#this looks like the cover of some indie lofi album

[blastdamage]

west danville, vt

2001

[loulooser]

Heyyyy got some music recs for you lot!!!

If you like Nothing But Thieves, you should listen to half•alive’s album ‘3’.

If you like twenty one pilots in any degree, try half•alive in general.

If you like Ricky Montgomery, maybe try Steven Sanchez. Although his music is a little less rock-y so you might not like it. Who knows?

If you like I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME and also more bedroom-indie-stuff, try listening to Ricky Jamaraz.

If you like Hozier, try Steven Sanchez and Noah Kahan. I’m sure Hozier fans already know this but they actually did a collab with Noah Kahan recently doing a version of his song ‘northern attitude’.

Hmm, what else?

If you like Lofi, and more specifically game soundtrack Lofi covers, my favourite artists in that genre are: Mikel, dj cutman, Aaron Grubb, Game Chops and Helyent. Oh also, if you want a really long game Lofi playlist here’s the link to mine:

If you like Dove Cameron, try FLETCHER and Beth McCarthy.

And if you happen to be a fan of my taste in music, my Spotify account is in my intro post so you can have a look through my playlists if you like. (I have MANY playlists)

[fatenumberfor]

Hi Matt 👋 could you recommend me some viet music? I grew up hearing only my parents' and grandparents' music which is the older stuff and then my uncles' tastes are... yeah... so I don't know how to look I guess for any newer good music? Thank you in advance :)

yea absolutely! sorry I’m gonna go ham with these recs. I’ve outlined a few ways I find my viet music:

spotify’s vpop playlist, called “V-Pop Không Thể Thiếu”. this is my primary method. there’s a mix of styles in there, not just pop. a few artists I found on there + my fav song from them:

Chillies - Qua Khung Cửa Sổ (indie band; chill music)

Machiot - Ai

Bích Phương - em bỏ hút thuốc chưa (this is from an EP. the rest of these songs are excellent)

Vũ Cát Tường - Hành Tinh Ánh Sáng

Nodey ft. Suboi - Đôi Khi <3 (suboi is a vpop icon)

Lynk Lee - Buồn Thì Cứ Khóc Đi (never fails to depress me)

Erik - Sau Tất Cả (i think this is a cover lol but his voice is perfect for ballads. he’s been leaning pop more recently tho)

Monstar - Giữ Lấy Làm Gì (erik used to be in this boy group lol. they’ve since disbanded)

Phùng Khánh Linh & MYRNE - anh đã không rõ ràng với em (the album this is from is so excellent)

Rhymastic - Nến Và Hoa

Touliver x Soobin Hoàng Sơn - Vài Lần Đón Đưa (another cover oops. i love soobin hoàng sơn’s music tho)

Wren Evans - Thích Em Hơi Nhiều

watching a few vpop mvs on youtube, then relying on the algorithm to rec you others. this method can help you catch the newest releases, especially if you binge mvs from certain artists. a few mvs/artists that were memorable to me:

Sơn Tùng M-TP - Chúng Ta Không Thuộc Về Nhau and Lạc Trôi (my OG vpop love...)

Bảo Anh - Như Lời Đồn (found this thru a tweet calling it “viet latin pop” lmao)

Nguyễn Trần Trung Quân - Tự Tâm (period drama setting. the king is bi. a must-watch)

Hương Giang - Anh Đang Ở Đâu Đấy Anh? (1st mv of a 4-part series. it’s SO dramatic)

Noo Phước Thịnh - I’m Still Loving You (he’s hot)

Kha - Em Không Cô Đơn (made me cry)

Gil Lê - Sao Người Ta Nỡ Làm Mình Đau (lesbian rep!)

Trung Quân - Tình Nào Không Như Tình Đầu (so cute that i made a gifset of it. this is also gay)

Đức Phúc - Ngày Đầu Tiên (made me cry HARD)

Min - Cà Phê (outfits so iconic i giffed it)

finding viral vpop songs used on viet tiktok. disclaimer that I’m not on tiktok lmao I just check Denis Đặng’s tiktok every now + then because he is hawt... and then I trace the songs. you will get lots of remixes of ballads, but you could find slightly older songs this way. a few that I loved:

NB3 Hoài Bảo x Freak D - Sợ Lắm 2; its lofi remix

Ngô Lan Hương - Yêu Đừng Sợ Đau; its remix

Ngọc Ánh - Không Bằng; its remix

Low G - okeokeoke

Hoàng Thuỳ Linh - See Tình; its sped-up remix

combing thru Nhac Cua Tui’s site and playlists. there’s some english so it’s not too difficult to navigate imo but i’m using this to practice my reading skills haha. i’m just starting to use it but it seems that all the songs are free to listen to in entirety!

LASTLY! notable artists I found thru misc ways + my fav song from them (i love these artists the most):

Sơn Tùng M-TP - Chúng Ta Của Hiện Tại (found him wayyy back by stumbling on an article accusing him of plagiarising gdragon LMFAOOOO then i listened to his discography n was like damn this kinda bangs tho)

Tiên Tiên - Say You Do (i love all her music so much. also i’m pretty sure she's gay. my little sister said that her friend danced to this song as part of a VSA culture show)

Hoàng Thùy Linh - Hạ Phỏm (this entire album is excellent. also i rec Kẻ Cắp Gặp Bà Già from her prev album, which is also SO GOOD. a viet friend recommended it to me. some of her mvs spotlight diff cultures within vietnam, which is cool)

Isaac - Đau Đầu (idr how i found him but started listening to his music after I recognised him in the film ‘Song Lang’ WHICH I ALSO REC if you want to feel empty inside. seriously it’s so good... i still think about it... he’s my man btw)

[tf-guru]

Lofi alien beats to relax and transform to [f->alien] (multiarm, multiboob, transformation)

Alayna's favorite music store was fortunately right around the corner from her apartment. Today, like most days she was perusing what new music had come in. Alayna was dorky, tall, but with a trimmed figure as she enjoyed running. Her medium length brown hair that nestled just bellow her shoulders got in her face as she dug through her favorite section of the store, eight dollar vinyls. These were usually small indie bands, one hit wonders, and less than popular albums.

