Levamentum menti, Latin for "comfort for the mind", that's what music is for me. This blog will be an ongoing record of interesting music that I come across. Check it out, maybe something will suit your tastes!
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I'm just going to go ahead and not categorize Laibach. A few years ago, prior to their visit to North Korea (the first Western band to ever do so), John Oliver described them mostly as a pro-fascist rock band. But I've also read comments about how it may also be an absurdist take. There was (recently?) a documentary about their visit to NK and this album was also inspired from their performance there. Apparently, The Sound Of Music is used there to teach English so Laibach had ended up performing a good number of covers.
I'm utterly opposed ideologically to fascism and supporting North Korea in any way allows them to continue their government's oppressive control of the people there. But I have to recognize the cultural significance of this music video. And, damn, do I feel fraught with all these complex feelings of anxiety and hopelessness for all those children in the music video. I feel so powerless to do anything from behind this stupid laptop screen. But, at the very least, maybe maintain support for our democratic institutions on my side ... something that's been in serious decline recently.
Fuck, dude.
"The Sound Of Music" by Laibach from their 2018 album The Sound Of Music
Heard this on some randomly selected Spotify playlist ... Leikeli47 wears a mask and hasn't revealed too many details about herself. She's really down to earth apparently though. Song's very honest. Looking forward to the rest of the album (which is mostly rap).
"Hoyt And Schermerhorn" by Leikeli47 from her 2018 album Acrylic
An earnest cover of Mamma Mia with a fun 8-bit vibe. He was supposed to go to Japan with his then-girlfriend but was dumped shortly before the trip ... so ... as anyone would ... he went to Japan with his dad, whom helped him make this video of him singing throughout Japan. It's been on my Spotify list for a while. Apparently, it's rare that Abba actually allows covers to stay up ... glad they decided to make this an exception.
I don't have as many introspective songs on my active playlist nowadays, likely relating to the potentially detrimental impact slower more mellow songs may have on my driving ability after a long day's work (I want to avoid both surrounding cars and the median). I've had the Atomos album (circa 2014, has it been 4 years already...) around for a while and never had given it a good listen though.
I have to admit, after a particularly stressful day, when I just don't want to hear another podcast about the fragile and fraught state of the world, it really can do some real good for an ailing psyche.
"Atomos VII" by A Winged Victory For The Sullen from their 2014 album Atomos
Negro Swan is worth the listen from beginning to end. Anthony Fantano, self-proclaimed internet music nerd, says it's very similar in sound to Blood Orange's previous album Freetown Sound. I... have it but I haven't listened to it yet... I'll go ahead and do that soon given how much I liked this latest album from Dev.
"Chewing Gum" by Blood Orange from his 2018 album Negro Swan
There's probably some sort of historical context behind the name of the song and the lyrics within the song. But I couldn't tell you what it was. Google Translate provides a generally optimistic song but one would have surmised that from the music itself. I'll look into the background more some other time. Maybe. Onda Vaga is a folk band from Argentina.
"Xuxa Park" by Onda Vaga from their 2018 album Nuesetras Canciones
Jennie Lawless came on as a suggested artist on Spotify. I usually gloss over these things but I didn't this time for whatever reason. Well... glad I didn't. Cool song.
"Chokecherry" by Jennie Lawless from her 2018 EP Two Songs
Another great song from the Heartbreak Hits album by Theo Katzman. If it's not already obvious, I have a soft spot for songs about struggle. Not that I ever had to struggle in any real sense, but to understand and see from another's perspective is such an important skill to have and to keep honed. It's good to be reminded there are other people in the world each working through life in their own way. Can really help keep a person grounded.
"My 1-Bedroom" by Theo Katzman from his 2017 album Heartbreak Hits
Was just hanging out at Starbuckeroo or something and thought "The Trip" was playing in the store through my headphones ... it was a Still Corners song but it was actually something from their latest album. I guess that's their sound. It's ok ... just wanted to post mostly because of the quaint encounter.
"Black Lagoon" by Still Corners from their 2018 album Slow Air
Nice, new Petal ... back in June. I need to find a way to follow artists a bit more closely.
I'm just on the second song of the album but it definitely has the vibe of what made "Heaven" so appealing for me. Steady rock with a strong yet calm vocalist. But she's also more than capable in acoustic sets with the piano. Two out of the three songs on her Comfort EP was just her and a piano, done very well of course.
There are a couple of songs with music videos from this album but I'm liking this one the most for now.
"Tightrope" by Petal from her 2018 album Magic Gone
Well, part of the reason why I posted "Your Love Is Killing Me" was that it just didn't feel right to post the most recent Sharon Van Etten song without clearing the backlog first. This is really different direction for her music ... I think her other stuff has generally been more acoustic with lighter rock elements. Now we have synths and distortion ... works really well though (I'm a sucker for this style anyway). Can't wait for the new album.
