Category: Blog

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Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 5/25

ArtistRecordLabel
1GOJIRAFortitudeRoadrunner
2SPIRITBOX“Circle With Me” [Single]Pale Chord
3OF MICE AND MENBloom [EP] [Advance Tracks]SharpTone
4NEKROMANTHEONVisions Of TrismegistosHell’s Headbangers
5STICK TO YOUR GUNSHasta La Victoria (Demo)Pure Noise
6DEVILDRIVERDealing With Demons INapalm
7PATHFINDERAres VallisSelf-Released
8ORDINANCEIn Purge There’s No RemissionThe Sinister Flame
9HELSTARClad In BlackMassacre
10SIELUNVIHOLLINENTeloituskäskySelf-Released
Categories
Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 5/25

ArtistRecordLabel
1FLYING LOTUSYasukeWarp
2AJ TRACEYFlu GameWest 10
3PINK SIIFU AND FLY ANAKINFlySiifu’sLex
4SHYGIRLALIAS [EP]Because
5AMINELimboUniversal Republic
6BILLY DEAN THOMASFor Better Or WorseSelf-Released
7BLU AND EXILEMilesDirty Science
8DEZRON DOUGLAS AND BRANDEE YOUNGERForce MajeureInternational Anthem
9LAVA LA RUEButter-fly [EP]Marathon
10DENZEL CURRY“Live From The Abyss” [Single]Loma Vista
Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 5/25

ArtistRecordLabel
1MIJAGypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)Kitsune
2JESSY LANZAAll The TimeHyperdub
3MAGDALENA BAYMini Mix Vol. 2 [EP]Luminelle
4DORIAN CONCEPTThe Jitters [EP]Brainfeeder
5SMERZBelieverXL/Beggars Group
6CHARLOTTE DOS SANTOSHarvest TimeBecause
7DREAMWEAVERCloud9MagicCrafters
8PARK HYE JINHow Can I [EP]Ninja Tune
9DOSS4 New Hit Songs [EP]LuckyMe
10CARIBOUSuddenly RemixesMerge
Categories
Weekly Charts

Daytime Charts 5/25

TOP CHARTS

ArtistRecordLabel
1REMEMBER SPORTSLike A StoneFather/Daughter
2SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVEEntertainment, DeathSaddle Creek
3ELI SMARTBoonie Town [EP]Polydor
4HYPOLUXOHypoluxoTerrible
5BLACK MIDICavalcade [Advance Tracks]Rough Trade
6CRUMBIce MeltSelf-Released
7FAYE WEBSTERI Know I’m Funny haha [Advance Tracks]Secretly Canadian
8ICEAGESeek ShelterMexican Summer
9LUCY DACUSHome Video [Advance Tracks]Matador/Beggars
10NAVY BLUESong Of Sage: Post Panic!Freedom Sounds
11SQUIDBright Green FieldWarp
12ARLO PARKSCollapsed In SunbeamsTransgressive/PIAS
13BROCKHAMPTONROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINEQuestion Everything/RCA
14JAPANESE BREAKFASTJubillee [Advance Tracks]Dead Oceans
15SHYGIRLSIREN (Basement Jaxx Remixes) [EP]Because
16DREAMWEAVERCloud9MagicCrafters
17BEAU DEGAHoly CannoliSelf-Released
18MAASHO“Sad Machine” [Single]Self-Released
19DRY CLEANINGNew Long Leg4AD/Beggars Group
20ORIELLES, THELa Vita OlisticaHeavenly/PIAS
21INDIA JORDANWatch Out! [EP]Ninja Tune
22TIERRA WHACK“Dora” [Single]Interscope
23PINK SIIFU AND FLY ANAKINFlySiifu’sLex
24AVALANCHES, THEWe Will Always Love YouAstralwerks
25RATBOYSHappy Birthday, RatboyTopshelf
26SPELLLING“Little Deer” [Single]Sacred Bones
27CARIBOUSuddenly RemixesMerge
28MAGDALENA BAYMini Mix Vol. 2 [EP]Luminelle
29SPUD CANNON“Juno” [Single]Good Eye
30BICEPIsles (Deluxe)Ninja Tune