"Pttth" she spat her hair from her mouth as she flicked past albums of various bands she had never heard of. Picking one up she said quietly

"'Out in the pasture' by Karen Miklistins, naw too country. 'Be a man' by John Blokey, yawn. 'Balloon' by Hicey Dephin,"

She inspects the cover for a moment before flipping it over.

"Oh hey I know one of these songs! Score!" She excitedly brought the record up to the cashier, Brett. Who the very sight of made Alayna flustered. She looked at her shoes as she approached as Brett said

"Oh hey Alayna!" Her heart stopped as she quickly looked up into those dreamy brown eyes but before she could say anything in reply she tripped over the carpet. Thoughts shot through her mind like knives through butter but mainly

'AHHHHH'

And

'He knows my name!'

But also

'Shit shit shit!'

She hit the ground and quickly Brett rushed over to her aid. She looked up and tried to say hey Brett, but the thought of him knowing her name was too much so she ended up saying

"My names Brett."

"Huh?"

"Oh-shit-i mean how are, my name is Alayna, I was just excited" she kept fumbling her words before Brett mercifully intervened

"Its okay I know what you meant. Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine." He helped her and once she was stable she tucked a stand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh shoot the record!" Brett exclaimed and pointed at the snapped in half piece of vinyl.

"Oh shit I am so so sorry. I'll still pay for it, im so fucking clumsy and I-"

"Hey hey, its alright. Calm down. Look, this ones free but you have to take this"

He heads behind the counter and retrieves another vinyl, this one black with three stereotypical aliens playing in a band surrounded by stars.

"Some guy with a very foreign name asked if I wanted it online, I said yeah but now no one will take it. Its a weird size y'know. But you have that adjustable right?"

"Oh yeah Brett I do, I'll listen to it tonight."

"Whats weird is I can't seem to find a band name anywhere on it, and the songs are listed in a different language so thats odd. So here."

"Well uh thanks Brett." Alayna takes the vinyl and looks once more into Brett's eyes. Brett goes to say

"Well make sure you tell m-"

"Wanna get coffee sometime?" Alyana interrupts but then clamps a hand over her mouth

"Sorry I didn't mean- that was rude- I mean- i was"

"Yes Alayna, I'd love to have coffee with you. How about Marks at 9 tomorrow?"

"Ill be there!"

"Well have a good night"

"You too Brett"

Alayna leaves the store, foreign vinyl in hand and heads home. The San Diego sun beats down on her as she opens the door to her apartment.

Later

Alayna had just finished her homemade pesto pasta and lazy tossed the dish in the sink. She rested on the counter for a moment, looking over her dominion.

The small apartment had costed her a fortune and for what? She thought to herself, looking at the small sagging blue couch pointed at a even smaller standalone TV. She looked back towards her cramped bedroom, somewhere she rarely slept as the couch tended to be more welcoming.

Next to the TV was Alaynas most prized possession; her records. She had spent a lot of money on her collection but to her it was all worth it. Seeing the stand reminded her of her brand new record she had gotten today, the weird alien one. She figured she could listen to it while cleaning up the place so she walked over to the small table she had left it at.

The record itself was a strange material, a dark green type vinyl that had a weird almost wet feel to it. As Brett had said, all the song names and even the album name were in some foreign language like a cross between Arabic and an Asain language. Alayna could see there were eight songs in total however.

"Brett was right, this is super weird. I just hope it doesn't hurt my player." She brought the record over to the turntable and sat it down gently. She then brought the needle just above the disc and hit play. The music the came from the disc was very familiar to Alayna

"It reminds me of like a Gorillaz song. Cool!" She then let the record play and began to tidy up her apartment.

The first song was fairly short with it all being instrumental with some sci-fi sounds mixed in. As the song reached its climax, unbeknownst to Alayna some changes had started to creep into her body like a foreign invader. Her nipples slightly darkened into a shade of forest green. The tips of her ears also pigmented in the same way.

The next song was also instrumental but with less sounds mixed in. This time, the tip of Alaynas tailbone shifted colors and elongated ever so slightly. The spots on her ears and nipples spread further, covering more of her ears and breasts. Her nipples also became hard despite the warmth of her apartment. As she was sweeping she had to stifle a gasp when she brushed up against one.

"Thats odd... eh its probably nothing" she brushed it off and continued sweeping.

The third one was longer and brought about more changes. The coloration spread even more now, creeping past her ears and down onto her cheecks. Had she looked in a mirror, she would have raised concern over the weird green spot on the sides of her head. Her boobs too were affected, with the entire front of each becoming a darker shade of green than her face. Her ass swelled slightly, standing out on the trimmed girls figure. Finally, her pussy began a transformation of its own, starting with a more black coloration.

The fourth one was Alaynas favorite as it had a wonderfully enchanting synth solo. Afterwards she sat down on her couch to take a break from cleaning. The changes started again with her tailbone creeping further and her ass cheecks plumping up again as the grew a more green tone. Her ears extended into elvish points, now fully green. Her boobs also were now fully green and began to get slightly heavier on her chest. She also started to fill out in her stomach as well, a small amount of pudge breaking through her thin figure. As she sat, viscous green slime secreted from her pussy and through her leggings onto the couch. Slime also came from her nipples as well, although in a smaller amount. Her tounge now changed, elongating about half an inch and almost seeming to start to seperate at the tip.

Alayna stood up and caught a glimpse of the goop on the couch

"What the hell? Was that from me?" She dipped her fingers in the pile and was appalled to see the green substance coating her hand. Almost on impulse she popped her fingers in her mouth and was met with the most amazing taste she had ever had. It tasted almost sweet, but not too much but it also had hints of almost other spices.

