Plug It In
A musical preview of artists at In Between Days 2023 who like the bleeps and bloops.
You could dwell in the half-light percussive universe of the first twenty seconds of this song forever. Phantogrammmmmmm… But it’s all preparation for the cool electropop jammer to follow. This is the kind of slamdunk single that makes you run out to the local music shop to buy a drum machine and mic. “Sounds so simple!” And then you find out it’s not. Oodles of small details add up to a boatload of serene, atmospheric space gaze brought to you by the duo from the Empire State.
Slothrust
You don’t want to be addicted to the noise? Haven’t you heard? Quitting is rough. The lead track “Cranium” off slothrust’s LP Parallel Timeline (Origins) has a medium tempo pop drive that keeps the train rolling. A little rawk, with that guitar solo? The heart of the track is indie pop with some gritty preoccupations.
The Bandcamp digital version of this album, by the way, includes a treasure trove of demos.
And “DVD extras”-style commentary? Credit slothrust for innovating on what an album can be, at least the digital version. Dig the commentary on “Cranium” to hear Will Gorin deep dive on the percussion for the track and album.
Carissa Johnson
Sign us up! Carissa Johnson sounds dope. Our highlighted track “Tourist” is an electropop jammer with cool vibez vocals backed by smart, minimal synth hooks. It’s a track for dancing, vibing, and planting like a flag on your car stereo for approximately all summer long. Some rock n roll songs dip their toes into electro waters for a bit of extra juice. Carissa Johnson does just the opposite, inviting some distorted guitars into the electropop track for that extra analog bump.
Yoke Lore
Our highlighted track percolates like an electropop kettle of coffee. Seriously, Yoke Lore. Behind the breezy, layered vocals is a mostly percussive, slightly concrete, background churn. ‘Concrete,’ as in musique concrète, with snapping fingers doing the heavy lifting. How does that work in the live show? Samples or live snapping? Much like whistling, the perfectly-captured fingersnap is really hard to consistently produce on the spot. You’ve got to be a pro. But, hey, that’s why you get paid the big bucks. Right, Spotify? Shades of Bon Iver.
Dwight and Nicole
Straight outta the Green State! Dwight and Nicole! Our highlighted track “Lift” rocks the kind of medium tempo roots-ridden soul that you want to wear before, during, or after getting fitted for a custom-tailored suit. Makes you feel like a million bucks. The brass section is pure gold, catching the glint of a sun that you’d wish would never set on a beautiful day. Off their recent LP The Jaguar, the Raven & the Snake.