Author: Caitlin

Howdy, I'm Caitlin and I'm a senior in Communication Media. My favorite genres of music are pop and indie-rock, though I dabble in most genres. Hope you enjoy my content!

New Album Review

“That’s Our Lamp” by Mitski: Track Review

Post author By Caitlin
Post date February 14, 2022

Mitski’s sixth album, “Laurel Hell,” came out on Friday, February 4. While I haven’t had time to collect my thoughts on the album as a whole, I know one thing for certain: “That’s Our Lamp” is one of my new favorite songs of all time.

The song opens with bouncy-sounding synths and steady percussion and quickly blossoms into full-blown 80s synth-pop inspired instrumentation. The lyricism is simple, and consists of Mitksi accepting that her relationship with someone has come to an end.

The crux of the song lies in a collection of lyrics. In verse one, she states “You say you love me / I believe you do / But I walk down and up and down / And up and down this street.” Immediately following this, the first chorus kicks in: “’Cause you just don’t like me / Not like you used to.” Finally, in the second verse and second chorus, Mitski lets go of this love: “We may be ending / I’m standing in the dark / Looking up into our room / Where you’ll be waiting for me / Thinking that’s where you loved me / That’s where you loved me.” The outro then repeats “That’s where you loved me” over and over into eventual oblivion.

These lyrics tap into a feeling that’s hard for me to put into words besides the ones she used to make me feel them. The hopelessness that comes with knowing you’ve grown out of someone’s love, and they’ve grown out of yours. Being in the places where you used to love each other into ecstasy, and feeling foreign in them. Knowing that time is waiting to embrace you with open arms, but not totally being ready to move on from the past– pushing forward anyways.

Mitski brings a new light to this hopelessness, juxtaposing her lyrics with the aforementioned 80s synth-pop backing instrumentals. The end builds and builds, layering in sounds of people laughing and talking, representing that there’s always a new love after old loves and friendships fade away. So it goes.

Mitski is going on tour in support of her sixth album “Laurel Hell,” starting in North Carolina. The first two dates are in Asheville and Raleigh, on February 17 and 18 respectively.

Tags Mitski, track review, WKNC 88.1

Band/Artist Profile

Songs About Poop, A 23,000 Song Discography and Spotify Revenue

Post author By Caitlin
Post date February 11, 2022

Image used under Creative Commons License, from Wikimedia Commons. Source: Matt Farley's Twitter

Somewhere out there, there is a man with a more extensive discography than you can possibly imagine, with over 23,000 songs. He has 27 Spotify profiles (as far as I know of, there could be more) where he puts out album after album. You might be thinking, “Caitlin, I know who you’re talking about, and his name is John Darnielle.” And while it’s true that The Mountain Goats have an extremely extensive discography, that’s not who I’m referring to.

Tags Matt Farley, Motern Media, WKNC 88.1

Miscellaneous

“Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner (of Japanese Breakfast): Book Review

Post author By Caitlin
Post date February 8, 2022

For a while I had seen both the band Japanese Breakfast and the book “Crying in H Mart” float around in the different spheres of the internet I occupy. One day, a couple months ago, I finally had the realization that Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast was the same Michelle Zauner who authored “Crying in H Mart.” Who would have thought? After hearing the umpteenth glowing review of this memoir, I finally decided to read it.

“Crying in H Mart” is a story of grief, specifically revolving around the passing of her mother and how her mother’s life and death is the throughline in her journey on this earth. Zauner is particularly skilled at putting the reader in her shoes, giving you every detail down to the food she ate and what she was wearing. Food is the hallmark of Zauner’s relationship to her mother, because of the connection it gives her to her Korean heritage. Zauner communicates the permanence of loss, never searching for the silver linings but rather describing the concrete ways that grief sticks with you.

The book, published in 2021, originally began as an article Zauner wrote for the New Yorker in 2018, which now serves as the first chapter of the memoir. The article/chapter ends with the following disclosure: “Within the past five years, I lost both my aunt and mother to cancer. So, when I go to H Mart, I’m not just on the hunt for cuttlefish and three bunches of scallions for a buck; I’m searching for their memory. I’m collecting the evidence that the Korean half of my identity didn’t die when they did.” The remainder of the book explores the memories she is on a hunt for.