"Why the fuck does that taste so good?" She stuck a finger in her pussy and brought back a string of her green juices. While normally she would have been freaking out over this something was blocking her panic in favor of pleasure. As she consumed more and more her changes quickened. As she lapped up the slime she felt a slight discomfort in her sides. Dismissing it as her stomach settling she continued to consume. Her boobs, now green, started to push against her bra more. They continued to expand until the Alayna had the urge to remove the restrictive clothing.

"Ugh, normally there not this sensitive." She removed her shirt and noticed the transformations that had taken place on her breasts.

"Whaaat the fuck what the fuck. Why are my boobs green? And are they... bigger?" She groped at her breasts before feeling her nipples brush against something. Pushing them apart she spotted a little patch between them that was a darker green.

"F-fuck is going on?" She stood up form the couch and ran to her bathroom. Turning on the light she noticed how her ears started to shift as well. Pulling her bigger breasts apart she saw the little bump between them that was unmistakable. A third nipple.

The fifth song reached its end.

As Alayan watched, her third nipple began to gain mass behind it. Expanding outward into a pert little breast. As this happened she was struck with a wave of pleasure, she groped at her existing boobs and stifled a gasp when a bit of green slime secreted from her nipple. Overtaken, she leaned forward and stuck her tounge out, trying to reach the slime.

"Pleeeease I I need it i need it please please please." In response to her plea, her tounge continued to transformed, extending another inch and fully forking off. She desperately licked at her nipple, groping more and more slime out. Her eyes rolled back in pleasure as the changes continued even further. The pain in her side continued, masked by the waves of pleasure. Alyana slipped out of her leggings and removed the slickened panties before inserting her non groping hand into her pussy.

As if in response to her penetration her aching cunt continued its change. The pussy held tight around Alaynas hand but her leathery folds darkend in color as her clit expanded nearly five times larger. She was so desperate to cum now, she didn't even notice another hand coming in to play with her clit. As she groped two of her breasts and played with her pussy she had a moment of clarity.

"Waiit what??" Breaking from her lust filled haze Alayna was shocked to not only see the green color covered nearly all of her midsection, but also she now sprouted two more arms from her sides.

"What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck." She stood, not even realizing she had laid down, and look at herself. Her belly, which now was at least twice as big, was the same green coloration as her boobs. Her boobs now featured a third middle one with all three leaking the thick slime.

"I uh need to call-" she ran to the living room and picked up her phone with one of her new arms. She unlocked it and dialed 911 but before she could complete the call she dropped her phone and recoiled in sudden pleasure. Looking down in shock she saw why she had such a burst of lust. A thin dark blue shape had sneaked from bellow her and penetrated her throbbing cunt. She dropped the phone as the thing pleasured her further.

The sixth song faded out.

She grabbed onto the thing and pulled it out of her pussy. It was about two feet long and was a dark blue color. She pulled up on it only to receive a burst of pain.

"It its a a tail. Fuck fuck fuck fuck" her thighs grew heavier as her proportions continued to fill out but with muscle instead of fat. She released her tail and went for her phone once again. She tried to unlock it but only managed to get it covered in slime. The coloration spread fully down her arms and across her face. Her canines sharpened as Alayna's eyes faded to a dark blue like her tail with her now grey pupil containing flecks of gold like stars in night.

"Whhhyy is thish happening to me??" Her elongated tounge made it hard to speak without a lisp.

"I lookths like a godamn- the album!" She sprung towards her turntable as the seventh song finished. She grabbed ahold of the plastic cover and hurridly unlocked it. As she was about to stop the needle her head began to throb. Slowly, the background sounds in the track became clearer in Alaynas mind. The gnashing sounds began to make sense to Alayna. She took a step back from the turntable and clutched her head

"I need to uh, destroy the uh. I need, I need to BREED wait what...? Thats not my BREED. Ahhhhh BREED ME! No no wait I don't want to BREED or? I need to stopp.... I need to BREED and SPAWN. I NEED TO BREED!" Alaynas mind became corrupted, thoughts of music and work being replaced with breeding and fighting. She imagined armies of her kind, forcing the docile beings of this world into submission. The needle stopped, and the record supernaturaly floated off the turntable. Then, it fractured into a thousand pieces before reforming into a ceremonial necklace. Alayna-or Queen Laylan now, put on her necklace and began to make ready to depart.

Brett was closing up shop when he heard a sound from the backroom. It sounded like breaking glass and then a loud thud. He was panicked, thinking that the store was getting robbed with him still inside. He reached for his phone when the source of the noise entered the room. Gasping, Brett saw the six and a half foot tall creature in front of him. It had green skin with four arms and three breasts. Its black vagina was exposed and emitted a deep musk.

As shock faded Brett seemed to almost recognize the creature. But that couldn't be, it couldn't be her?

"Alayna?" He uttered before the thing approached him. She grabbed the shorter man with two of her arms and pushed him to the ground. While he lay there she pinned one arm down with a firm foot and stood there with her arms crossed.

"Wha- please... let me go! Fuck! Dont eat me pleeeease!" Laylan stifled Bretts cries with her already moist vagina. She sat down on the poor man's face and started to grind into his face. She left green slime on Bretts face as she forced him deeper into her vagina. Brett inhaled the thick musky scent as a little bit of slime entered his mouth.

It tasted good.

He started actively licking the creatures cunt, lapping up any slime he could. Much quicker than it happened to Alyna Brett began to change. Green coloration spread from his mouth out onto his cheecks. His ears extended into points and his canines sharpened.

'Aghhh I want to please my Queen so bad. I'm so desperate to please her.' He thought, not even realizing the changes. Arms sprouted from his side as his Queen finished using him. She sat next to Brett and grabbed ahold of him. She pushed him onto her breasts as he started to suck her juice out.

Bretts penis expanded, gaining a blue coloration as a tail burst from his pants. Soon, he looked just like his Queen.

Epilog

After Bretts transformation was complete he and his Queen fucked like animals in the records store. His light blue jizzum filled her up just as she had wanted. Soon, like the breeder she was meant to be, Laylans belly expanded with eggs before she finally gave birth.

