Staff Pixx 2/27
Looking for new tunes? The Music Staff submits their favorite songs of each week for the Staff Pixx radio show. If you can’t tune in Thursdays at 9 am, find WECB on Spotify for a full playlist, and read below for notes from each of our writers!
Mateo Rispoli
BALD! by JPEGMAFIA
JPEG’s ode to baldness is a cascade of shimmering hi-hats and arpeggios. His characteristically insightful observations on the industry and the media surrounding it are as scathing as ever. He accuses fans of misquoting his lyrics on the public ‘authority’ of Genius, and condemns unscrupulous critics for proliferating them; he makes sense of his unfortunate hairline as God’s way of balancing out his gift for rapping; he looks like Ray Allen. He’s Peggy, and bald or not, the light reflecting off his finely polished dome only makes him shine brighter.
Owen Murray
Can’t Cool Me Down by Car Seat Headrest
For Car Seat Headrest, one time is never enough. Will Toledo and co. are always reinventing their old music in new compilations (Teens of Style), reimagining entire albums (Twin Fantasy) or recycling and repurposing lyrics for new songs. Their upcoming album Making a Door Less Open is entirely yet-to-be-released but has a head start on re-imagination. It was recorded in its entirety twice; once as a traditional rock band and once entirely synthetic instrumentation. In the end, the two versions were combined for the final product. The lead single “Can’t Cool Me Down” leans towards the synthetic side, and we only hear fleeting hints and the distorted electric guitars we know Car Seat for. It’s a new direction for a band that has reinvented itself numerous times without straying from their garage rock sound.
Lily Hartenstein
The Funkshipz Captain by Funkadelic
I often talk about my love of music and how it comes from my childhood, because to me music is so deeply connected to emotion and one of the most important emotional experiences we have with music are our first ones. Funkadelic is one of the bands I associate with growing up; it was one of the first bands I ever registered as “cool”. Their hypnotic jams with dark, spacey spoken voice lyrics and soulful runs oozed a certain power I adored listening to. It wasn’t until school that I realized Funkadelic isn’t universally understood as the GOAT, and it was just the group of hippies I was raised by. Still, they’re absolute legends, and so to get to witness the sort of underground revival of George Clinton and company is unbelievably exciting. This collaborative album shows that they still know exactly all the right points to hit to create great funk. Instead of being stuck in a sense of nostalgia for the past, like so many musicians as old as the members of Funkadelic are, they’re still having fun and making music that fits just as well in modern funk as it did in the 70’s. May the gods of funk reign forevermore.
J. Faith Malicdem
Midnight by WINEHOUSE
Washington state six-piece collective WINEHOUSE establishes their alt-pop takeover with debut EP Hanover Drive, propelling their aim to “bridge the gap between the stage and audience.” As today’s music ventures into the unexplored and experimental, WINEHOUSE distinguishes themselves by instead bringing forth a timeless style to their sound. The fourth track on Hanover Drive, “Midnight,” is about the freedom that comes with nightfall and the lack of self-control that comes with one’s youth. WINEHOUSE has upcoming spring and summer shows all over Washington state, so be sure to check out their website to witness the up-and-coming group for yourself.
Marissa Cardenas
Ringtone (Remix) by 100 gecs (feat. Charli XCX, Kero Kero Bonito, Rico Nasty)
The original song came out late last year, using the same chorus that is used in the remix where each feature takes their spin at. By taking the risk of adding three other perspectives with the original 100 Gecs’s bassy-poppy “Ringtone,” it ended up working in the duo’s favour. The five performers interest in having electronic elements in their music while allowing their different personalities mesh together is what made this piece work. Each personality is truly accented throughout this remix which is cool to see considering none of them water it down. Charli, taking the role of power while being very much in tune with her body and what she wants, says “he likes me 'cause I'm wild, camera phone in the shower...sounds so good, wanna turn it up loud.” Rico Nasty, comparing herself to cartoons or childlike references (and honestly, rhyming anything together like she did in her AMPD freestyle Wednesday night). Bonito takes the style of talking almost robotic-like, similar to her pop-electronic pieces.
