As we near the halfway point of the fall semester, — some of us walking, some of us lumbering like wounded animals — the necessity for distraction and/or stimulation abounds.
For me personally, the monotony of the daily grind (waking up at 7 a.m., riding the Wolfline, walking to class, rinse and repeat) compounds in a strong desire to Go To Shows.
The biggest challenge for the average show-goer (aside from a litany of counfounding variables surrounding money, transportation and our ongoing(?) public health crisis) is knowing when and where shows are happening.
As somebody who has missed several shows already this year, I’m choosing to use my platform for the public good.
This upcoming Saturday (September 30), rock bands Godcaster and Deeper are playing live at Durham’s Pinhook at 7:00 p.m.
Where will you find yourself this weekend?
Godcaster
Godcaster is an art rock sextet based in Brooklyn, New York.
As part of their ongoing “Like a Heartache in Your Head” American tour, they’ll be making a stop in Durham this Saturday.
How can one best describe the sound of Godcaster? The band has breadth, spanning a wide range of sounds and sensations across their discography.
Cover for “Long Haired Locusts” by Godcaster
Comparable to Black Midi, Godcaster delivers tracks ranging from saccharine sweetness to guttural fervor, pivoting between energies with dizzying abruptness.
While some Godcaster songs inspire visions of sprawling meadows and fawns drinking from babbling brooks, others pass by in a whirlwind of dionysian frenzy.
Deeper
Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Deeper is an idyllic post-punk band sounding straight out of the garage.
My first encounter with the band came back in 2020 with their album “Auto-Pain.”
Cover for “Auto-Pain” by Deeper
Oscillating between the realms of indie rock and post-punk, “Auto-Pain” is a great place to start exploring the band’s discography.
Charmingly youthful and upbeat, Deeper’s music paints a vast mural of pleasing rhythms and beats that fill the chest like bees in a hive.
Final Thoughts
I’ll be dragging my baby brother to this gig on Saturday (so expect a concert review in these next few weeks) as part of my plan to help him speed run his “pretentious music boy” phase.
Whether or not this is possible remains to be seen.
But I’m excited for the opportunity to share this experience with him and to, for just a couple hours, fill my brain with jilting guitar instead of academic journals.
Keep an eye out for more concert previews, which I will be hopefully releasing in a more timely manner than this one.
When I finally sat down to watch the 2023 Universal Pictures film “Renfield,” I did so with an open mind.
It may not be surprising, but I tend to be the kind of person who takes films too seriously.
I think the fact that I refer to movies as “films” is evidence enough that I need to spend more time outdoors and less time analyzing the microexpressions of dewy-eyed male actors.
So going into “Renfield,” I tried to manage my expectations. I’d already heard that the film wasn’t anything groundbreaking — I mean, how could it be? — but that it was, at face value, an extremely fun watch.
And it was.
The shlocky cartoon violence and Mortal Kombat-style body horror was beautifully camp when paired with the MCR-sad-kitten-guyliner realness of Nicholas Hoult.
But what I couldn’t have possibly prepared myself for was the integration of ska — a genre I barely understood — into the film’s plotline.
So, What’s Ska?
Ska’s origins can be traced back to the 1950s in Jamaica, born of an early form of American-inspired rhythm and blues.
Jamaica’s first indigenous urban pop style, ska developed from the “shuffling rhythm” of American blues singer Rosco Gordon and different aspects of Caribbean folk music.
Due to Jamaica’s largely orally-transferred musical history, the identity of the so-called “author” of the ska genre remains contested.
Don Drummond, Roland Alphonso, Dizzy Johnny Moore, Tommy McCook, Lester Sterling, Jackie Mittoo, Lloyd Brevette, Jah Jerry and Lloyd Knibbs joined together to become the Skatalites in 1963, strengthening the foundation of the genre by making several seminal recordings for leading producers and offering support to prominent singers.
Among these individuals, Don Drummond distinguished himself as a prominent pioneer of the genre until his confinement in 1966.
What Does it Sound Like?
Unlike other genres, ska’s sound comes from very specific characteristics.
Ska music typically has a fast tempo, a 4/4 timescale, prominent horns and strongly accented offbeat guitar chords (also known as a “skank”).
Typical ska bands feature guitars, bass, drums, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and vocals with melodic tradeoffs between singers and the horn section.
As ska developed further as a genre and pervaded into the musical conciousnesses of other worldly regions, it underwent several “waves” and branched off into fusion genres, such as ska punk.