"Comeback Kid" by Sharon Van Etten from her upcoming 2019 album Remind Me Tomorrow
It's already been 3 years since this came out. I guess it has ... there is a bit of a void between now and back then when I listened to this more intently. A lot has happened, a lot has changed. I wonder what the next three years have in store. Maybe this fictional character will have found a way out of the labyrinth of longing that can be oh-so-easy to fall into and oh-so difficult to escape. Being a person is complicated. Maybe that's part of the fun. I really like the combination of the vivid imagery with the steady snare triplet in the chorus ... it's very purposeful and focused.
"Your Love Is Killing Me" by Sharon Van Etten from her 2014 album Are We There
I saw Devon Welsh (previously of Majical Cloudz) perform by himself as the opener for Hundred Waters about a year ago. It was a really intimate experience. He just walked over in front of the stage where the audience had been milling around, waiting for the show to start, and asked us all to gather around in a semi-circle. From there he just started singing mostly acapella, though sometimes with some basic accompaniment from his loop station. Must take a lot of courage to be able to do that, to be so physically close and opening up to a total group of strangers. Some people I've expressed this to have said that it's not a big deal because it's his job ... but ... I'd rather continue being the hopeless romantic about this sort of thing.
"Summer's End" by Devon Welsh from his 2018 album Dream Songs
"Melancholy" by MURS was really unique to me. I hadn't ever heard someone rap on depression in such a personal way before. I feel like the world could be that much better of a place if we just took the time to hear more stories about the shared human struggle and gave a damn about the person next to us (as well as the person on the other side of the world). It's a bit of a tall order on any given day though. A bunch of other great songs on this album by the way, worth the listen.
"Melancholy" by MURS from his 2018 album A Strange Journey Into The Unimaginable
I've been listening to "The L.A. Song" consistently for well over a decade now. I first heard it playing Counter-Strike 1.5 or something on some custom map server (mostly de_rats, my jammm). It was AMX mod or something and it let you play whatever sound files that were available on the server. Through some truly expert investigation skills, I found the that the 3-second sample of the guitar riff at the beginning was "lasong.wav" or something like that ... and the rest is history I guess.
"The L.A. Song" by People Under The Stairs from their 2002 album O.S.T.
Probably my favourite song from the Why Are You Ok album but I remember it best because of the video. It's endearing for aspiring mole people but uh... I guess it still doesn't make stalking alright. Since this music video's been out, a couple of longstanding members of the band (Tyler Ramsey, lead guitar, and Bill Reynolds, bassist) have left. Wish you guys all the best.
"In A Drawer" by Band Of Horses from their 2017 album Why Are You OK
Pia Fraus and Ulrich Schnauss, two names that I haven't come across in a while. I wanted to add "Springsister" onto my Spotify playlist but they seemed to have everything except the After Summer album. Zannen da. Oh well, found the Fraus-Schnauss collab, which is actually also on the After Summer album but Spotify had the EP for that available. Nice shoegaze tones with synth accents, a nice blend of characteristics from both artists.
"Mute The Birds (Ulrich Schnauss version)" by Pia Fraus from their 2018 album After Summer
I really got into Hellogoodbye's "Here (In Your Arms)" song way back and really liked the Wet Hot American Summer vibe from the music video. And look, they still make music and they released an album just a couple of weeks ago! Cool beans ... cool song ... and cool mv (i like the colours). I like the light disco touch.
"S'Only Natural" by Hellogoodbye from their 2018 album S'Only Natural
Well, since I got into Theo Katzman in such a big way, I should probably like totally check out Vulfpeck right? Nice. (Will post a song with actual vocals later)
"It Gets Funkier IV" by Vulfpeck from their 2018 album Hill Climber
I don't know if it's just because I had sequestered myself within shoegaze and dream pop for a long time but there's a lot of nice rock out there right now, particularly with female vocalists. Thanks, music. Oh, also, Toronto woo.
"Walkaway" by Weaves from their 2017 album Wide Open
I played the violin for a good chunk of time in the past. Nowadays, it's mostly left untouched. One of the reasons is the lack of connection between that instrument and the stuff I generally listen to nowadays. Maybe if I listened to Kishi Bashi earlier, I would find some inspiration to play more? Well, that's probably a stretch.
As an aside, I only started listening to Kishi Bashi after watching some unboxing video where some guy bought a mystery box full of returned Amazon items and found a vinyl record of 151a. Cool story.
"Bright Whites" by Kishi Bashi from his 2012 album 151a
It's too bad Asobi Seksu no longer make music. They had a really great sound. I got into them pretty late though... probably around 2011 but their extensive backlog that I eventually caught up with played a formative role in transitioning my music preferences towards the shoegaze/dream pop genre. So... thanks for that guys. Hope you guys are doing well.
