5 Tunes I Like Today: 11/21/2024
This is the first installment of 5 Tunes I Like Today, a series about songs that I have found recently that I am enjoying on a given day. This will span many genres and styles, but warning: there will be a lot of underground rap and indie music! This is not an assessment of any objective value; the only thing that matters to me is how much I enjoy the music. Occasionally, I'll intersperse some musings of my own as well as photography I do.
1. xaviersobased - crisp dubs
This song was released in late 2021, but I only recently found it when it was featured as Pitchfork's tenth-best song of the 2020s.
In the track, xaviersobased (born Xavier Lopez) floats over a
self-produced beat of a guitar loop, drums and 808s that jerks back and
forth between tempos, sometimes mid-verse. He raps about "crisp dubs"
(his term for $20 bills), flaunting his wealth in both his natural
voice and through various pitch changes. His style of delivery is exciting and unique, while the changes in speed provide a
rough-around-the-edges, live DJ set feel that is hard to find in a music
industry that promotes uniformity and easy-of-listening. The song even pump-fakes an ending before throwing the music right back in your face. When I listen to this track, I usually repeat the song two or three times -- it's that good!
2. Winter - shaniatwainlovestory
The third single from the LA-based band's 2024 EP ...and she's still listening,
shaniatwainlovestory isn't actually much of a love story at all. The
title of the song provides the inspiration for this story: Samira
Winter, in a press release, noted that Shania Twain's real life was the
source: "I watched Shania Twain’s documentary and felt enraged by how
her husband left her for one of her best friends". The feelings of
betrayal are palpable: lyrics like "Does she like to fuck like me? /
Were you flirting while I was in my bed sleeping?" and "Bleeding heart,
I'd die for you / My bleeding heart you threw away" evoke that sense of
losing trust in someone to whom you had given so much. Musically, the
song twitches and glitches through two verses before a cathartic release
at the end of the song, with shoegaze-y guitars mixed with drum loops
amidst lightweight backing vocals. The lyrics and music overall combine
together to paint a picture of a woman scorned, and the fury that comes
with it. (Note: there's also a remix done by They Are Gutting A Body Of Water that I recommend.)
3. jackzebra, Takeem, Yung Raise - 深呼吸
One of 35(!) songs on jackzebra's gargantuan 2024 album 王中王 (King of Kings), the Chengdu, Sichuan, China rapper teams up with fellow countrymen Takeem and Yung Raise on 深呼吸
(Take a Deep Breath), a song about, well, doing exactly that. jackzebra
(born Zhang Zheng Kai) raps messages of reassurance, saying, "不论做过
做多还是做错 至少你还试过 深呼吸一口 (No matter what you have done / how much you
have done / or whether you have made mistakes / At least you have tried /
Take a deep breath)". You might not have caught this: his delivery is
slurred, extensively Auto-Tuned and passed through vocal filters,
bending the words to their limit. The up-and-coming plugg artist
typically uses this style of flow to blend melody with meaning,
emotionally transcending language barriers. While not in the same vocal
style, the features from Takeem and Yung Raise are also very fun,
interspersing Mandarin and English with a more traditional flow.
jackzebra then repeats the chorus and verse, almost as if he's forcing
us to take a deep breath as we return to familiarity. This is just one
of many songs I'd recommend on the album: the Harto Falión and Acid
Souljah features are unexpected and brilliant, and the first track is
excellent in setting the tone for the rest of the record.
4. Opinion - Hyperglam
Released as a single before their 2024 album Horrible,
Hyperglam is 111 seconds of pure chaotic energy. Blending shoegaze,
grunge, and lo-fi, the walls of distorted yet catchy guitar riffs and
the constant drum beat come together like an explosion of sound. The lyrics do not match this same feeling, though. They are
melancholic and self-deprecating; Hugo Carmouze sings: "Talking
a lot with myself /
I feel very cursed / I'm just so boring with my friends /
And useless too". This disaffected feeling is common among much of
Opinion's music. The solo outfit of the Bordeaux-based aforementioned
songwriter, "la jeunesse désenchantée" (disaffected youth)
is a theme among his work. But, this does not mean the song is tearjerking in any sense. Although thematically it's a bit sad, the song does not leave the listener in a blue mood. This blend of high energy with introspective
lyrics demonstrate Carmouze's profound songwriting ability, turning an unhappy song into an absolute blast.
5. Harto Falión, evilgiane - Hate Myself
One of many collaborations between SURF GANG members Harto and evilgiane, Hate Myself is another record that expertly combines Harto Falión's pensive and laid-back flow with evilgiane's stuttered and enigmatic production. Both rapper and producer prove their expertise in songmaking on this record, with a strong message: each chorus starts with self-doubt before finding your way back to self-belief: "Really don't think they like me, shit, I don't like myself / ... / Even if you don't like me, shit, I love myself". Feelings of self-doubt are widespread among the digital generations. This song gives a voice to those feelings of alienation while also giving inspiration to those who feel similarly. Lyrics like, "Comfortable in my own skin, don't be jealous" and "At least I know I'm not tryna be someone else" express comfort in one's individuality, rejecting doubt and embracing love of oneself. It's one of many classic joint efforts between the duo, and hopefully their partnership will continue for many years to come.
Final Thoughts
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. This is a series that I would like to continue, although I am unsure of how often this series will come out. Feel free to listen to these tracks and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
-- John
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