TOP ADDS

ArtistRecordLabel
1LUMIEREA.M.I.E.S.A.M.O.U.RBonsound
2FACSPresent TenseTrouble In Mind
3N0V3LNON-FICTION [Advance Tracks]Flemish Eye
4FIDDLEHEADBetween The RichnessRun For Cover
5SHANNON AND THE CLAMS“Midnight Wine” [Single]Easy Eye Sound/Concord
6GLUMEThe InternetItalians Do It Better
7JEWELER“Savior Complex” [Single]Self-Released
8SURF PARTY, USA“Solar Surfer” [Single]Self-Released
9EVOLFOSite Out Of MindThe Royal Potato Company
10HONEY BARBARAReveriesSelf-Released
Categories
New Album Review

New Music Floodgates Open: Indie Rock Edition

With the pandemic winding down, musicians are now releasing long-delayed albums, so there is a lot of new music to cover. Indie Rock has evidently taken the lead here because numerous great indie albums have dropped in the past week. I thought I’d give you an annotated list of some of the new albums I’ve been listening to. Hope you see something you like.

Iceage – Seek Shelter

Iceage are technically a punk band, but they have moved in a warmer and more elaborate direction lately. This new album is lavish and densely orchestrated art rock. It also gets points for having the only sample of “May the Circle Be Unbroken,” I’ve ever heard outside folk music.

The Armed – Ultrapop

Your inner emo kid will rejoice at this album from the anonymous post-hardcore band The Armed. While Ultrapop strays far away from pop and even further from melody, the album is still accessible as mood listening. If you want to study and/or cry, this is the album for you

Spiritualized – Lazer Guided Melodies

I have an allergic reaction to all things prog, so I was very skeptical of this album at first. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of pretension in this instrumental space rock release. The album name really gives you what you need to know: it’s melodic to a fault. The primary compositional trick at work here seems to be the baroque counterpoint, where different melodies are played to create harmonic relations without relying on chords. It’s an acquired taste, but the album creates a spacey and beautiful vibe.

St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home

Alright, I’ve spoken about this album at length in a full review, so I’ll be brief. St. Vincent has reversed course yet again, leaning into ’70s aesthetics of glam, hard rock, and AM singer-songwriters. It’s Joni Mitchell, it’s Lou Reed, but most importantly it’s St. Vincent.

Weezer – Van Weezer

Rivers Cuomo sings “Pump it up into me please daddy,” and if that’s something you’re interested in I need not say more.

Categories
New Album Review

St. Vincent- Daddy’s Home Album Review

The elusive songwriter and indie darling St. Vincent has returned with a new album, “Daddy’s Home,” a legacy rock album filtered through her unique lens. Now, at the risk of giving up the goods too quickly, I’ll preface this with my personal thoughts: the album is very enjoyable, though not Vincent’s best work. If you like St. Vincent, or heck if you like female-led indie rock of any kind, you will probably enjoy this record. The duo of her virtuosic arrangements with ubiquitous producer Jack Antonoff is virtually untouchable from an auditory perspective and easily makes up for any faults in lyricism and songwriting. That said, I’d like to take you on a tour of the album’s reception and influences, and ask what’s next for St. Vincent and her generation of indie stars.

Reception to the album has been positive, but somewhat fraught. St. Vincent is a notoriously reclusive singer who dislikes press interviews, and this album is her most personal record yet. Unsurprisingly, this has generated conflict. While some publications have condemned Vincent’s press hostility, including her alleged attempts to “kill” an interview with Jezebel she didn’t like, I do have to admit some of the reviews and coverage for this album has overhyped the autobiographical nature of “Daddy’s Home.” The title, ostensibly a reference to Vincent’s own formerly imprisoned father, signifies that this will be personal for a St. Vincent album. However, in the scheme of indie records, this is still a strictly musical affair. The lyrics play second fiddle to the music, the songwriting to solos and so on. The press reaction has largely focused on Vincent’s personal life, so I’d like to take a moment to appease Ms. Clarke and analyze her music from a purely auditory perspective.

This is a legacy rock album, which is a label usually a pejorative for bands stuck in the past, but St. Vincent owns the label. While I would hardly call “Daddy’s Home” an innovative record, it also doesn’t feel anachronistic. The production aesthetics are vintage 1972, with Vincent purchasing period-accurate technologies to produce the album. The justification was that Vincent was trying to connect with the musical language of her father’s vinyl cabinet. As a result, there are a lot of boomer influences on display that have gone out of fashion in favor of more ’80s-oriented synthpop and punk aesthetics. All of Vincent’s previous work has favored the likes of Kate Bush or of David Bowie’s ’80s output, making this change of pace abrupt, but at the very least sonically interesting.

