diSKOAverweekly: Week of February 10, 2021

Hello again. 🥰
Been a little while since I felt like updating this. Did y’all miss me? Fuck I’ve missed y’all. And doing this. I won’t go into detail about everything that’s happened since last we met. Also I can’t really say for sure that we’re back online full throttle go go go with updates on this site in addition to this playlist. That said, when the feeling comes to connect with some fellow digital crate diggers I’m not gonna talk myself out of it anymore, even if sometimes I make myself crazy with how much detail I want to cram into these updates, lol. Anyway the sun is shining, I’m still covid-free, and I love you all so much that I just had to share these.

Until next time! Whenever that is…

💖✨

1. Arlo Parks- ”Porta 400”

   If you have not pressed play on Collapsed In Sunbeams yet I hate to spoil the ending for you right off the bat like this, but also like, shame on you for not rushing immediately to support this little slice of heaven on earth. I have made jokes in the past about how I love it when bands just “dump glitter on their problems”. The Arlo Parks take on this vibe is the opening lyric (and honestly kind of its own self-review of the album), when she opens the track with, “making rainbows out of something painful”. I love her so very much. The record is absolutely breathtaking. We are so blessed to have been afforded this moment to learn from her. And possibly heal with her, too?

2. Anees - “Maybe”

   So I am part of the statistic of millennials who mostly lurk on TikTok, fascinated to see what The Algorithm™ has chosen to reflect back as its interpretation of my True Self. No one is surprised that eventually it started trickling in really talented baby bands and they are all SUCH LOVELY PEOPLE oh my god. DC rapper Anees is a shining example of that. My goodness I just want to put this kid in my hoodie pocket and keep him safe forever. He’s only 3 tracks into his formal foray into music, but has been experimenting with rapping on Instagram since 2019. I came in on “Maybe”, which follows “Brown Kid”, a track where he shares his perspective of being a Palestinian/Lebanese kid in a very white America, and debut track, “Neverland Fly”, which details how the rapper chooses to rise above any of his negative thoughts and stay up in the clouds. “Maybe” is such a lovely little ditty to carry with you wherever you go to remind you to keep dreaming and to do your best to not let the bullshit weigh you down. PS if you want proof of his vocal abilities in real time, kid is live on TikTok fairly frequently just rapping in his car, experimenting with new lyrics.

3. Sycco - “Dribble”

   God damn Slum fam are always such a good barometer of quality in terms of cool new things to check out. Enter: Sycco (pronounced “psycho”) and her breakout jam, “Dribble”. The track was produced by Edward Quinn (the quiet producer half of slum fam), as well as her latest, “Germs”, which has also started to gain some traction. I’m not sure who was working with her on her earlier tracks, but I really like the way her sound has evolved with these two tracks. She definitely sounds more “at home” than she does with her earlier tunes. I hope she has plans for 2021 because I could see this casual crush I have on her voice intensifying with just the slightest of nudges.

4. Wake The Wild - “Rewind”

   Fun true story, this track initially dropped in Summer 2020 but then vanished. For 6 months in the playlist where I had excitedly tossed it to play it back on the regular it was faded pixels of its former self. I checked back on it more often than I’d like to admit. Then like its very own Christmas miracle it came back in early December. I think it’s the best track they’ve released to date. You should also check out the EP they dropped last year, too. It’s great, just not as trance-inducing as I’ve come to find “Rewind” to be.

5. Hablot Brown - “GO (Dam Swindle Remix)”

   This remix is EXCELLENT. Dam Swindle really took one look at Hablot Brown’s “GO” and said, “You know…you can dance with your darkness if you want.” The rework is really balanced in the way it elevates the song’s essence without distracting you too much with its bouncy popped out production. I wasn’t familiar with either artist until The Algorithm™ plunked this in my lap, but I’m really excited to spend more time digging through their respective catalogs because everything else I’ve sampled so far has been great.

