bury me at make out creek//Mitski

Mitski is a very simplistic indie rock artist, with gracefully honest lyrics that capture the teenage/young adult idyllic experience. Heartbreaking lyrics ("if your hands need to break more than trinkets in your room/you can lean on my arm/as you break my heart") will pull you in, as lines that remind you of fleeting moments encourage you to stay ("and I don't wanna go home yet/let me walk to the top of the big night sky"). Her sound feels safe, making you feel as if you're with a good friend and that it's OK to cry. In a strange way it also feels very much like a subdued, chilling version of the Vivian Girls; yet despite this "chill" it heavily reminds me of seemingly endless spring and summer nights, where school and winter are still far off thoughts.

I'm unabashed of how much comfort I've found in this album.

Genre:indie rock, alternative

Favorite Track: first love late spring

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May

Its been two months since I've posted, which is mainly because of my extreme studying for APs (and school in general), the first of which (Art History) I had today! It went well and even though I have two more to take, they're both a lot less intimidating and feel really manageable. Today was also the last day of track so I will have so much more free time to write and read (and cry as I finish season 7 of Gilmore Girls).

What I've been listening to:

Lobster Party's self-titled EP

It's surf pop that doesn't feel like it's so full of air that it'll just drift away.

Karen O's Crush Songs Album

I've been listening a lot to the student run radio at Oberlin, and I discovered Karen O while listening to it as I laid in bed with the spring morning sunlight streaming in. It felt right (and cheesy deal w it)

Blood Sound's newish album Nightclub

"Dark Prom Dream Pop"

What I've been watching: 

 

The Artist is Present Documentary on Marina Abramovic

I loved this so much. Before watching, I had never heard of her, and now I can't stop thinking about her. Marina is a performance artist; she often turns to the public to interact with her in her different pieces, and the result is always incredibly daring and innovative. 

 The Sausage Video.

the musical masterpiece of our generation. 

Hope you're doing okay in this time of stress and exams!

A

Songs of the Week//Whatta Week

I Love You, Sleepy Head//Lanterns on the Lake

Someones Missing//MGMT

Something Good Can Work (RAC Remix)//Two Door Cinema Club

 

Zebra//Beach House

Only Ones Who Know//The Arctic Monkeys

whatta week, hope you made it through

A

WHATEVERLAND//The Washboard Abs

 WHATEVERLAND is an album of heartbreak and love (but mostly heartbreak) that's expressed through an acoustic bedroom-pop sound. With quiet repetitions and rhymes they capture the muddled feeling of confusion one feels when being left behind, and the lost restlessness of being recently out of  a relationship. My favorite track is constant, which is the only one off this record that has to do with falling in love/envisioning a future with someone. Its drenched in worn seaside nostalgia, shown in lyrics such as "in so much more than memory//I feel you standing next to me" and "and in this city by the sea//I've found a life that I can lead". Despite how depressed the songs meanings are they can also come off as gently upbeat positive songs, which I think is really nicely shown when they sing "that there are tangerine skies//awaiting our failing eyes". This Alaskan/Coloradan band is definitely worth the listen, and while not on Spotify their music is up for free download on Bandcamp!

Genre: acoustic pop, bedroom pop
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Songs of the Week//13-02-2015//Oops

I haven't written in a while which is stupid and I'm sorry, and this post is just a songs of the week so it's not even the best thing, but I promise I'll have more reviews soonish.

Be My Baby//The Ronettes

I watched Dirty Dancing for the first time this week, so this was an obvious choice. Watching it added to this summer feeling I've been craving which is weird because I used to always think fall/winter was my thing but now it just seems to be all about summer?

Invisible//Dandelion Hands

Dandelion Hands is the perfect depressing teenager band, who unfortunately just broke up and took their music off Spotify spurring the break of my heart. My favorite song by them is "if the sun has the strength to rise every morning why can't i get out of bed". 

Every Little Step//Bobby Brown

We watched this video in history to satisfy my teachers nostalgic needs and then it get stuck in my head and now its my go to feel good song. 

Put Your Number in my Phone//Ariel Pink

Nostalgic-seeming pop about succesfully? getting someones phone number 

Jessica//Adam Green

"Jessica Simpson, where has your love gone, it's not in your music" - a clear classic

Talk Soon!

A 

Songs of the Week//4-1-2015//Quiet

 Hey!

Here's the songs that have been helping me ring in the new year - they're mostly quiet and calm songs because that's what this break has been for me.

 Werewolf//Fiona Apple

 A song about love, so not really relatable for me, but Fiona Apples voice is so ugh.

She's Losing It//Belle and Sebastian

I wouldn't say this song has been stuck in my head, but I find myself singing the verses at weird times: right when I wake up, when I'm walking in the woods etc. The whole acceptance that she's going insane thing is actually a really soothing concept. 

Sea, Swallow Me//Cocteau Twins

This song has been on a few of my playlists ever since I watched Palo Alto (along with the Soccer Field theme by Devonte Hynes), and it gives me a huge rush of something. 

Hanging on the Telephone//Flowers Forever

I finally watched Electrick Children and I really loved it and this song is a constant throughout it and it fits so perfectly. 

Snaggletooth//Vance Joy

A cheesy, obvious choice, but I really love his voice, and the fact that Riptide plays on the radio now has gotten his voice stuck in my head.

Hope your first weekend of the 2015 is going well!

-A

The Edge of Hell//John Crodian

While The Edge of Hell was released in 2012, and it doesn't look like John Crodian has put out any music since, I liked it so much I couldn't not put something on here about it.

Almost all the songs are acoustic, and the majority of the time it's only the guitar supporting the voice. But there are a few punk/rock songs (Neapolitan, Launchpad) where the guitar and bass are electric, and are accompanied by the drums. 

 What I really enjoy, what made me want to write this review, was the lyrics. They are the perfect suburban anthems for the college kid coming back home for break or the typical high school student. Here are a few of my favorite:

Great Jazz at an Affordable Price 

When you ascend to higher plains of existence
Will you come visit me at state in the fall?  

(this works so well in my mind because everybody seems to go to our state college (or other small colleges in the state) and very few seem to actually get out of the suburbs, and so the line of "when you ascend to higher plains of existence" is so idyllic to me because, in a way, that's my long term goal)

We Won't be the Youth of Today Tomorrow 

Will you cry "youth is just a footnote, besides I swear I held my breath
And crossed my fingers in the corner while you all screamed 'true til death'"
But you'll remember how those words hit in the hardest ways, 

(I think when we have a sucky adolescence we all want to believe that its not that important, but I think that it is important because these are some of the only years of our lives (at least until we retire) where we have a surplus of time to reflect on stuff, and so maybe youth isn't just a footnote like we all want to believe when it sucks)(the final line of this is so perfectly worded though because that's what words do they hit you and make you feel immobilized and awful)

See, we could have been in New York in '88, but where would that put us now?
40 something in a nowhere town  

(Lines like this make me feel all heck yeah but then at the same time I'm like, what so whats going to keep me from being 40 something in a nowhere town after New York in 2017?)

The End of Rock Piano

And I'm ashamed of the effort I put in
To look like every other dope in this coffee shop  

(This is just so true it hurts a little)

Launchpad

I'm gonna need a launch pad to get closer to you

(Sometimes people just seem so amazing yet so far away (mentally))

 This was different that what I normally do but really cathartic to write so I hope it was somewhat okay for you,

A