Final Thoughts
Though often the subject of comedic derision (and normal derision), ska is a deeply influential and important genre, especially in relation to the punk subculture.
However, its influence remains largely obfuscated in discourse. While this article specifically offers a (very brief) overview of the ska genre’s origins and aspects of its style, I encourage anyone interested to delve deeper into the complex relationship between ska and its ethos and the punk rock subculture.
Understanding the intersectionality of these two spheres (which, perhaps, are not as distinct from one another as one may think) adds important context to the racial, social and cultural dynamics that shape, and have shaped, music subculture as we understand it today.
Additional Reading
Kauppila, Paul. “‘FROM MEMPHIS TO KINGSTON’: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ORIGIN OF JAMAICAN SKA.” Social and Economic Studies, vol. 55, no. 1/2, 2006, pp. 75–91. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27866458. Accessed 22 Sept. 2023.
Hutton, Clinton, and Garth White. “The Social and Aesthetic Roots and Identity Of Ska.” Caribbean Quarterly, vol. 53, no. 4, 2007, pp. 81–95. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40655000. Accessed 22 Sept. 2023.
Ethereal wave is best understood as “dark fairy music.”
A subgenre of darkwave, ethereal wave is characterized by an atmospheric arrangement of guitar, synths and typically female vocals.
“Atmosphere” means something very specific here; the vibe of ethereal wave is dreamy and psychic like the ash-tinged smoke rippling from the burning end of an incense stick.
The Playlist
“In the Presence of the Frost” – Virgine Dramatica
“In Dreaming” – Diva Destruction
“Green Velvet” – The Shroud
The Shroud projects a paganistic interpretation of the ethereal wave genre.
Calling to mind images of Ophelia, The Shroud embodies the concept of the darkly beautiful feminine.
“For A Day” – This Ascension
“Drown” – Strange Boutique
“Invisible” – Switchblade Symphony
Switchblade Symphony is an iconic band that blends gothic rock with classical music.
Tinged with a cigarette-smoke grunginess, Switchblade Symphony exist as pioneers of female voices in a largely male-centric space.
“how it came to be this way” – Autumn
“Witches” – Faith & Disease
“Alle In Asche” – Mephisto Walz
“The First Release” by Mephisto Walz
“The Unshakable Demon” – Autumn’s Grey Solace
“City Moon” – Love Spirals Downwards
“Hitherto” – Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins is a classic ethereal wave band, probably among the first names to come up in association with the genre.
I feel like, for this reason, it’s integral that they be included in this playlist. However, in the name of exploring perhaps lesser-known artists, I’ve relegated them to the latter half of this playlist.
“Naturally Cruel” – Mors Syphilitica
“Slide” – Cranes
“Bare” – Lycia
Lycia demonstrates a multiplicity of styles within the realm of darkwave, electronic rock and ethereal wave.
I first encountered the band through their cold, echoing track “Failure,” which, while not ethereal in the genre-related sense, is unequivocally impactful.
“Bare” illustrates another side of Lycia’s sound, taking their abilities to another level.
Final Thoughts
Ethereal wave is a beautiful genre.
The kind of music best enjoyed on gloomy autumnal evenings, the genre’s lack of mainstream acclaim only serves to hide the massive breadth of artistry within.
For individuals who may not enjoy traditional darkwave, ethereal wave is a great way to break into the genre.
Though perhaps stylistically inconsistent, the works of Wire maintain tactile continuity.
Every song feels like a lungful of cool coastal air, idyllic and rustic and contemplative. A collection of experimental brushstrokes.
As October approaches, the works of Wire capture the dual melancholy-yearning invoked by the transition from summer into fall.
“Pink Flag”
Largely considered to be a landmark album, Wire debuted with the release of “Pink Flag” in 1977.
A collection of 21 songs with an overall runtime of just under 36 minutes, “Pink Flag” presents a marked deconstruction of the punk genre.
Cover for “Pink Flag” by Wire
Though most of the tracks on the album are short, with some falling under 30 seconds, the album passes by at a remarkably slow pace.
It’s clear that Wire was methodical in their composition of the album, only remaining with each track for as long as absolutely necessary.
The resulting album presents something adjacently punk — punk stripped of its blaring paint — cultivated at a distance.
Post-punk before post-punk had really begun.
The album’s cover, I think, most adequately represents the album’s sound: minimalist, uncomplicated and sunbleached.
Recommended Tracks: “Three Girl Rhumba,” “Fragile,” “1 2 X U”
“Chairs Missing”
Wire’s second album, released 1978, marked the band’s progression further into experimentalism.