Maximo Lawlor
Movement by Attom & Frye
Attom & Frye is a fairly new artist, and they are releasing singles like no other. “Movement” has a Chillstep EDM vibe, and it captivates your mind when listening to it. Similar to Odesza’s discography and sound, Attom & Frye definitely know how to compose a catchy tune. Even though there are no lyrics, the composition creates an environment in your head that makes you believe you’re on a tropical vacation. I’ve only known of Attom & Frye for a few weeks now, but believe me, this song has been permanently placed in my study session playlist. If you need a new Chillstep song that can help you feel relaxed, “Movement” is the song for you.
Angelee Gonzalez
Toking, Dozing by Feng Suave
Dutch duo Feng Suave has an indie-soul sound like no other. On their first release since 2018, “Toking, Dozing” ponders the problems of our world and people’s lack of interest in greater issues. In a high haze, Feng Suave’s vocalist Daniel de Jong reflects on our indifference to environmental crises, singing “Surely when we die we’ll go someplace / But what about the dolphins?” The activist message is nearly concealed by the song’s sunny, sweet guitar rhythms and de Jong’s soaring, melodic vocals. “Toking, Dozing” is the first single on Feng Suave’s upcoming EP “Warping Youth,” to be released on June 26.
Erin Christie
Container by The Wants
On February 26, Brooklyn three-piece The Wants unveiled that their debut record, Container, is coming out on March 13th; with that announcement comes the release of a track that shares the record’s name.
As “Container” begins, I find myself immediately hyper-fixated on the stoic, almost deadpan vocals of frontman Madison Velding-VanDam. In using the speak-singing style mastered by post-punk frontrunners of the early days (i.e. The Fall), “Container” immediately stands out for all the right reasons. The track’s minimal instrumentation allows the combination of buzzing synths, elements of techno, hypnotic basslines, and occasional snare hits to stand out profoundly against the vocal backdrop. Generally speaking, seconds in, you’ll find yourself rolling your shoulders along with the melody and absolutely consumed by Velding-VanDam’s intoxicating cadence.
The face of dance music is changing, and thankfully, it’s moving in a direction that can appeal to those of us who want to go absolutely feral on the dance floor. Though this is only the fourth track on The Wants’ repertoire, I’m already certain that 2020 is theirs for the taking.
Mara Tatevosian
Flowers by Habibi
Off their latest album, Anywhere But Here, Habibi’s “Flower” is the most underrated of their songs. The song subtly reflects Habibi’s ability to blend cultures and musical influences. Frontwoman Rahill Jamalifard’s Iranian roots partnered with the band’s 60s garage rock sound makes for a fun time. Jamalifard’s vocals evoke a similar essence to the Iranian songstresses of the early '70s and take the song in a different direction – stepping away from the album’s original instrumental themes. As one of the longer songs on the album, it gives the band time to tell an intimate story of reconciliation. The lilting melody is backed with soft tambourines and tombak, hinting at the Middle Eastern influences of the band.
Mica Kendall
Garden Song by Phoebe Bridgers
After her recent tour announcements about opening for inspiring big acts like The 1975 and The National, the Queen of emo folk music, Phoebe Bridgers, is back with her refreshing new single “A Garden Song.” Released only just yesterday Phoebe’s newest single reaffirms why her growing influx of fans fell in love with her for heartbreaking but poetic songwriting. “A Garden Song” mirrors her recent dreamscape music video blending in a fever dream memory of the past to ignite nostalgia in the listener. Combined with Phoebe’s soft vocals as she sings “Everything’s growing in our garden/ you don’t have to know that it's haunted” alongside a dancing cowboy, Phoebe Bridgers knows how to keep her fans both sad and entertained.
Isaiah Anthony
We Will Always Love You by The Avalanches (feat. Blood Orange)
In this rare single from the Australian electronic music group, The Avalanches team up with English singer/songwriter Dev Hynes, a.k.a. Blood Orange, to create a moody, dreamy track that bridges contemporary with classic, pulling vocals from Motown legend Smokey Robinson and the Irish-American folk centerpieces The Roches. “We Will Always Love You” is the first new track from the Avalanches since their sophomore album, Wildflower, was released in 2016. If the single heralds the beginning of an album cycle, it is an astonishing turnaround for the group, who took sixteen years between their debut album, Since I Left You (2000), and its follow up.