Playlist for March 2018

On iTunes head here https://itunes.apple.com/us/playlist/2018-march/pl.u-RRbV9LWF2vavP

Spotify – anybody want to make it? Send me the link.

This was a hard list to whittle down. I started with 60+ tracks, which is how I knew it was time to formalize this list. What’s here are the songs I still want to hear multiple more times.

One of the biggest trends that is made evident in this collection is the continued upsurge of noteworthy lead women. To be honest, several of these songs sounded (audibly) derivative the first time I heard them. The quick judgement in my mind will say, “this sounds like _______ but with a girl singer.” Chauvinistic, I’m aware, BUT – each of these songs caught me for a different reason and I finally pinned it down to a common trait: perspective. Do I feel dumb? Yes, but I’m hooked.

I grew up in a house of 4 guys and 1 woman (sorry mom). Now I live in a house of 3 women and 1 guy (yeah, I’ve learned a thing or two about a thing or two). If 50% of the population outside of my home is the other gender, where on earth have these voices been in my life? I’m jealous of the kids listening to this stuff now and getting this steady diversity of perspective. Now, I’m not saying there weren’t killer girl artists when I was growing up (Bikini Kill, MC Lyte, et al), but I am pointing out the ratio finally feels closer to where it should be, and I for one find that refreshing.

It’s like what Digger’s “Geek Love” was to teenage me (extra meta shoutouts to Weston’s “Just Like Kurt” too) but finally with the appropriate allocation for the other half of all humanity too. Talk about overdue – but man (and woman), it is GOOD. I’m starting with Digger to give you as the listener a sense of my own reference point, but also because of the phone message at the end of the song. For all of the teenage girls I stood at Digger shows with, the voice on that message has been empowered, picked up a microphone, and made some noise.

Margaret Glaspy gives us her angle on killing a relationship and getting her partner out of her life. Soccer Mommy pines to be like a guy’s last girl. Camp Cope gives us some intense relationship power dynamics with what I assume is an older guy and then slays with an unintended use of Dale Carnegie (this one messes me up, this is not your average shoegazey-emo-schtick). THICK wears it all on their sleeves, while Superorganism ask what we need to get by in our stage of consumerism (maybe? This one requires a whole extra layer of analysis).

The rest goes sprawling forward and into all sorts of voices. Theres some great hip hop, hardcore, and even jazz coming out this year. Shirt throws me back and tells stories with ridiculous swagger (stick around for him at the end too). I’m really enjoying Nipsey Hussle’s vibe as well as his name reference. Young M.A. has BARS. Yugen Blakrok steals the show on that Black Panther track. Shame apparently needs to be seen live (or so I’m told), but for now they’re my UK Protomartyr. Superchunk doesn’t disappoint, and for good measure I’ve included one of my favorite Reagan Youth tracks (and I love the counterfactual thinking here). Starcrawler is scratching my New York Dolls itch that I didn’t even remember needed scratching. Gang of Youths’ shimmery guitars and sped up break beat drums stand behind a real poem – check the lyrics out on this one. The Jazz towards the end is outstanding – even if maybe I’m just a sucker for a Rhodes (Ezra Collective), check the breakdown midway through.

Anyway, enjoy.

1. Geek Love by Digger

2. Before We Were Together by Margaret Glaspy

3. Last Girl by Soccer Mommy

4. How to Socialize and Make Friends by Camp Cope

5. Are You With Me by Thick

6. Something for your M.I.N.D. By Superorganism

7. Come Meh Way by Sudan Archives

8. Snow beach by Shirt

9. Victory Lap by Nipsey Hussle

10. Quiet Storm by Young M.A.

11. Theme Music by Fabolous and Jadakiss

12. Last Time That I Checc’d by Nipsey Hussle

13. Opps from the Black Panther Soundtrack

14. Real Thing by Turnstile

15. Lampoon by Shame

16. Reagan Youth by Superchunk

17. Go Nowhere by Reagan Youth

18. I Live LA by Starcrawler

19. What can I do if the fire goes out by Gang of Youths

20. ‘TIL it’s Over by Andersen . Paak

21. My Queen is Harriet Tubman by Sons if Kemet

22. Pure Shade by Ezra Collective

23. 1,000 Dutches by DJ Rude One feat. Shirt