Hey there! Been a while, huh? It's been over three weeks since my last playlist (why do I feel like I'm in confession here?) and though I have VERY VALID excuses (including an overdue vacation) you don't wanna hear them. You wanna hear new music. And here it is (though some of it not as new as usual—I'm still catching up on what I missed). See you again Monday. (Tuesday at the latest.)
Local Picks
The Arches, “I Feel It Tonight”
For months I’ve been curious about this band, who habitually post a track a week on Bandcamp from an album or EP, along with notes telling the continuing story of a robot named Shirley. After an album of mostly instrumentals, their new album, World Runway, consists of two great songlets. This one almost reaches an epic two minutes!
Coco Canary, “Light in the Distance”
Molly O’Connor’s voice is so bright and the music chimes so forthrightly that if the accompanying notes hadn’t told me the songs on Coco Canary’s self-titled EP address “the experience and resiliency of trauma survivors” I might have interpreted them differently.
Durry, “Who’s Laughing Now”
Is this cheating? How can it be when I make my own rules? Two years after their demo went viral via TikTok, that dreaded social media threat to our children and national security, the Durry sibs release the completed version of their greatest hit, with less cynical lyrics (success’ll change your perspective real quick) and big ol’ alt-rock drums (ditto). This version will be on their album Suburban Legend, to be released in September. I haven’t been keeping up—has anyone said the guitar and vocal kickoff is a little Everclear-ish? That, coming from me, is not (always) an insult. And the video’s fun too.
Lumari, “Door and Corners”
This “shoegaze/dreampop” quartet (their words, and accurate enough) have released two fine singles from their engaging En Phases album, “Starlit” and “Neon Dream.” And guess which I prefer? Trick question—I fell instead for this album track. Guess I just prefer architecture to starlight and dreaming.
Ka Lia Universe, “One Last Fucc”
Oh my! St. Paul's Hmong pop star gets raw on this one, cooing singsong invitations over diaphanous synths and trap beats. And yes, the video is just as sexy.
National Picks
Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar, “America Has a Problem”
Despite the addition of a Significant Rapper, it’s still not the protest anthem the title would lead well-meaning people to believe. Coming from Kendrick, and for the Significant Pop Star at the helm, that’s a real achievement. (PS, I’ll take a pass on that Baby Keem track for now, Kendrick feature notwithstanding.)
GloRilla, “Lick or Sum”
If “all over his breath like pussy-flavored gum” ain’t nasty enough for you, check out that sniffing sound that follows “Lookin' like he fiendin', got his nose all in my crack.”
Fat Tony & Blockhead, “I’m Thinking ‘Bout Moving”
There should be more rap songs complaining about roommates, and this is a good one. “When my girl over, one roommate looks at her strange/He always wanna small talk and mispronounce her name/The living room littered with beers, cassette tapes, and weed/All are his.” And that’s just one of the roommates!
Suzie True, “Sentimental Scum”
“It's okay/If I'm blooming just a little bit late,” sings bassist Lexi McCoy, fretting over her lack of purpose in exactly the way 25-year-olds who are further along than they think they are supposed to be. “I guess I’ll grow up by my 26th birthday,” she concludes. I say give it to 27.
Morgan Wade, “Psychopath”
Everyone (including me) loved Wade’s Reckless, and the title track to her follow up album maintains the QC. “All of your drеams are your parent's fears” she sings of her wild boy, before asking the eternal question “Was there life before there was us?” (Though I liked it better when I misheard “lust.”)
Wanna get a local song considered for the playlist? To make things easy on both of us, email keith@racketmn.com with MONDAY PLAYLIST in the subject header. (Don’t, as in do NOT, DM or text: If I’m in a good mood, I’ll just ask you to send an email; if I’m in a bad mood I’ll just ignore it.)
