“Hell is Other People” by Bangzz sure is a tune we need so far in 2021. The duo from Durham, North Carolina has just released this upbeat punky song accompanied by a quirky and yet relevant music video in which frontwoman Erika performs a self lobotomy for YouTube viewers (quite the commentary on how you can literally find anything online including great “self help” tips). Erika says she’s doing this to rid herself “of harmful social narratives in her head.” To me, the coolest thing about this tune is the contrast of the tough sounding instrumentals with Erika’s voice… there is no denying she just has a great voice. It’s…
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Song of the Moment: “Meticulous Bird” by Thao & the Get Down Stay Down
A Man Alive is over three years old now, but I keep returning to it because, first of all, Thao Ngyuen bought me a drink at the Taft Theatre back in 2014, so she is obviously the best, but more importantly, the songs on this record continue to reveal new, sparkly little gems with every listen. “Meticulous Bird” begins with a funky danceable beat and Ngyuen’s clever rhymes, and could totally be a pop song, except that it soon veers into the kind of complexity that in less-skilled hands would render it dissonant. In Nguyen’s hands, however, we get a song that is pop and jazz, hip-hop and electronica at…
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Song of the Moment: “Night Shift” by Lucy Dacus
Lucy Dacus writes the kind of songs that I immerse myself into slowly, one note at a time, or measure by measure, word by word. It’s easy to miss her complexity at first, wowed as you are by her voice and storytelling. “Night Shift” is a slow-building breakup anthem that ends in a furious crescendo. At the beginning of the song, Dacus’s voice is soft and sweet and vulnerable. You want to hug her. By the end, she is pure anger and anguish (while also looking to an as-yet-unrealized future), and you kind of want to back away but not really, because you’re staring. You’ve got a 9 to 5,…
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Song of the Moment: “Like A Prayer” by The Lopez
“Like A Prayer” by The Lopez from their new 7″ is an incredibly joyous song. In fact, both songs on “Like A Prayer” (Throwin’ Shade on the B side) force you to move. They’re upbeat and poppy but in a rocking way. The Lopez excel at adding fuzz and grime to their pop tendencies to give their electronic music a punk edge. Their sound very much reminds me of old Hot Chip or the band, Friends. The Lopez is perfect for a spur of the moment dance party on a hot summer night. Their new “Like a Prayer” single was recorded and mixed by Madeleine Campbell at Accessible Recording and mastered by Shelley Anderson…
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Song of the Moment: “Afraid of the Dark” by Lindi Ortega
Thanks to my favorite SiriusXM radio station, Outlaw Country, I've gotten introduced to quite a few badass alt country musicians. My recent favorite is Canadian songstress, Lindi Ortega, who released her fifth album, Liberty, at the end of March. The album is a spaghetti western and deals with working out of darkness and as the album progresses, it does just that.
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Song of the Moment: Neko Case, “Hell-On”
Neko Case is at her fiery feminist best on “Hell-On,” due out June 1st.
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“Mr. Weinstein Will See You Now” by Amanda Palmer and Jasmine Power
On October 5, 2017 the world changed forever. Feminism changed forever. Let’s be realistic, feminism has always been something people either believe in or completely shy away from. A lot of people associate feminism with bitchy, angry women. But the association with anger is because women have a reason to be angry. When Ashley Judd came forward sharing her experience with Harvey Weinstein, women all over the world were finally given the courage to come forward with their experiences of assault. The #MeToo movement exploded through the world like a long awaited bomb. The #MeToo movement isn’t for everyone. Not everyone wants to share their painful story and would rather…
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“Irene” by Joanna Lero
One of the best things about music right now are the women who are writing songs to give voices to those who feel they cannot speak up. London musician, Joanna Lero, has released a new song “Irene” in honor of her grandmother on International Women’s Day. This song will also be included on her new EP, Variations, out on March 22. The song displays Joanna’s poetic and creative songwriting. It builds and changes capturing at times what feels to be a march. Joanna says that “Irene” is a stream of consciousness and it feels powerful as it moves through it’s course. The main thing that Joanna Lero repeats through the song is…
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“Machine Age” by Terra Naomi
Wow, talk about haunting; this song will change you. “Machine Age” by Terra Naomi is the voice that all women need right now. This amazingly thoughtful song was written as a year reflection on the election of Donald Trump. Listening to this hit me the way people must have been hit by hearing Joan Baez or Bob Dylan for the first time. If I’m going to be honest, I cried through the entire thing. I truly believe this song will affect lives, it is the voice of pain and resistance. “I believe in love more than I want to hate” is the message we all need to get across in…
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“Sha La La” by Selene Vigil
Selene Vigil, lead singer of 7 Year Bitch, released an ep at the end of 2017 aptly named Tough Dance. “Sha La La,” the opening track literally can’t be described as anything other than a tough dance. Vigil’s vocals are raw and ready, driving and heavy; to put it simply, they are tough. As the guitars pick up, the song picks up into a funkier feel perfect for dancing. This is definitely the “radio hit” of the ep. Tough Dance takes emotional pulls through the songs whether they are more upbeat like “Sha La La” or slower and more reflective like the closing track, “Soul in Traction.” I used to be pissed…