They then spread their children across their city, and then onto the country. Quickly converting humans into their kind or just into worker animals for the aliens. Just a single drop of cum was enough to trigger a transformation. Eventually, humans could no longer evade their fate and were fully conquered by the aliens.

Queen Laylan is always being fucked by her servant Ber-ti, creating more and more of her kind.

[hometownrockstar]

do you know any twee pop or indie rock or pop groups or songs that are lgbt? specifically gay or trans...

sorry i couldnt find that much, its pretty hard finding info abt most twee pop bands out there... but i do have a few recs! its mostly dream pop/indie pop, i think lgbt artists r really common in those genres so i’d recommend looking for playlists of those genres. also a lot of riot grrrl bands have lgbt themes, but i havent totally gotten into the scene yet so i dont have any specific recs. also if anybody has other recommendations i didnt mention leave em in the replies!

i couldnt find much info abt lgbt twee pop bands but i do know a few songs! this love is fucking right! by the pains of being pure at heart is a reference to the field mice’s this love is not wrong, which are both about wlw relationships. cub also made 2 songs about flirting with women, surfer girl (i think this ones a cover of a beach boys song but idk i dont listen to the beach boys) and sweet pea. they might have more songs like it but i’ve only really listened to their first album. i’ll also include of montreal’s tim i wish you were born a girl and when a man is in love with a man, even tho i dont consider them a twee pop band currently their early stuff is very twee. also i’d recommend their album the gay parade, though it doesnt have much lgbt themes outside of the title

heres a list of bands i found with lgbt members too, some i’ve listened to a lot and some i only like a couple songs from:

adult mom (dream/indie pop) Stevie Knipe [nonbinary lesbian]

jay som (dream pop/indie rock) Melina Mae Duterte [queer]

passion pit (synth pop) Michael Angelakos [bisexual]

xiu xiu (experimental noise/art pop) Jamie Stewart [bisexual]

the music tapes (indie/psychadelic folk) Julian Koster [self described as not-straight] Julian was also associated with neutral milk hotel & major organ and the adding machine and helped form the band chocolate usa

girlpool (lofi indie) Avery Tucker [transgender]

girl in red (indie/bedroom pop) Marie Ulven [wlw/queer] Marie has explicit wlw songs like we fell in love in october but i couldnt find out if she uses a specific label

car seat headrest (indie rock) Will Toledo [gay]

franz ferdinand [indie/dance rock] now i could have sworn there was an article about the lead singer Alex Kapranos coming out as bisexual but i cannot find it anywhere... but listen to michael its THE homoerotic dance rock song.

[clippedwingsmusic]

Ashton’s Top 10 of 2018

On the first day of the new year, let’s look back at some of the best 2018 had to offer!

Know me - The Band Camino

I don’t really know what to say other than: This song hit me hard. Something about that odd percussive sound right at the start sent shivers down my spine before the lyrics had a chance to (but those shivers soon followed). Elements such as subtle reverb and harmonies build up the stack of endless reasons for you to love this track, and i guarantee that the more you listen, the more you will find. Spencer Stewart is the featured vocalist on this track (The Band Camino utilizes two vocalists, the other being Jeffery Jordan), and the sheer control he showcases in this track gives it the impact that truly left my head shaken and heart broken.

$20 - Armors/Olivver The Kid ft. Lostboycrow

Take whatever you know about song structure and throw it out your car window while you hit the road and head to Vegas in the dead of night. Armors (Sam Beresford/Olen Kittleson), Olivver The Kid (Bryan Sammis), and Lostboycrow separately are 3 of my favorite artists and songwriters, but together, are a unit that can not be stopped. “$20” is a masterpiece of a lyrical story, wrapped in an almost frantic instrumental, and tied with a bow of ridiculously fabulous vocals from all of the artists involved. There may be nothing more powerful than these 4 men in a room together.

Bambi - Hippo Campus

Hippo Campus has been on my radar for the past 4 or so years, but I really think that this year was theirs. "Bambi" is a frame full of what makes this band as wonderful as they are: covering things such as anxiety, toxic masculinity, love, and loss in a perfect genre-less package of songs. Their last record "Landmark" was an important part of shaping the indie music market, and "Bambi" is leading the pack in changing everything we knew. That being said, I wouldn’t be too mad if all we knew was Hippo Campus.

Hourglass Sand - Derek Ted

My heart has not-so secretly belonged to folk music ever since I stumbled upon the boys of Sunroom Recordz & Salon, and i found myself hiding away to listen to this EP from one of said boys more than most this year. “Hourglass Sand” carries a Spring breeze throughout the EP in it’s sometimes bubbly instrumentals, flower petals flourish in Ted’s vocal melodies, and lyrics fall lightly but with reason like April rain from the tops of the clouds.

Wait - Arlie

The debut EP from Nashville sweethearts, Arlie, has left a lofi fuzz lingering over the polished production of this year’s indie scene. The seriously good music from this band is eclipsed by the whimsical melodies and ridiculously bubbly personalities of each band member, leaving a dreamy, fun feeling with the exit of each track. I can’t find a single track from Arlie that doesn’t perfectly encapsulate their energy and creativity on this EP. There simply isn’t a bad or uninspired track in their collection.

Stereo - Omar Apollo

Throw one of the most gorgeous voices you’ll ever hear, some horrible dance moves, and a massive sense of humor into a blender, and out will come Omar Apollo. His debut EP covers a plethora of genres while still maintaining his own unique perspective. More ambient undertones form the base of this release, leaving ample room for Apollo’s singing/rapping to fill your psyche and leave those melodies for days after.

People Floating - Renny Conti

It takes a certain type of soul to bring forth nostalgia over events that transpired thousands of miles away from you. Renny Conti possesses just that type of soul. You will find it flowing effortlessly in and out of his debut record, titled “People Floating”. This record feels like the bone-chilling warmth of a cloudy night, enveloping you in memories of lighter days while promising a new start once light breaks through again. Stumbling upon this record is one of the highlights of my year.