While “Pink Flag” presented punk at a distance, “Chairs Missing” moved even farther away.
Cover for “Chairs Missing” by Wire
The album’s tracks are deeply atmospheric and contemplative.
While traces of punk influence persist in the realms of distortion, vocal styles and lilt, there’s a noticable presence of synths throughout.
When I hear the words “art punk,” the sounds of this album come to mind.
Recommended Tracks: “Another the Letter,” “Marooned,” “Sand in My Joints”
“154”
Wire’s third album, released 1979, was another step in the band’s progression of style.
Building upon the atmosphere of “Chairs Missing,” “154” demonstrates a slower, more exacting musical process.
The album’s opening track, “I Should Have Known Better,” is almost unrecognizable as Wire.
Cover for “154” by Wire
With cold, clean vocals buffered by a smooth guitar-synth combo, the track has an almost gothic slant.
This effect continues throughout the album, with use of electronic beats coloring a pneumatic atmosphere.
“154” represents Wire’s penchant for transformation — or rather, metamorphosis — as the deconstruction witnessed in “Pink Flag” culminates in the birth of a distinct genre.
Recommended Tracks: “I Should Have Known Better,” “Single K.O.,” “Once is Enough”
Final Thoughts
Wire’s experimentation with music didn’t end with “154.”
In 2020, the band released “10:20,” their 18th studio album.
Though Wire never reached the mainstream acclaim of other groups, their influence is uncontested.
If you’re interested enough in WKNC to peruse our website, then you probably know what a zine is.
If you don’t, that’s fine.
A lot of people, including those who make zines, find them difficult to define.
It’s part of what makes them cool.
Selection of British and American punk zines, 1994-2004, uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Burn_the_asylum, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0
Zines are essentially handmade publications — zine is short for fanzine — created and disseminated by members of an underground subculture.
Despite their lack of official publication, zines were — and still are — vital tools within subcultural spaces.
Expressions of creativity, ethos and ideology, zines strengthen the foundations of resistance and community amid broader sociopolitical contexts.
The History
Zines can be traced to the early ’60s, where their subject matter centered on social and political activism.
By the ’70s, however, zines took on a starkly punk slant.
Zines from the Colorado College Tutt Library, licensed CC BY 2.0
“Sniffin’ Glue”
Mark Perry’s zine, “Sniffin’ Glue,” was released July 1976.
Inspired by the Ramones song “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue,” Perry devised and released the zine just days after seeing the band live in London.
Created with simple on-hand tools, “Sniffin’ Glue” embodied punk’s D.I.Y. ethos.
The zine’s cut-and-paste graphics, rugged handwriting and unpolished doodles left every page imbued with youthful vigor and punk-rock passion.
Perry’s achievement was to unite for a brief time all the tensions — between art and commerce, between avant-garde aesthetics and social realist politics — that eventually tore punk apart, and write them out in a sharp mix of emotion and intention that still makes his words fresh
J. Savage, “Sniffin’ Glue: The Essential Punk Accessory,” Mojo No. 81 August, 2000, p. 129.
Soon after the zine’s release, droves of inspired punks took to their photocopiers to take advantage of an exciting new mode of self-expression.
The resulting metamorphosis of the fanzine medium facilitated a massive creative movement.
“Chainsaw” zine, produced by Charlie Chainsaw, arose from his personal desire to distinguish his work from the “‘Sniffin’ Glue’ ‘look-a-likes’.”
Other creatives followed suit, experimenting with different materials and styles.
Zine-making as a practice transformed.
Final Thoughts
Zines are still an important part of subculture today.
Walk into any record store or trendy downtown shop and you’ll likely see zines for sale in a multitude of colors and styles.
“Zine guys,” uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by college.library, licensed CC BY 2.0
The best thing about zines, and perhaps what zine-makers find most rewarding about the practice, is its freedom from stricture.
Essentially, the only rule is that there aren’t any rules.
If you’re interested in exploring some contemporary zines, consider browsing WKNC’s collection here.
Additional Reading
“Scissors and Glue: Punk Fanzines and the Creation of a DIY Aesthetic.”
It isn’t a particularly earthshattering statement to say that many music subcultures suffer from excessive materialism.
As a goth, I especially see this in social media circles. Pressure to uphold a certain aesthetic, namely one involving extensive effort and monetary investment, abounds.
There’s always a new shiny piece of jewelry to wear, or a new hair accessory or a new pair of boots.
