opening line of “Grave Architecture” said it all: “Come on in.”

[thesinglesjukebox]

LE SSERAFIM - "EASY"

Maybe enable Hard Mode next time...?

[5.83]

TA Inskeep: A snap music breakdown and a mightily bass-heavy track are two things I didn't expect from one of K-pop's hottest girl groups; LE SSERAFIM really are making it look easy here (sorry). "Easy" just glides along, so smooth. [7]

Kayla Beardslee: For a song about making it look easy, there isn’t much about the topline of this song that sounds like it requires work in the first place. LE SSERAFIM are at their best when they’re going hard over a beat that requires the utmost commitment, but this is just a bland rip of dated hip-hop trends with a recorder loop that makes me want to scratch my ears out. RIP fall 2022 TSJ, you would have loved “Antifragile.” [3]

Leah Isobel: "Easy" doesn't feel quite so resolutely its own thing the way that "Antifragile" and "Eve, Psyche, and the Bluebeard's Wife" did; it's basically a Tinashe song. I love Tinashe! [7]

Michael Hong: On "Good Bones," another of the group's fascinating intros, that final line sounds earned: "easy, crazy, hot, I can make it." Maybe it's not really, maybe these words they spit and scream are profound only to themselves, better answered with a shrug and a "well, yeah." But as they motor through the amped-up instrumental, they sell it: "in the end, we all die / half of our life will be suffering," Kazuha mutters. The drums are aching and the guitar roars back at her, but it's this bite that makes it so fascinating, the hint of weakness and vulnerability that makes the group's confidence act feel appropriate. On "Easy," LE SSERAFIM's rough edges are sanded down as they huff and puff over the dry instrumental, the titular word wheezed out with the autotuned-backing sounding like a necessary support. The anxious rush that made "Good Bones" feel so astounding is absent as LE SSERAFIM sound like dolls here, their confidence a blankly feigned act. [2]

Will Rivitz: If "making it look easy" is doing at-home Positions karaoke sprawled on your couch while your friends ignore you to scroll Insta, then sure, I guess. [3]

Katherine St. Asaph: Pleasant! Also situated exactly on the edge of sounding dated -- as in, I genuinely cannot tell whether it does or not. [6]

Ian Mathers: I'm not sure what's actually making that flute-like loop you hear at the beginning (and throughout); maybe it's a specific instrument I'm not familiar with, but it sounds to me like a wonky recorder and partly as a result of that it's very charming. It brings a fittingly casual air to a song about making it look easy, like surely you can pull off this kind of vibe with just about any kind of materials? I'm not even sure what does or does not qualify as "trap" anymore (if I ever knew) but surely if this does it's one of the least outwardly aggressive expressions of the form. Kinda works, honestly. [7]

Taylor Alatorre: I don't know if it was intentional that nearly all of the casually badass "I run this shit"-type lyrics are sung in English, while the admissions of imperfection and struggle are, from the non-Korean audience's perspective, hidden behind a language barrier. But with Le Sserafim, a group that takes such pride in their meticulously crafted identity that they sing their own name twice on a 5-song EP, nothing seems to be unintentional. Having built their brand upon anthems of disruption and defiance, "EASY" serves as a well-timed reprieve from all the noise, a chance to sprawl themselves out over a melodic trap beat, count their checks, and survey all they've conquered. They resist any temptations toward showiness that might upend the carefully composed balance, confident that a line like "rip it up like ballet" will make its genius known even if it isn't shouted from the rafters. [8]

Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy: As another example of LE SSERAFIM's inspira-pop, "Easy" is initially underwhelming with a light trap beat and flute riff: it sounds lightweight following singles like "Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife." That's also the strength of the song -- "Easy" sounds easy but not tossed-off, proving their point. It's confident. It's not their best, but it works. [7]

Nortey Dowuona: Amanda Ibanez you will always be famous with the Technicians. [9]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Not the best sleek K-pop dance track named "Easy" out there but a perfectly fine substitute in a pinch. LE SSERAFIM have been more interesting than this on every one of their prior singles, but the cool, cipher-like nature of "Easy" suits them oddly well -- against a trap beat generic enough that I wondered if it were a sample of something from Atlanta circa 2017, the five of them muster a poise that they lacked on some of their earlier work. It's solid enough, but the closer you examine it the less there is to truly love here. [6]

Alfred Soto: Too easy. [5]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[dustedmagazine]

The Spatulas — March Chant (Post Present Medium)

Wavering guitar notes and the cantering click clack of a drum machine push open “March Chant in April,” the eponymous first song from The Spatulas’ debut EP, March Chant. There’s plenty of residual amp fuzz and dusty space in the recording and two minutes, though one might be forgiven for thinking the remaining five tracks from the Oregon quartet might hold more of the same simple DIY explorations. That could be gratifying in its own right, as heard in vocalist Miranda Soileau-Pratt’s often mesmerizing and deeply lo-fi work as Miranda Spatula, but March Chant isn’t really that. In the final 30 seconds of “March Chant in April,” when Lila Jarzombek and Soileau-Pratt bring their guitars together in immaculate chug-chug strumming over Soileau-Pratt’s smirking vocal and a newly galloping drum pattern, March Chant comes alive. The following 15-ish minutes present an adept rock band that plays messy while sounding polished and fires off dissonance without sacrificing momentum.

The Spatulas’ sound is raw and charming. The band has room for the shambling tension of mid-1990s Smog (“Rescue Mission”) and, at March Chant’s most nauseated and aching, early Sleater-Kinney (“Psychic Signal”). Then there are moments like the woozy but rigorous stomper “Slinger Style” where the nimble, buzzy riffs and bouncing bass bring up Meat Puppets’ warped para-country. Throughout the record, Jarzombek’s lead guitar is blistering, particularly on “Psychic Signal,” where her playing jabs in and out of the rhythm like a single-needle tattoo gun. Despite that, and the aforementioned immaculate chugging, it wouldn’t be quite right to call March Chant guitar driven. It’s a full band record. The unshakeable rhythms from Kyle Raquipiso’s understated drums and Jon Grothman’s expressive bass fortify the six-string slashes and Soileau-Pratt’s declamations – Grothman is particularly articulate in his flowing line on “Rescue Mission.” As a vocalist, Soileau-Pratt can both ride low in the instrumental around her and pick her spots to stand out. Within the lurching swing of “Slinger Style,” she croons some of her lyrics slightly away from the music, then hops back up into perfect unison with the athletic central riff. It’s not quite a chorus, but it has that effect. Hers is a creative, unpredictable style, shifting with ease from gleefully offkey punk sneering on “Psychic Signal” to a sing-song shoegaze wistfulness on “Curvy Color.” Something like the way Patti Smith can drift between a poetry reading and a belted rock refrain in just a few lines.

While nothing here quite achieves the grainy punch or weird feedback haze of The Spatulas’ live releases, March Chant never lets go of the listener. For such a short record, it sounds complete, not a perfunctory teaser for something more fully realized. The band describes their formative jams in a Portland-area storage space as a response to their “mounting frustration with those dreary pandemic days,” and while the lineup has changed somewhat in the years since, March Chant retains the qualities that may have brought the band together again and again: the relief at venting your anger and the goofy waywardness of distracting yourself with a joyful noise.

Alex Johnson