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 usualâI'm still catching up on what I missed). See you again Monday. (Tuesday at the latest.)
Local Picks
The Arches, âI Feel It Tonightâ
For months Iâve 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, âLight in the Distanceâ
Molly OâConnorâs voice is so bright and the music chimes so forthrightly that if the accompanying notes hadnât told me the songs on Coco Canaryâs self-titled EP address âthe experience and resiliency of trauma survivorsâ I might have interpreted them differently.
Durry, âWhoâs Laughing Nowâ
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 (successâll change your perspective real quick) and big olâ alt-rock drums (ditto). This version will be on their album Suburban Legend, to be released in September. I havenât been keeping upâhas anyone said the guitar and vocal kickoff is a little Everclear-ish? That, coming from me, is not (always) an insult. And the videoâs fun too.
Lumari, âDoor and Cornersâ
This âshoegaze/dreampopâ quartet (their words, and accurate enough) have released two fine singles from their engaging En Phases album, âStarlitâ and âNeon Dream.â And guess which I prefer? Trick questionâI fell instead for this album track. Guess I just prefer architecture to starlight and dreaming.
Ka Lia Universe, âOne Last Fuccâ
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
BeyoncĂ© feat. Kendrick Lamar, âAmerica Has a Problemâ
Despite the addition of a Significant Rapper, itâs 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, thatâs a real achievement. (PS, Iâll take a pass on that Baby Keem track for now, Kendrick feature notwithstanding.)Â
If âall over his breath like pussy-flavored gumâ ainât nasty enough for you, check out that sniffing sound that follows âLookin' like he fiendin', got his nose all in my crack.â
Fat Tony & Blockhead, âIâm Thinking âBout Movingâ
There should be more rap songs complaining about roommates, and this is a good one. âWhen 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.â And thatâs just one of the roommates!
Suzie True, âSentimental Scumâ
âIt's okay/If I'm blooming just a little bit late,â 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. âI guess Iâll grow up by my 26th birthday,â she concludes. I say give it to 27.
Everyone (including me) loved Wadeâs Reckless, and the title track to her follow up album maintains the QC. âAll of your drĐ”ams are your parent's fearsâ she sings of her wild boy, before asking the eternal question âWas there life before there was us?â (Though I liked it better when I misheard âlust.â)Â
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. (Donât, as in do NOT, DM or text: If Iâm in a good mood, Iâll just ask you to send an email; if Iâm in a bad mood Iâll just ignore it.)