Whether you’re having a Brat Summer, still dancing at the Pink Pony Club, or singing OMG with the Gay Grimace Mets....it’s time to discuss what you’re listening to these days in the time-honored LL tradition of the Open Music Thread!
Hello and welcome back to FanPost Friday. Mercifully, the Seattle Mariners have not played baseball yet this week due to the All-Star Break. I can’t say I really missed them. Messed up, but true. We’re in unfamiliar territory as Mariners fans, as we’re rooting for a first place team that has been mostly agonizing to watch due to the lack of consistent hitting, but I needed a few days off from them and I’m sure many of y’all felt the same.
But guess what? Since there is no Mariners baseball to discuss from the last week, it’s time for the hallowed LL tradition of the Friday Open Music Thread to make a return! That’s right, folks. Nice and simple. Here’s a couple of my top picks for recent favorites.
Charli xcx - “Sympathy is a Knife”
Checking in from Brat Summer where this longtime Charli fan is having a great time with her new album, which alternates between thumping club anthems to vulnerable stream-of-consciousness confessions. “Sympathy is a knife” is somewhere in between those two vibes. Strobe warning!
Stand Still - “Avoiding the Intersection”
“True fear is when everything you know is shadowed by everything you don’t” is quite an opening line to an album. In hardcore punk, many regions of have developed a distinct sound or sub-genre that sometimes spreads to influence bands all around the world. Stand Still seems to be taking the lead in the 3rd generation of the Long Island, New York sound, which was founded/championed by the band Silent Majority (“Life of a Spectator” is one of the most underrated records of all time) and subsequently/concurrently by The Movielife and Glassjaw. “Steps Ascending” is phenomenal from start to finish as both a loyal homage and innovator of the LINYHC sound. Definitely an Album of the Year contender for me.
Spine Readers - “Goth Lessons”
Bringing it home with a very personal pick. An old buddy of mine from Bellingham, Sean Meyer, died from cancer last January. He was an immensely talented musician and sketch artist and just all-around brilliantly funny and kind person. He played in many bands over the years, from cover bands to avant-garde performance art projects to shoegazey alt-rock bands, but this video and song by his personal pet project band Spine Readers sums up so much of his sensibility as an artist. Listening to Spine Readers is like hitting random play on a classic rock playlist as each song has a distinct band/artist that Sean was tastefully emulating. In this case, it’s The Cars, which is very apparent from the get-go, but they make it their own thing. Sean left behind a massive amount of recorded media and artwork, so his memory will always live on, but damn, his departure left a hole in a lot of people’s hearts and souls. We miss you, Sean <3.
Bonus LL Staff (and emeritus) Picks!
Matthew: Fontaines D.C. - “Favourite”
Brenbee: Rose Walton & Hallie Coggins - “I Really Want To Stay At Your House”
Kate: Chappell Roan - “HOT TO GO!” (if this hasn’t ear-wormed you yet, fair warning because it will, in the best way)
Connor: Kesha - “Joyride”
Isabelle: Remy Bond - “Summer Song” (sensing a theme....)
Ders: Jung Kook - “Standing Next To You”
Nick Tucker: Glass Animals - “Heat Wave” (very topical, nicky T)
PROMPT:
Share a couple songs you’ve been loving recently, either new or old. Whatever is getting the most play for you. YouTube or other links encouraged!
Bonus Prompt:
For the audio/sound production nerds, what is one of your favorite specific drum sounds on a recording? For example, whatever they did to engineer the drums on Weezer’s Blue Album is truly magic. One of my very favorite high-hat and kick drum sounds ever.
Have a great weekend, folks!
