diSKOAver weekly: week of May 3, 2023
Heya cute lil disco babies ✨🪩
Given that we are in the middle of one hell of a Mercury Retrograde (😮💨) and also about to have a major lunar eclipse in Scorpio on Friday that’s all about releasing what doesn’t serve you, I thought it would be helpful to offer the collective some amulets of protection and strength to navigate any particularly prickly moments of reflection that you may experience over the next few days.
I won’t front, it’s been pretty prickly the last few months. As I mentioned previously, I’ve felt stuck in this transitional phase that I’ve been in for awhile and decided to do some digging to see if there was anything that I was missing that was preventing my progress. What I finally allowed myself to see had been in front of me the whole time. If I may be so vulnerable to the void, I will bravely admit that I was toting around some really heartbreaking self limiting beliefs. I was allowing myself believe that:
I am a disposable person 😔
Connection with me is something people can easily let go of 😞
My full authenticity is *too much* and pointless to offer anyone because people will abruptly leave you no matter what anyway 🫥
A relationship with me isn’t worth fighting for 🫠
I’ve been essentially wearing these self limiting beliefs as a pair of prescription lenses that are VERY MUCH NOT YOUR PRESCRIPTION ANYMORE. 👓 For people who have privileged eyesight and have never experienced what happens when the prescription is off on your corrective lenses, it fuckin SUCKS. 😩 You get headaches from the eye strain and all sorts of other micro annoyances until you can rectify the issue and go back to full clarity.
Happy to report that those metaphorical contact lenses have been chucked into the fuckin bin, y’all. 🚮
As a result, I’ve been carefully setting some new boundaries to reflect my restored vision. This morning after meditation I drew the Nine of Wands, of which Jessica Dore’s reflections on that particular card in her book, Tarot For Change: Using The Cards For Self-Care, Acceptance, and Growth just so happen to be about boundaries. 😎
She writes that,
“Ideally what we want is a boundary that’s firm, visible from a mile away but not unwelcoming. There’s a doorway through the wall, but the gatekeeper is discerning and has a zero-tolerance policy for nonsense.”
I liken this line of thinking to that of all things, a bubble. 🫧
Think about it. Visible from a good distance and completely transparent but something that you know if you were to penetrate it you would literally wreck the whole vibe. Furthermore, bubbles are adaptive in more ways than just floating around making Ozzy Osbourne feel less like the Prince of Fucking Darkness. Bubbles can freeze and be rigid and seemingly impenetrable, which while looking kinda cool aren’t as fun as regular bubbles because they’re too heavy to be all floaty and cute. They can also bump into other bubbles and subsequently stick together and float around together in fun new shapes as a result. 🫧
To me, this last lil bitty bit here is ✨the goal✨. Right? I’ve had to learn the hard way that having good boundaries with yourself means only sticking to people who wouldn’t want to burst your bubble, and a good indictor of that is whether or not you actually see a bubble when you encounter anyone outside of your own. 🧐
On communicating boundaries, Dore offers the following (my flair added),
“I often think of communicating a boundary as a bit like getting informed consent from someone. 🫧It’s right to let others know the terms of engagement before they get involved. This keeps you safe, and it also keeps the other person safe from the possibility of your exploding in a fit of rage because you said yes too many times when you should’ve said no. 🫧 It’s scary to be close with people who give indiscriminately without a sense of their own limits.”
Apparently I’ve been in the energy of this bubble metaphor for boundaries for awhile now, because I just remembered this little nugget of wisdom from my chat with Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac that I’ll leave you with (and obvi my flair again):
"It is what you make it," he said, "It's your bubble man. You're in a bubble when you're out here [on tour] but it's your bubble. Like we say 'life's good in the bubble, man'. You know, for a lot you get to choose what's there and what's not, you know? So we just kind of keep it sane back there, […].”
So much love to all of you. Now go blow some beautiful bubbles already!
🫧💖✨
Fischerspooner - “Amuse Bouche”
KAMAUU - “the vibe — A COLORS SHOW”
Chris-n-Teeb - “First”
Lily Allen “Trigger Bang (feat. Giggs)”
Yves Tumor - “Purified By Fire”
Joshwa - “Magalenha”
Pat Lok - “Set Me Free (feat. Kiinjo)”
Mont Duamel - “Young”
Moullinex - “Break Me In Pieces (feat. GPU Panic)”
Qveen Herby - “NAH”
Courtney Govan - “stay still”
Posie Pocket - “Peace>Pleasure”
Aaron Taylor - “Patience (feat. Madison Ryann Ward)”
NAMIRÉ - “Let Go”
Bayonne - “Solo”
Sego - “SURRENDER”
3️⃣9️⃣
I turn 39 today. ✨🪩
I HAD THIS MOMENT YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS WORKING ON THIS PLAYLIST (BOTH THE ARTWORK AND THE MIX ITSELF) WHERE I WAS THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE VERSIONS OF ME THAT CAME BEFORE THIS CURRENT ONE, SPECIFICALLY THAT SWEET YOUNG THING THAT STARTED BARFING HER FEELINGS ONTO THE INTERNET ABOUT MUSIC AND COMMUNITY ON 😮💨GEOCITIES 😮💨 before shit like Napster even existed.
That version of me used to light up at the end of Spaceship Earth at EPCOT when we would go on class field trips, taking in all of the projections for what the future could look like with technological advancements. I distinctly remembering it feeling like a big deal that we were gonna be able to video chat from all over the world one day. Like that was gonna be a monumental moment in the history of humanity.
…Meanwhile these days I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people accidentally video call me on Instagram. 😂
I thought about all the things I would tell that version of me if I were ever granted the opportunity. That girl would be so excited about all the cool ways we get to connect and share music with each other.
She would also be so proud of how we’ve overcome all of the obstacles that life’s thrown at us and, most importantly, our determination to keep our heart wide open no matter how hurtful experiencing life can be at times.
And that….feels really fucking good. 😎
You know, speaking of video chatting and birthdays, it wasn’t too long ago that we were all forced to have zoom birthday parties. In about 2 weeks it’ll have been officially a year since I had COVID after dodging it for as long as I could. knowing how many people we’ve lost since my first lockdown birthday, I am especially grateful for the ability to be sentimental on the internet with y’all today.
Oh! Ways you can celebrate my life with me today if you feel so inclined:
🙏🏻 take a moment or three to be grateful to be above ground
🪩 throw yourself a little dance party to my cutie bday playlist
🎂 do something nice for yourself
💰 donate to Alzheimer’s Association in honor of #mamakibbe since today was her birthday, too
🤩 all of the above simultaneously (it is possible, we have the technology, and you wouldn’t wanna let little kibbe down, now would you?)