6. JESSIA - “I’m Not Pretty”

   So remember that time deadmau5 was livestreaming himself working on an idea for a track and this dude Chris James randomly DMs him a vocal that he thought could be cool with what Joel was working on and that turned into “The Veldt”? So this is the like TikTok indie pop version of that story essentially. On January 1st, JESSIA posted a TikTok of herself singing the catchy ass chorus in her car. The sound got picked up really quickly. Like really quickly. So much so that The Algorithm™ did its magic and it landed on producer Elijah Woods’ For You Page feed and it was subsequently transformed into the rough sketch of the bop you hear today by the 3rd. The song was formally released *checks notes* 5 days later and is already sitting at 17 million plays on Spotify. It’s now starting to get a little radio play, too! What I really love about this track is that it speaks to the authenticity and vulnerability that people love about music. There’s no flexing or pretending like everything is fine. Also there’s just something really magical about how this is essentially a community-created track. Like *The People* basically decided that this idea was worthy of quality collaboration and said “do your thang, algorithm! make it happen!” AND IT DID. So there is your How To Sound Interesting At Parties (When Covid Is Over) With Kibbe for the week.

7. Jordana - “Fuck You”

   As a connoisseur of “Fuck You” songs I gotta say that this one can easily throw down among the likes of Lily Allen and Cee-Lo Green’s legendary hits imo. While those songs have these grandiose productions to really launch their lyrics into the stratosphere, Jordana’s more understated approach is way more effective in dismissing whatever dumb fuck is deserving of this energy. The “Fuck You”s of the past sometimes come off as trying to cover up a lot of hurt by making a big scene of how much one can go fuck themselves. With this newcomer, it’s as easygoing and upbeat like a Sheryl Crow “All I Wanna Do Is Have Some Fun” but then proceeds to casually acknowledge and shrug off someone’s bullshit. It’s really such a cool choice of execution given how different the rest of Something To Say To You sounds. I like that every time this comes on I just kinda smirk and I’m like, “yeah, fuck that dude”.

8. Joey Purp - “Elastic”

   Another fun track that them teens on TikTok decided wasn’t done with it yet even though QUARTERTHING is almost 3 years old now. I think one of the things I like about the ecosystem of TikTok so much is how songs like this are passed around and you find a really interesting subculture of sorts that materializes around a particular sound. Yes of course I know that this is how music typically works, but when I skim the TikToks around any particular sound it almost seems to me that where we used to dress a specific way to essentially reflect our music tastes, people on TikTok basically “wear songs” to find each other. IDK - bare with me, as you can see TikTok has really sparked something in my creativity. JUST LET ME HAVE THIS OKAY!?

9. Running Touch - “Equaliser (feat. I.H)”

   There is something about this song that I have such a hard time sitting still when it comes on. I’m really curious if this is ✨just a me thing✨or if other people can’t stop from shimmying either. I should also say that if this is your first taste of Running Touch that it’s somewhat of a deceptive entry point because while dude is certainly good at mood manipulation, he’s not exactly a household name for boisterous bouncy bangers like this one. Anyway I just glanced at man’s monthly listeners and y’all need to do better by him okay.

10. Genesis Owusu - “The Other Black Dog”

    I caught wind of Genesis Owusu via Touch Sensitive because they worked together on music for a good bit of last year (which I imagine that only stopped because sweet little Mariella arrived to the party). While I came in on, “Don’t Need You” and was hooked immediately to everything about Genesis, I really like the chaotic energy of “The Other Black Dog”. It’s almost overwhelming, which I think was its aim from the get-go. Anyway, his debut LP, Smiling With No Teeth, is coming out on March 5th and I might choose to be impatient and see if I can get my ears on this one sooner than release date.

11. Two People- “Dream Steppin’”

    I just realized this is also a recommendation brought to you by Slum fam, lol. I don’t think either of the guys have any involvement in the making of anything Two People related, but I do appreciate that them fellas know that Sharing Is Caring. ANYWAY y’all are welcome that I’m pulling reccos from all corners of the internet/world. I very much enjoyed spending time with their latest LP Second Body and I plan on doing more of that this year, too.

