NEW MUSIC FOR OLDS #56
Harnessing the power of Teamocil
Good afternoon, dear reader.
I’ve been staring at this laptop screen for the nine days, attempting to cobble together a TV writer submission packet. I am bleary-eyed and joked out. Nevertheless, I am, in Jalen Brunson fashion, gutting it to provide you with the vaguely-humorous music-related content you so desperately require.
That said, today’s NMFO may eschew a few bells and whistles. Apologies to all bell and/or whistle enthusiasts.
A brief reminder:
Okay, let’s get to it.
GOOD STUFF
You wanted a Glossary of Terms, you got a Glossary of Terms.
Babehoven, “Dizzy Spin”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: Water’s Here in You
Nutshell: Primarily acoustic indie
Voltage: 3
Thoughts: This album is a grower not a shower—hazy and atmospheric, with hints of Mazzy Star and Cowboy Junkies. It’s a melancholy affair, but not despairing. You know those dreary-but-beautiful days where you wrap up in a heavy sweater and stare out the the window? That’s this. There are at six songs on Water’s Here in You that grab me, and none that require skipping, but I’m highlighting “Dizzy Spin” for it’s inventive chord progression. This has got to be an alternate tuning, right? It evokes what Joni Mitchell calls “unresolved emotionality”. As endless scrolling reduces life to a flavorless mush, I’ll take emotionality anywhere I can get it.
Pairing Suggestion: Feeling raw and numb simultaneously
OU, “Ocean”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: II: Frailty
Nutshell: Bonkers Chinese prog
Nutshell: 8
Thoughts: It’s bitterly amusing how boring AI has turned out to be, in comparison to how artists have imagined how an “artificial intelligence” might express itself. Nothing Silicon Valley and its army of dickriders has produced conjures up images of “transhumanism” like this kitchen-sink Chinese prog band. WARNING: This will not be for everyone. Or anyone, potentially. You shan’t find yourself humming an OU song, but that’s for the best—loved ones would assume you were experiencing some sort of major medical event.
Pairing Suggestion: Letting your domestic robot snort blow
Iron & Wine, “Angels Go Home”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: Light Verse
Nutshell: Orchestral folk
Voltage: 3
Thoughts: For the 9% of you who are unfamiliar, Iron & Wine is top tier Beta Male acoustic sensitivo shit. Like, have you ever been to a rustic cabin where the owners have hung a piece of antique farming equipment up on the wall, as art? Imagine that, but music. To be clear, I eat this shit up with an artisanal spoon. Sam Beam’s sound has broadened over the years and, as goes the cliche, I prefer the early stuff. But to my ears, “Angels Go Home” stands alongside Beam’s best work. Sure, he’s no longer singing as if the microphone was placed directly beneath his soft palette, but it’s still plenty intimate. And the portentous Nick Drake-y string arrangement gives the tune added dimension. This should come with its own public television tote bag.
Pairing Suggestion: Happily slow dancing with the ghost of your beloved
Circa 2022…
You were saying…?
I want to know what love is (and also what you think of this week’s music).
SOME BULLSHIT
Warm up them thumbs—it’s poll-clickin’ time!
NMFO FICTIONAL BAND MADNESS: Round II, Part 2
A reminder of where things stand:
And now, let us determine who else makes the Sweet Sixteen.
The Vegas Buzz: A micro-generational clash: Pre-Gen X vs Elder Millienial.
The Vegas Buzz: Basically, this a question of what’s more impressive: a hundred B-pluses or or one A?
The Vegas Buzz: I can’t pretend to have passionate feelings about this one. In NBA terms, this is our Cleveland vs Orlando.
The Vegas Buzz: An unexpectedly strong showing by The Blowholes in Round 1. That said, Tobias and crew have harnessed the power of Teamocil. Anyone’s ballgame.
The Vegas Buzz: Look, we don’t need to overthink things.
The Vegas Buzz:
The Vegas Buzz: Gold teeth feature prominently in this matchup.
The Vegas Buzz: If you’re a 40-45 years old former latchkey kid, I can imagine this as something of a Sophie’s Choice.
And now, the denouement. Comments before we go?
Looking back, NMFO #56 was not as bare as I’d feared—I count at least three bells and one whistle. Truly, a performance for the ages.
As always, I thank you for your support.
I really love the new duet with Fiona Apple “All in Good Time.” I haven’t heard the rest but Sam hasn’t done anything I haven’t liked.
Well, that Iron and Wine record is bloody lovely stuff.