Carnival - Briston Maroney

More than any other artist this year, Briston Maroney will likely leave my head and heart spinning well into the new year. Borrowing tones from classic Southern blues, “Carnival” boasts original, homegrown, and near-holy rock tunes that are almost unheard of in modern music. I’ve found it impossible to stop listening to this EP over the past month- unwillingly (but happily) drowning in the hope and heartbreak that this 5-track collection offers.

The Sound of Your Voice - Nightly

The end of 2016 brought Nightly into the light with their debut EP, “Honest”, but the end of 2018 has shown us that Nightly /is/ the light with “The Sound of Your Voice”. Elements ranging from acoustic to electronic in this EP show the versatility and inspiration that drive Nightly’s sound forward with every release. The style of production chosen for most of these tracks beautifully elevates the band- adding depth to their discography and leaving the fans they’ve gained this year wanting more. Nightly successfully split their time between writing and touring this year, and i can’t wait to see what they have to show us in 2019 on both of those ends once again.

Welcome Back - Handsome Ghost

This duo was one of the first artists I was introduced to this year, their live show ushering me into their then-unreleased record and surrounding me with music that I will never be able to forget. The juxtaposition between the orchestral arrangements, electronic percussion, and acoustic guitar give Handsome Ghost an edge on every other indie/folk band out there right now, and force this album to standalone in it’s very own genre. Essential tracks from this record like “Shallow City” and “beauty/bends” have made it into almost every playlist that I’ve made in 2018 (both for myself and others) and at this rate, will continue to do so into the new year.

Written by Ashton Carr

[onestowatch]

The Top 21 Artists to Watch in 2020

Genres are dead, the best major label A&R in the industry is TikTok, and 2020 is poised to be one of the best years for music yet. It is a year bound to be defined by multi-hyphenates, crossover stars, and Internet-bred icons. So, without further ado, we present to you our list of acts set to make a splash this year. From bedroom-produced artists on the rise to virtual reality superstars, these are our top 21 artists to watch in 2020.  

keshi

keshi has quietly been going under the radar for some time now, but all of that seems to be changing. 2019 saw the post-Soundcloud era artist transforming his impressive social media following and streaming numbers into a series of nigh-instantaneously sold-out shows. An intoxicating mixture of the emotional highs and lows imbued in R&B and lofi hip-hop, keshi is the connecting thread between the Soundcloud generation and bedroom daydreamers. Somber to a beautiful degree, keshi is without a doubt the real deal.

박혜진 park hye jin

Dreamlike house music. 박혜진 park hye jin’s hushed whispers, which drift between English and Korean, float across the dancefloor to create a club-ready experience quite unlike anything else out there. It is dance music designed to lose yourself in. Ethereal and introspective without ever getting its head lost fully in the clouds. 박혜진 park hye jin is ushering in a new wave of forward-thinking dance music, one lulling mediation at a time.

Alaina Castillo

Alaina Castillo is setting the stage to be the next Ariana Grande. In the span of a single year, Castillo has gone from posting covers on YouTube to cultivating a cult-like following. Give a single listen to the music and it makes perfect sense. The combination of her Latin roots and airy blend of pop and R&B results in a musical fixture whose spell you cannot escape. With her debut EP, antisocial butterfly, arriving as a high-point to send off 2019, 2020 marks the rise of Castillo.

Dayglow

If you were to put a soundtrack to the strung-together words of sun-soaked eternal joy, it would be Dayglow. The irresistible DIY artist illustrates his potential to be anti-pop’s next star in the span of his modest 10-track debut offering, Fuzzybrain. Writing, producing, and mixing the album on his own, it arrives as a direct reflection of its creator, and what is reflected is a nigh-perfect amalgamation of indie pop and indie rock. Dayglow is the antidote for dark pop, brimming with infectious bliss and hope.

REI AMI

REI AMI balances her multi-faceted approach with the precision of a well-seasoned artist. Brimming with carefree bravado at one moment. Meditative, self-reflective, and wearing her heart on her sleeve at the next. And yet, the juxtaposition between her fiery persona and her somber, sentimental bedroom pop side feels all too natural. Maybe that begins to explain why REI AMI is already earning widespread acclaim and co-signs from the likes of Billie Eilish and FINNEAS.    

Channel Tres

Channel Tres’ music is undeniable. Bridging Detroit house and the bravado of West Coast rap, the Los Angeles-based producer, singer, and artist creates music with an inescapable groove. Each and every one of his tracks are perfectly apt for driving down PCH with the top down or arriving as the perfect hit of adrenaline you need to get you through those final moments of that six-hour warehouse party. With his infectious production and buttery smooth voice, Channel Tres is emerging as underground dance music’s next star.

Tate McRae

Tate McRae may only be 16, but she is already being touted as pop’s next prodigy. The Canadian-born artist makes emotive pop mediations that explore the power of understated production. It is a deft approach that has seen her earn fans and collaborators in the likes of Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, as well as earn her millions upon millions of fans in spite of having yet to release a full-length project or even an EP. Pop stars are getting younger and more talented by the day, and McRae is next in line.

Jean Dawson

Jean Dawson defies classification or expectation. Self-described as the Los Angeles-based project of a boy exploring identity, intimacy, and escapism, the one thing you can expect from Dawson is for no two tracks to sound quite the same. The varied soundscapes he whisks into existence unfurl and evolve to tell enthralling portraits of chaos, fear, and dreamlike bliss. Dawson is an artist not to be slept on come 2020.

Junior Varsity

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A F$*KING WEEKEND LA. WHO WAS THERE?

A post shared by @ juniorvarsity on Sep 23, 2019 at 9:18am PDT

Junior Varsity is the only artist on this list who has yet to release music, and yet, the hype surrounding the Los Angeles-based duo is palpable. With no demos, B-sides, or even tracks on SoundCloud – their only music available for human consumptions appears as background audio for a few Instagram videos – Junior Varsity is already attracting major label attention and planning shows in Japan. So, is it all hype for the sake of hype? Well, “A F$*KING WEEKEND,” a series of pop-up ragers masquerading as DIY shows in LA and NY that has attracted audiences solely by word of mouth says otherwise.   

binki

You cannot help but root for binki. Inspired the varying sounds of indie pop, indie rock, funk, and hip-hop, the North Carolina artist’s music plays out with an ineffable charm. Unexpected guitar solos, straight out dance-invoking jams, and lighthearted songwriting begin to inform the multi-colored world of binki. And with only a handful of singles to his name thus far, 2020 is bound to see that world evolve and flourish.

