From the Inbox – May 17, 2020
Happy Long Weekend
to my fellow Canadian readers.
Lucky for you, most of us have been on vacation for two months now! Talk about a long…weekend….
Before the dread sets in, take some time to scroll through my latest picks for this week’s From the Inbox. It was a pretty busy week on my Mail app and I have hand picked some great releases for you to blast around your kitchen.
This is one of the more well-rounded posts so far, with music ranging from hip-hop to indie pop to hardcore punk, so I’m sure you’ll find something to enjoy.
As always, don’t forget to follow us across social media. You can find Dusty Organ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify to stay up to date on new releases. And more importantly, if there’s something you love, remember to share it around!
Your Hunni – Need Some
It only took an afternoon for Toronto-based artist Your Hunni to write their debut single “Need Some”. The song’s organic and natural process is at the core of the music. It’s free, it’s groovy, and as Your Hunni describes it, “it’s the Bi-anthem I gave up on waiting for and wrote myself. It’s for anyone caught up in their own dreamworld, unwilling to compromise on what makes them feel good“.
Retrolux – Orange Soda
Indie electro-pop duo Retrolux came to be as a result of a Craigslist ad and pure coincidence at a Halloween party. It’s a bit of a long story – if you’re interested read their bio. Nevertheless, the Toronto/Brooklyn-based pair have come along way since their first encounter in 2012, and have shared their uplifting new single “Orange Soda”. Written about being stuck in a rut and wanting to step away from the world, the glossy electro-pop tune has a magnetic energy as vocalist Anna James shimmers across the electronic beats of Maynard Shaye. It’s a soothing companion for those less-than joyous moments in life.
Ellis – Pringle Creek
Hamilton singer-songwriter Linnea Siggelkow, better known as Ellis, released her critically-acclaimed debut album Born Again back in April. Filled with weightless melancholy and a dreamy vocal performance from Siggelkow, one of the album’s most emotionally driven songs “Pringle Creek” was given its visual accompaniment this week. As a song written about falling in love in Whitby, the music video was of course shot in the town and captures the teenage-dream pop aesthetic of far-off suburban fields and late summer evenings.
All Things Blue – CHAD
Guys named Chad must get a lot of slack as the honorary name for douchebags everywhere. Such is the case for L.A. indie dream-punk band All Things Blue and their single single “Chad”. Frontwoman India Coombs wrote the song after being lead on over and over again by a guy: “See-saws are fun until you’re riding an emotional see-saw; when you want someone that doesn’t want you, but makes sure to keep you around. Sometimes you only realise in retrospect; that person was just a Chad”.
The situation’s frustrating disappointment comes through in Coombs gritty vocals, a fun juxtaposition over the psychedelic, dream pop instrumentation. It’s comparable to St. Vincent or Grimes with its misfit tenacity and back-and-forth arrangements.
Also – fuck you, Chad.
KAOUENN – Immaterial Jungle
Italian-born, France-based electronic multi-instrumentalist/producer KAOUENN doesn’t stick to one genre or sound. Since his solo debut in 2016, Nicola Amici has been working toward a full-length album which will be released later this year. His new single “Immaterial Jungle” is an electro-samba style track that plays with percussion in a melodic fashion and brings out the adventurous and explorative possibilities of the jungle through glitchy nature sounds and textures.
Noble Oaks – Derailed
For each Noble Oaks song, Vancouver dream-pop musician Patrick Fiore sets out to write the most beautiful music he can, and hopes listeners can experience it. It’s quite an ambitious task, but nevertheless, Fiore mixes together ethereal soundscapes and shimmering dream-pop arrangements. His new single “Derailed”, which will be on his upcoming album Horizons out June 19th, fits the bill once again, leading the way with a piano-driven chord progression and glossy vocal harmonies. Speaking on the single Fiore says “Derailed looks at the distractions we have to navigate along our path, and the decisions we face when given the choice between something easy and something real“.
Liza Anne – Bad Vacation
Bright leotards and choreography inspired by Jane Fonda workout videos is one way to celebrate liberation from a bad situation. Nashville based indie pop-rock artist Liza Anne turned her song “Bad Vacation”, which was about leaving a toxic relationship, into a one-woman dance number brought on by the ongoing pandemic. “I mean, what feels more like a Bad Vacation than the intense solitude we’re all feeling now”, she says.
Well, she’s not wrong.
But despite all of that, “Bad Vacation” still remains a fun-loving, satirical song that’s both upbeat and a cathartic release of pent-up negative energy.
Letters to Part – Ascian
Orlando-based progressive rock five-piece have shared their new single “Ascian”. Combining ’00s emo-rock with fantasy-inspired music reminiscent of Coheed & Cambria, the band’s add some depth to a dream-rock soundscape. It melts together prog-rock, ambient, and post-rock into a powerful track.
slowthai – BB (BODYBAG)
Hands down, slowthai is one of the most compelling hip-hop artists in the U.K. Leaving the common rap tropes of flashy cars, women, and overzealous money throwing for the rest, slowthai instead uses his platform to share his frustration with the political and socioeconomic climate in Britain. He even went as far as to arrive with a fake severed head of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the 2019 Hyundai Mercury Prize award ceremony back in September.
After a year long silence following his debut album Nothing Great About Britain, slowthai has shared a handful of new tracks this year already, including the hard-hitting grime track “BB (BODYBAG)”. His tenacity and fervour gives him an edge on the track, hardly taking a moment to breath as he slams his fast-firing lyricism in your face for two and a half minutes.
Alexisonfire – Season of the Flood
After releasing music for the first time in over ten years, Alexisonfire unveiled the slow-burning, hard-hitting track “Season of the Flood” last year. During their most recent tour, the band encouraged fans to record the performance of the single and submit it to be considered for the “live” music video.
Joyner Lucas & Will Smith – Will (Remix)
Hip-hop artist Joyner Lucas hit the jackpot after his hit single “Will” was shown to his idol after Jaden Smith showed it to his dad. Will Smith, the great man that he is, returned his appreciation for the respectful tribute by sharing a verse or two in the new remix version of the track. The back and forth dynamic of the remix is some wholesome content.
You can watch the original music video here.
Down Again – Actions & Their Consequences
California Bay Area post-hardcore trio Down Again took their time before releasing their debut single “Actions & Their Consequences”. They wanted to make sure they got everything right and how they intended over the years before stepping out into the scene.
The result is a deeply personal song written by vocalist/guitarist Lenny Costa about losing faith and dealing with substance abuse and homelessness in his family. All of the anger, frustration, and emotion comes barrelling out in the track, as Costa’s powerful scream courses through the speakers while the band hammers along behind him. With musical ties to earlier bands like Underoath, Brand New, and At The Drive-In, it’s sharply melodic as they alternate between clean and harsh vocals.
Crank it to 11.
