A Midweek Collection

Fugu//Dalmation

a psychadelic folk rock blend 

The Only Living Boy in New York//Simon & Garfunkel

this song feels like an old comfort memory

Memories of You//Avi Buffalo

bizarre lyrics ("The morning of my grandpa I never met") paired with a subdued pop vibe

Horchata//Vampire Weekend

A typical teenage choice, but I can't help the mesmirizing pull of:

 "here comes the feeling you'd thought you'd forgotten"

Varsity//Smith Westerns

"Safety came in numbers, but all I needed was just one"

Hope you're having a good week!

A

Love EP//Candids

Self-labelled as Insolent Pop, this description deeply resonates with the blurred and hotheadedly amplified lyrics of Candids. As vocalizations push through accompanying the guitar,  enunciation and meaning are abandoned along the way, only to be suddenly recaptured in the concluding song "Love". Lines such as "we'll sing along//for we know all the lyrics" create a welcoming sense of community, while others seem to boost self confidence ("you look fantastic"). The overall cheery and uplifting demeanor encourages the listener to think of light and easy carefree days, accentuating the impending arrival of summer. Based in Nantes, France, this indie pop-rock group will draw you in with their rhythmic sound and encourage you to crack a smile.

Bandcamp (this EP comes out on May 30th)
Facebook

Genre: indie pop, indie rock, insolent pop

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

Bandcamp

Facebook

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
Facebook
Bandcamp

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