blotthis

I posted about the albums I listened to on twitter, here*, so this is going to be something a little different--!

In no particular order, some new-to-me tunes I really enjoyed / found interesting in January. Song links go to YouTube.

1. Piqatiikka, Aasiva, ft Riit - This song. Haunting, dreamy and layered, I've talked about this song elsewhere, but I've been listening to it for two months, and haven't gotten tired of it. Love the slow burn of the instrumentals taking off (produced by Jace Lasek, who's worked with Wolf Parade and Stars, among others), but the best part for me about it is the incredibly tight layering of Aasiva and Riit's voices. Also it's about friendship. Aasiva... you're cool

2. SHUM, Go_A - The Ukranian entry to Eurovision, and apparently a crowd favorite. And honestly, why not, what's not to love about a song with a flute, dystopian imagery and vocals, and a dedication to doing just the same thing but faster every time. Go_A is electro-folk, and the song is (according to Wikipedia) based on folklore surrounding a spring ritual called "Shum," which it translates both as "noise" and "forest." I have no other sources at this time, but. Nods seriously. The MV is wild. (It's also the first Ukranian entry sung entirely in Ukranian.)

3. Toxic Pony, ALTÉGO - I don't have any excuse for this. It's just one of those tumblr posts where two great tastes taste great together, only this was actually released. I will say the Pony backing track works great for the verses, but really reveals the thinness of Brit's vocals on the chorus, I miss Toxic's lushness there. That said, I'm still listening to it. Do you like ridiculous pop? Worth it

4. Where Is My Mind, Tkay Maidza - In general, I'm looking for covers to add something new to a song, and Maidza's cover of Mind is definitely that. She slows the Pixies' tune down, stretching it like taffy, so that rather than a depiction of mind-loss via yelping and electric guitar, it's via lush disassociation. Wayyyy out, in the water, see it swimming

5. Oblivion, Bre-L - SPEAKING OF COVERS. On the one hand, I'm going to enjoy anything that gives Visions back to me in a new form, and also, this is just a great cover. Breanna Lynn has the vocal range, and also is both clearer and more aggressive than Grimes--not hard!--and the combination of redoing the instrumentation with actual rock instruments makes see you on a dark night so attractively threatening. Love this.

6. To My White Boy Princess..., Alice Longyu Gao - This song reminds me of like... The "the feminine urge" tumblr posts, but funny. Constantly winking--Gao plays both with feminine and racial stereotypes without tripping, all in a bubbly song that shifts gears about seven times, and gives a Super Mario shout out. I've personally not heard anything else like it, and it fucks.

7. Simulation Swarm, Big Thief - I find the circular claustrophobia of the verses so compelling, especially against the lift of Lenker's voice from drawl to desperation on the chorus. I'd fly to you tomorrow, I'm not fighting in this war

8. Cactus, Jang Jane - This song is so fun and I love Jang Jane's VOICE. Ever been flirted with at a strawberry stand? Me neither but we have now! This song is about being depressed! 

9. 光るとき, Hitsujibungaku - I LOVE SHIMMERY ROCK! Great mood for a song about things being hard but still a miracle! Fun facts: Hitsujibungaku is "Sheep literature," and the group is just three ladies playing rock and doing a great job

10. 有女朋友别忘了请我吃饭, A Si - This song is about being in the friendzone, but it's so charming, and I love the bassline that starts it off... dum dum dum dum. It's a bop


And a Spotify playlist, including these 10 and the... 40... other songs I added to my library of liked songs in January----


*For those interested, the albums on twitter are: 

• Language, MNEK
• Love Me More [EP], Mitski
• Left and Leaving, The Weakerthans
• Tigre et disel, Galaxie
• Hunting My Dress, Jesca Hoop
• Crash, Les Louanges