I'm hoping Beach Fossils continues to make music. As so many very good bands, Beach Fossils has yet to garner a billion hits/follows on Insta, Spotify, or whatever, but which are nevertheless talented in the extreme. They're worth a listen, have been around a bit, and are a hoot to see live. Their latest full-length album finally gained them a small measure of publicity.
Here's to promoting the little, well-knowns.
yeaji (photo credit: highmark)
It's been refreshing to hear Korean spoken on a nice beat, and not just in K-pop, the reigning genre of Korea, known to every Korean-American. Yaeji is quite melodic and, if her lyrics are any indication, a little devious.
I haven't song this much Korean since the early 2000's, when no-rae-bong was all the rage and soju flowed, and kimchi tasted good. I'll be looking to hear more from this artist and to sing more Korean.
Lyrics: https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Yaeji/drink-i-m-sippin-on/translation/english
Justin Shih and Lauren Morgan
Another beautiful song by Orlando-duo, Sales. That two (and only two) compose music with such complexity should impress listeners and inspires artists working within limited means. Vocals and much of the guitar are done splendidly by Lauren Morgan, whose almost pouty voice is surprisingly strong; as far I can tell (and I've seen them live, up close) Shih plays backup and runs the beat department.
Lovely as always.
You've probably never heard it said of a band, "coming out of Walla Walla". Well, that is, until now. If you didn't know any better you'd say they're from Seattle, with their nod to that city's most notable genre (90's grunge). They are, however, distinct from any grunge band, and we should keep in mind that likeness of genre differs from identity of sound; as biblical writers were inspired, so did they place their personal stamp on every book. So, don't begrudge these ladies placing their mark on, and breathing new life into, a genre people my age consider the anthem of the disaffected and counter-culture. Ah...the refreshing breeze of nostalgia.
The deeper I dig into the band's repertoire, the more I appreciate its whimsical, mildly melancholy, Sonic Youth-inspired sound.
Hats off, ladies.
An overdue post and sweet-sounding melody by Seoul, a Montreal-based trio with a bright future (or, at the very least, blessed with a nice one-hit wonder). Either way, Stay With Us is worthy of your attention.
Probably the most technically-able and pleasant sound you'll hear all year. Real Estate has been around since '09 but stands out most for work done since 2011, Days (2011), Atlas (2014), and Darling (2017). There's good work on each, and each combines a carefree feel with a maturity befitting expert musicianship, particularly on guitar and drums.
A warning about Phaseone - his remixes will make you like his remix more than the song he's remixed. This can be said about several of his works: Animal Collective, Daily Routine; Night Jewel, I Want You Back; and, Radiohead's Videotape (although on this one, I'm not convinced Phaseone's work improves on Radiohead's).
Perhaps one of the best remixes out there; it's old but worth owning. JJ is short for a Swedish name I can't master. Enjoy
Groovy jam from a band who's not known for soul (nor would you expect it from looking at any band member). It's not just that looks can be deceiving; it's that a single song on an album can sound unlike any other. A shot out to Casey.
Way back in 2009, Phoenix dropped one of the best albums of the year, and more likely, 5 years either side of 2009. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix won a grammy (but who the heck cares; seriously, who likes music because of a grammy?) and included at least 4 songs, any one of which most bands would be happy to claim as a single. Fences, posted (no pun), is arguably my favorite.
A delightful song about youth and sex (or, what youth take that to be). There's not a man who can't relate this song to his teenage self and those absurd teenage desires.
J. Cole
Detroit's Danny Brown grew up learning music from his father, a house DJ in and around Motown. Brown's flow is reckless and raw, about the same as his hair and that gap in his teeth (both of which serve as foils to the refined and money-obsessed). Jealousy is an inner-city anthem and masterpiece you've never heard.
You're welcome.
Danny Brown
An old (by contemporary music standards - so, we're talking 2009) slowed-down version of Gucci's iconic Bird Flu. As far as I can tell, Salem hails from Chicago; they have a number of original works on Spotify, but none move quite like this.
Few mashup impress as much as Wait What's (WW's) work with Notorius B.I.G. and the XX. If you hadn't heard of either before hearing WW's masterpiece, you'd leave with love for the XXs' voices and Biggie's flow (three, if you count Wait What).
Wait What announced that the distribution of his mash-up was threatened by lawyers from one of those artists above. But that was some time ago, apparently, because his website offers the tracks - name your price and they're yours.
Phaseone's greatest work is in the "mash-up" genre, introduced by Danger Mouse, and perfected by Diplo and Wait What. Hailing from St. Louis but moving east to more fertile grounds - i.e. Brooklyn. As with most of his fans, I discovered Phaseone via his mash-ups of rare cuts. Unfortunately, his more original compositions have failed to earn him more than nominal popularity (as evidenced by his Spotify account, which indicates that his most popular song has a mere 30K listens). I had hoped Phaseone would be picked up by a hip-hop artist in search of a collaborator; but, alas, Phaseone has fallen off the radar.
Here's to hoping for the best.
In an effort to get him recognized, I'm reposting several of his works.
Dreamy, melodic, simple - The Gloomies' Fire Escape has enjoyed heavy rotation at chez Swanson. I hope they'll fill your household as well.
I believe The Gloomies hail from L.A.
The Gloomies
Long ago, I discovered Lightspeed Champion, a quirky black dude from England with giant spectacles (before giant specs were all the rage) and a 70's perm-gone-straight. After listening to his work religiously, seeing him in concert, and spreading the good word about him, I didn't hear from him until now, when he popped up as, Blood Orange, an R&B singer/producer. He's dropped the Lightspeed persona for a hipper, less quirky one. You can catch him in H&M fashion spreads; his musical productions are wide-spread but generally anonymous (that is, you wouldn't know that he's behind some of the music you listen to). On a purely historical note, Lightspeed Champion once headed a band called Test Icicles, another indie outfit.
Here's to Dev Hynes, re-inventing himself for the third time.
Dev Hynes
Lightspeed Champion
Although it doesn't rise to the level of inspirational, "Living Single" suggests that even the hippest of the hip appreciate long-term love over the single-life. Hats off, gentlemen.
Big Sean
Chance the Rapper
At the behest of my nephew (attending university and def. more hip than I), I'm exploring and posting new hip-hop. If he checks this website, he'll know what everybody else does, that I don't update things often enough to keep up with all the new, good music coming out. Roy Woods hails from Ontario, is associated with Drake; Madeintyo spent some time in Japan, hence TYO. His "Uber Everywhere" is already well known.
Happy listening.
Roy Woods
MadeinTYO
It's hard to imagine a smoother jam, or a sexier diva. Doja Cat is 100% voice and 100% model - everything it takes to make a superstar. I know little of her, other than that she hails from L.A., and that I discovered her on a list of 20 under 20, on a small website (don't ask which). Her music is mature-sounding but her lyrics are geared toward those in her age-range. I doubt it will take her long to be discovered by an opportunistic producer and/or enormous record label.
To get a feel for her screen presence, check out her acoustic performance on Vimeo. I can't imagine not seeing more of this precocious beau.
