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Blog Miscellaneous Playlists

Song Recommendation Guide: Coffee Edition

Howdy y’all! In my semester off during my freshman year, I spent my time working as a barista at a small stand-alone coffee shop. I had total control of the music at 6:30 a.m. in the morning – a total dream! Using my knowledge of coffee and music, I bring you the recommendation guide to translate your favorite drink into a new song to listen to.

Espresso Drink Song Recommendations

If you order an americano (shots of espresso + hot water), listen to Wet Dream by Wet Leg. Anybody who orders an americano is ready to start their day, and this upbeat song feels like a bright morning brisk walk around the neighborhood. 

If you order a latte (shots of espresso + milk + optional flavor), listen to New Song by Maggie Rogers and Del Water Gap. Like a latte, this song is dependable and consistent for relaxing after those long days. 

If you order a lavender honey latte (shots of espresso + milk + honey + lavender syrup), listen to Fall in Love with You. by Montell Fish. This song is warm, dreamy, and ultra-comforting, similar to this drink. 

If you order a seasonal drink (pumpkin spice latte, peppermint mocha, etc.), listen to White WInter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes. Chances are you start decorating for Christmas the day after Halloween, and nothing pairs better with a peppermint mocha than this buttery smooth Christmas-lite song.

If you order a cappuccino (espresso shots + splash of milk + foam), listen to Mystery of Love by Sufjan Stevens. Cappuccinos originated in Austria and were further developed in Italy. Mystery of Love was used in a movie that took place in Italy. Romanticize your cappuccino. 

If you order a red eye (shots of espresso + brewed coffee), listen to As the World Caves In by Matt Maltese. This song is dramatic, emotional, and sultry. Also, are you doing okay?

If you order a dirty chai (shots of espresso + chai), listen to Coming Back by James Blake featuring SZA. Coming Back, which samples Lake Shore Drive by Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah, is easy and mellow. SZA’s feature adds something equivalent to shots of espresso in a regular spiced chai. 

Non-Espresso Drink Song Recommendations

If you order matcha in any capacity, listen to Je te laisserai des mots by Patrick Watson. Romanticize your walk to class, matcha in hand, with this beautiful French song. I highly advise reading what the lyrics mean if you don’t understand French (like me). So lovely. 

If you order a frappuccino (blended beverage – Starbucks coined this term), listen to I Know A Place by MUNA. Frappuccinos are a staple in the Starbucks menu, and I Know A Place should be a staple in your current playlist if this is your drink. 

If you order a brewed coffee, listen to You Needed Love, I Needed You by Angelo De Augustine.  This song is melancholy, similar to sitting at your window on a rainy morning with a good old cup of joe. 

If you order a London Fog (earl grey tea, water, vanilla syrup, steamed milk), listen to Love in the Time of Socialism by Yellow House. Sweet and comforting are just two similarities between a London Fog and Love in the Time of Socialism. 

If you order a chai, listen to Clay Pigeons by Michael Cera. Michael Cera’s cover of Blaze Foley’s Clay Pigeons sounds like it should be smack dab in the middle of a coming of age movie. Enjoy your warm chai with this homely cover. 

I hope you enjoy this song recommendation guide and feel inspired to try a new drink! Linked here is a Spotify playlist with all of these songs.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3P4XCWxUVrMBbBvnXUjpy7?si=7fae111cef3b4519

<3 dj mozzie

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New Album Review

Illuminati Hotties: “Let Me Do One More” Album Review

Let Me Do One More Album Cover
Let Me Do One More Album Cover

Illuminati hotties first came to my attention through a genius stealth marketing campaign. Releasing an unannounced album on a blank Bandcamp page, the band was only promoted by two cryptic tweets from Lucy Dacus and the drummer for the band Pup. The music, now released as “FREE I.H This Is Not the One You’ve Been Waiting For,” after being deleted from record for several months. Now, it seems, we have the one we’ve been waiting for.

“Let Me Do One More” is, as you might guess based on her friends, a pop-punk singer-songwriter album. This particular genre mashup is suprisingly not explored all that well, but the Hotties make it feel natural, layering hooks on top of hooks until the songs get quite wordy and obtuse. On the faster songs, lyrics clash and bleed together fast enough that it often borders on free word association. The common refrain of “The DNC is playing dirty; I’m so sad I can’t do laundry,” is a good example, as it makes no sense on any level, but it sure does *feel* right.