12. j. pastel- “strawberry lemonade - 3am version”

    So at present j. pastel fits that lo-fi ✨aesthetic✨ kinda vibe. You know, the one where it won’t surprise you to know that Majestic Casual is following these guys on Instagram and for some reason you’re a little surprised that they haven’t been tossed into a ‘lofi hip hop music - beats to study/relax to’ kind of playlist just yet. I hope that means they’re on a different trajectory than the playlists that people mostly put on to ignore. This “3am version” of the previously released “strawberry lemonade” to me indicates that they don’t just want to be atmospheric. I get the same feeling in their latest, “Holy War”. It’s almost as if they’re coming back to Earth in a way. As if floating in that bit where the atmosphere and outer space was fun but it’s easier to articulate yourself when there’s more oxygen available. Yes, being out in the middle of nowhere is making me sound like an even bigger weirdo. Hopefully this is as entertaining for you as it is for me.

13. SG Lewis - “One More (feat. Nile Rodgers)”

    I know SG Lewis needs to release things to maintain visibility so he can have a career post-pandem but why he gotta drop something that just makes me feel like we are gonna be in the middle of the dance floor any second now 😩. Also so fucking cool that he got Nile Rodgers to work with him on this track. Since I can’t say enough wonderful things about TikTok, you should follow that dude over there. The other day he shared the origin story of Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” and I legit “STFU REALLY 🤯”’d right into my phone (and in the comments lol).

14. Kristy Harper - “My Body. My Future (feat. Samirah Raheem)”

    Another TikTok find! If you found LP Giobbi’s “Amber Rose” to be empowering or thought provoking, you will absolutely fucking love the way that Kristy Harper has memorialized Samirah Raheem’s “Slutwalk interview” in “My Body. My Future.” Everything about Kristy Harper is pretty FEMME HOUSE af come to think of it. Hold up, I just realized that these bad bitches don’t know each other. Think I need to fix that when I finish this post…. will report back if anything cool happens from that. Also when you’re done obsessing over “My Body. My Future”, you HAVE to listen to “The System Is Fucked”, especially if you’ve been up to your eyeballs in stonks lately.

15. Otzeki - “Max Wells-Demon”

    I’ve come to learn that the reason why I love Otzeki so much is because they make getting to know your shadows seem way less daunting of a task than we often think it is. I’m really glad that they’ve started trickling out new tracks over the past 6 months. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed their presence until they were back. Not only are they back, but they’ve got a new record coming out on March 19th called Now Is A Long Time. And I know by other people’s standards I should be talking about “Unthunk” because that came out yesterday, but I am genuinely just obsessed with how quickly “Max Wells-Demon” was able to permeate every cell in my body. And ofc I’m being dramatic about this, but you know when you can’t shake the way a song immediately feels like an extension of yourself? Yeah. Also the music video for this is really cool.

16. Pat Lok - “Pardon My French”

    The Magician recently dropped a compilation called Magic Tape 001, which features tracks from a lot of really great people I already admire and some that I can’t wait to get to know better after being exposed to them through this release. I really like this contribution from Twitter fam Pat Lok, who I feel the need to go on record to say that this pandemic would not have been the same if I hadn’t been able to spend as much time as I wanted getting lost in his 2017 LP, Hold On Let Go. If you haven’t tuned in to at least one of his Fone A Friend chats on Twitch mannnnn you’re missing out. Essentially lurking on two musicians talking about music and going through demo tracks that people have submitted and giving them feedback…it’s just such a wonderful thing to see.

[SONG OF THE DAY] Syrup - "Ride Safe"

lovingly lifted from Syrup’s Facebook

Another day another Aussie baby band to share through, lol

Happened to notice a couple months ago that the Slum Sociable sweeties were bragging on a project that they recently produced. The teaser they shared had piqued my interest enough to keep tabs on this project that was set to launch days later. Enter: brand spanking new Brisbane duo Syrup who you may have caught in diSKOAver weekly early last month with their debut track, “Something To Wear”. The indie pop duo have followed up with another song, “Ride Safe”, taken from their recently announced forthcoming debut EP, The Sponge, which is slated for an August release.