With the current state of manufacturing and consumerism, most of these products are poorly made through unsustainable and often unethical practices, designed for the sole purpose of temporary gratification.
Not only does materialism serve to create a money-sucking vacuum within the community, but it obfuscates important conversations about goth culture and, more specifcially, goth music.
This issue isn’t localized to the goth community. It’s starkly evident in most music-based subcultures, glaringly obvious now with the rise of the “alt” umbrella in contemporary online circles.
What’s There to Do?
And while this is a logical — and perhaps inevitable — function of our late-stage capitalistic techtropolis, there are ways to ameliorate its effects.
While shopping sustainably — making investments rather than frivolous purchases — is one mode of opposition to mass consumerism, it can be difficult to achieve.
That’s why, as a college student, I’ve become a strong proponent of D.I.Y.
A former staple of music subculture, especially punk and goth, D.I.Y. is often overshadowed.
One can speculate that the hegemonic shift towards a space in which rugged authenticity is emulated rather than allowed to occur organically (see: the manufacturing of “vintage”), do-it-yourself approaches to style can seem far-fetched.
However, there are numerous ways to cultivate distinct, unique styles without pandering to fast fashion or overconsumption.
My Top 3 D.I.Y.s
Dyeing thrifted clothes
In my experience, it’s uncommon to find good pieces by exclusively shopping in the black and gray section.
Looking in other sections, such as white, brown and pink and later dyeing the clothes black at home (make sure you pay attention to the type of fiber you’re working with!) can extensively broaden your options.
One of my favorite tops, a lace cardigan with pearl buttons, was originally white. Now, it’s a perfect staple piece for a goth wardrobe.
Safety pins
I bought a pack of 50 safety pins at the supermarket four years ago and have not since stopped incorporating them into my outfits in different ways.
I pin them to the lapels of my blazers, attach them to the collars of shirts, dangle wire-wrapped animal teeth from them and use them to pin down chains.
Not only are they unobtrusive and easy to remove, but they can be reused to infinite proportions. This is especially valuable if you, like me, have managed to lose all but two of the original 50 pins you started with.
Chains
Chains are a mainstay of contemporary — and classic — subcultural fashion. However, good quality chains can be extremely expensive.
In lieu of sufficient funds, I often turn to my local supermarket for assistance.
For basic adornments and accessories, I pick up a pack of jump rings and a bundle of chain and piece together whatever it is I’m looking for.
I’ve made several necklaces, basic harnesses and shoe decals with this method.
Final Thoughts
I don’t claim to be above consumerism.
I, too, revel in the dopamine rush of a frivolous online purchase.
Obviously, a single person’s efforts will put nary a dent in such a monolithic systemo-cultural-economic beast as mass consumption. That’s not the point.
What’s important is understanding how broader discourses can have ripple effects on a subcultural level.
Exposure to a social norm that glorifies not only consumerism but unsustainable consumerism affects everyone.
And therein lies one of the core factors that some argue contributes to the “cheapening” of music subculture, of this growing conception that “aesthetics” can be bought and sold and tossed away when no longer interesting.
The, apologies, “poser” effect.
As an adolescent, I knew many young people who, in an effort to “reinvent” or “rebrand” themselves, emptied their closets and went on shopping sprees guided by meticulous Pinterest moodboards.
And while the search for identity is something of a ubiquitous concept among teenagers (and probably most adults), the act of costuming oneself in an attempt to achieve a particular “aesthetic” (read: identity) can be mentally damaging.
It’s something I myself have struggled with: the idea that I have to always have the “right things;” a preoccupation with tangible (and fungible) items that I’ve decided bare some supreme cosmic significance in the construction of “me” (spoiler: they don’t).
But these items were all things millions of other people had. They were things made without love and without care and with landfills on the horizon.
D.I.Y. isn’t just “more sustainable,” it’s a method of creation.
It’s a means of stepping into yourself and making something with your own hands, something nobody but yourself will have, something that didn’t exist before you conceived of it.
Though September is still ripe in its infancy, the fall equinox is visible — a beacon of hope for alternative kids everywhere, perhaps — just on the horizon.
Alternative music artists are already hard at work to set the backdrop for the upcoming fall season, and I am already hard at work cultivating the perfect autumnal playlists.
Here are three artists who elected to kick off the month of September with new releases.
Aeon Sable with “From Witchcraft to Deviltry”
Aeon Sable is one of many beloved bands I’ve neglected to address in my time as a WKNC content creator.
There’s no better time to ameliorate that condition than with a short analysis of one of their most recent works.