Michelle Zauner is a spectacular and versatile writer. It shouldn’t have been surprising to see that an excellent songwriter was also an excellent storyteller in other mediums, but for some reason it caught me off guard. She is the narrator of the audiobook (which is how I elected to read this book), and she makes every word feel important.

“Crying in H Mart” is deeply personal to Zauner, but also deeply telling of the human experience. Kristen Martin, in her review of the book published on NPR, sums it up perfectly when she says: “What Crying in H Mart reveals, though, is that in losing her mother and cooking to bring her back to life, Zauner became herself.”

Tags book review, japanese breakfast, michelle zauner, WKNC 88.1

Classic Album Review

“Tell It to the Volcano” by Miniature Tigers: Album Review

Post author By Caitlin
Post date February 7, 2022

ALBUM: “Tell It to the Volcano” by Miniature Tigers

RELEASE YEAR: 2008

LABEL: Modern Art Records

RATING: 8.5/10

BEST TRACKS: “Cannibal Queen” “Like or Like Like” “Last Night’s Fake Blood”

FCC: None

An amazing debut for the then-Arizona-based indie-pop band Miniature Tigers, “Tell It to the Volcano,” is a straightforwardly good album. It’s simple and effective, not feigning a different identity, and giving fun melodies, bright guitar and clear vocals a home to thrive. Sometimes it almost verges on the stomp-and-holler genre, so much so that when I read that the band had toured as an opener for fun. in 2012, I wasn’t shocked at all. Their music is very different but at the same time not entirely dissimilar from fun.’s loud and deeply 2012 approach to music.

This 11 track LP clocks in just under 30 minutes, and is thoroughly enjoyable throughout. The melodies become a bit mundane and repetitive, but they’re catchy melodies, so I don’t mind that the album doesn’t excite much in this aspect. Charlie Brand, the lead vocalist, is the driving force behind the music on this album. At any given point, his vocals are the most interesting thing in the song, almost analogous to the effect Jenny Lewis had on Rilo Kiley’s music.

The lyrics on this album get a little silly, as is most evident in their song “Giraffe” whose main hook is “That’s what you get / For sticking out your neck. (Get it? It’s funny because giraffes have long necks). But at most points, the lyrics come across as honestly told stories. For example, the first verse of “Like or Like Like,” the album’s most popular track: “I watched you through your window / I was wearing that dumb sweatshirt / I looked like a goon, I was dressed for winter / Even though it was the middle of June.”

Overall, this album is an excellent collection of songs but doesn’t have a thematic through-line, at least not one that’s obvious to me. It’s an album most enjoyable when put on shuffle, if that tells you anything. It’s fun, easy to like and great for what it is– which is a 2008 indie-pop album.

Tags Classic Album Review, indie pop, Miniature Tigers, WKNC 88.1

Playlists

A Season of Love, Alone: A Playlist

Post author By Caitlin
Post date February 1, 2022

Valentine’s Day can be a challenging time for those who aren’t coupled up. It’s sad to feel like everyone else is in love besides you. When I decided to blog a playlist for Valentine’s Day, I immediately knew I wanted to make one for those who are single too. Don’t worry, it’s not all songs about feeling sad and alone. I made sure to include angsty songs, lonely songs, tunes about self love and songs about loving the things and people around you.

I truly believe there’s something on this 15 song playlist for everyone. If you’re looking to wallow in those feelings, trying to avoid the annoying couples on social media or just want good music, this one’s for you. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

“Spring” – Angel Olsen
“Island Music” – Tennis
“Charlie Brown” – beabadoobee
“Queen” – Perfume Genius
“Call Me When You Want Me” – Love Apple
“Always See Your Face” – Love
“All My Time Is Wasted” – Hannah Jadagu
“The World Should Revolve Around Me” – Little Jackie
“I’m Not Part Of Me” – Cloud Nothings
“Teenage Talk” – St. Vincent
“Alaska” – Maggie Rogers
“Nobody” – Mitski
“feelings are fatal” – mxmtoon
“so sad so sexy” – Lykke Li
“I’ll Haunt You” – Tennis

As always, you can find this playlist on Spotify.

