A multiple of 12: It’s followup time!
In the music section, I’ll be sharing artists I’ve found for this newsletter that have really stuck, the music from 2021 that I listen to when I’m not hunting for something new and hot to email out.
I’ll dispose of two here in the intro, since we saw them already in issue 36 and prior:
Jhariah, pioneer of a new style of theatrical pop punk, has finally released a proper EP. (Bandcamp or Spotify or YouTube playlist)
UPSAHL (previously: “a pop artist who writes bangers about hot girl problems”) keeps cranking out singles and the #content that goes with them. The best recently is called Melatonin. (Spotify or YouTube or YouTube “stripped”)
Spotify and YouTube playlists are linked at the end.
Last issue, we saw a collection of unusual musical scores curated by this fellow, Michael Whittle. Here’s one of his own pieces, informed by his work in “diagrammatology.” See also Minjeong An.
Turns out using a “third thumb” like we saw in Newsletter 24 can change the way your brain sees your body. Here’s the paper.
As is the tradition (1, 12, 24, 36), here’s some of what Antique and Classic Photographic Images put out a decade ago this month. Bonus: an amusing contrast between this model and this statue.
New single: Feels Like by Caveleon. (Links or Spotify or YouTube). This Milanese indie folk band featured back in 38 has a new single and music video, Feels Like. The B-side, Tell Me, has a guest rap verse, which is not what I expected from these guys, but nice.
The horn section and backup singers from that acoustic version of Earthquake they did at the historic villa is actually a whole thing unto itself: 18-person jazz/funk ensemble Deaf Kaki Chumpy. Here’s a video of them doing just the harmony bits of Earthquake in a stone attic sort of place with nice acoustics. Here's one of their music videos, also embedded below for your convenience.
New album: Get Up Sequences Part One by The Go! Team. (Bandcamp or Spotify or YouTube playlist). Also issue 38. The album is out and it’s so fun. Bright sunny indie rock kinda like The Apples in Stereo.
“It’s soda fountain soul, a handclap happening, a drumstick bulletin, a meteor shower in mixed media.” Check out this track featuring Detroit rapper IndigoYaj and also a flute:
New album: KIDS by Noga Erez. (Store or Spotify or YouTube playlist). Shared this one back in issue 20, and it’s a strong candidate for my favorite pop album of the year. Here’s a video of a quick set featuring some desert plants.
Old music: Mineshaft II by Dessa (2010, this performance 2013). (Bandcamp or Spotify or YouTube). Dessa is a writer and singer; this song is from her first solo album.
I shared her new EP (YouTube playlist) back in Newsletter 42, where the other new music was a 45-minute reggae fusion mixtape. This was part of a cunning plan to steer more people in her direction, a plan that is ongoing to this very day.
From her official bio on the website of Doomtree, her hip-hop group and record label:
Dessa has been covered by Pitchfork, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal amongst others. The LA Times says she “sounds like no one else.” NPR’s All Songs Considered calls her “a national treasure.” On the stage and on the page, Dessa’s style is defined by ferocity, wit, tenderness, and candor.
Dessa is absolutely the kind of artist that NPR likes (she’s got a song on The Hamilton Mixtape), but that’s just a side effect of her being the kind of artist lots of people like.
Here is the list of artists about whom to tell people “I heard they’re really good”: Jhariah, UPSAHL, Caveleon, The Go! Team, Noga Erez, and Dessa. See also: Deaf Kaki Chumpy, IndigoYaj, and Doomtree.
For your comfort and convenience, here’s a 10-song Spotify playlist of the songs featured here. Here’s the same thing as a YouTube playlist. New readers: don’t worry, there’s usually only three tracks; I’m just real enthusiastic in these followup issues.
If you wanna get caught up with all the new music I recommend (for example, if you’re here from newsletter recommendation service The Sample), this playlist is the thing. Here’s a YouTube version of that one, too.
-Thomas
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