The fourth track on the band’s newest album, “Aenigma,” “From Witchcraft to Deviltry” has already become one of the band’s top songs on Spotify.
Cover for “Aenigma” by Aeon Sable
“From Witchcraft to Deviltry” oscillates between airs of plaintive lovesickness and frigid rage.
A riveting arrangement of contemporary gothic rock and metal, the song is icy until a swell of guitars and vocals introduces a smokier, enflamed energy to the track.
The song stands as a testament to Aeon Sable’s affinity for the esoteric and arcane, making it perfect listening material for fans of heavy music with colder energies.
Ash Code with “Tear You Down”
Dark and sensual and tinged with autumnal gloom, this new release from darkwave group Ash Code is certain to mobilize the dancefloor at the next Goth Night.
Cover for “Tear You Down” by Ash Code
Breathy vocals emerge like smoke from an ethereal arrangement of synths, eventually becoming an instrument all of their own.
Released as a single on the first day of September, “Tear You Down,” while not particularly striking on its own, may soon accompany other tracks as part of a longer EP or album.
Overall, it’s a solid atmospheric track.
Soft Vein with “LEASH”
Burgeoning darkwave artist Soft Vein’s newest single, “LEASH,” further demonstrates his talent for cultivating phantasmal auditory experiences.
A two-track release, the single consists of “LEASH” and “BLOODLETTING,” sneak peeks of Soft Vein’s upcoming album “PRESSED IN GLASS“
“LEASH” is a hazy, gray-tinged track that sounds diffused through fog. The synth arrangement and vocal style reminds me of Harsh Symmetry’s new wave influence (which makes sense, as the artists toured together) though with a doomier twist.
Cover for “LEASH” by Soft Vein
“BLOODLETTING,” my favorite of the two tracks, captures the energy of Soft Vein’s March single “VIOLENTIA.”
While the song’s style also leans towards the new wave influences of the post-punk genre, the vocals take on a more romantic tone, which never fails to please the little bat-creature that lives in my temporal lobe.
At this point, I’m sure most people who use the internet on a regular basis are familiar with the song “Goo Goo Muck” by The Cramps.
The song, featured in the 2022 Netflix adaptation “Wednesday,” gained something of internet (specifically TikTok) virality in the months following the show’s release.
Photo by Nate Isaac on Unsplash
With jilting vocals and a twangy guitar, “Goo Goo Muck” was perfectly strange (some may say kooky) and prime fuel for a littany of TikTok dances.
But while The Cramps may distinguish themselves in the contemporary sphere for their feature in the series, they’re also musical pioneers.
Lurid Fusion
Psychobilly, a rock fusion genre blending elements of rockabilly with punk rock, often with a horror-themed twist, is largely attributed to The Cramps.
Originating in the punk underground of New York City in the 1970s, psychobilly defines itself lyrically with references to sci-fi, horror, exploitation films and often taboo subjects.
The music is campy, shlocky and typically apolitical, often presenting themes satirically and in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.
The genre’s style draws from a wide pool of influences, with some groups presenting a distinct rockabilly slant while others experiment with elements related to new wave, heavy metal, hardcore punk and others.
The Cramps
According to a staff writer for the Washington Post, the (now defunct) official website for The Cramps described frontman Lux Interior as “the psycho-sexual Elvis/Werewolf hybrid from hell.”
The Cramps formed in 1976 and are largely credited as the founders of the psychobilly genre, their widespread popularity heavily influencing the work of other bands.
The band remained together for nearly four decades, touring until 2006 when Interior passed away at the age of 62.
Interior’s seemingly unending zeal for performance, subversion and stimulation largely underscores the energy of the psychobilly genre, with his work still casting a broad light upon contemporary artists.
Rezurex is one of the most influential psychobilly bands to rise out of Los Angeles, with their 2005 debut landing them a partnership with the “Home of Horrorpunk.”
Formed in Southern California in 2001, Rezurex describes themselves as “…equal parts ’50s rockabilly, punk rock and Catholic mysticism.”
Today, Rezurex works hard to keep psychobilly alive, producing new music, participating in live performances and collaborating with other bands within the scene.
Discography
Rezurex self-released their first EP, “Beyond the Grave”, in 2005.
The following year, they re-released “Beyond the Grave” as an LP under the FiendForce Records label.
Moving forward with FiendForce, Rezurex released their 2008 album “Psycho Radio.”
The album, remastered in 2013 with Live Dead Records, produced some of the band’s most popular songs, such as “Walk On the Edge” and “Dead World.”