Bands like Greta Van Fleet still nip at the heels of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, but Vincent is more interested in blending these influences with her own personal pantheon. On “Melting of the Sun” Vincent lays out this pantheon of Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos and the ever-present Candy Darling, who gets her own tribute song. These women, combined with Amos’ perennial male influences of David Bowie and Lou Reed, blend together into a kind of classicism. She is not trying to sound like any one of these artists but work within a venerated classical tradition of rock songwriters, using their style to express her own ideas. The effect is an album that is rooted in the past without being backward facing. However, this can also leave the album feeling formulaic at points, as the only songs that really caught my ear outside the context of the record were the singles.

As St. Vincent and many of her indie rock contemporaries age out of the mainstream, I expect they will experiment with this retro style more freely. Indie needs new ideas, and St. Vincent has responded by looking to the past. If this is her new direction, she will need new ideas and different angles. “Daddy’s Home” is pretty good, but here’s to hoping she has some more retro tricks up her sleeve in the coming years.

Categories
Music Education

Susan Sontag Wrote Music

A black and white photo of Susan Sontag in front of a bookshelf
Photo via Lynn Gilbert, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Alright, so I was doing research for another article and I got down this rabbit hole that I had to share. For those of you who don’t know Susan Sontag, she is a philosopher, author and general-purpose public intellectual from the late 20th century. She is most famous for her studies in popular culture, aesthetics, literary criticism and generally being right about everything, but she also dabbled in fiction history and producing plays for the Bosnian government. Her best musical analog would probably her acquaintance and occasional collaborator Patti Smith, whose liner notes Sontag occasionally wrote; she’s wordy, extremely intelligent and earnestly political. This is to say, she isn’t the very last person you would expect to see on the features list of a techno record, but she’s definitely pretty far down on the list.

However, as the title might suggest, Sontag did write exactly one published song in her career, a song by the American electroclash techno group Fischerspooner. If you’re unfamiliar, which any decent person would be, Fischerspooner was an indie art duo consisting of Warren Fischer, a classically trained musician, and Casey Spooner, an avant-garde theater kid (the worst subspecies of an already unfortunate group) that made artsy techno-tinged synthpop in the brief electropop craze.

Susan Sontag is a featured songwriter and vocalist on the anti-Iraq war song, “We Need a War,” off their second album. I actually have no evidence that Sontag provided the female vocals on this song, but I’m going to say it anyway because it makes me laugh. For reference, Fischerspooner were druggie club rats while Sontag was a poetry lesbian with a Ph.D. in her ’70s who my professors never shut up about. This should not work on any level, and yet the song is actually alright. It works partially because Sontag remains very restrained, singing only a few words and phrases to fill in the gaps of the music. Considering that Iraq War protest music was usually so unbearably on the nose, I appreciate Sontag’s commitment to the lyrical austerity of electronic music. It’s easy to read her lyrics in the context of political work, she is lightly implying that the United States fervor for war was a part of a proto-fascist cultural fetish for dominance and glory, but she manages to keep the words to a minimum, meaning that song keeps a sense of subtlety and taste that was so…so lacking at the time.

Sontag died in 2004, before the album was released, meaning that this is, technically, the swan song of her life. I’m not sure that’s a fitting end to such a widely varied career, but it’s at the very least an unexpected twist in a long life of innovation. Here’s to Susan.

Categories
Miscellaneous

Tote Bag Essentials

Tote Bag Essentials

I used to not like carrying bags, it didn’t feel very authentic to me. That was until I discovered the beauty of tote bags. Here’s everything I carry in my bag on a day out.

Hand Sanitizer: I need clean hands, especially if I’m getting food. My hand sanitizer collection has doubled during the pandemic, so I have one in every bag, every room, and in a million other places.

Lanyard with keys: Well, of course, I have places to be, people to see, and I need to be able to get back into my apartment. My poor lanyard is hanging on by a thread because I’ve been using it every day for nearly two years now; needless to say, it’s well loved.