Happy Streaming,

Caitlin

Tags valentine's day, WKNC 88.1

DJ Highlights

2010s Indie-Pop: Set Highlight

Post author By Caitlin
Post date January 31, 2022

Remember 2013? Packaging yourselves into Tumblr aesthetics, extremely synthy indie-pop music and “The Fault In Our Stars” being the biggest novel. I long for that simpler time, and have been thinking about it recently. So, naturally, I decided to do a set revolving around the music of the early 2010s indie-pop including all of the usual suspects: MGMT, STRFKR, Passion Pit, Phoenix, HAIM and more.

Making and airing the set filled me with a warm nostalgia to the Nth degree, and I figured I would share it with the blog. Without further ado, here are the songs I chose to include in my 2010s indie-pop set. You can find this set on Spinitron or as a Spotify playlist.

“Intro” – M83
“Follow You (pangea version)” – Future Islands
“Honey & I” – HAIM
“Ready, Able” – Grizzly Bear
“Myke Ptyson” – STRFKR
“It’s Working” – MGMT
“It’s Not My Fault, I’m Happy” – Passion Pit
“Love Like A Sunset, Pt. 1” – Phoenix
“Obvious Bicycle” – Vampire Weekend
“Transpose” – Bad Suns
“Paris” – Geographer
“Atop A Cake” – Alvvays
“The World Is Watching” – Two Door Cinema Club, Valentina Pappalardo
“Lately” – Washed Out

Until next time,

Caitlin

Tags 2010s, indie pop, WKNC 88.1

Playlists

Valentine’s Day: A Playlist

Post author By Caitlin
Post date January 28, 2022

It’s nearly that time of year again, when roses and chocolate hearts are all the craze and every couple you know is just slightly more annoying than usual. I’ve loved Valentine’s Day for as long as I can remember because I’m a hopeless romantic who loves love. If you’re like me, or you’re in a relationship, or you just want a banger playlist about love… you’ve come to the right place.

This playlist contains songs you can slow dance to, songs to sing your heart out to and songs that are downright sappy. Without further ado, let’s get right into it.

“Hey Love!” – The Delfonics
“Midnight, The Stars and You” – Deerhoof
“First Flower” – Molly Burch
“Can I Call You Rose?” – Thee Sacred Souls
“Amandla’s Interlude” – Steve Lacy
“Hours Were The Birds” – Adrianne Lenker
“Center of Gravity” – Yo La Tengo
“Phone Battery / My Problems” – ADDIE
“Waiting For You (Bonus Track)” – Alex G
“January” – Loving
“In Your Arms” – Sunbeam Sound Machine
“So My Darling” – Rachel Chinouriri
“Lovesick” – Alice Phoebe Lou
“Cariño” – The Marías
“Summertime Love” – Luiz Bonfá

As usual, you can find this playlist on Spotify.

Happy (Early) Valentine’s Day,

Caitlin

Tags Love Songs, Valentine's Day, WKNC 88.1

Miscellaneous

The Beauty of “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” by Lucy Dacus

Post author By Caitlin
Post date January 25, 2022

I’ll admit, I have yet to do a deep dive into Lucy Dacus’ entire discography. Despite this, I have listened to a good bit of her and “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” is my favorite of hers. It’s core theme comes across in the title, the desperate wish to be anything other than the “funny friend.”

The lyrics describe a feeling I’ve felt many times, as I’m sure many have: the feeling of being on the sidelines and wanting to be valued outside of being the butt of the joke. In the lyrics, Dacus considers all of the ways she can escape this role, asking if she can be “the cute one,” a member of a band, a gossip, the smart one and many other roles. The song caps off with the lyric “That funny girl doesn’t wanna smile for a while.”

This track is the first track and first single on Dacus’ debut album “No Burden.” In 2015, she told Fader in an interview that whilst constructing this song she was considering: “how stressful it is to be pegged as a certain type of person and feel the need to always live up to that identity people assign to you, especially if you’re the ‘funny one.’” This taps into something I’ve felt often, a feeling of being socially trapped into one role.

