Top8 - 08/05/24

Emily Beane back with another Top8. I had too much stuff for 8 songs this week, and I don't have the time to make it Top18, so maybe you're getting some of those next time. I know that your hearts are broken. Please send all breakup texts to wtsq.org/contact

Honeyglaze - Don't

Honeyglaze is a London band which got started back in 2021. They have an album and some singles to check out. Today, we are getting into the recent single "Don't." This is post-punk music somewhere between Savages and Guerilla Toss but with a lot of other influences (on other tracks, they feel a lot more like Snail Mail or Soccer Mommy). I love the recording on "Don't." It sounds like this tight three piece is right in front of you and vocalist Anouska Sokolow is shouting the list of offenses directly into your face. This isn't some trite pissy-woman-bitches-about-men trope. Sokolow's frustration is palpable as she sings, "I've got fucking feelings." If this one doesn't resonate with you, you might be one of the people it's directed toward. 

The Mystery Lights - Purgatory

Sometimes, I have mixed feelings about an intentionally retro sound. The moment that "Purgatory" kicks off, you'll think of bands like The Yardbirds, or ? and the Mysterians. It's a buzzy, garage sound immediately identifiable as the mid to late sixties. Modern bands like The Osees or King Gizzard explore and update this sound, but The Mystery Lights leave it pretty much intact. This is what you'd expect from a really good 60's period piece featuring a garage band.

That having been said, I feel like it's wrong to reduce the band or this song to only that summary. I went back to this several times and listened again. While the song limits itself to a specific sonic pallet, the band really makes the most of it. This is a catchy song with a classic but really cool sound. Plus, the band's other tracks explore a broader swath of music, getting more into parallels with Television or even Wire. The Mystery Lights are worth checking out. 

Moses Sumney - Gold Coast

Contemporary R&B sometimes leaves me cold in much the same way that contemporary rock or country do. At some point in the 70s, music became a commodity, made in a factory, and packaged and sold in specifically measured, labeled amounts. A track with 14 songwriters can't realistically claim to have a soul. And then you have Moses Sumney. "Gold Coast" put me in mind of Frank Ocean. (Fun fact about me – reminding me of Frank Ocean is a very good thing.) Sumney's voice is so perfect, and so perfectly used, I almost didn't even notice it. I am just moved along through the emotions of the track. His voice sounds like my insides speaking to me in a voice I immediately know. The production fits right in with the vocal. Check this one out on headphones. 

Kelly Lee Owens - Love You Got

There are a million branches on the EDM tree, and a lot of them bear no fruit worth paying attention to. When something like a Techno track really hits for me though, I usually become obsessed with it. That happens a lot with Kelly Lee Ownes. The Welsh songwriter/producer got my attention with her ultra electronic 2020 cover of Radiohead's Arpeggi. She's been putting out music for nearly a decade though, and it's always worth paying attention to. "Love You Got" does exactly what this kind of track is supposed to do – it moves your ass. Drop this track in, stay hydrated, and dance the night away in some sketchy Chicago warehouse.

Militarie Gun - Thought You Were Waving

I like it when a band does more than just one kind of thing. Sometimes Militarie Gun sounds like a modern, slightly grindy, hardcore act. Sometimes they sound like Fidlar.  Sometimes something else entirely. "Thought You Were Waving" is one of the latter, and actually sneaks in a bouncy Blink-182 melody, as a treat. In any event, it's all punk in the end. If I could skateboard, I would listen to this and go do kickflips or something at the library.

Thee Oh Sees - Earthling

The druggy, fuzzed out garage sound we just talked about with The Mystery Lights found its natural evolution in bands like Thee Oh Sees. True to form, "Earthling" has the signature trippy, jagged guitar sound, and manages to fold in a synth, some horns, and a strangely affected vocal. It does what it says on the tin. And, luckily, I love it. 

Idle Valley - Dying Early

I've already referenced Fidlar in this episode, and here I am with another track that reminds me of them. Forget the fact that the actual Fidlar released music this month too (and, yes, it is good too, I just don't want to post the same bands over and over again). "Dying Early" is one of my favorite tracks this year. It's super catchy and is pulled along by a crazy distorted synth line. Lyrically, it's actually really dark and desperate. A lot of us can't afford to go to the doctor, and figure we'll probably die early. I relate to this. Come play this one in the hospital if I do.

Gloom East - Life of the Party

I spent five entire minutes trying to figure out what the deal with Gloom East is. They are from Miami. That's about all I have. "Life of the Party", on the other hand, is a fantastic track. There is a monotone vocal ambling over music that is a little indie, a little alt-90s, and has just a dash of shoegaze haze. The slacker charm is what gets me. With a vocal that orbits frustrations without resolution, it seems to fit. 

And the extra innings, just a few other things I have been listening to. 

Hot Rize - You Were On My Mind Today

Silver Jews - We Could Be Looking For The Same Thing

Charli xcx - Guess (ft. Billie Eilish)

And a playlist with everything. 

Thanks for reading and listening, 

-emily