And with that, to quote the incomparable Mike Skinner,
💿“Play the playlist! Play the playlist!” 💿
Love y’all so so so much!
diSKOAver weekly: week of March 15, 2023
omg I’m so tired of winter. 😩
I know spring is coming. I see hints of it everywhere. I’ve had days lately where I’ll be freezing at an evening out somewhere because I forget that the sun can make chilly sunshiny days bearable. Even though I lived in New York for long enough that I know that sometimes there is snow on the ground for my birthday in April, as soon as I see Easter candy at the store the day after Valentine’s Day my brain is anticipating when I can start ditching all the layers. It doesn’t help at all that Raleigh weather is nutty and there were a couple of days where it was close to 80º so I was convinced it was almost *hoodie and flip flop season*.
I think this winter also feels especially irritating because in a way I feel like I’ve been in an emotional/spiritual winter of sorts for the last few years that feels like it’s coming to a close, too. For a second there I had a moment where I guess some 🌸metaphorical blossoms prematurely bloomed🌸 or something. Felt just like the fluke of a heatwave IRL. It was so nice when it seemed like it was all finally over, but apparently I’ve still got a little ways to go.😮💨 But the growth was there. I saw it. Which means the seeds I’ve been planting are about to make a move.
It’s so fucking hard being patient even if I know better. I’m tired of feeling like I’m dragging my way through my days with little to show for externally, even if this season in particular feels especially prescribed. I know I’ve needed this downtime, but I genuinely can’t tell what the appropriate pace for my life is anymore. Like I’m not sure if I’ve ever know what a balanced life actually feels like in my body. I know that the pace I was going at in New York was unsustainable, especially with no proper chance to rest from any of the metric shit ton of trauma I endured while I was there, but since I’ve been in Raleigh it feels like every time I’ve attempted to barely tap the accelerator it’s almost as if I’m being asked to slow down even more. Compared to what my life was pre-pandem I feel like from the outside my life looks about as exciting as watching paint dry. 😑 The thing is, there’s so much reprocessing and integration going on internally that I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about how much I’ve kept to myself. I feel like when my phone’s at 3% 🪫 and I switched it into low power mode so then it doesn’t take forever to get it back up to a full charge. I stripped my life down to the barest of essentials so I could focus on rapid restoration for as long as it felt right to. ⚡️
Surrendering to this whole process has been an ordeal of its own, but it would have been even worse if I hadn’t stayed dedicated to my meditation practice. Good lorde. you want something that costs zero fucking dollars and will dramatically transform you? Fucking meditate, yo. Take minimum 5 minutes out of your day and very tenderly, lovingly, and compassionately tell your 🧠 to STFU. Just hold the fuck still. Wipe the slate clean of all the mixed messages in your brain that are coming from every direction so you’re able to see where they come from and direct them accordingly when they inevitably come back. And they *will* come back. Meditation is a practice. It is never something you truly master.
Also - my Aries sun feels compelled to challenge you that if 5 minutes seems like too much time to be alone with your thoughts….. then make it fucking 10. Or 15. 🤪 Seriously. If it feels that impossible give yourself the space to actually practice. From when I picked it back up at the beginning of yoga teacher training through January I was averaging between 15-20 minutes every morning before I journaled. Then a thing happened in my life where I found myself in a predicament where I was really triggered and trying to do right by all parties involved. I noticed that I was having a hard time getting present. I kept trying to rehearse all sorts of scenarios so I felt prepared because I was scared that I would be rejected or abandoned for a mistake I made. It even hijacked my meditation practice. So I decided that until I could meditate without rehearsing overtaking my allotted time that I needed to practice for even longer. As a result, I’m averaging closer to 30 minutes every morning now. 🤯 It’s crazy how your body starts to crave that ritual of conscious stillness. My abandonment issues have long made stillness/silence an indicator that something bad is about to happen and I need to be on high alert, so that makes my practice nothing short of a fucking miracle. 😮💨 It’s been incredible how meditation has helped me see that stillness can be an invitation for you to experience the richness of life as it slowly unfolds in front of you, and as a result the dissemination occurs in such a way that no matter what you always feel prepared even if you’re going in completely blind because the commitment you’ve made to your peace is unwavering. It is an entirely different way of living when your emotions are simply helpful indicators on your HUD as you navigate this open world MMORPG we call life, but you remember that you’re the one holding the controller. 🎮
Spring will be here any minute now. Literally. The Equinox is on Monday. 🔜
Maybe these last few weeks have been like the last few minutes of a guided meditation where the guide cues for the meditator to invite gentle movement back into the body. Just like it’s generally not good for a car to go from zero to 150 in 30 seconds, one does not typically leap up wide eyed within seconds of true stillness. You wiggle your fingers and toes, roll your wrists and ankles, and maybe treat yourself to a full body stretch before you open your eyes to the world and all its stimuli. I’m hoping this is the literal final stretch before spring officially kicks off. Either way, I’m grateful to say that I’m genuinely looking forward to savoring every last second of this next phase now that I’m equipped to protect my peace every step of the way.
Until next time
💖
1. Anoraak - “Hold Me”
2. DEVO - “Out OF Sync”
3. Kaelin Ellis - “GET RIGHT! (feat. C.S. Armstrong)”
4. Cautious Clay - “Puffer”
5. The Kickdrums - “Impatient (Slow Down)”
6. Madame Ghandi - “Heart Wide Open”
7. Khalid x Disclosure - “Know Your Worth”
8. Home - “Resonance”
9. KAYTRANADA - “2 The Music (feat. Iman Omari)”
10. mauv - Change Will Come Anyway (feat. Pixx)”
11. Too Many Ts - “That’s Life (feat. Palmaria & Fly X Night)”
12. blackwave - “home (feat. Caleborate)”
13. Duran Duran - “You Kill Me With Silence”
14. Poolside - “Getting There From Here (feat. Todd Edwards)”
15. Sound of Fractures - “Sunflowers”
16. Supershy - “Don’t Let Go”
diSKOAver weekly: week of February 15, 2023
OMG hi! ✨👋🏻
I did it! Two playlits in a a week! I know this isn’t wednesday but I was tryna give you some space to sit with all of those lovely love songs. Isn’t that just a vibe point five? ✨💖
(Yes, as in a vibe and a half. Just let me have this okay?)
ANYWAY!
I had planned on gushing to you about something else but in the last 24 hours I have just been ravenously reading that new Rick Rubin book The Creative Act: A Way Of Being that came out last month.
oh my fucking god. This book has me so excited to be alive. Mostly because I am so relieved that I am not alone in treating music and overall creativity this sacredly. It’s made me reflect a lot on how sacred I treat the act of sharing music with people. This shit just lights me up so much. GOT ME THINKING ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER DRAMATIC THINGS I COULD EXPERIMENT WITH HERE NOW THAT I REALIZE JUST HOW FEW FUCKS I GIVE ABOUT BEING COOL. 🤩 But yeah, that book is really good. According to the data on the Kindle app, I’ve got about an hour left to go before I have completely absorbed the wonders of that book.