Its the album’s ballads that really shine though. While high-energy pop numbers are what hook you in, the album takes you to sad emo boy hours pretty early in the tracklist. Normally the “emotional tracks” on any given pop-punk album are the worst part, but this is where that key endorsement from Lucy Dacus begins to make sense. Frontwoman Sarah Tudzin may be able to light things up with her energy, but you can tell melancholic indie chick is her true form, and so her ballads never fail to tug at my heartstrings.

There’s very little more to analyze about Illuminati Hotties, everything that’s great about them is right there on the surface. The band wears their hearts on their sleeves, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

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Playlists

bone chill: A Playlist

A collage of black and white images of differing textures with one red circle in the upper left hand corner. Text reads "bone chill."

It’s getting cold outside. Not freezing cold, but enough to wear a couple pairs of socks and layer up on shirts. Thus, out with fall music and in with winter (even though it’s not technically winter for over a month). These fifteen songs are ones that just feel chilly without the need for an abundance of acoustic guitar. They’re the ones that make you feel colder just by listening to them. A perfect mix of shoe-gaze and regular old indie-rock to float you through these months.

  • “Subterranean Homesick Alien” — Radiohead
  • “November” — Azure Ray
  • “I Couldn’t Love You” — Cursive
  • “O Contest Winner” — Frankie Cosmos
  • “gray light” — Soccer Mommy
  • “Mary Of Silence” — Mazzy Star
  • “Need 2” — Pinegrove
  • “Under Wraps” — Her’s
  • “Potions” — Day Wave
  • “Medicine” — Gus Dapperton
  • “Bad Role Models, Old Idols Exhumed (psst, teenagers, put your clothes back o)” — Car Seat Headrest
  • “Wasted On The Senate Floor” — Emperor X
  • “Falling in Loves too Mean” — Hether
  • “Blown a Wish” — my bloody valentine
  • “Bleachers” — Emily Yacina

As usual, I’ve put these fifteen tracks on a Spotify playlist for convenient streaming.

Happy listening,

Caitlin

Categories
Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 11/16

Bloody Keep
#ArtistAlbumLabel
1BLOODY KEEPBloody Horror [EP]Grime Stone
2ZETARDevouring DarknessSpirit Coffin
3ANDREW WKGod Is PartyingNapalm
4ANNIHILUSFollow a Song From the SkyFederal Prisoner
5MASTIFFLeave Me The Ashes Of The EarthEntertainment One
6BLACK WOUNDUnending LabyrinthDry Cough
7MALIGNAMENTHypocrisis AbsolutionPrimitive Reaction
8IXTLAHUACTeyacanilitztli NahualliNuclear War Now!
9DESTRUCTIONLive AttackNapalm
10PISTOLS AT DAWNNocturnal YouthJFL
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Weekly Charts

Afterhours 11/16

Bicep- isles album cover
#ArtistAlbumLabel
1BICEPIsles (Deluxe)Ninja Tune
2JULESDelta Ajax [EP]Happy Life
3KEDR LIVANSKIYLiminal Soul2MR
4BLUE HAWAIIUnder 1 House [EP]Arbutus
5DREAMWEAVERCloud9MagicCrafters
6FJAAKSYS03 [EP]Self-Released
7SHYGIRLSIREN (Basement Jaxx Remixes) [EP]Because
8ROSS FROM FRIENDSTreadBrainfeeder
9LOGIC1000In The Sweetness Of You [EP]Therapy/Because
10MACHINEDRUMPsyconia [EP]Ninja Tune
Categories
Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 11/16

JPEGMAFIA LP! album cover. JPEGMAFIA standing outside beneath a streetlight and smoke surrounding him.
#ArtistAlbumLabel
1JPEGMAFIALP!EQT
2LAVA LA RUEButter-fly [EP]Marathon
3LITTLE SIMZSometimes I Might Be IntrovertAGE 101
4INJURY RESERVEBy The Time I Get To PhoenixSelf-Released
5MCKINLEY DIXONFor My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like HerSpacebomb
6GENESIS OWUSUSmiling With No TeethHouse Anxiety/Ourness
7EVIDENCEUnlearning Vol. 1Rhymesayers
8ANUSHKAYemayaTru Thoughts
9ZEBRA KATZLess Is MoorZFK
10ILLISMFamily Over EverythingThe CRWN
Categories
Weekly Charts

