It's the last Music For Your Monday for the school year, can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in the library procrastinating writing a paper for my history class and thus your weekly guide to music I like began. Although I don't plan on keeping this a weekly column this summer, I'll be sure to post the occasional Music For Your Monday because we'll still need music to get us through Mondays. But no worries, come fall semester Music For Your Monday will be back. Here's some of my favorite songs I've heard in the past week and thanks to all of my loyal readers to help make Music For Your Mondays into something more than just another way for me to procrastinate.
When Bon Iver released Bon Iver back in 2011, I was hooked. Those haunting vocals were exactly what I needed to get through college apps and a 20-page senior capstone research paper that no 17-year-old should ever have to write. Anyway, here we are nearly 4 years later and I'm just getting into the Stems Project where Justin Vernon of Bon Iver curated remixed versions of songs from his self-titled album. All these remixes add yet another layer and texture to the songs and they're so much fun to listen to; this is the kind of music that isn't background music--you want to focus on the sounds. The Teen Daze remixed version of "Perth" adds synths and an echo to the original song, but don't stop listening at this song because the entire album is worth at least one listen.
UMO's latest single is a groovy jam about a problem we all have. Can you stop checking your phone? Probably not. It's ok. Their album, Multi-Love is set to be released on May 26 and based on their two singles, the album will feature some great songs for summer. Plus, UMO is represented by Bloomington's very own Jagjagjuwar, so by listening to UMO you can support local business, a great band and your ears will thank you.
Summer is coming. Summer is coming. Summer is coming. We can finally listen to surf rock and enjoy it the way we're supposed to. There's something about sunshine and lazy strumming and a not-so-good voice that makes for the perfect summer day.
The Alabama Shakes released Sound and Color last week and it was the opposite of a sophomore slump. This is one of the most cohesive, solid, awesome, genre-spanning albums I've heard ever and it will likely go down as one of the highlights of the American rock scene in the past two decades. #boldstatement, I know. But with vocals like Brittany Howard's it's hard to expect anything less, she has such range and the rest of the band can easily create a garage rock song and a 70s funk song and dirty southern rock all on the same album and make it sound cohesive. "Gemini" seeks out how sonically exploratory the band can get. Howard's vocals are distorted and echo throughout the song and a jangling xylophone balances out 60's rock-inspired guitar solos. It's the end of April and just think about all the great music that we've been privileged enough to hear this year.
It's been almost a month since Kintsugi came out are you really gonna ask me if I stopped listening to it? Actually really for the most part I have, but not this song. It's just so good. It's a good way to end Music For Your Monday before it goes on summer vacation.