Following the band’s 2008 release, they released the mini-album “Fiesta De Los Diablos” under Eastern Storm in collaboration with the band Hi-Hopes.
Rezurex continued to release music, with their most recent album, “Skeletons,” coming out in 2020 with Cleopatra Records.
The band’s most recent release, “Yakety Yak,” came out in March of 2023. The single is a vibrant collaboration between Rezurex, The Brains and The Coasters.
Bat Music for Bat People
A compelling aspect of the psychobilly community is its strong culture of collaboration.
Bat! is a “masked supergroup” featuring members from Rezurex, Nekromantix, The Brains and Stellar Corpses.
Formed in 2019, Bat! is, at its core, a group of passionate musicians making music and having a good time.
With campy noir aesthetics and dramatic lyricism, the group’s debut album, “Bat Music for Bat People,” translates into a type of musical theatre.
Final Thoughts
I found Rezurex while putting together a psychobilly set for my radio show, and I can definitely say that they’re a band I will continue listening to.
Perusing their discography illustrates a progression of style, with their newest tracks demonstrating a distinct sound that blends classic rockabilly, romantic rock and Latin American rhythms.
For individuals interested in psychobilly and looking for a band that marches ahead with energy reminiscent of The Cramps frontman Lux Interior, Rezurex is an excellent listening candidate.
I like school, I really do; and I’m glad to be back at it.
But there’s something about the loss that’s involved — the loss of free time, the loss of beachside hang-outs, the loss of schematic summer-ness — that’s always painful to swallow.
Not only is it always an adjustment starting a new semester, but this fall sees a particularly vexatious surge of extra freshmen. The resulting collapse of the sanctity of college common areas weighs heavily on the psyche.
As a self-identified Person Who Listens to Too Much Music, music was a vital tool for me this week.
Below is a compilation of tracks I, as well as others, have used to soften the proverbial blow of our returning academic responsibilities.
Good luck out there!
The Playlist
If you’re anything like me (combination hyperactive-inattentive), then you tend not to stick with one particular flavor of auditory stimulus whilst weathering the tribulations of back-to-school season.
While I primarily market myself as a goth, I’ve got a real soft spot for Carhartt-Marlboro-septum ring-type garage/art/post-punk rock.
Weird songs that sound like the way cigarette smoke smells and mansplaining feels touch me in the most deepest recesses of my calcified English major heart.
It really takes the edge off.
Here are some highlights:
“Troglodyte” – Viagra Boys
The third track on their 2022 album “Cave World,” “Troglodyte” tickles my brain with its silly, borderline-industrial beats. The melody reminds me of “Frogstrap,” another beloved track from their 2018 album “Street Worms.”
What I like about Viagra Boys is how vocalist Sebastian Murphy always seems to be just on the cusp of madness. I think you can extrapolate the overarching relevance of that concept.
Not a new song by any means, but a similarly brain-tickly one that I find I can easily get lost in. The beats are rhythmic but unobstrusive, fading into the background or punctuating the present at the listener’s behest. It’s pleasant, easy listening for someone who so desperately needs to distance themselves from the half-dozen new syllabi they just acquired.
IDLES is like Viagra Boys but from an alternate universe. This cover of a Gang of Four classic also sounds like it’s from an alternate universe, which is great when you yourself wish you were from an alternate universe where you were already finished with college.
These are Black Midi’s two top songs for a reason. Pulled from their 2022 album “Hellfire,” these tracks occupy a strange dimension between the 1940s and the 2020s. I can still remember seeing this band live and witnessing throngs of hipsters emphatically mosh to a quirky jilting guitar.
I was Jockstrappilled by the former GM of WKNC, DJ Cow Ball. She caught me at a particularly weak moment in which my ADHD was unmedicated and I was in an introductory film class. As one can expect, I quickly amassed over 100 streams.
I never know how to describe Jockstrap to people. Deeply experimental, enigmatic and hauntingly sweet, every Jockstrap song is a multilayered amalgam of sounds and sensations that will surely take your mind off the terror of The Future.
Closing Thoughts
When writing blog post playlists, I tend to keep them short. This is because I prefer to offer little morsels of stimuli rather than formidable hours-long chunks of obscure tracks.
By Rodrigo Curi on Unsplash
It’s also because I tend to listen to songs like people chew gum, mashing them obsessively between my teeth and squeezing out every last modicum of flavor. I’ll listen to a single song for hours until I’ve fully exhausted its capacity to generate dopamine.
I’m sure, in some broad and abstract way, this theme applies to the college experience.