Daytime Charts 11/16

JPEGMAFIA LP! album cover. JPEGMAFIA standing outside beneath a streetlight and smoke surrounding him.
#ArtistAlbumLabel
1JPEGMAFIALP!EQT
2LAVA LA RUEButter-fly [EP]Marathon
3INJURY RESERVEBy The Time I Get To PhoenixSelf-Released
4LITTLE SIMZSometimes I Might Be IntrovertAGE 101
5PARQUET COURTSSympathy For LifeRough Trade
6GUSTAFAudio Drag For Ego SnobsRoyal Mountain
7ILLUMINATI HOTTIESLet Me Do One MoreSnack Shack Tracks/Hopeless
8NYLON SMILEWaiting For OblivionCitrus City
9ZEBRA KATZLess Is MoorZFK
10AMERICAN AQUARIUMSlappers, Bangers & Certified Twangers, Vol. 1Thirty Tigers
11GENESIS OWUSUSmiling With No TeethHouse Anxiety/Ourness
12FILM SCHOOLWe Weren’t HereSonic Ritual
13ILLISMFamily Over EverythingThe CRWN
14MCKINLEY DIXONFor My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like HerSpacebomb
15SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE“The Door Is Open” b/w “The Door Is Closed” [Single]Saddle Creek
16ALICE PHOEBE LOUGlowSelf-Released
17BICEPIsles (Deluxe)Ninja Tune
18BLACK COUNTRY NEW ROAD“Chaos Space Marine” [Single]Ninja Tune
19BLACK MARBLEFast IdolSacred Bones
20CHURCH GIRLSStill BloomsAnchor Eighty Four
21DEAFHEAVENInfinite GraniteSargent House
22KEDR LIVANSKIYLiminal Soul2MR
23MACHINEDRUMPsyconia [EP]Ninja Tune
24FJAAKSYS03 [EP]Self-Released
25JEWELERTiny CirclesSelf-Released
26JIMMY EDGARCheetah BendInnovative Leisure
27JULESDelta Ajax [EP]Happy Life
28LALA LALAI Want The Door To OpenHardly Art
29NATION OF LANGUAGEA Way ForwardPlay It Again Sam
30PRETTY EMBERSUnderSelf-Released

Daytime Adds

#ArtistAlbumLabel
1NATION OF LANGUAGEA Way ForwardPlay It Again Sam
2WOOZEGet Me To A Nunnery [EP]Young Poet
3MARY VEILS, THESomewhere Over The Rowhome [EP]PNKSLM
4SPIRITUALIZED“Always Together With You” [Single]Fat Possum
5MEDIOCREMicrodose SinglesDangerbird
6NYLON SMILEWaiting For OblivionCitrus City
7LA BONTEDon’t Let This Define MeSelf-Released
8TOUCHY“Secret Melody” b/w “Tout Petit La Planète” [Single]Dangerbird
9RUBBER BAND GUNCashes OutEarth Libraries
10PAPERCUTSBaxter’s BlissPsychic Friends
Categories
New Album Review

“a touch of the beat…” by Aly and AJ review

Cover art for A Touch of the Beat by Aly and AJ> Features a collage background and a picture of both of them smiling

ALBUM: “a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out into the sun” by Aly & AJ

RELEASE YEAR: 2021

LABEL: Aly & AJ Music

RATING: 9.5/10

BEST TRACKS: “Pretty Places” “Slow Dancing” “Personal Cathedrals” “Listen!!!”

FCC: Clean

“a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out into the sun” could not be a more apt title for this mellow pop comeback-album by Aly & AJ. With a long, Fiona Apple-esque title, songwriting assistance from Sky Ferreira, production by Yves Rothman and an 80s synthpop aura, the influences on this record are tangible but never redundant or gaudy. The upbeat tracks make you want to run through a meadow on a cool 70 degree day and the more melancholic tracks are more a warm hug than a pity party.

There were never “Oh my gosh this is so good I could cry” moments but I think that’s what makes this album special. There are no high-highs and thus there are no low-lows; it’s not mountains and valleys, it’s a steady force, an old reliable. It doesn’t feel bound in time either, it’s definitely an album I could revisit years from now and feel similarly about.