I was going to share a sweet lil rando anecdote, but in an attempt to keep my promise to myself (and you) that I’d keep DW fresh on a weekly basis while also making time for this thing that’s got me all inspired I’d like to share an excerpt that I really needed to hear this week in hopes that it helps someone else (and demonstrates how good this fucking book is so you’ll go get it, too!)
FORMATTING AND FLAIR ALL MINE BC WE KNOW I LOVE BEING DRAMATIC WHEN I’M REALLY INSPIRED :
“Patience is required for the nuanced development of your craft.
Patience is required for taking in information in the most faithful way possible.
Patience is required for crafting a work that resonates and contains all that we have to offer.
Every phase of an artist's work and life benefits from cultivating this achievable habit.
Patience is developed much like awareness. Through an acceptance of what is.
Impatience is an argument with reality.
The desire for something to be different from what we are experiencing in the here and now. A wish for time to speed up, tomorrow to come sooner, to relive yesterday, or to close your eyes then open them and find yourself in another place.
Time is something that we have no control over.
So patience begins with acceptance of natural rhythms.
The implied benefit of impatience is to save time by speeding up and skipping ahead of those rhythms. Paradoxically, this ends up taking more time and using more energy. It's wasted effort. When it comes to the creative process, patience is accepting that the majority of the work we do is out of our control.
We can't force greatness to happen.
All we can do is invite it in and await it actively. Not anxiously, as this might scare it off. 😑
Simply in a state of continual welcoming. 👋🏻
If we remove time from the equation of a work's development, what we're left with is patience. Not just for the development of the work, but for the development of the artist as a whole.
Even the masterpieces that have been produced on tight timelines are the sum of decades spent patiently laboring on other works.
If there is a rule to creativity that's less breakable than the others, it's that the need for patience is ever-present.”
😮💨
I’m telling you, there’s so much good stuff in there!!!
There’s so much good stuff in this week’s update too! Left you lil notes bc ilysm.
You know you’re always welcome to HMU if you wanna talk more about any of these sweeties right? My DMs are always open.
also: Briefly thought about actually making discord happen on an ✨official SKOA basis✨ so people could come hang and find people to talk to that are into the bands I cover on here. Would that interest anyone? 🤔 Anyway it’s an idea and I wrote it down so we’re still doing better than usual.
Talk soon bestie!
💖
1. Purple Disco Machine x Bosq- “Wake Up! (feat. Kaleta)”
I didn’t realize that Purple Disco Machine won a Grammy for his Lizzo remix of “About Damn Time”! Those categories should get more screen love. NARS still has… a lot more room for growth with The Grammys.😅
2. Kinder - “Bus Stop”
Speaking of remixes, one of my favorite Aussie angels Mickey Kojak did a really sick remix of this Kinder track. But you deserve to hear the original first!!! This shit s l a p s ⚡️. Think it’s been awhile since I found a new baby band that were sisters! Anyway I am adding Briony and Savannah to the list of dope women in Australia that I hope wanna be my friend one day.
3. Amtrac - “Last Chance”
There is something in the new Amtrac record that is like I got reunited with a part of my soul or something.🥺 Yes I know how dramatic that sounds. I really can’t get enough of it. There’s something I’ve been putting it on to journal in the mornings. I need to spend an evening obsessing over all the little details of it. So fucking good! 🤩
4. Nilüfer Yanya - “the dealer”
Still in the ✨getting to know you✨ phase with Nilüfer but I really love this quote about “The Dealer”:
“When I was writing this song I was thinking about the transient nature of life and the cyclical nature of the seasons. I find it interesting how we attach certain memories and feelings to different seasons and tend to revisit them time and time again, yet our lives move in a more linear motion and even when we feel like we are going back we never really get to go back anywhere. Musically speaking it’s a bit more playful and relaxed.”
5. Celebrity - “Disconnected”
This song randomly comes back to me about once a year since I first heard it when I was living in Nasvhille for college. I feel like once you hear this chorus it will never leave you for as long as you live. It’s just so well made. I always feel like I’ve gotta pay extra close attention to my relationships when it suddenly comes roaring into my brain.
Side Note: Does that kinda stuff happen to you with music?
6. I Know Leopard - “Nothing Is Real”
Oh I just realized how many Australian baby bands are in this update 😂. Anyway ICYMI I Know Leopard dropped such a beautifully earnest EP last year. This bleak lil upbeat ditty is the title track. I love energetic sad songs. It seems like you can process feelings faster the more forcefully you are able to sing along to something.
7. MID CITY - “Compromise”
More Aussie babies!!! I’m so excited to see MID CITY is back at it! Allegedly there’s an arsenal of more music on the way. 2023 really is going to be the fucking best year, isn’t it?
8. We Are Scientists - “Operator Error”
Okay I don’t have time to explain everything you need to know about what lobes is and why it’s the name of their new album, but I thought the story behind this song was cool and thought I’d share. Here’s the story from vocalist/guitarist Keith Murray:
"I have a tendency to deliver hot takes and to get extraordinarily overheated about utterly inconsequential things. I got into a multi-hour argument over whether Top Gun: Maverick is a halfway decent movie. Maybe it’s weird, then, that I also tend to be pretty sanguine over big issues. It’s fairly hard to drag me into a heated fight, or to get me to say something that I’ll later come to regret," continues Murray. "On important matters, I like to keep quiet, to listen to everyone else’s take, and to silently build my own bullet-proof argument, which nobody else will ever hear. I operate in dual modes – one where I’m apt to deliver my dumb opinion with little provocation, and one in which it’s almost impossible to get me to say what I’m really thinking. It’s probably a pretty frustrating character trait for the people who are trying to engage me in consequential conversation, and I apologize to my friends and my enemies, alike."
9. Oliver Tree - “Miss You (feat. Robin Schulz)”
I really appreciate all of the chaos that is Oliver tree. That said, I never ever want to beef with Oliver Tree ever. 😳
10. Clive From Accounts - “You Understand”
I really gotta spend an evening going down the rabbit hole on this corner of the internet. THere are so many little nooks and crannies full of these fun dance projects with punny names that are all about that vaporwave windows 95 aesthetic. For the most part I’ve never had any complaints about what I’ve come into contact with. These kinds of artists make me feel like I have more friends to find out in the world, you know?