Baby Keem

Hykeem “Baby Keem” Carter is set to be hip-hop’s 2020 breakout rap star. Finding fans in BROCKHAMPTON and Kendrick Lamar, the Las Vegas native left 2019 with an acclaimed mixtape and breakout single. “Orange Soda,” which appears on his sophomore mixtape DIE FOR MY BITCH, quickly became a fan-favorite but is only a sliver of the artistic range that Baby Keem has to offer. Flowing fluidly between trap and melodic rap, Baby Keem is nothing if not a vibe.

Peach Tree Rascals

DIY Bay Area collective Peach Tree Rascals is the brilliant byproduct of a generation that has done away with genres. A joyous fusion of alt-jazz, funk, pop, hip-hop, and R&B, listening to Peach Tree Rascals is akin to strolling through a kaleidoscopic dreamscape with multi-colored flowers blooming at each and every turn. The project is entirely self-funded and is comprised of primarily second-generation Americans, whose parents immigrated from Mexico, Palestine, and the Philippines. The creative American dream is alive and well in Peach Tree Rascal’s inventive sound.

Gracie Abrams

At the time of writing this, Gracie Abrams has only two singles to date. And yet, those soft-spoken moments of introspection are more than enough to land her on this list. Inspired by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Abrams considers herself a songwriter first and foremost, and what a songwriter she is. Simple, nuanced, and striking. Her stripped-back soundscapes allow space for her innate gift for lyricism to shine. The 20-year-old artist’s diary-like confessionals speak to an intimate and universal appeal.

Aries

For anyone who has been following us for quite some time, it may come as no surprise to find this 2019 favorite of ours on this list. Aries has steadily been growing an avid following online with both his inventive reimaginings and original music, but, from a sold-out tour to festival debuts, it was the past year that really saw this Internet-bred artist hitting his stride. His unique fusion of late-stage emo and hip-hop accentuated by Beach Boys–evoking instrumentation is a trip you will not regret taking.  

Winona Oak

Born and raised in the Nordic forests of Sweden, Winona Oak is a fittingly ethereal and enchanting songstress. Her vocal range is impossible to ignore and a single listen is nigh guaranteed to get you hooked on her heavenly highs and brooding lows. Nothing short of beautifully haunting, her succinct but growing discography paints a portrait of captivating melancholy. Kicking off 2020 with an impressive debut EP, it is a safe assumption to say that Oak is a name you will be hearing a lot more of and from in the coming decade.

Ashnikko

Very few artists can turn TikTok fame into lasting success. Ashnikko is looking to be one of those rare artists. Finding viral fame in “STUPID,” Ashnikko’s in your face brand of hip-hop is as raucous as it is rapturous. Her 2019 EP, Hi, It’s Me, serves as an impeccable introduction to the transfixing world of the Internet personality. Speaking of, it certainly doesn’t hurt that she is practically a one-person marketing team. From having her grandparents react to her music videos to taking Latvia by storm, Ashnikko is a brilliant example of the promise of Internet-era stars.  

Stephanie Poetri

Stephani Poetri is the latest 88rising signee to find herself with a viral hit. The Jakarta, Indonesia–born singer and songwriter has a natural talent for feel-great storytelling transposed into lovely melodies. It is a gift she channels in full on her breakout hit “I Love You 3000” and the subsequent Jackson Wang-assisted “I Love You 3000 II.” But do not be mistaken. Poetri is no mere passing viral fad; she is a genuine storyteller set to make waves in 2020.

Miquela

For better or worse, the world is more digital than ever before, and Miquela is looking to be the world’s first virtually-crated pop star (sorry, Hatsune Miku!). The digital avatar Instagram influencer with dreams of pop stardom first began releasing music in 2017, but the latter half of 2019 saw her not only release a series of singles but a music video and official Lauv remix as well. More than just an uncanny valley or interesting gimmick, Miquela’s series of 2019 releases show the undeniable promise of a virtual pop star.

Celeste

An artist like Celeste only comes around once in a lifetime. Born in the US and raised in the UK, Celeste’s soaring and confessional approach to soul calls to mind the likes of Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald. Celeste’s music does more than stop you dead in your tracks; it entrances you. It transports you to an entirely different moment in time. Celeste is the sound of ‘50s soul, 2020 R&B, and beyond.

Monsune

Monsune drips with an electronic-infused soul. Seemingly equally as inspired by his contemporaries as he is by his predecessors, the notes of Toro Y Moi, Childish Gambino, J Dilla, and Prince are apparent, but the way the Toronto-based artist weaves together his expanse of influences is distinctively Monsune. His 2019 EP Tradition arrived as an introspective offering, exploring themes of diaspora, uncertainty, infatuation, and a host of other feelings that accompany the shift from adolescence to adulthood.

LoveLeo

LoveLeo may only have one single to his name, but it certainly left enough of an impression to land him on this list. His debut single, and in turn viral hit, “BOYFREN” topped both Spotify���s US and Global Viral charts. Released via GODMODE, the indie development label that brought us Yaeji, Channel Tres, and more, LoveLeo is poised to be more than just a flash in the pan moment of success. Bedroom-produced, infectious artist LoveLeo is here to stay.

