13 Beats of the Week
- “That’s Life” by Still Woozy — Born Sven Eric Gamsky, Still Woozy encompasses a solo project the artist has continued to hone from the four walls of his garage since his first release in 2017. “That’s Life” comes off of his most recent 2021 album entitled “If This Isn’t Nice, I Don’t Know What Is.”
- “Mood Ring” by Lorde — A popular though understated artist, Lorde (born Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor) rose to prominence in September of 2013 with the release of her hit single, “Royals.” The New Zealander’s new album, “Solar Power” speaks to grappling with fame; “Mood Ring” offers an often satirical take on the advent of wellness culture and spiritualism within privileged spaces and demographics.
- “Dead Girls” by Penelope Scott — In many ways, Penelope Scott’s work exemeplifies the influence social media can have on music. Scott’s self-produced EP “Public Void”, which was released on Bandcamp in the summer of 2020, did not really begin to pick up traction until the tracks hit TikTok. Now boasting over 3 million followers on Spotify, Scott’s new EP “Hazards” (on which “Dead Girls” is featured) is a hazy and electronically-driven must-listen.
- “The Remains of Rock and Roll” by Broken Bells — Duo Brian Burton and James Mercer formed Broken Bells in 2004 after crossing paths at the Roskilde Music Festival, though it would not be until March of 2008 that the two began recording. Though both artists have since gone on to head other projects (Burton now goes by Danger Mouse and Mercer is a member of The Shins), the two continue to make music together.
- “Both Sides” by Young Mister — Hailing from the Carolinas, Young Mister is Steven Fiore, a songwriter-turned-solo artist who has worked with the likes of Art Garfunkel and Jeff Goldblum throughout his career. His music is feel-good and melodic, though often juxtaposed with complex and topical lyricism as is exemplified in this week’s pick.
- “I Don’t Know” by Pasadena — Founded in 2000 by lead singer Joey Harkum, Pasadena found relative success in 2008 with the release of their album, “Sick and Tired.” “I Don’t Know” kicks off the band’s 2012 album, “Nowhere Fast,” an upbeat and wandering track in which Harkum ponders and postulates.
- “Snow Snow” by Pete Seeger — Born in 1919 in New York City, Pete Seeger had a prolific career which spanned from his early socially-motivated work in the 1930s up until his death in January of 2014. “Snow Snow” comes off of the folk-singer’s 1971 album, a reposed and pacifying song which almost acts as a lullaby, settling the listener into an imagined snow-covered dreamscape.
- “Kick It to Me” by Sammy Rae & The Friends — An eight-piece band led by Samantha Bowers, the group describes their style as manifold: “from world to jazz to funk, folk and rock, we’ve got all the bases covered.” “Kick It to Me” is one of the group’s most popular tracks, featuring an attention-grabbing sax intro that is sure to keep you listening to the very end.
- “Are You Serious” by Andrew Bird — Andrew Bird has been a consistent and reliable face in the music space since 1996; as of 2021, he boasts 16 studio albums. Bird, a multi-instrumentalist, features violin elements through much of his work, which serves as an innovative and unique piece which adds an air of enchantment to his folk-rock centric work.
- “Without Pain” by Rogue Wave — An indie-rock group hailing from Oakland, California, Rogue Wave features “Without Pain” their 2013 album “Nightingale Floors.” On this stripped-back and subdued track, lead singer Zach Schwartz sings: “what is love without pain?”
- “Nothing Gets Me High” by Bad Bad Hats — Bad Bad Hats is an indie-pop rock trio from Minnesota who have toured with the likes of Hippo Campus and Third Eye Blind throughout their career. The group has released two full length albums to date, “Psychic Reader” in 2015 and “Lightning Round” in 2018, the latter on which this week’s pick appears.
- “Body” by Julia Jacklin — Jacklin grew up in the Blue Mountains of Australia, an expansive and idyllic region which undoubtedly inspires her music today. Released in February of 2019, her second studio album “Crushing” is complex and reverberating, an atmosphere which is created through its hauntingly simplistic first track “Body.”
- “Better Than I Know Myself” by Del Water Gap — Brooklyn, New York resident S. Holden Jaffe has been releasing music under the name Del Water Gap since 2015. Though he has been consistently gaining popularity since then (now boasting over 1 million listeners on Spotify), Jaffe prefers to keep a low profile, with his website simply attributing his musical inspirations to “romantic encounters and dimly lit rooms.”