Here's a pleasant interview with two of the more prominent members of Asobi Seksu too. It was recently uploaded but given they parted ways 5 years ago, it's likely just a re-up.
Oh, I've never posted that Sheer Mag song. Well, here's another Chad song. There've been quite a few ... though sometimes we come across the same artists independently. Really dig the song and the sentiment ... but I don't really fan flames or break chains all too much. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
"Fan The Flames" by Sheer Mag from their 2017 album Compilation LP
I guess I'm glad to still be subscribed to KEXP. I hadn't watched their stuff for a while but I guess I was sufficiently intrigued by the band name (I recently became the primary caregiver of a cat).
Ok, let's go through the checklist: female vocals, reverb, sense of catharsis ... works for me!!x
"Torpedo Love" by Thunderpussy from their eponymous 2018 album Thunderpussy
Oh, no idea Beach House had released another album back in May. I've been following their releases half-heartedly since Bloom, which I immensely liked. "Sparks" from Depression Cherry was a pretty good song but the rest of the album didn't really stand out. Thank Your Lucky Stars just kind of fell off of my radar ... I probably still haven't given it it a thorough listen.
Overall, I find 7 to be a good listen. You can hear their distinctive style of synths connecting the songs throughout the album but they've also found newer complementary elements (well, I mean maybe they're not new in general, I haven't exactly been doggedly following their music). It's probably the shift towards shoegazey elements (the buzzing introspective guitar of Alex and relatively laid back vocals by Victoria).
I've been mostly listening to the same things over the past few months so this is a nice breath of air for me.
It has been a bit of time since Natalie Prass's last album, around 6 years. Glad she made a follow-up ... she has a very distinctive voice. I listened to an hour long podcast featuring her during one of those daily interminable car commutes (jk it's manageable atm). Did you know that she has known the producer on this and the previous album since high school and that they still live a short distance from each other? Cool, alright. The podcast was pretty much a Q&A session between her and the producer highlighting her musical influences, her struggles and successes, her quirks, etc. It was a pleasant listen and I somehow appreciate her more now. Ok, here's "The Fire", which coincidentally just had a music video released last week. Lucky us.
Ok, I have a soft spot for Toronto artists, guilty as charged. I was really elated to have found DIANA had made another album in 2016. I was a giant fan of "Strange Attraction" from their previous album. "Moment Of Silence" is really able to convey a palpable feeling of tension and anticipation through a hazy weave of subtle retro instrumentals. Also, saxophones are always a welcome addition for me, baha.
"Moment Of Silence" by DIANA from their 2016 album Familiar Touch.
Because I'm such a fanboy, here's a live version too. There's a bit of audience partcipation captured in this version.
Mitski released another album a month ago or so and this one seems to have garnered a lot more attention than her previous releases. This album still features her meandering vocal style with an improved production quality (at least compared to Bury Me At Makeout Creek, this could be comparable to Puberty 2). I think one of the reasons that Mitski is able me to draw repeatedly into her music is the sense of longing she expresses in a lot of her lyrics and expression. The music video is very fun watch too.
"Nobody" by Mitski from her 2018 album Be The Cowboy
Another 6 month hiatus, yikes. Um, some stuff's happened since then. Left the continent for the first time in at least 10 years. Got engaged. Um, actually, I guess that's it. Been listening to some tunes since then. Finally have a little time to myself today so I've decided to wander around downtown for a bit and settle into a comfortable coffeeshop and post some of these from the backlog. I think it is fitting for the first post to be a song that I heard from another coffeeshop. "Plain Jane Heroin" features beautiful vocal styles of Theo Katzman (of Vulfpeck) accentuated by thoughtful lyrics asl well as good instrumentals and topped off with a cathartic crescendo.
"Plain Jane Heroin" by Theo Katzman from his 2017 album Heartbreak Hits
I've actually been listening to this song pretty regularly for a while now ... surprised it wasn't on here already. Well, let's set the record straight.
After over 25 years, Sloan releases their twelfth album 12. I'm always excited to hear new stuff from them. I don't think it's just for nostalgia's sake. I can always count on them to produce something to pick me out of the rut. Thanks guys. Really appreciate all you do.
One day I'll wake up new and knowing. The sun will shine. And the day will be mine. ... Just some time is all I need to turn it around. ... Put me on a postcard, mail me back home.
"The Day Will Be Mind" by Sloan from their 2018 album 12.