11. Marxist Love Disco Ensemble - “Engineers”
I think if I hadn’t found this record so late in the year it would’ve been my album of the year. Seriously. This is the blurb from the label that put out this record. I am so fucking obsessed with this vibe:
“The format and message of pop and disco are commonly viewed just to entertain and move bodies around a dancefloor; however, lyrically, the subjects range from dialectical and historical materialism, class struggle, Marxist theory and praxis, as well as the concept of Marxist disco music. In the words of band member Paolo, "MLDE was written in response to hearing 'I love America' by Patrick Juvet. The song prompted the question: why does disco, a genre originally created by oppressed minorities, eventually become synonymous with Western capitalist excess?" MLDE seeks to break this connection.”
12. Benoît Pioulard - “Tet”
I would like to have Thomas Meluch (dba Benoît) on call to lull me to sleep on command. His voice is so enchanting. I came to know him from a feature he did on this Lusine record. Proof that his voice is a versatile and really incredible instrument. Swoooooon 🥰
13. Thomas Azier - “Invisible”
Speaking of epic voices, Thomas Azier really has one of the most elegant and debonair voices in recent memory. The precision in his delivery can really kick up a multitude of feels in any given moment. He definitely knows how to weild his powers.
14. Kings Of Convenience - “Love Is A Lonely Thing”
So so so so so happy to have discovered that Kings of Convenience put out a record in 2021!! I have been enamoured with these guys since college! 😍
15. Lola Young - “Stream Of Consciousness”
I’m really excited to have tumbled into Lola Young. I watched this video the other day that was essentially an overview of Lily Allen’s career and how she really ushered this new era for British women in music with her experimentation and vulnerability while building off of the kind of storytelling that Mike Skinner was doing with The Streets. Since then when I’ve put on this song I’ve thought about how a song like “Stream Of Consciousness” is such a beautiful evolution of that work and how much a song like this would mean to me if I were in my 20s. Happy for the zoomers that they get to have her. 🥹
16. Flavien Berger - “Les yeux, le reste”
I have watched his performance of this song on Colors a few times now and still can’t figure out why you can see his breath in this. I don’t know enough about how they film these but for the sake of my sanity I’m gonna assume he’s just so chill as fuck that when he sings you always see his breath. Doesn’t matter either way, still think he’s smoochable as hell 😘
Nothin But Fuckin Love Songs vol. 4
OH HULLO! ✨👋🏻
How’s my Valentine!?!?! 💘
Yo remember when I had a lot of intense but well meaning things to say about love on Valentines Day when I dropped vol. 2 back in 2021? I just had such a moment looking back at that post now, it’s so beautiful to be able to witness myself at the beginning of this healing journey I’ve been on. I’ve really been committed to making space for everyone to feel loved since I got in the thick of this. (She’s always been such a sweet sweetie! 🥹)
So wild to think of how little space I was actually making for myself in that moment.
It can be really hard to see the love around you, let alone be open to receive all of it. I didn’t realize just how bad I had gotten at receiving love until I was fortunate enough to enroll in yoga teacher training in the fall of last year. During the week when we were covering the heart chakra, we were told we would be doing an exercise where we were going to sit in a circle with our knees touching, hands on our knees, and then have someone sit in the center of the circle. That person was then supposed to make eye contact with you, say something they loved about you, and you were just supposed to take a breath and receive whatever they said while maintaining eye contact.
You had to rotate and have this experience with every single person in the circle.
Yeah.
I remember thinking to myself, “OMG That sounds so uncomfortable. Watch, they’re going to make me go first or some shit.”
THEY TOTALLY FUCKING DID. 😂
Let’s just say thankfully(?) it was just about as overwhelming for everyone else as it was for me. 😮💨 I probably had the most snot on my hoodie tho 😪. It was so fucking sweet. We all got so much closer after that.
I’ll never forget that experience. It’s made me think a lot about how it seems like it’s become just as hard to receive love as it is to feel comfortable asking for it, and not just from other people, but also from ourselves.
I’ve recently started to use love songs as a litmus test to see where I’m at with my relationship with myself on any given day. 🧪 If I catch myself hung up on a song and I’m feeling anxious as a result, I pay attention to how the lover is addressed in the song and show up for myself in that way. When the song goes back to feel good vibes that’s how I know I’ve done my job effectively. It’s a pretty cool concept to experiment with. I invite you to give it a try with your favorite love songs. Alternatively, as per usual, I’ve assembled another stack of songs from my stockpile for my annual offering, so if you’re open to receiving some love from me while you venture inward, amazing. You can also just listen to these and pretend like they’re all for you, too. You know how to love yourself best (or you should anyway), so take all the love you need from these pixels you’re interacting with right now.
Sending you Lots of love, Valentine! 💖
diSKOAver weekly: week of February 8, 2023
Ayo bestie what’s good !?🥰👋🏻
To quote my absolute favorite vine of all time,
✨✨GUESS WHO’S BACK AND BETTER THAN EVAH!? ✨✨
omg the way that i have missed this space. 😮💨
Also, how do we like the new digs? 🥰
Isn't it fun here now!? I'm obsessed with this design! 🤩
There are still a lot of tweaks left to do. Porting over *CHecks Notes* about10k blog posts and shit to a new Squarespace account so I could have all of the latest features to play around with was a bit tedious, but if I’m being honest I don’t regret it. This shit is pretty cool! RIGHT? RIGHT?🥺 Anyway I’m working on it, so please excuse the stardust in the meantime. 💫
Bestie you would be so proud of me. I’ve been doing so much work on myself while I was away. I learned so much about how I came to be Some Kind of Awesome and the way that unbeknownst to me until literally this past weekend that this little web log of mine has been a little beautiful container for healing. It’s so funny, ever since this site transitioned back over to just being me contributing I’ve had such a hard time feeling comfortable with doing whatever the fuck I want to here. The long and the short of it is internalized sexism fucking sucks and I’ve learned that the only effective vaccine for protecting yourself from your insecurities is 💉radical self acceptance💉, bb.