The band is comprised of childhood friends Harry Pratt and Henry Anderson. As the story goes per Gum Magazine, Harry had been working on instrumentals on his own for awhile before reaching out to his friend Henry for feedback, who was studying at the Conservatorium of Music on the Gold Coast at the time. Although Harry was aware of Henry’s outstanding guitar skills, he had never heard him sing before. As you’ll hear from the track below, his voice is lush and exuberant, making the pairing with Harry’s tracks a match made in musical heaven.

Looking forward to hearing how this project continues to take shape. They’ve certainly made one hell of a first impression on me with these songs.

[SONG OF THE DAY] Slum Sociable - "Life Is Free"

Yesterday the beloved Slum fam have graced us with their presence for the first time this year with a new song, “Life Is Free” and the oh so delightful news that they’ll be releasing an EP titled L.I.F. on August 2nd. Speaking on the track, the band shares, "'Life Is Free' was called that because, it isn't. The second line of the song points that out; "how can I say that knowingly". It’s about noticing how valuable a resource like time is, how you use it with the people in your life, how other people who might not have it as good as you use it, and ultimately trying to use it for good."

Tell you what man, so glad these guys took as much time as they needed into investing into themselves and their mental health because they have so many wonderful things on their heart to share with the world.

PS - ICYMI recently the guys stopped by triple j for a Like A Version session where they covered Mark Ronson and The Business International’s popular track “Somebody To Love Me”. Singer Miller Upchurch really owned the shit out the song, I found his performance of an already emotional song to be very moving. Dare I say Boy George and Andrew Wyatt (who originally sang on the track) would be thoroughly impressed and even a little intimidated by it, that’s how much I enjoyed it. So yeah, def go have a look and listen at that.

YAYYYY the boys are back in town! The. Boys. Are. Back. In. Town!!!!!

[SONG OF THE DAY] Slum Sociable - "Afterthought"

Slum fam are back! When last we ran into the dynamic duo that is Slum Sociable it was back in June with their single, “Can’t Figure It Out”. During their downtime they managed to team up with Kim Moyes from The Presets along with producer Konstantin Kersting (The Jungle Giants, Mallrat) for their brand new single, “Afterthought”.

As you may recall, their self-titled sophomore full-length saw a slight delay in release due to singer Miller Upchurch’s struggling with depression but ultimately ended with them dropping a heart wrenching album (and if I’m being honest, one of my favorites of the year). With every single that they’ve dropped since then it’s very obvious that Upchurch is in a lot better place than he was previously. Their latest single, “Afterthought”, is a moment of reflection where Upchurch wishes he had done certain things differently. “Looking back on them can be frustrating”, he explained, “so I channeled my frustrations of not acting sooner into this song.”

Given that Upchurch’s voice has quickly climbed the ranks as one of my favorite all time voices, it is to be expected that I am so happy to hear that things seem to be going better for him.

In addition to this new song, the band has announced that they’re going to be hosting The First Annual Slum Sociable Xmas Special along with guests Two People and Ro at Corner Hotel in Richmond, Victoria (Australia obviously).

If anyone would like to pitch in for plane tickets this may legitimately be all I want for Kibbmas, especially if they’re actually planning on playing “Last Christmas”. Sigh.

[SONG OF THE DAY] Client Liaison - "Survival In The City"

No, I am not going to shut up about Client Liaison until every single last one of you is converted. It is one of my personal goals in 2018 to help this band take over America, like not even joking. I thank the Lorde every day that Slum Sociable brought this band into my life. Every time I see Monte Morgan and Harvey Miller's faces pop up in my feeds I am just overcome with joy. Everything about their aesthetic is so effortless and yet so clearly well thought out that it doesn't come off as just some overt gimmick they're using as a marketing ploy. They have essentially created a parallel universe that just so happens to nestle right on top of this one. Playing their music, watching their music videos, or wearing their high fashion merch are those magical moments where you become a part of said parallel universe where extravagance is status quo and having a good time is the #1 priority. "Survival In The City" is essentially the anthem for those of us called to be living our best night lives in our respective big cities. 

