WIBLT: ST. PATRICK'S DAY EDITION
WIBLT: ST. PATRICK'S DAY EDITION
What I've Been Listening To, 3/17/21
I’m Irish so instead of kissing me today, you have to read this entire thing if you’ve gotten this far. Sorry, I don’t make the rules *shrug emoji*
This is your reminder to follow the playlist that is always updated with the 8 standout tracks from every WIBLT post:
Listen To Me, Lightning - Sunny Moonshine
10 tracks, 30 minutes
Released: February 24th, 2021
From: Virginia
Genres: R&B, Alternative
Recommended For Fans Of: Tei Shi, ABRA
“I downloaded every sound from NASA and just fucked with those.” - Sunny Moonshine for PopscureSunny Moonshine is the singer half of the Virginia based singer/producer duo Sunny & Gabe. Gabe shows up for production on two tracks (along with Mizzle), but the majority of this solo album was produced (and mixed) entirely by Moonshine. It was really important to Moonshine that she got to release this raw and unfiltered solo project. Putting it together took years of living with the demos, outsourcing feedback from twitter followers, and “having to care more than a person possibly can.” Most of this project sounds like analog R&B, but it isn’t short of uptempo tracks like Icicle that almost bring M.I.A. to mind. Sunny is no stranger to breathing new life and perspective into tracks, my favorite song of her and Gabe’s is this cover of Jessica Lee Mayfield’s Our Hearts Are Wrong. That carries over onto Listen To Me, Lightning with an incredible take (or interpolation might be the better word) on Shout by Tears for Fears with the track Free.
Standout Track: Bandit
Diva! Diva! Diva! - Paris Michael
8 tracks, 29 minutes
Released: March 2nd, 2021
From: New York, NY
Genres: Hip-Hop/Rap, Trap, Punk
Recommended For Fans Of: Travis Scott, David Wolves
Diva! Diva! Diva! follows up Paris Michael’s 2020 debut EP PUBLICITY STUNT, and this one feels like a major arrival for the mysterious yet abrasive artist. As an NYU dropout, he spent a lot of time couch surfing and experimenting with his producer Junius Karr, working to blend his rap and rock influences (which are cited as being Mike Dean, The Strokes, Kanye West, and Radiohead). They feel that the sound they stumbled onto may just be a “new era of Punk.” Michael also has experience in fashion and acting, which all comes together to influence the music. I think this project is most comparable to Travis Scott’s Owl Pharaoh in the raw/rough way it blends Mike Dean style synths with punk to create a unique sound. You’d be hard pressed to find another project that demands attention the way this one does.
Standout Track: SUPERMODEL
Prom - Prom
5 tracks, 18 minutes
Released: March 11th, 2021
From: Los Angeles, CA
Genres: Synth Pop, Indie
Recommended For Fans Of: MUNA, Pale Waves
Prom is the new band lead by Chicago singer Tatiana Hazel, arriving with their debut self-titled EP. Hazel had previously captured my attention with some singles on Soundcloud and her 2020 album DUALITY, but Prom is an exciting new lane for her to showcase different sounds. Across five moody songs on love, the group shows flawless execution from production (credit to bandmates Billy Macadamia & Beelow) to vocals, and aesthetic, highlighted by the music video for Friends. It’s unclear if this will be a side project or the main focus for Hazel going forward, but this EP (and the fact that she’s mixing her own vocals along with working on mixing/mastering!?) proves that the multitalented Tatiana Hazel is a name you will have to get familiar with. They may not be the band that played your prom, but by the end of these eighteen minutes you’ll probably wish they were.
Standout Track: Make a Good Thing Last
there goes the neighborhood. - grouptherapy.
13 tracks, 30 minutes
Released: October 30th, 2020
From: Los Angeles, CA
Genres: Hip-Hop/Rap
Recommended For Fans Of: BLACKSTARKIDS, Willow
Working on a piece about the era of internet rap groups that Brockhampton helped usher in. While doing some artist research for that I was directed to this excellent debut album from grouptherapy. that came out last year. The collective consists of vocalists TJW, Jadagrace, & Koi with executive producer Dee Lilly, and the members are no stranger to the spotlight. You can read up on their backgrounds, from one member child acting in the movie Terminator Salvation, to another being the lead in Logic’s 1-800-273-8255 music video, art has always been the focus for this group. It’s fair to suspect some forced industry bullshit music based off those backgrounds (as music listeners, we’ve unfortunately been subjected to too much of that over the years), but giving the album a listen quickly dispels that. The members all share a desire to work outside of a major label and it results in an authentic & original project. It’s obvious without doing any research that these four share a friendship outside of music just based on the chemistry alone. No one member ever hogs the spotlight for too long, balancing out the performances perfectly throughout. That’s something I particularly look for in groups these days, as it’s easy for the talent to feel top heavy where some members pull the weight and others leave you wondering what exactly their role is. I’ll be first in line for any future therapy sessions with this group.