Wallet: Of course, an essential to take anywhere, unless I’m just going on a walk or something. It’s useful to have in case I spontaneously decide I need fast food while I’m out.

A snack: I pack these so I won’t be tempted to get fast food while I’m out (I love fast food, but my aforementioned wallet does not). Whether it be a granola bar, fruit snacks, beef jerky, chips, I always need a snack because I unfortunately get irritable when I’m hungry.

Chapstick: Much like my hand sanitizer collection, there’s a chapstick in every bag, every room, and every pocket. Although I often forget to apply it because I’m wearing a mask all the time, it’s always important to keep your lips hydrated and healthy.

Water: Speaking of hydrated and healthy, I need water with me everywhere. I’m always thirsty and I love my water bottle and all of it’s stickers (yes, there’s a WKNC sticker on there, of course). 

Mask: These are always good to have around nowadays, however, unlike my chapstick and hand sanitizer collection, there are only a select few that fit my face right, so I switch out the same few depending on whichever matches my vibe that day.

Scrunchie: Having my hair in my face drives me up the wall, so I always have one or two hair-ties (preferably a scrunchie that matches my outfit) on me.

Laptop: It’s where I write these very blogs, take all my notes, do homework, watch television, and more.

Everyone needs different items whilst they’re out, even my needs vary from day to day so here are some honorable mentions: chargers, headphones, a book, extra clothes, a blanket, and an extra hoodie.

But a tote is just a tote, and unlike Mary Poppins’ bag, cannot carry everything at once.

Until next time,

Caitlin

Categories
Playlists

ARTHUR Songs That Just Feel Special

ARTHUR's album cover for "Woof Woof"

I don’t often dwell on blood-drinking. That being said, for about two weeks after hearing my first ARTHUR song, I was thinking, muttering and (poorly) singing: “She drinks my blood and I drink water.” These lyrics, the opening line of “AB”, only hint at the twisted, honest and experimental takes ARTHUR creates within his discography.

ARTHUR, also known as Arthur, Arthur Shea, William Conall Shea or just Con, is not only a man of many names, but a man of many talents. You may know him as a founding member of the Philadelphian indie band, Joy Again, or perhaps from the opening sets he played for (Sandy) Alex G during a recent tour. I don’t claim to know the creative genius behind ARTHUR, but I have spent a decent chunk of the last few years picking through all of his music, and I’d like to think I’m a fairly well-versed ARTHUR consumer.

Listed in order of release date, I present to you a short playlist of my top ten favorite ARTHUR tracks.

Note: For the purpose of this playlist, I only selected songs that were released after ARTHUR’s professional name change from Arthur Shea.

“Scared” – Challenger (2017)

Raised to a high and haunting pitch, ARTHUR grapples with the stranger at the other end of the ringing phone on this track. This alien outsider, one that is perhaps not so unfamiliar to ARTHUR or us, is the ever-present voice that calls for scary things to happen.

“AB” – Challenger (2017)

Back to the blood song. I would fervently argue that this song transcends normal critique and conversation. It will get stuck in your head and make you question every single relationship you’ve had. Frankly put, love can be draining.

“Julie Returns” – Julie Returns (2018)

This song is video game limbo. “Julie Returns” feels like hitting all the buttons on your game controller in a desperate attempt to get out of the room with no door while uncanny and robotic instrumentals urge you into nothingness. “Julie Returns” is an apology or a love letter or an existential contemplation.

“Julie vs. Robot Julie” – Woof Woof (2018)

“I’m so lonely/No-one knows me/The only thing that might help now/Is if I kill myself/But I don’t wanna do that/Cause someone might get mad/I’m so lonely”. These lyrics are a prime example of that ARTHUR-istic honesty I previously mentioned. With the above opening verse preceded by only seconds of a repetitive high-hat, this track quickly launches into its hazy exploration and questions of the duality of selfhood.

“I’m Too Good” – Woof Woof (2018)

The rising instrumentals at the beginning of this song slowly ease into some of ARTHUR’s most raw and eccentric lyrics and vocal inflections. What is one of my most revisited tracks off of “Woof Woof”, “I’m Too Good” is a practice in free association. ARTHUR’s interweaving of egotism with self-deception is novel and captivating. You’ll have a hard time setting this song down for any extended period of time.