Oh I forgot to send you this when I first saw it. 😑 My bad, I’ve been ruminating on this Instagram post that Questlove made as he was in the throes of processing and grieving the loss of renowned rapper Takeoff, who we lost to gun violence. Tell me this doesn’t just stop you dead in your fucking tracks:
No wonder the never ending quest of being cool is so fucking toxic. It’s literally a byproduct of white supremacy/systemic racism. 🙃
God I used to want to be seen as 🥶 cool🥶 so bad. I used to waste so much brain space worrying about how I was being perceived. I would literally exhaust myself overthinking every little last pixel of this place, trying to prove that I was like, worthy of an industry that has time and time again showcased that they intend to strip you of everything that makes you so perfectly and wonderfully you in order to essentially win a popularity contest. I can never decide if living with that as our reality is more embarrassing or infuriating, you know what I mean? Like we have lost (and continue to lose) so many people in this community to mental health related issues because we push artists to such unrealistic standards to try to keep up with capitalism’s insatiable desires. As a recovering perfectionist myself, I can share from firsthand account that just feeling the pressure to perform without a single mistake all day every day will take you to the darkest and twistiest of places inside one’s big beautiful brain. Musicians then have to factor in the grueling demands of touring until you drop dead while fanbases leave them feeling beholden instead of empowered because their art gets reduced to something that if it’s not solely consumed in excess it’s considered worthless. that’s so fucking gross. 🤢
IDK about you bestie, but everyone I know who makes music is trying to 🔌 connect 🔌. They wanna connect people to shared experiences. To parts of their firsthand lived experience that someone else may not have been exposed to so that the slight shift in perspective just for a handful of moments might click something into place in their spirit so they can know themselves better. You know, like all the things that art is about! 🤩 as someone who was briefly obsessed with trying to monetize people’s consumption of my self expression with the unrealistic expectation of somehow eliciting an insatiable demand for my ✨rock mom ramblings✨, I can tell you it makes you feel really fucking worthless that the thing that makes you happy will probably never fit unless you change every last thing that makes what you have to offer so special in this lifetime.
And bestie like, you’re so fucking special. Especially to me. 🥹 Has anyone told you that yet today? Because if not I can say it again and like 200 more times today and for the rest of our lives if you want. Cheering you on to greatness is my 2nd favorite thing in the world (after making playlists, obvi).
🪩 The world deserves to see you in your most authentic form of self expression that you feel safe enough to release out into the world. Whatever that is. Regardless if it’s on trend or not. Period. 🪩
As you can see, all this radical self acceptance I’ve been practicing’s got me riled up, bestie! So much so that I woke up this morning and decided that I had to make sure that in the time we’ve been apart that you haven’t forgotten that your creative expression is so precious to this world and you deserve to have people take the time to make you feel seen and that they deeply understand what you are conveying to them. AND! AND! You deserve to feel abundant as fuck as a result of your willingness to be that fucking vulnerable. Not everyone can do it like you do, yo. Your way is so magical! you’re really just out there drastically changing lives all effortlessly and shit by doing what comes naturally to you. And yeah, ofc there are gonna be some people out in the world that will forever be committed to misunderstanding you, but honestly that’s their fucking loss. Just look at you In all your splendor enduring all this hot pink to connect with me right now! Making me feel all seen and valued and shit. 🥰 anyone who wants to sleep on you is gonna be kicking themselves for the lapse in judgement eventually, so just try to focus on the people who try to give as many fucks as I do about what you do.
You know how I love to make you playlists, so I’ve decided that as a way to be a good friend to you that I’m going to commit myself to sharing all the songs that have been helping me get to the really beautiful place that my spirit has settled into lately. It’s been really wild to see how all these songs that have sought me out in the last few years were helping me retrain my brain so I could be the person who is blissfully babbling into a Squarespace to you right now. I’m so excited to see what resonates with you. That’s by far my favorite part of music: that moment when you can really see another person from a very specific perspective that could only have been facilitated by self expression. Makes my eyes water just typing that 🥹.
I hope these songs make you feel as safe and supported as I feel right now having you here reading this. I saw this sticker recently from this decolonial Native Xicana Feminist Fanzine that I stumbled into on Instagram awhile back that said, “We keep each other safe so we can be dangerous together.” Huh, I guess my brain needed to simmer with that for a minute so I could be inspired to drop you this playlist. Anyway I’m gonna wrap this up so I can get to work on your Valentine for next week💘. You know how much I love Valentine’s Day.
To recap: I think you’re the fucking best. I’m proud of you all day every day. please don’t overthink anything that makes you feel like the happiest and most authentic version of yourself. Keep doing what you’re doing. Stay true to yourself. Fuck the haters. And fuck worrying about being cool. You’re so much more than cool. You’re everything. Also, you don’t have to stress about where you’re tryna go, you’re already there. 🪩✨
That’s all for now.
Talk soon, you little sweet sweetie!
Love you!
p.s. I did that thing I always do where I put lil notes in the tracklist below so you’d feel extra special. Excited to hear your thoughts!
1. DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? - “Guess Who Just Rolled Back Into Town”
You’ll have to excuse me, I think I’m hilarious opening with this. Also lotta people missed this one when it dropped last year so had to make sure you saw it.
2. salome - “What’s Home”
I regret not venturing out in the rain last year when I was in Paris to see Salome. Woulda made catching covid while I was there worth it. 😮💨
3. Memphis LK - "Tricky”
It makes me so happy to see Memphis LK doing so well.🥰 Has it really been *checks notes* almost 3 full years since I first fell for her? Hell yeah. My love is steadfast when the vibe is right and she’s def ✨got it✨.
4. Son Little - “drummer”
I love Aaron so much. I am always so thrilled to see him doing well. This is such a fuckin jam. If it doesn’t make you do a cute lil shimmy then maybe you need a nap (or I need to remember that not everyone chair dances as often as I do).
5. Djo - “Change”
About to make you sound really cool at parties: did you know that Joe Keery of Stranger Things fame is in a band and it fuckin RULES!? I think I love the new record so much because I’m convinced that Joe is channeling Matt Mahaffey, which is weird because he’s very much alive and well. He’s even apparently working on another sElf record! But yeah, back to Joe. It's such a cool little record that could not be anymore well received by yours truly.
6. Telenova - “Haunted”
Bestie did I tell you that Slum Sociable broke up? 😭 As you can imagine, I was absolutely fucking beside myself. But! In true Aussie fashion as detailed to me by the homies in Kingswood, there was an amalgamation of talented Aussies that emerged from that chapter coming to a close. If you thought Slum Sociable was the shit Telenova will absolutely knock your fucking socks off. Singer Angeline Armstrong is such a powerhouse and cool as hell. If I have to swim to Australia, put the band on my back, and swim them to America myself I’ll fucking do it. That’s how badly I want to be her friend 🥺.
7. Casually Here - “Apex”
“Hey Kibbe what was your most played song of 2022?” This absolute fucking masterpiece. This whole record is good, but this is just such a stunning little meditative moment. If I’m freaking out about something this can normally calm me down pretty quickly. AND Nic was a real one dropping it on the first day of birthday month. What’s not to love?
8. Fyfe + Iskra Strings - “Egosystem”
Now this lil lovely, whewwww. Makes my heart soar. If you feel like swooning for about 45 minutes, this is your record.