[electricdazemag]

Hello, I’m Sorry: Interview

by Tasha Bielaga

The sadboy party rock genre you’ve been missing is finally found, thank god. Seattle based indie pop/trash band Hello, I’m Sorry has been stirring up the Washington DIY scene for a little over 2 years. Songs like Good’s Not Great feature that panning of guitar lines between speakers, you know, the one’s that make your brain feel like it’s spinning when you listen to it with headphones. Vocalist Seth Little, drummer Paul Rhoads, and bassist Cam Richardson all live in Bellingham, WA, where their daily antics are filled with schoolwork and pestering their guitarist Alexander Henness, who lives south of Seattle, to come work on music. The band’s fuzz pop feels reminiscent of warm summer nights full of friends and basement gigs. It’s the embodiment of what goes on in most youth’s heads, set to a tune you can dance, or mosh, to. We talk about saying goodbye to Seth’s beloved 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the best cassettes printed to date, and their janky mic set ups, the epitome of DIY.

Electric Daze: How do you balance making music, working, and going to school?

Paul: School is the only reason I live in Bellingham actually, I’m from California. As much as I would love to just do music 100%, I’m paying a lot of money in tuition and I know what I’m studying, so a lot of my life is based around school. I always make time for music on the weekends though.

Seth: Music is the funnest thing for me, it’s what I enjoy doing the most. But, I am paying a lot of money to be here and should probably be putting more work into school. Whenever I have down time I always try to write something or be productive with my music.

Alex: I think it’s definitely worth it to find a good balance between everything. Since I drive up here all the time to play shows and hang with these guys, music is the most important thing that I want to spend my time doing when I’m not working.

ED: What was the first DIY house show you played that really pushed you to get into this scene?

Seth: We played the Karate Church in Bellingham with Roar Shack back in February of last year! It’s this church that, I don’t want to say renovated because it just looks like half of it got torn down on one side, but you know. There’s this basement part that has a dirt floor. That was definitely the first show where I was like “this is tight, this is such a cool DIY scene”

ED: You guys have obviously played a lot of different shows, from bars to house to dirt floor basements. What makes you want to keep pursuing the house show scene vs. a different approach?

It’s sweatier, they’re more fun! I’m a huge fan of the DIY scene. All the music we’ve recorded has been on laptops, and the DIY part just seems like people are always there more for the music. It’s a lot more intimate.

Are there any songs you particularly like to play live?

Bodies, Sleep by the Phone, Little Plan. People go wild to those. We played a house show with the band Cruise, and it got really crazy really fast. Somebody spilled FOUR LOKO on Alexander’s pedal board, SO sticky man. And then I was worried for the foundation of the house, I felt like I had to be a dad about it you know like “Yo! Let’s be safe out there!” and then give a thumbs up and play the next song.

You do so much releasing on cassettes, which is super tight! I saw there was a mini zine that came with one of them, what was the inspiration for that?

Our good friend Mimi Jaffe actually did those! She also did the cover art for Consolation Party, she’s one of my favorite artists in Bellingham. She did a page for each song and I printed them for the cassettes.

How was working on the Z-Tapes cassette compilation? How’d you get in on that and why’d you pick that song to cover?

Filip from Z-Tapes hit me up and originally wanted to put out some of our tapes, but he had a lot back ordered. I ended up putting ours out ourselves. Anyway, he asked if we wanted to cover a theme song to be included on this cover compilation, and I thought that was tight so we did. I originally wanted to do (Theme from) The Monkees, but it was taken. So I really dug deep and found this mini 70’s tv series that used a Sex Pistol’s cover of Eddie Cochran’s Somethin’ Else, and I thought ehh that technically works, so we covered it!

What’s your favorite cassette that you own?

Alex: There’s this rapper on Stone Throw Records named Koreatown Oddity, and he made a mixtape that’s him rapping from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air's perspective with these really late 90’s beats on it. It’s a 1/100 copy.

Seth: I’m really into The Replacements, but I’m not huge on the album “Don’t Tell A Soul”, but that album has a song titled “Asking Me Lies” that is Paul Westerberg’s attempt at a pop song and it’s SO awful and amazing at the same time, especially on cassette, so that’s my favorite right now.

Paul: When I was a little kid I had a cassette of The Lovin’ Spoonful that I used to listen to in the car, that’s probably my favorite.

ED: You guys did a west coast tour back in August. How do you feel the cities music scenes vary?

Well LA was hands down the best city we played it. They were very receptive to new music that they probably hadn’t heard before. We ended up meeting with mutual friends in most cities, which made the whole tour very cohesive, and not vary a lot surprisingly.

ED: Do you have a wild story from your tour?

OH! We bought a new car! This tour was very very DIY, we didn’t even rent a van. We had Paul’s 2009 Scion xB Box Car, that he just loves, and Seth’s 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee. On the way back up it was so cramped in the jeep, the engine light was flashing, and the gauges would go all the way up and then all the way back down, and we’re just thinking something’s wrong, something is terribly wrong. So we pulled over on the side off the road in Weed, California, and Seth found a dealership that would trade straight across. We get a 1999 Volvo cross country, and that car, was the worst car, in the entire world. It had a coolant leak, so we pulled over every 45 min from northern CA to Seattle, WA, to pour coolant in. At one point one of the covers for the headlights just flew straight off while we driving, and there was a huge semi truck that had exploded, so the drive just took forever.  We got into bed at 7am the next day.

ED: You guys have accomplished so many cool things in 2016, like playing with Together Pangea, playing EMP Sound Off, and more recently you played with TV Girl. What goals do you hope to accomplish this year?

Playing with bands that we really like is always a goal of ours. We also really want to play a festival this year. We’d love to do, you know, like, Coachella, hahaha. Touring again and more shows! We have to figure out how our summer’s going to look individually and then work around that.

ED: Good’s Not Great has 20,000 views on YouTube, and 107.7 has been spinning it lately, which is so cool. Were you expecting that song to kinda be your single and the one people listed to the most?

Seth: Honestly, no. When I recorded it, I recorded all the instrumentals and I was super hyped on it. Then I recorded the vocals and it just sounded fucking awful, I was like this song is the worst thing I’ve ever made in my entire life. I remember going “holy fuck, these vocals suck, I forgot that I can’t sing” and I was super depressed for like two days. And then I went in and redid the vocals and went “alright these are better, this song is passable now”.

