This is my ‘‘going-to-the-office’’ part of the year. I oscillate between new tracks and the perpetual repeating of Youtube Music’s recommendations. It’s a balance between the productivity of the rote and the amusement of the new. As always, the music I engage with reflects my mood to some degree and, being moody, this selection is also that.

Starting with the musically exceptional Lovely Sewer by Yves Tumor off of Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds). This song is a eerie ethereal duet. On the first few listens I was taken aback by the start of the verse at 0:34. There’s something strange about this vocal: it plays between the electronic shrieks and blips in the background and contrasts harshly with the nasally accented version of this verse at 1:57. I don’t think I’ve heard anything that sounds like this song and I love it for that. Listen to the whole album.

Next up, Halsey’s self remix for the Diablo IV marketing: Lilith (Diablo IV Anthem) (feat. SUGA). The first change from the original is the addition of a much more aggressive, though not really abrasive, backing track with ominous movie-esque bass drones, low thumping, and metallic clangs ¹. The second change, totally a minor one, is that it’s now a duet. I think that this is a more dynamic version of the track and superior to the original. And, since Halsey is in rotation, I’ve listened to the live version of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom a few times.

A few weeks ago I saw The Beaches in concert and their performance was captivating. Blame Brett, My People, and Everything is boring have hung around in my rotation. So what do I like about them? The music is indie pop at its finest: this is music that is fun. It’s energetic, shouty, and light. I think the lyrics carry the show. Written for the twenty somethings², these three tracks are, respectively: a surprisingly self-aware break up song, self discovery with the denizens of the internet, and capital-a apathy. Fight (or prompt) the ennui with some fun indie pop!

Yellowcard released some new music and it sounds like Yellowcard. MGK ³ has the hilariously titled mainstream sellout which has a song or two I like because I’m clearly a sucker for every duet that I listen to these days. Muna made a song in 2017 that makes me melancholic. COBRAH and Tessa Violet released music that I can’t listen to at work.

The Beaches w/ Opener: The Hails

100 Gecs w/ Opener: Machine Girl

Half Alive w/ Opener: Tessa Violet

I Feel a God and Devil in This Room / Callum Pitt

I like how the song builds. Lovely vocal

Common Gold / Vision Arcade

Saw Vision Arcade open for Mom Rock a while ago. Enjoyed the energy and overall vibe

Wolf / Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Late to the party on this one. I think it sounds very Kate Bush.

this random nightcore remix of Forever (feat. Elley Duhé) / Gryffin

This song is fine. The chorus cracks me up because it – “I run the red lights just to see how it feels” – could be the theme song for some of the group rides around Austin. Why the nightcore version? I think the normal one is a bit slow and less funny. Why this random remix with 200 views and quiet crackles in the intro? It’s the only one without an anime lady as the cover art. Enjoy.