It just dawned on me that ... I have a lot of break-up music. No, I don't think it's some subtle expression of some suppressed desire. I think the appeal stems from something a bit broader: the notions of loss and acceptance. I think I ultimately relate to these emotional states more than anything. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not trying to make any general declarations of my psychological well-being. But sometimes I do find an all-too-familiar void wrapping around me with its icy, paralyzing grip. Maybe these songs remind me that these feelings are ultimately facets of the human experience and help propel me a little from my stand-still. Or, whatever.
"Not My Baby" by Alvvays from their 2017 album Antisocialite (live version from Adult Swim)
You know, I have a pretty stable life now, routine seems to prevail consistently. But, still, I find myself still drawn the cathartic songs. And this is a beautiful one. The lyrical build-up to the refrain and then the vocal/instrumental explosion during the refrain was truly a moving experience the first time I listened to this. I don't have relational issues right now but I guess the message of longing is universal enough such that I can appreciate it even from my current vantage point.
"Night Shift" by Lucy Dacus from her 2018 album Historian
Placid pleasantness followed with a bittersweet end. There are a few non-English songs for which I make an effort to learn how to sing. I think I'll make this one of them. Song starts at 4:02.
"Ecos de Miel" by Siddhartha from the 2014 album El Vuelo de Pez
Spring is here. The sun's warmth has returned. Feels like I'm waking up from a long slumber. I don't know how they can stare into each other's eyes when singing like this. 3close5me.
"Time Is Everything" by Vivian Leva from her 2018 album Time Is Everything
OLP and Matthew Good are playing at Massey Hall. Of course, I cannot attend. That's ok. Was listening to a bunch of older OLP stuff the other day.
Lately, I've been wanting to slow down and reconnect with some part of me outside of work and people routines, reconnect with some part of my imagination or creativity. But I wonder, what purpose would that serve? I work, pay my bills, give attention to my social entanglements. Who seriously gives a fuck if I do anything beyond paying attention to these socially valued tasks? I'm fully functional cog, why mess with that? Obviously, there is value but ... beyond it's ideological value ... sometimes I wonder.
"In Repair" by Our Lady Peace from their 2000 album Spiritual Machines
MGMT's had an interesting journey up until here (really well summarized here). I mean I'll always appreciate when artists value their creativity over their profitability so they automatically get massive cred from me (like that meant a damned thing though lol). About this actual album ... first off, I have to say that I really love their music videos, best described as creative irreverence ... that's a possible descriptor of some of their lyrics too ... bahaha. Rest of the album has a really good retro vibe. 4/5 digs!!
"Me And Michael" by MGMT from their 2018 album Little Dark Age
I was really excited that Rich Brian (formerly Rich Chigga) was finally releasing a full album instead of the onslaught of singles that he had been doing for the last two years. I really enjoyed the album and not even just for the music. I think a large part of my appreciation is for the narrative of Brian himself.
He went from being a home-schooled dude learning a lot of colloquial Western English from YouTube to being featured on the Late Late Show with James Corden. And when you see interviews with Brian, you see that he's very well grounded and well-intentioned. The cynic in me does want to focus on what seems to be an element of naivete. But, as I think about it, I realize that's less important. People will experience a plethora of things as they develop as humans ... I'm sure he has many ups and downs to experience in his relatively short life/career so far.
I think I appreciate Rich Brian for the same reason I had appreciated Alessia Cara when she first had "Here" out as a single: a young person pursuing an interest wholeheartedly and being able to make something out of it. Honestly, I think these types are people are just very good role models for teenagers and it feels like we can never have too many of those in this day and age of media saturation.
Anyway, that's the rant. Here's a link to one of the songs I really liked:
"Introvert" by Rich Brian (featuring Joji) from his debut 2018 album Amen
"Recipe for Disaster" somehow popped in my feed. The LYNNeS are Lynne Hanson and Lynn Miles, both of whom are well-known in the Canadian folk scene (I was really surprised they were based in the Ottawa-area). Coco thinks that this song fits us very well ... I think so too (in the most endearing way of course). Anyway, great song! Oh and they're playing in Toronto and Barrie ... very nice.
"Recipe For Disaster" by The LYNNeS from their 2018 album Heartbreak Song For The Radio
Oh, this song ... it came out ... a bit over 20 years ago ... Third Eye Blind just had a 20th anniversary re-release of their 1997 album. Well, I guess I saw Sloan's 20 anniversary of One Chord To Another a year and a bit ago. Yikes. Time's just ... passing by, innit. Also, lol at the censor of "crystal meth", 90's as hell.
"Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind from their 1997 album Third Eye Blind
I remember going to Bestival a few years ago ... after reviewing the line-up ... I realized I really wanted to see the openers (namely Tei Shi and Alessia Cara). Ok, well, guess I'm a little late but Tei Shi released an album last year: Crawl Space. It's nice ... interspersed with dialogue documenting the dreams and insecurities of a young girl wanting to sing.