Standout Track: wish u were here
:3 - AXOLOTES MEXICANOS
13 tracks, 37 minutes
Released: March 12th, 2021
From: Madrid, Spain
Genres: Indie Pop, Alternative, Punk
Recommended For Fans Of: CHAI, Alaska Y Los Pegamoides, Kero Kero Bonito
If this aptly titled third album by Madrid based band Axolotes Mexicanos is your introduction to the group (as it was for me) you’re in for a treat. This album features an incredible melting pot of influences, primarily from alternative and indie rock, but plenty of other genres seep through like electronic elements, J-Pop influence, PC-music-like heavy autotune, and punk thrashing at points. The standout track I’ve selected is one of the “safer” cuts, but an open minded listener looking for a fresh sound should really dive into this whole project that offers something new from track to track. I can easily see this going down as one of the most creative and boundary pushing projects I’ll listen to all year.
Standout Track: Verano En Espiral
Ether - Cathedral Bells
8 tracks, 26 minutes
Released: January 29th, 2021
From: Cassadaga, Florida
Genres: Dream Pop, New Wave, Shoegaze
Recommended For Fans Of: Castlebeat, Yot Club, New Order
Ether captures the drum and bass of 80s new wave, and mixes it with some beautifully washed out vocals that fold into the production like a synth being played to the beat. This project swiftly follows the 2020 debut album Velvet Spirit and sees the group truly locked into their sound. Fittingly released on Spirit Goth, the premier label for this sort of indie/lo-fi/dream-pop sound, this album somehow sounds fresh today and like it could have been a lost cassette dug up from an 80s collectors basement at the same damn time. While the new wave influence is apparent, Cathedral Bells frontman Matt Messore offered up a wider array of influences ranging from David Bowie to Interpol.
Standout Track: Dayflower
FLEE TAPE - Elijah Bank$y
18 tracks, 39 minutes
Released: February 26th, 2021
From: Orange County, NY
Genres: Hip-Hop/Rap, Underground Rap, Lo-Fi
Recommended For Fans Of: Knxwledge, Zelooperz, redveil
After a string of EPs ranging from 7 to 9 tracks, Elijah Bank$y comes through with his full length debut giving an 18 track project. It’s a very smooth listen, the tracks transition into each other very well, something I got to fully appreciate listening to the Soundcloud link that combines the tracklist into one forty minute track. Over those forty minutes, Bank$y flows effortlessly over warm sampled beats backed by heavy 808s. It wouldn’t be obvious from the sound of this project, but Bank$y is a long-time friend and collaborator of Gus Dapperton, who he befriended in high school before he had even started his own music career.
Standout Track: DIOR JOY (Feat. Jaydonclover)
Perla - Prism Bitch
11 tracks, 37 minutes
Released: March 5th, 2021
From: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Genres: Rock, Alternative, Garage
Recommended For Fans Of: Built To Spill, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beach Bunny
New Mexico band Prism Bitch makes a strong first impression on their debut album Perla. The album shifts between catchy riffs with sticky choruses and heavier rock tracks, striking a nice balance between the two styles. Through the music video below, this is obviously a band with great energy at a live set, and they have to be hurting that they can’t give this album a proper release show/tour right now. But the music is easily good enough to stand for itself, with guitar licks and hooks that will keep you coming back for more. Not bad for a group that started as a performance art piece between members of a theatre company before eventually evolving into a real band.
Standout Track: In N Out
A Song
4U - Ojerime
Bandcamp put me onto Ojerime a few weeks ago, and I’m addicted. Must listen for any fans of Aaliyah, and just R&B fans in general. Their whole discography is worth diving into, but this intro track was the first to grab my attention.
A Video
HateSonny - MOONCHILD
HateSonny is looking like he’ll be the next to breakout into a national spotlight from the always vibrant Chicago rap scene. This video from the top of 2021, and the 2020 project the song was featured on, is all the evidence you’ll need.
As I finish this post, I’ve been awake for over 34 straight hours, so forgive me if there are any typos/errors here. Please clap (electronically, by clicking a below button) for me still getting this out on schedule.