9. Ab-Soul + Zacari - “Do Better”
This song is so well written and meticulously executed. I love how when I’m in a moment where I’m being really hard on myself that the hook feels perfectly reflective of the moment so I can help the feeling come and go with ease, but then once the feeling passes I find it motivating. Potent medicine here. Be careful tho! It’s addictive.
10. DanDlion - “I Can’t Go FOr That (No Can Do)”
Speaking of addictive, this is one of the best covers I’ve ever heard. I can’t get enough of it. I hope that Dandlion has his moment soon. It’s gotta be any second now at this rate. His vocal performance on this is just 🤌🏻.
11. Mason + The Melody Men - “Better On My Own”
Choosing to be more deliberate with my energy even if it means I’ve been mostly keeping to myself during this little emotional growth spurt has made me feel as good as this song does.
12. Étienne de Crécy - “Kepler 186f”
You deserve to strut around like the kooky little badass that you are and this is the song to ensure that.
13. HERO - “POWER”
FYI - If you play this one loudly enough when you’re having a moment of uncertainty in the power that you posess, the feeling typically subsides by the end of this song.
14. Kutay Soyocak - “Hiçbir Şey”
The darkling lead singer of Jakuzi released this little one off solo track last year and it makes me feel like a lil sexy ass glitch witch every time I put it on. 🔮 Oh speaking of that sweet boy. He’s been posting Mutual Aid resources related to the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria on his instagram stories but they’re all in Turkish. NPR shared this detailed resource of ways to lend your support from over here.
15. Yulia Niko + EREZ - “I’m Everything”
I have a goal to get this added to a playlist at the yoga studio I’ve been going to while I’m in Raleigh by the end of the week. This was cool to flow to the other day when I practiced at home, but I want this loud in the studio with my favorite yogis. This song is badass.
16. Myd - “We Found It (feat. Bakar)”
Speaking of yoga, I have the most beautiful memory associated with this song now. When I was in Paris in August 2021, I stayed in a studio on a houseboat on the Seine (yes, really). I had a little private terrace where I could do yoga outside. It was heaven. I added this song to a yoga playlist I made for my practice on the houseboat and this song always came on when I was in camel pose, which is a heart opener. Anyway, one afternoon around the full moon (which was also a Blue Moon) I was in camel pose listening this song. The sky was so blue. The clouds were puffy and white. THe moon was out and really feeling herself. My heart was so full. I hope you get the same feeling I did from this one. 💖
diSKOAver weekly: Week of December 15, 2021
Hiii I don’t want y’all to think I popped in for one update only to vanish again for months on end. Truth be told, a bitch got her booster on Monday (🙏🏻) and did not anticipate how much it would affect her stamina for shouting into the void about songs I adore. I’m kind of obsessed with this update because *Stefon voice* it’s got a a little bit of everything: a conspiracy theory about a ✨magic manifestation song✨, a drugged out music video shot by the singer’s mom, vocabulary words, playful threats, and so much more!
don’t tell anyone I said this, but I love you best!
✨💖
kibbe!
Allday - ”After All This Time”
Came across this lil Aussie sweetie via one of my most favorite finds, Memphis LK. His latest record, Drinking With My Smoking Friends, is indie pop perfection. I always find myself going back to “After All This Time” because it’s just so perfectly fucking catchy and sweet. Also you should follow him on TikTok. Him and Memphis LK do hilarious little weird sketches together like this one. I’m obsessed.
The Toxhards - “How Lucky Am I?”
When this landed on my FYP and I heard the lyric, “How lucky am I that I can afford to be alive? How lucky am I that I’m living through the end of times?” I scream-laughed so hard that I missed the rest of the song. I really love how this song just kinda laughs in the face of misery. Additionally, I discovered that the music video for this song was shot by singer Alan Macchiarolo’s mom while he was post-op high from ear surgery and doesn’t really remember shooting it, which officially makes this band’s sense of humor the best ever.
maxime. - “telephone wires”
Another FYP find. It was when I came across Canadian cutie maxime. that I determined that I have sufficiently trained The Algorithm™ on TikTok to deliver me the best baby bands. This is the title track from his latest EP. There’s not a subpar song in this kids’s entire catalog and if you disagree LMK so I can slap the stupid outta you and tell you how wrong you are.
MAX RAD - “Roll Out”
Thrilled to report that MAX RAD is still at maximum radness since last I checked in on him. Also as someone who loves having a song for every occasion the glitch witch in me is so delighted that I have a lovey song that references new moons.
sundiver ca - “Soundtrack for Your Backseat”
Okay but I have not stopped SWOONING since I stumbled into this song. It’s so simultaneously soothing and seductive. This one feels extra intimate in your headphones for sure. If a lyric like, “you tie my soul to the ground” doesn’t take your breath away then please don’t ever try to flirt with me. Also I can’t stop thinking about what would happen if Jason Martin/Starflyer 59 got to produce whatever this guy does next.
Ladyhawke - “Think About You”
Ladyhawke dropped a new album last month called Time Flies, which is appropriate given that it feels like I heard, “Mixed Emotions” back in May, blinked moments later, and then missed celebrating the album’s release date in November. Unsurprisingly, I’ve gravitated towards “Think About You”, a song about a fantasy infatuation that miraculously gets reciprocated. Thanks to reading up on this song, I now know of a new word, “limerence”: (n.): the state of being obsessively infatuated with someone, usually accompanied by delusions of or a desire for an intense romantic relationship with that person. The More You Know 💫.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - “That Life”
I assume there are two kinds of UMO fans: the kind that saw the music video for “That Life” and thought, “yeah I don’t get it” and the kind that are still trying to perfectly copy the puppets dance moves every time the song comes on. I’ll let you guess which kind of UMO fan I am. 💃🏼
Amber Ryann - “SWITCH”
I fucking love when I end up swiping my way into someone like LA’s Amber Ryann, whose unwavering confidence and diligence matches up with her talent level. Her latest EP, A SIGN OF THE TIMES (COLLECTION) has all the makings of a sleeper hit. The production is a blend of punchy pop and R&B with her sensuous vocals glistening all the way through. “SWITCH” is a clear standout moment of hers for me, and not just because it references one of my favorite pastimes: subtweeting. My gut says it’s only a matter of time before everyone catches on.
Yung Bae - “Straight Up Relaxin’ (feat. Cosmo’s Midnight)”
Alright so like, this is a very serious question that I would like to pose to the internet: does it throw you off when a song is released ✨out of season✨? As in, should a song about “straight up relaxin’ in the summer” be saved for a late spring release so it can build momentum through the actual summer, or does it not matter if it is dropped in the dead of fall? I assume that the majority of you have NOT worked in the music industry (and certainly not in as many different corners of it like I have), but plenty of you probably have seasonal listening habits like I do where your musical cravings adapt a bit with the seasons changing. I absolutely love this song so much, but I can’t tell if I’m being an old industry fuddy duddy or if this is an actual teachable moment for baby bands. Just this one time would y’all not make me feel like I’m shouting into the void and LMK your thoughts on this?
