29 November 2024 - d4vd - Feel It

David Anthony Burke is 19.  He is part of a generation that made YouTube videos and then got copyright strikes, so his mom suggested he make his own music.

Well, that worked.  He's made a style of music that is a combination of funk and.... anime?  Yeah.  Let's go with that.  This song was written for the Amazon Prime animated series Invincible, of which he was already a fan.   For a song written for a streaming platform animated series, it is heartfelt and earnest - and makes me want to watch the show. 

It is very much a love song, and a beautiful one at that. 

d4vd will be performing at Coachella next year, and if this performance is any indication, he's going to be great.

28 November 2024 - Japanese Breakfast - The Ballad of the Witches' Road (Pop Version)

Happy Thanksgiving, Americans!

Japanese Breakfast, who will be featured at Coachella, are from Philadelphia.   They are so named because vocalist and primary songwriter (and bestselling author) Michelle Zauner thought a Japanese breakfast would be exotic to Americans.

She probably had a point.

This song was not written by Michelle Zauner. It was written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez, probably best known for writing the music for Frozen and Frozen II.  Disney had them write this central song for the television show Agatha All Along, now playing on Disney+ (YOU SHOULD GO WATCH THAT!). 

Did this song make Japanese Breakfast a household name? No.  Did it give them a bigger audience?  Well, they're playing Coachella next year, aren't they?  (They also played it in 2018 and 2022, so, probably a bad example....)

27 November 2024 - horsegiirL - eat, sleep, slay, 🔁

This is definitely the first time we've used an emoji as part of a title.

So, let's talk about horsegiirL, the German DJ and singer who will be appearing on day 2 of Coachella next year - and whose identity is unknown because, and this is real, she hides it behind a horse mask.  She also leans HARD into that horse theme - even going by a "real name" of Stella Stallion.  In this song, she sings about how hay is what she likes.   

This is one of the weirdest songs we've ever posted.   This is from a blog that posted a song about what a fox says.  But still, it's a damned catchy tune. 

26 November 2024 - Moon Boots feat. Cherry Glazerr - Come Back Around

There is a meme going around - to paraphase - "your real age is 70 minus the number of bands in the Coachella lineup you recognize."

I admit it.  It's a challenge.

Most of my friends are in their upper 50s at best.

I'm 41.  And that seemed high for me - I mean, I do this blog. So I wanted to make myself younger, and also do the same for you.

Moon Boots is a DJ - the stage name of Peter Dougherty.  He will be appearing on Day 1 of Coachella next year.  He is the guy in the video.  TECHNICALLY, Cherry Glazerr is a band, but 1) their/her YouTube channel very much refers to "her", not them, which is in contrast to the Wikipedia entry for Cherry Glazerr and 2) that's absolutely Clementine Creevy singing and appearing in this video, so....  yeah, I'm not sure.  I really need to dive deeper into Cherry Glazerr, but for now, I didn't see her/them in the Coachella lineup (but yeah, she/they have been there before).

Anyway, Moon Boots is a great DJ and an awesome producer, and you should know him.  This song is an electronic/garage pop merger that genuinely works. 

25 November 2024 - Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles

You were this close to forgetting this song, weren't you? 

And yet this song was a MONSTROUS Top 5 hit worldwide.  

But it almost didn't happen.  

The song was originally titled "Interlude" - and I've heard the demo.  It's nearly identical to this.  

When it was finally relased in 2001, on the Legally Blonde soundtrack, it was titled "A Thousand Miles (Interlude)". This was not Carlton's choice - it was her record label.  Such is the life of a musician.  

It may have been her only hit, but it's memorable and STILL used in many commercials to this day.  

And the song - about a crush on someone who is apparently now a famous actor - is esquisite. 

By the way, not only does she still perform and has not turned her back on this song, she OPENS her set with it - because she does not like to make people wait.

We applaud this. 

22 November 2024 - LŪN - bitches

Let's talk about LŪN.

LŪN is an artist of unknown origin - I mean, clearly, it's a female artist, but she never shows her face and keeps hiding behind a wolf mask.

Self-described as "gothbounce" music, a label I find quite accurate, I feel like this is an artist I have both heard before and sounds fresh.

It's almost as if we've posted about this artist on this blog 21 times previously - more than any other artist by a fair bit - and yet this is our first LŪN post (not our last).

This is a fan-made video for the song that isn't just audio.  The song already had a dark comic book vibe to it, and this video really takes that to another level. LŪN is practically a comic book character already.

Currently, LŪN is on a Canadian tour, and I really hope to go to a LŪN show stateside.  I'm sorry it's not brighter.  I really wish there were more lights in this video.  

Also, the mask is off here.   

yes i know she's Lights.   That's the joke. 

20 November 2024 - BB Brunes - I'm a Lady

Not gonna lie, but today's Santigold song was inspired by this cover, which I recently discovered and deserves its own post.  

As far as I can tell, no one in BB Brunes is a lady. 

And yes, they did a fantastic studio version as well.

20 November 2024 - Santigold - I'm A Lady

I don't love posting songs without an official video.  Hell, this video is some random art school video (that is really good - I don't want to minimize that, but that's not why we're here). 

This non-single album track has turned into a fan favorite at shows.  From her debut album, Santogold - and yes, I know how confusing that is, but that was her stage name at the time - the song is an absolute gem.  It shows Santigold's restraint and range as a vocalist and a songwriter. 

She continually performs the song.  This performance is from 2019 in Boston.  I think this song is just fantastic.

18 November 2024 - Fairground Attraction - What's Wrong With The World?

Fairground Attraction were a bit of a one hit wonder everywhere in the world in the late 1980s.  That one hit was absolutely perfect, and their debut album was amazing.  

And then they broke up in 1990 while trying to record a follow up, and the world was denied a followup forever.....

Until they reformed in 2024. 

They went 35 years between singles. This was released in February 2024 and it's a delight.  

And yes, Eddi Reader's voice is JUST as magical as it always was. 

18 November 2024 - The Beaches - T-Shirt

I've spoken at length about The Beaches in the past.  

This was their first hit song, from 2018 and their debut album, Late Show.  It very clearly showcased the band in general, and Jordan Miller very specifically, as absolute rock stars.  

I have nothing more to say about this one except that it's my current earworm. 

Also, the Grey Cup was last night.  The Grey Cup, for those not well-versed, is the championship game for the Canadian Football League.  In 2019, that game was held in Calgary - and while I was there at this time, I was not in town for the game, which is a shame because there were absolutely tickets available and I would have gone.   

And I would have been entertained by this performance by The Beaches, a band with which I was not yet familiar.  I could have been enjoying them YEARS earlier. 

15 November 2024 - JENNIE - Mantra

So, it was not on my 2024 bingo card that Jennie from Blackpink would have one of my favorite singles on 2024.  

Yet, here we are.   

But, in a year where one of the most acclaimed pop albums is called brat, such a compelling, fun, bratty song should come as no surprise.   

Jennie brings her own bravado and pretty girl mantra to a song she co-wrote. 

I think this is one of the most exciting singles to come out of Blackpink members... maybe ever.  This performance from Jimmy Kimmel's show adds to the legend.  

8 November 2024 - Flower Face - Biblical Love

Last Friday, Flower Face released her latest album, Girl Prometheus.  I haven't liestened to the whole thing yet, but I'm getting there and will probably do that today.  

This song was released as a single the day before, on Halloween. Keep listening.  It builds and will be absolutely be on heavy rotation for awhile for me.