The lyricism has the vagueness that makes a pop album. However, I like the honesty that comes with specificity in lyrics, which is why I love folk music, and pop/indie music that leans folk. This album lacks some of that personality that I look for a record, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that the vagueness works against the quality of the album as a whole.

Released in May of 2021, this 12 track album clocks in at just over 47 minutes. If you’re in need of a pick-me-up as we’re on the cusp of winter and as the days get shorter, it is impossible to listen to “a touch of the beat…” without feeling at least an iota happier. As my dear friend, Deethony Jaythony says about his favorite feel-good albums, this LP is a “glimmer of happiness in an uncaring void.”

Be sure to listen to this album on Spotify, or wherever you choose to consume your music. 

Happy listening,

Caitlin

Categories
Music News and Interviews

New Mitski Single, “The Only Heartbreaker” Review

Cover art for "The Only Heartbreaker" by Mitski. Black and white photo of Mitski with digitally imposed red slashed surrounding her face.

“The Only Heartbreaker,” Mitski’s brand new single, released on November 9, is definitely the most commercial-sounding work that Mitski has released to date, and probably the least “Mistki” song in her repertoire. The production lends itself to 80s dance music, and the lyrics sound detached and impersonal compared to the deeply detailed and personal style of lyricism we are used to hearing from her. 

It’s not a bad song per se, but definitely not what I’d expect to hear coming from Mitski, especially after “Working For The Knife”  (which I also wrote a review about) seemed like a natural progression for her music.

The music video definitely felt more authentic, however, and seemed to be a reference to her song “A Burning Hill” off of her album “Puberty 2” where she laments “And I’ve been a forest fire / I am a forest fire / And I am the fire, and I am the forest / And I am a witness watching it / I stand in a valley watching it / And you are not there at all.”

With all of this being said, I am excited to see where this fits in the context of the album (her sixth) she just announced, “Laurel Hell,” which is coming out February 4, 2022.

Categories
New Album Review

New Album Review: “HOUSE OF CONFUSION” by Trace Mountains

"HOUSE OF CONFUSION" album cover
"HOUSE OF CONFUSION" by Trace Mountains album cover

Trace Mountains’ 2020 debut album was a pleasant surprise in a year whose surprises were generally for the wrong reasons. That album, “Lost in the Country”, was this blend of optimism and realness, tackling tough subject matters like mental illness and uncertainty about the future ahead and packaging it in this very neat, jangly project that used all of these themes as undercurrents while its characters journeyed forward into the unknown. Something about the soft, breezy vocals and the hopeful sounding guitar lines really made the album click and was a source of comfort in a scary time. 

“HOUSE OF CONFUSION” is a different animal. The winding road in the distance is no longer the focus, the journey has already begun and the speaker is reflecting on the present and past. Album highlight “7 ANGELS” looks at a relationship as a series of plans, both to continue loving and knowing when it’s time to depart. Structurally this doesn’t unfold like a beginning to middle to end narrative, rather it touches on everything at once, the relationship is both coming apart and being forged through shared experience. “AMERICA” uses recognizable iconography of an “open sky” and “moonlit road”, subjects that have defined countless songs, but it uses those as a snapshot of emotions felt around them, asking “makes you feel like you lost it a distance back there, don’t it?” and ruminating on what America is now and what it’s like living in it.

The instrumentals contribute to this light melancholy with a slower, weightier feel. Both “Lost in the Country” and this album have more than just a little helping of country to go along with their indie-rock sensibilities, but here I never feel like the instrumental is trying to pull ahead of the vocals; they’re both sort of staggering side by side. The drumbeat of “ON MY KNEES” is hesitant, it feels like it wants to take off sprinting in a direction but not knowing where to go it instead takes things slow.

On Apple Music, the lyrics aren’t presented in a standard line-by-line structure and rather as a paragraph. I’m not sure if this is an intentional choice, other lyrics sites like Genius have them in the more conventional form, but I really like the visual of seeing every line back to back. It really shows how much of a stream of consciousness this album really is, using roads and nature as a suit of armor to protect from what’s really going on under the surface: a general feeling that life could be better and it’s getting harder to live with increasingly negative thoughts. Trace Mountains don’t offer any solutions to this, rather it sits back and lets the listener connect with the universal concepts, acting as a bath to soak in one’s own uncertainties.

-Erie