Oh Bummer! - “Mirrors”
The homey Fitts d.b.a. The Kickdrums tipped me off to this new project that he produced. LA based brainchild Tanner Houghton describes the project as, “songs that are a conglomeration of my manic ADHD thoughts - the diary of an overthinker,” So basically, music made just for yours truly (if I am to accept TikTok’s diagnosis that I have ADHD anyway). “Mirrors” is the first taste of his upcoming EP that is slated to drop in Spring 2022. I will probably harass Fitts to let me have a listen before then. Will report back accordingly. 😘
clashingedge- “Don’t miss”
I’ve never gone out of my way to rank my favorite algorithms yet but the Soundcloud one is def in the top 5 for bringing me clashingedge a few years ago. Her airy vocals are quite stunning. Anyway we’ve kept in touch since the fateful day I tracked her down to tell her that the song that Soundcloud autoplayed me into was very good. A few months back she dropped, “Don’t miss”, which is a lovely evolution from the gateway drug of a song I first heard, which I would link to but unfortunately she’s pulled that one and a slew of other tracks down. Her and I are overdue for a catchup so I’ll be getting to the bottom of this soon enough.
Amtrac- “Oddyssey”
Look, we all need to listen to more Amtrac, okay? If the title track from his album that dropped last year doesn’t convince you, then maybe some of the newer tracks he’s dropped since then featuring collabs with the likes of The Juan Maclean, Durante, and Washed Out (his “Hide” remix) will. And if that doesn’t, well, maybe we need to discuss the status of our friendship moving forward….😬😬😬.
tiLLie- “Hell Yeah!”
While snagging her track, “faith” for a friend who I thought could use the support it offered me I quickly realized that I’d missed a slew of songs since her 2019 LOUD MOUTH EP. Thankfully I’m all caught up now. The thing I continue to love about tiLLie is that she makes vulnerability really fucking cool. Take this newer track, “Hell Yeah!”, which is saturated in sarcasm in the best possible way all the while rocking this tight 90s UK garage-ish sound (which made me think of Lucious Jackson a lot if I’m being honest). The chorus goes, “Like hell yeah. I made it through today. Like hell yeah. The sun is in my face. Like hell yeah I made it through today without crying, without dying, hey.” Def a song that belongs in everyone’s 2021 time capsule/mood board.
Moullinex x Xinobi - “Imaginary Numbers”
I have such a *professional crush* on Portuguese producer Mouillnex. I always squeal like an idiot when I see he’s dropped something new. This collab with newcomer to my earholes Xinobi is good energy. If this is your first foray into Portuguese electronic music, you’re welcome for the 2 for 1 special yer girl is offering with this one.
LP Giobbi- “Take My Hand”
I am having the best fucking time watching LP Giobbi’s ascension to greatness. With every Instagram post of her grinning from ear to ear in complete control of the crowd in addition to seeing all the good that her non-profit FEMME HOUSE continues to do it just increasingly makes my heart oh so happy. She is my little Princess of Piano House and I will protect her at all costs so she’s smiling forever. If you haven’t checked out my interview with her you absolutely should. She makes it so easy to love her.
iANO- “Labrynth”
So there was a thing going around on TikTok where apparently another song of iANO’s called “Time In Oblivion” possessed some potent manifestation power as long as you at the very least had a recording of the song sitting in your drafts. The sound has since been pulled down from TikTok and all DSPs (which led to this interesting conspiracy theory about that surfacing) but me being the curious little shit that I am I wanted to know what else was in the elusive artist’s repertoire and came across an album they recently released, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve been debating whether or not to reach out to iANO to talk about this manifestation phenomenon, especially after glancing at the comments on the SoundCloud for the song to link to this post. Like people are straight up making wishes etc in between troll comments. So yeah if anyone is interested LMK and I’ll electric slide into their DMs for the 411.
diSKOAver weekly: Week of December 8, 2021
Hello gorgeous internet friends!🥰✨💖
Did you miss me? I sure missed you.
I think the hiatus is over? IDK. I feel like I keep saying that, but I’m pretty sure this is the real deal this time, haha.
In the past I have spent a lot of time overthinking what I share on this silly little site because I want it to be an equally fun and informative space that also happens to be aesthetically pleasing to My People. Plus there’s that pressure to figure out how to monetize the thing that makes you happy 🤑, which can easily become a thing that makes you really unhappy when you get caught comparing your internet offerings to someone else’s. Juggling all of those feels on top of a pandemic made trying to express myself even more stressful so I gave myself as much space from this as I needed until I missed it so much that I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
And some of you even reached out a few times to ask when the next update was coming. 🥺 You’ll never know how much that meant to feel like my contributions are actually meaningful to y’all even though most of the time I feel like I’m gushing into the void, lmao.
Anyway I hope you all are doing well and have been stuck at least twice by now. 💉
Enjoy!
Mickey Kojak - ”Club Is On Fire”
Okay so for whatever stupid reason when I want to take myself seriously about loving on this Sydney sweetie I always tell myself his full name is actually Michelangelo Kojak. I might have dreamed that once? Either way, that’s not even remotely true. I know his real name is actually Michael Dable and yet here we are lol. At any rate, our fateful hero has been doing his part during the pandemic to regularly drop techno treats on Tuesdays of his choosing to keep the fire burning in our hearts for his adorkable ass while he continues to work on new music. Luckily we managed to get a remix and two originals from Mickey in 2021, “Lights Out” and “Club Is On Fire”, the latter being the more splendidly chaotic of the two.
Pat Lok x Party Pupils - “So Fine”
Over the course of 2021 the Twitter homey Pat Lok has been doing the Lorde’s work by keeping us satiated with shit that slaps. His recent collaborations with Party Pupils have been especially hitting the spot as of late. “So Fine” is an obvious fave because it makes it easier for me to pretend like I’m getting the attention I know I deserve, but I also really love their latest, “I Want You”. Which is also more attention seeking from me I guess? lol ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Lxury - “PAD MA”
I was really glad London’s Lxury snuck in another EP after last year’s No Real Rush. This new one, Smart Digital Life is a lot more airy and brighter than NRR. There’s not a track I’d cut. In a parallel universe I would’ve included “Up High” but I was really feeling the high energy of "PAD MA” to compliment everything else in this weeks playlist.
Simon Hinter - “Wanna Make Love - Mixed”
I love a good DJ Kicks mix, which is where I fell for German producer Simon Hinter. While I thoroughly enjoyed the entire mix that Disclosure put together, “Wanna Make Love” easily stands out as a moment to shut the fuck up and dance. Do not try to shift your focus otherwise you might get swept away on the dance floor.
