Yeah, but…: Ty Dolla $ign feat. Kanye West, FKA twigs, and Skrillex, “Ego Death” – Okay, this is good. Love some deep house from Mr. Dolla $ign. But a few seconds in, the only thing I could think of was that one Casey Frey video:
Sorry: “Get tf out of my way type way”- I’m sorry! —Ashley Reese
Yes to the video, no to the song: Marshmello and Halsey, “Be Kind” (music video) – It’s clear that Marshmello and Halsey were going for gentle on “Be Kind,” but the song misses the mark—it’s possible to be soft and energizing, and this is only one of those things. However, the music video, directed by Hannah Lux Davis, was filmed over quarantine with Halsey learning the choreography over FaceTime. The result is a really glorious, anime-futuristic image of a woman dancing on her own—it’s a beautiful symbol of the way we live now and a reminder that movement can be healing. I hope she films more in this fashion. —Maria Sherman
Y: Corey Flood, “Heaven Or” – Here’s your daily dose of easy-breezy indie-pop guitars with a clever message, hidden in plain view. When singer Ivy Gray-Klein of the Philadelphia band Corey Flood repeats “I know what I saw,” in the chorus of “Heaven Or,” it takes on a double-meaning—is Gray-Klein telling someone off? Is the repetition meant to sound confident? Or is it meant to be a self-assuring mantra, inner dialogue sung aloud? If you say it too many times, does it lose meaning? I’m choosing to believe all three—and what a powerful declaration. —MS
Y: Duma, “Lionsblood,” – A few times a year, if I’m lucky, I’ll hear something that stops me in my tracks. Usually, it’s not something I’d share in this space because it feels too odd, but today, I can’t help myself. Duma (that’s “Darkness” in Swahili) is the afro-beat noise project of Nairobi’s Martin Khanja (aka Lord Spike Heart) and Sam Karugu, two Kenyan experimentalists and ecclecticists who meld the heaviest of metallic sounds with afro-beat to build production that’s otherworldy—dangerous and seductive and historicizing in one breath. “Lionsblood” is a ferocious work delivered in just two-and-a-half minutes—each time I listen to it, it tends to feel both larger and shorter, like the waves of a heart monitor after a patient is stimulated by fear or anxiety. I can’t wait to hear more from them. —MS
Yes we can: 박혜진 Park Hye Jin, “Can you” – This gentle techno track from South Korean producer-vocalist 박혜진 Park Hye Jin might feel simple at first but don’t let it fool you. It may embed itself in your brain, possibly complicating your life with an incessant loop of “Can you be my bay-bay” when you’re trying to concentrate on something, anything else. It’s worth the risk, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. —Rich Juzwiak
Yes, inject it in my veins: Ganser, “Emergency Equipment & Exits” – I’ve been anxiously waiting for Ganser’s new album for months now, and even though I have to wait until the end of July to finally give it a listen, they’ve blessed me with a new track and video to tide me over until then. It doesn’t disappoint. Ganser is making a strong case for post-punk-revival revival (check out their song “Buio” if you want definitive proof) and their latest release, “Emergency Equipment & Exits” only solidifies it. Distorted guitars that make me feel like I’m in a tunnel, the drawn-out vocals of Alicia Gaines that drag me in deeper, and a frenetic drumbeat that reminds me of how much I miss live music. And, hey, the music video ain’t bad either. Give it a shot. —AR
Yes, Thank You—I am thoroughly convinced some algorithm crafted “Ego Death” in a machine to appeal to my specific tastes; Ty and twigs and Skrillex on a deep house track that samples house legend Ralphi Rosario? And while the exquisite corpse-style nature of the track reminds me of one of the worst stints of my life—when my weekends were consumed by waiting for Kanye to post his G.O.O.D. Friday tracks, which I had to write about immediately even if he released it at 3 a.m., lest I receive a stern and condescending email from the owner of the music publication where I worked—the fact that it sounds like a G.O.O.D. Friday track (or his brilliant “Fade”) is not actually a drawback, other than my current mixed feelings about Kanye in general and also the fact that he needed to be turned way down in the mix. Waiting for the DJ edit. —Julianne Escobedo Shepherd
Yes to the video, no to the song: Marshmello and Halsey, “Be Kind” (music video) – It’s clear that Marshmello and Halsey were going for gentle on “Be Kind,” but the song misses the mark—it’s possible to be soft and energizing, and this is only one of those things. However, the music video, directed by Hannah Lux Davis, was filmed over quarantine with Halsey learning the choreography over FaceTime. The result is a really glorious, anime-futuristic image of a woman dancing on her own—it’s a beautiful symbol of the way we live now and a reminder that movement can be healing. I hope she films more in this fashion. —Maria Sherman
Y: Corey Flood, “Heaven Or” – Here’s your daily dose of easy-breezy indie-pop guitars with a clever message, hidden in plain view. When singer Ivy Gray-Klein of the Philadelphia band Corey Flood repeats “I know what I saw,” in the chorus of “Heaven Or,” it takes on a double-meaning—is Gray-Klein telling someone off? Is the repetition meant to sound confident? Or is it meant to be a self-assuring mantra, inner dialogue sung aloud? If you say it too many times, does it lose meaning? I’m choosing to believe all three—and what a powerful declaration. —MS
Y: Duma, “Lionsblood,” – A few times a year, if I’m lucky, I’ll hear something that stops me in my tracks. Usually, it’s not something I’d share in this space because it feels too odd, but today, I can’t help myself. Duma (that’s “Darkness” in Swahili) is the afro-beat noise project of Nairobi’s Martin Khanja (aka Lord Spike Heart) and Sam Karugu, two Kenyan experimentalists and ecclecticists who meld the heaviest of metallic sounds with afro-beat to build production that’s otherworldy—dangerous and seductive and historicizing in one breath. “Lionsblood” is a ferocious work delivered in just two-and-a-half minutes—each time I listen to it, it tends to feel both larger and shorter, like the waves of a heart monitor after a patient is stimulated by fear or anxiety. I can’t wait to hear more from them. —MS
Yes we can: 박혜진 Park Hye Jin, “Can you” – This gentle techno track from South Korean producer-vocalist 박혜진 Park Hye Jin might feel simple at first but don’t let it fool you. It may embed itself in your brain, possibly complicating your life with an incessant loop of “Can you be my bay-bay” when you’re trying to concentrate on something, anything else. It’s worth the risk, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. —Rich Juzwiak
Yes, inject it in my veins: Ganser, “Emergency Equipment & Exits” – I’ve been anxiously waiting for Ganser’s new album for months now, and even though I have to wait until the end of July to finally give it a listen, they’ve blessed me with a new track and video to tide me over until then. It doesn’t disappoint. Ganser is making a strong case for post-punk-revival revival (check out their song “Buio” if you want definitive proof) and their latest release, “Emergency Equipment & Exits” only solidifies it. Distorted guitars that make me feel like I’m in a tunnel, the drawn-out vocals of Alicia Gaines that drag me in deeper, and a frenetic drumbeat that reminds me of how much I miss live music. And, hey, the music video ain’t bad either. Give it a shot. —AR
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