Dacus has poignant lyrics in other songs about not being valued in the way she deserves. In “Brando,” the ninth track on her 2021 album “Home Video,” she laments: “You called me cerebral / I didn’t know what you meant / But now I do, would it have killed you / To call me pretty instead?” It’s heartbreaking to be undervalued.

However, “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” is my favorite example of this from Dacus. It taps into a very real feeling in a simple way, and I love that in a song.

Here’s to freeing yourself of situations that don’t value you,

Caitlin

Tags lucy dacus, song review, WKNC 88.1

Miscellaneous

The Issue with Spotify Wrapped

Post author By Caitlin
Post date January 24, 2022

I like Spotify Wrapped. I have enjoyed the fun graphics and data breakdown since its inception and sharing it, along with seeing everyone else’s on social media, is a fun way to cap off the year.

However, knowing your data is being collected and is going to be packaged up into a graphic you’re going to want to share can skew your listening habits. At least it does for me.

The same goes for other streaming data-collectors like Last.fm. There have been times I have gone out of my way to not listen to something or stream it on a different platform so that it wouldn’t count as a scrobble. If you’re not insecure about any of the music you listen to, this may be a non-issue for you, but I know that I, and many others, are insecure about listening to certain artists, bands or genres.

These fun ways to track your data and find out interesting facts about the music you listen to (like, for instance, last year one of my top genres was Weirdcore), should be lighthearted and fun. But, with the increasing pressure to share your Spotify Wrapped or follow your friends on Last.fm, the music we listen to has become a performance for others.

Obviously, the competitiveness of music-listening has been around for ages, and didn’t begin with these stream-collecting platforms: but it has increased my personal awareness that every part of myself, even the music I listen to, can be curated as a performance for others rather than for my own personal enjoyment.

In 2022, here’s to listening to what we want, when we want, even if it involves Glee Cast being in your top five artists.

Listen to the music that fuels your fire,

Caitlin

Tags spotify, spotify wrapped, WKNC 88.1

Playlists

Four Songs for the New Year

Post author By Caitlin
Post date January 21, 2022

It’s 2022. Did you know?

The passage of time has been difficult to process, especially during the pandemic. At the end of last year I found myself desperate for a blank slate, wanting to escape everything that the last two years have had to offer. Unfortunately, we live on Earth, where magic doesn’t exist, so that isn’t possible. But what is possible, is using music to process your emotions. Here are four songs that have helped me process we’re in another brand new year with the same old problems. I recommend listening to these in order for the full effect.

“I Want You To Love Me” by Fiona Apple

This may seem like an odd choice, but the lyrics are perfect for a new year during the pandemic. The desperation for love feels like a desperation for peace, calm and acceptance. The love Apple craves in this song is the peace I crave in my life.

“And I know when I go / All my particles disband and disperse / And I’ll be back in the pulse / And I know none of this’ll matter / In the long run / But I know a sound is still a sound / Around no one”

“This Year” by The Mountain Goats

This is a more obvious choice, and has been my anthem for the last couple of years. John Darnielle’s desperation to push through feels accurate and apt for what we are going through, despite having been released in 2005.

“I am gonna make it through this year, if it kills me”

“New Year” by ADDIE

A more obscure pick, but probably the most apt. The first verse sums it up perfectly. ADDIE’s vocals are the soothing calm you need to make you feel like everything is going to be okay.

“New year and everything’s the same / Maybe I just don’t have the capacity for change / New year and I’m still feeling stuck / New year is bringing back the ache of growing up”

“New Year’s Day” by Taylor Swift

This track is a more optimistic view of a New Year, and is especially fitting if you have a significant other you’re going into this year with. It’s more a love song than anything else, but still feels right for the new year.

“Hold onto the memories they will hold onto you”

If you want to listen to these songs in order like I recommended, I made a Spotify playlist just for you.

Happy (Belated) New Year,

Caitlin

Tags 2022, WKNC 88.1