“Touchstarved” by SugarSeaFoam Grapples with Deep Self-Loathing
Sometimes, I don’t like myself very much. I’m feeling pretty good at the moment, but even now I can rattle off an exhaustive list of my personal and physical flaws (here’s a sample platter: my fear of confrontation that manifests as passive-aggression, my tendency to procrastinate, my self-seriousness, my oily skin, my nail-biting habit, etc.) […]
Father John Misty Returns With the Beautiful, Underhanded “Funny Girl”
When Pitchfork listed Father John Misty’s “Bored in the USA” as the 84th best song of 2014, they made a prediction about the then-upcoming I Love You, Honeybear that serves as a neat summary of Josh Tillman’s career as a whole: “It will either profoundly move your soul or profoundly annoy the shit out of […]
“Time Machine” by Jana Horn Perfectly Embodies an In-Between State
Something I’ve come to enjoy about the new year is the peculiar aimlessness of its first few weeks. The old year is always firmly relegated to the past through retrospectives and year-end celebrations, but for a little while–until Martin Luther King Day at the earliest, Valentine’s Day at the latest–it doesn’t feel like a new […]
Two Story Melody’s Favorite Songs of 2021
2021 was better than 2020. There were, of course, a litany of disappointments. For a moment, the pandemic seemed like it might have been vaccinated into submission, but it struck back with two absurdly contagious variants. This was made possible by an ecosystem of far-right misinformation, which encouraged millions to offer a hearty “let’s go […]
“Heaven” by Begonia: A Breezy Song about Afterlife Uncertainty
I think about death too often. I don’t like dwelling on it, but the thoughts come all the same, popping up in quiet moments and poking me like a bratty kid. Hey! Hey, you! You’re gonna die someday, y’know that? You’re gonna die, and you’ve got no idea what happens next, do ya? Do ya?! […]
“Kudzu from Heaven” by Creature Comfort Soundtracks a Sinister Invasion (But is Still a Banger)
At the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, America was introduced to a dense, climbing vine from Japan known as kuzu, or kudzu. It was marketed as a decorative plant to provide shade for porches, and it could also serve as cheap, healthy cattle fodder. It was even used to combat soil erosion during the Dust […]
Martha Skye Murphy’s “Concrete” is a Harrowing Song of Self-Destruction
“Concrete” certainly doesn’t sound like the kind of song that should be called “Concrete.” The title track from Martha Skye Murphy’s new EP, “Concrete” is vaporous and ethereal, with hints of Julia Holter and Julee Cruise in its dreamy chamber pop sound. Strings buzz, harps twinkle, and a processed piano plays a plaintive music box […]
Corrina Repp on How a Hug Inspired Her Hymnal “The Shore”
“The Shore” is not a gospel song. It’s not a song about worship or devotion to a higher power. The word “God” is not mentioned once. But Corrina Repp, the LA-based singer-songwriter behind “The Shore” and its accompanying album Island, has created a song that uses the tropes of gospel and other worship music to […]
On “Walker,” Animal Collective Nails the Second Single and Pay Tribute to a Legend
The first single is, of course, one of the most important parts of any album rollout. But just as important, and arguably more difficult to get right, is the second single. Once you’ve released the first single, shared the cover art, and sent out press releases talking about whatever life experience/artistic reawakening/ayahuasca journey inspired the […]
Shaken-Up: The Top Ten Songs by The Knife
On the tour for Shaking the Habitual, their fourth and apparently final album, The Knife were not The Knife. Rather, The Knife were not just The Knife. There were about a dozen performers on stage at any given time, and while Karin and Olof Dreijer were two of those performers, it was unclear which two. […]