Alfie Templeman - “Wait, I Lied”
If these are the kinds of songs that Alfie Templeman is writing at 18, mannnn I’m like dying to know how his sound is gonna evolve in the next, like, 5 years. The progression from Don’t Go Wasting Time to Forever Isn’t Long Enough is somewhat subtle but you can tell that he’s feeling a lot more confident in his sound. Here’s hoping he continues on this trajectory he’s clearly on at the moment.
Jaded - “Welcome To The People”
Lovely London lads Jaded have also been doing their part holding it down in 2021. I think “Welcome To The People” is a nice change of pace for the trio. The beat is super addictive. It keeps you stimulated as if you’re slightly over caffeinated and leaves you wanting like a 10 minute edit of this or some other absurd length.
Darius - “Feels Right (feat. Duñe)”
Let the record reflect that the only show I went to in all of 2021 was to see Darius and Étienne de Crécy while I was in Paris for part of August and most of September. I just can’t bring myself to do shows in the US yet. I got hella trust issues with this country related to this pandem. Meanwhile, France’s vaccination efforts coupled with the countrywide implementation of the Pass Sanitaire put my mind at ease to dance the night away. And you better believe I barely moved the next day I went so hard at that show. While every track on Darius’ new EP, OASIS (Prelude), has its each little flavor to savor, “Feels Right” is my favorite mood enhancer of his and I had to make sure this one got to y’all. 🥰
Louis La Roche - “One Big Gay Disco”
I very much like Louis La Roche’s new album, We’re Not That Different. There are so many good details about this record that make me keep coming back to it. My first taste of the record was, “One Big Gay Disco”, which is how I would succinctly describe what I hope heaven is like if it exists. I did ⚡️The Kibbe Thing⚡️ and hunted down the origin of this sample. I’m not going to publicize the hateful homophobic person’s name who said some horrible shit in an interview that Louis chose to transform into something positive and fuckin fabulous. I’m not mad it wasn’t easy to find the clip. Maybe just take my word for it that it’s awful and as someone who has people who lost people in the Pulse shooting that this song advances the slay agenda and is defiantly gay as hell.
KUNZITE - “SUPREME BEAM”
I’m such a doofus. I went way too long not putting it together that KUNZITE was Ratatat adjacent. Never not embarrassing when something that later seems painfully obvious just flies over my head. I mean how long have I been at this shit, 12 years now? Anyway for the record KUNZITE is comprised of RATATAT's Mike Stroud and Agustin White from White Flight which is why it’s vibey af. I really love their latest album, VISUALS and I cannot recommend it enough.
Willow Kayne - “Opinion”
When last we met this little sweetie was just stepping out with her debut single, “Two Seater”. Since then she’s released tracks “I Don’t Wanna Know” and more recently, “Opinion”. Have a peep at the brand spankin’ new music video for IDWK which Willow shot during her recent stay in Los Angeles. If you need any concrete evidence that the 90s are absolutely back in style, just sit back and let Willow’s ‘fits wash over you in all of their Delias-era glory. For some reason I really want Willow and BENEE to be besties. I feel like they would get into the best kind of trouble together, you know?
Noah Davis- “How Much Cash”
I haven’t watched American Idol since season one so I hadn’t made the connection that Noah Davis has already had a little heat going for awhile. To me he was just some unassuming sweet thing that landed on my FYP and left me fucking SHOOK when “How Much Cash” hit my earholes. It not only makes me want to go to a gay bar full of hot lil go-go boys, but given that I’m in a space to call in the blessings I’ve been blocking, I always feel richer and mad sexy after playing this.
Magdalena Bay- “Secrets (Your Fire)”
Only been trying to make this band happen since *checks notes AKA the DW archive* 2019. Glad everyone has joined the party! Like sincerely. I really am. Gotta say tho, they really fucking nailed it with this record. Mercurial World is just… *chef’s kiss*. Also this 90s nostalgia aesthetic just makes me feel like I’m on Geocities talking about this. If you don’t know what Geocities is please don’t tell me and just Google it. I can already feel the “kids these days don’t know how good they have it for making websites” spiel and I’m not in the mood to embarrass myself. Just let me casually obsess over their music video for this song and their website in peace.
Griff - “One Night”
Fun true story: while working from my Airbnb in Paris I would leave MTV France on because I figured of all the TV shows that would teach me useful French vocabulary that Catfish would be perfect for someone as Very Online as yours truly. In France they were going HARD with plugging this song in the commercial breaks. Admittedly I haven’t given Griff a lot of attention in the past, but the clip from, “One Night” left me curious about the story behind the song. Apparently it’s about, “feeling like you’re always carrying this darkness or burden.” As Griff told NME, “I think in the daytime we can feel distracted because we’re around people and we’re busy, but that moment between going to bed and falling asleep, there’s just enough silence for those burdens to get louder. Essentially this song is trying to understand why I can’t shake it, and the chorus comes to this breaking point of desperately wanting at least ‘One Night’ alone.” Yeah girl, feel that. 😔
Carter Vail - “Trash Friends”
Carter Vail makes it very easy to love him, which is why I’m not surprised at his ever growing following on TikTok. He’s a solid songwriter, has a great sense of humor (see also: “Trash Friends”), and also happens to have a face that you don’t mind looking at for long periods of time. It did not surprise me one bit to learn that he’s based in Nashville now and played at Rockwood Music Hall at the end of November. Hell I might DM his ass and ask him if he’s going to Belmont, because that’s the vibe he’s throwing. He’s throwing “homey I could’ve gone to college with who’s having a fun time getting better at writing songs”. That said, it seems his sound has already evolved quite a bit since he started releasing tracks in 2018 and I definitely like the direction he’s chosen for his 2021 cuts.
Nasty Party- “People On The Street”
Are you ready to hit BINGO on your SKOA Bingo cards? This one is courtesy of the TikTok algorithm AND is an Australian baby band, bitches. LMAO. These guys have managed to capture the essence of 1980’s punk but made just enough tweaks to the sound that it could contend with today’s standards. In my ✨Kibbe Flies Aussie Bands To America And Makes Them All Famous Fantasy✨, these guys would be on a bill with Johnny Hunter and These New South Whales.
Jakuzi - “Açık Bir Yara”
My little Turkish darklings Jakuzi have reappeared to seduce us with a quickie two-song EP for 2021, of which the title track,“Açık Bir Yara” is my favorite. Singer Kutay Soyocak has also started dabbling in a new black metal project called Vox In Rama which is a genre I’m not often in the mood for but is very cool to see this side of Kutay’s vocal abilities.