Last month during Australian Fashion Week the band put on a fashion show for their aforementioned high fashion merch line, Client Liaison Deluxe Line, which ended with a live performance. Yes, I was so excited to watch this in real-time on Facebook live that I SET AN ALARM TO WAKE ME UP AT 6AM FOR IT. I am committed. Since you likely missed it, please check out how incredibly badass it was:

Seriously, I can't wait for you to join me in the non-stop party that is Client Liaison. We are going to have the best time together. 

[SONG OF THE DAY] Slum Sociable - "Moby Bryant"

Slum fam are back!!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

After them seemingly vanishing shortly after CMJ 2015, I'm really glad that I crammed in seeing them as many times as I did. 

But the boys are back in town, you guys! Slum Sociable have announced their debut self-titled full-length, which will be dropping on November 24th. Pre-orders are available now over on their website, so grab yourself a bundle or something. In the meantime, grab a listen to their latest single, "Moby Bryant", which is more on the darker spectrum compared to their prior offerings. 

Last month on Twitter singer Miller Upchurch opened up about his struggles with depression, citing his struggles as part of the reason there was a delay in new music. Really glad things are on the up and up for Upchurch. His voice is quickly becoming one of my favorites. 

Aussie fam you can catch these guys next month for select dates. No word on anything in the US yet but obviously I will let you know if that changes. 

1/2 pic.twitter.com/TP2tSNeaiN

— Slum Sociable (@slumsociable) October 2, 2017

2/2 pic.twitter.com/mmt8Zli62I

— Slum Sociable (@slumsociable) October 2, 2017

SLUM SOCIABLE TOUR DATES

12/1 - Sydney, AU - Oxford Art Factory
12/2 - Melbourne, AU - Corner Hotel
12/8 - Perth, AU - Jack Rabbit Slims
12/9 - Adelaide, AU - Fat Controller
12/14 - Brisbane, AU - The Foundry
12/16 - Hobart, AU - Hobart Brewery

[Artist Playlist] Slum Sociable - Dip Your Head In The Oven (Spotify)

In my ongoing quest to cure my perpetual musical FOMO I have started following some artist playlists on Spotify of artists whose taste I trust to be good. I've decided as I go through their playlists and identify the active + solid ones that I'll share them through here because we know sharing is caring. 

Since Slum Sociable or "Slum fam" as I refer to them on Twitter were essential to making sure I had a final last day of CMJ 2015 during the Australian BBQ (or "Aussie Heaven" as I called it) I decided to give their playlist titled 'Dip Your Head In The Oven' a whirl. There's quite a variety going on here, which can be appreciated in the order they've arranged as well as on shuffle if that's more your thing. I hope this is an indication of what they drew inspiration from for their new album (which is done as of April according to Facebook). BTW - I've checked this playlist out a few times and they seem to keep it updated fairly frequently, so it's one worth following and checking in on. 

This is really hitting the spot for me today while I work. Finding some good gems as I go, too. 

Enjoy! 

[Listen] Mossy - "Electric Chair (Slum Sociable Remix)"

Check it out you guys we have a new Aussie to enjoy! Also because I'm nice I'm giving you a bit of a 2 for 1 special where you try out a new Aussie and you get a remix from the ol' Slum Sociable fam for $FREE.99! 

For those of you who are just catching up like me, MOSSY, who hails from Sydney, unveiled this GORGEOUS video a few weeks back for his debut single, "Electric Chair", which comes from his self-titled debut that will be dropping on May 13th courtesy of boutique label I OH YOU. The video got past me the first time, but thanks to this sophisticated rework by the Slum guys you can enjoy both side by side as I did. 

Because I'm a stickler for knowing a particular song before I hear the remix first, watch this dreamy video below. 

Then enjoy this rework from Slum Sociable (who are apparently working on a remix EP of their favorite artists).