“Wow F**K” – Woof Woof (2018)

ARTHUR’s most deceivingly upbeat song, this track is a minute and a half of pure head-bobbing, body-jumping music. While the instrumentals and delivery signal a song of youthful joy, the lyrics describe the uncertainty of recovery, growth and guilt. Just as the title reflects, ARTHUR is the master of juxtaposition on “Wow F**K”.

“I’ve Seen It” – Woof Woof (2018)

Arguably the most sentimental ARTHUR song, the last track on “Woof Woof ” is a soft whisper: self-aware, true, and hopeful. Guided by understated instrumentals, ARTHUR’s knowing and kind voice is on full-display in “I’ve Seen It” and it’s simply beautiful. This song is the gentle smile on the face of a healing person and you will likely find yourself listening to it when you’re in need of a safe place to rest.

“No Tengo” – Hair of the Dog (2020)

This track opens with a short sample from Righeira’s 1983 “No Tengo Dinero” and quickly launches into a fascinating and methodical instrumental composition. ARTHUR, making use of a more mortal voice than usual on this track (though the delivery is certainly still unearthly), sings to “she”. Shy expressions of love and recognition combined with loose promises to be better make for a classic ARTHUR track that’s just as unique and intriguing as the others.

“Fix” – Hair of the Dog (2020)

While a handful of his other tracks touch on it, no other ARTHUR song presents ideations of addiction as explicitly and fully as “Fix”. Pointedly titled, ARTHUR plays both sides of the story on this song. At the beginning, we get a glimpse at one person’s desire for this fix to be stopped, and with a seamless transition after the first few lines, we learn about the other individual’s inability to do so. The song is full, emotional and difficult. It urges self-reflection without ever asking for it.

“Something Sweet” (ft. Caleb Giles) – Hair of the Dog (2020)

The only ARTHUR track with a credited vocal feature, Caleb Giles and ARTHUR come together in an unexpectedly fitting way to create this speculative and eerie song. What I once believed were two dichotomous artists, ARTHUR’s experimental and genre-bending style blends seamlessly with Caleb Giles’ dexterous alternative hip-hop approach. Both bring intriguing and strange lyrical content to the track and you’d be hard pressed to find another song like it.

Click here to listen to the playlist on my Spotify.

Ultimately, ARTHUR is just one of those artists you have to hear for yourself. Enjoy your first listen of each song; I promise it’ll be special. Then enjoy all those repeats.

Here’s to ARTHUR’s unexplained love of dogs,

Silya Bennai

Categories
New Album Review

Album Review: Female Species – Tale of My Lost Love

ALBUM: “Tale of My Lost Love” by Female Species

RELEASE YEAR: 2021

LABEL: Numero Group

RATING: 9/10

BEST TRACKS: “Tale of My Lost Love,” “Bye Bye Bye” and “Till The Moon Don’t Shine”

FCC: Clean

Review

The new release of Female Species album “Tale of My Lost Love” follows the band from California to Nashville. The tracks on this album start with their garage 60s/70s sound which gradually transitions to 80s/90s country folk-pop. The compilation allows a listener to dive into the whole story of Female Species.

The Female Species started with two sisters, Vicki and Ronnie Gossett. In 1966, as teenagers, they released peppy pop in their home in California. With the culture shift in 70s, they moved into more psychedelia, experimenting with their sound. In the 80s the sisters moved to Nashville and began songwriting in the industry.

It’s so special to be able to see them transform their careers from swinging girl group to prolific songwriters in the Nashville scene. You can hear how Female Species evolves on “Tale of My Lost Love”. For example, the tracks “Chinchilla Hat” and “Chinchilla Cat”. The two songs have the same lyrics but in the second version you can feel the vocals are more soulful and almost bluesy. I really enjoyed how retrospective the compilation is, it feels respectful of the Female Species 55-year journey.

I first heard of the band from La Luz’s cover of their song “Tale of My Lost Love”. The cover came out April 16, 2021. I was enthralled by the harmonies, minimal drums and swinging guitar. After finding the original, I was taken aback by how well the two bands fit each other; La Luz with a fresh modern surf rock sound and Female Species with classic garage rock. I hope the cover increased awareness of Female Species, they deserve all the recognition.

-DJ Lil Witch