ED: Do you have a specific writing process? I know you do a lot of half done demos, what’s the process for that like?

Seth: Yeah! I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a total tool, but recording for me is part of my writing process. I normally have a half baked idea and I go in, record it and work with it. I send a lot of small ideas to the rest of the guys and they’ll give me feedback on whether I should continue it or not, and that’s what drives my song writing.

ED: Do you do most of the song writing yourself then?

Seth: Yeah, I do almost all of the writing and recording. We always rework the song live though, and sometimes they end up having a completely different energy which I’m a huge fan of. What I’m trying to new with the new album is make demos and then play them and work through them as a band, and then re-record them to match what we do as a band.

ED: What’s your mic set up like? I know small bands always have the coolest (shittiest) mics.

Seth: The jankiest for sure! I have two mics that I use for recording, one’s a Sennheiser condenser mic, and I think the other is an Audio Technica that I use for vocals and drums, sometimes everything. Sometimes when we practice, I take a 1950’s ribbon mic and run it through a solid state 80’s fender amp with chorus on it for a while, because I didn’t have an amp that could take the xlr input. That was probably the jankiest situation.

Paul: Sometimes when I’d use a vocal mic, we’d string it over the rafters in the basement because we didn’t have another mic stand. So it would just kinda dangle in front of my face.

ED: How do you guys feel about music videos? Any plans to do some soon?

We’re doing a live recording of our set today with Bellingham Sound Check actually! That’ll be nice to have a video of how our songs sound live vs. what Seth records. As far as our own music videos, we’d like to do one for Good’s Not Great. We like to sit around and talk about what would be a cool video for each song.

ED: Is anyone a different kind of artist? Obviously you’re all musicians but is anyone acquainted with other forms of art?

Seth: I am definitely NOT.

Alex: I play soccer, and I think Soccer’s an art.

Paul: Well I’m in a jazz band! Which is still music, but a different kind.

Cam: I have a friend who lives in Texas who asks me for beats that he can rap over. So I send him some terrible beats to rap over.

ED: Would you ever make beats for Hello, I’m Sorry, maybe less lofi more terrible rap? If you had to cover a rap song, what would it be?

I feel like we could rap. We could cover Gangsta Gangsta, or definitely Rap Snitch Knishes. Maybe Mathematics by Mos Def but it would be hard. We could take a stab at it though! We’ll make a bad demo and follow up.

photo by Emma Hatwell

Connect with Hello, I’m Sorry on Instagram at @hello.imsorry and on Facebook here.

You can listen to their music on bandcamp at helloimsorry.bancamp.com and on Spotify here.

The cassette with the mini zine can be found here, and the ZTapes compilation here!

This is the first installment of features on Seattle based bands. Check back here soon to read the rest!

Check out Tasha’s work for the magazine here. 

[grundvattnet]

Let The Sun Shine - Kung Fu Jesus (Music Video Review)

   When you woke up this morning, did you rub the sleep out of your eyes thinking, “Man, I wish I could listen to a guy named Kung Fu Jesus”? Well, baby, you’re in luck! He has a new music video for a song called Let The Sun Shine, and it’s groovy as hell. The song is off the new album The Kantele Tapes.

    While drafting this review, I kept attempting to describe the backstory to this musical adventure, but kept finding myself at a loss. Therefore, here is the description that Kung Fu Jesus himself bestowed unto me:

Kung Fu Jesus, the musical alchemist has returned with the sought after "Kantele Tapes" searching for the mysterious "Celestial Gold". Still working with the one eyed wonder that is Phil O'Shea and the spiky haired pirate Robert "The Accordion" Hamill, KFJ has returned to the magical lands of the other world with his dreamy melody makers. In the echoes of the wind the Great White Wind flows through the lands like a familiar ghostly memory waiting for his time to re-appear and Father Sun communicates from beyond Space-Time. Kung Fu Jesus prepares himself with rigorous martial training waiting for the great day he is free of The Inorganic, the amnesiac Satan has returned to his homelands and KFJ and the Wolf have not spoken in some time. And is this new arrival in the world really The famous Monkey Magic reborn? Who knows? Maybe the music has some answers.

     Okay, I didn’t find any answers in the music, so I don’t understand what the fuck is happening here, but the song itself is pretty great. The attempt at a Coheed and Cambria style of convoluted world-building to provide context for a concept album falls flat. There needs to be more of a commitment to the overall aesthetic and a clear vision of the world to present to the audience. Otherwise, all the world-building in the world (hehe) amounts to nothing but excess fat keeping the listener from enjoying the song fully.

     The visuals appear to just be from semi-relevant anime scenes (ex. if Kung Fu Jesus sings about looking out a window, behold! Cue cute anime girl gazing out the window in her classroom). Admittedly, this is more preferable than a blank screen or a static image of the album cover, but I do wish that this “music video” put more emphasis on the relevance of the video to the music. Unless you share in Kung Fu Jesus’ love of anime, the video might not hold your interest for all that long before you grow tired of seeing random anime characters walk around.

     Nitpicking critiques aside, damn did I enjoy this song. What can I say? I’m a sucker for music that sounds like Noah and the Whale decided to go all indie lofi techno. The drumbeat is super catchy and is an earworm in and of itself, and that’s before the rest of the instruments are introduced. Synths, bass, background vocals, oh my!

    The chorus, replete with hushed vocals and busy instrumentals, could probably play on loop incessantly and I wouldn’t mind. I’d fall asleep to this, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. They really achieve that chill lofi techno vibe with aplomb here. Kung Fu Jesus manages to chop through the risk of being repetitive with this sugary summer pop tune! The song doesn’t really overstay its welcome, provided you like the song. It might not be for everyone, but it’s certainly worth checking out if you always wished Peter Bjorn and John to get really obsessed with anime and start using drum machines and synths.

      If I had to rate this song, it would be three black belts out of five! It’s definitely worth checking out. If you’re interested in checking out more of Kung Fu Jesus, check him out on Spotify at:

https://open.spotify.com/album/3QzQHzH2SzQhJ5t9WILFWH