Monthly Mixtape: November 2020
- Posted by mariteaux on November 29th, 2020 filed in Monthly Mixtapes
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Yeah, another one of these, huh? I forgot I even had this one as a draft until right before I posted this, so I might as well get it out the door. Leaning pretty heavy on the 90s and 2000s indie and alt, but don’t I always?
The Exies – “Slow Drain”
Another one from my sudden nostalgic sportsball game bender–you laugh, but these games all had the best soundtracks. I didn’t care too much for Head for the Door when I tried it; lyrical gems as “Money, it’s no cure/A sickness so pure/Are you like me?/Are you ugly?” over the most edgy, obvious, repetitive half step down riffs do that to me. The chorus on this one is catchy as all get out though. Toss this one in your teen angst playlist, it’ll feel good.
Harvey Danger – “Terminal Annex”
Harvey Danger has been on my radar since I was in high school, and I think the second half of Merrymakers is finally growing on me–case in point. Speaking of teen angst, their lyrics on this album are more like how you look at those feelings as you get older. “Private Helicopter” is on the more idealistic end, lost friendships and romances rekindled in weird places, while this one’s…less so.
It’s hard to pin down a favorite lyric, but they’re a lot more intelligent than the (catchy, dreamy) 90s alt rock backing might suggest: “Save your little wheelchair empowerment films”, “Dreaming of the fistfight I never got into/Thinking of the mean shit I wish I had said to you”, and probably my favorite, “I think that I like you better when you just ignore me”. Same.
The Naive – “Void of Surprise”
Yep, it’s another Naive track–but in my defense, I hadn’t listened to the whole thing yet. Now I have. A lot of it just isn’t for me, really, because it’s so damn warped and noisy, but occasionally, there’s a catchier or more pleasant track in there, this being one of the former. The best way I can describe this one is “Nirvana on Mars”. Think it’s mostly his voice; Brad Paxton missed his calling.
All that said, as a pretty hardcore c.layne fan, it is cool to catch specific softdrums or samples that’d be used elsewhere in his work (like the intro cut’s screaming being featured in the coda to “Octopus Trees”, and apparently some of the Unthoughts collection, according to dcb). As for the rest of it–well, did you see what was dead outside?
Devics – “You in the Glass”
Yep, it’s another one from The Fold Compilation still, not done with that yet! But really, there was such a varied mix there that I can’t help but be fixed on it a month later. Still gotta give My Beautiful Sinking Ship as a whole a proper try, but–if it’s anything as heavy as this song? “Her in your arms/On the seat next to me/Reflection in glass/Wishing she was me, all happy with you”. Hoo. I’m pretty sure it’s about a lover actually dying, but I’m not thinking about that bit.
More on the musical front, I love the way it sways and explodes like a ship caught in a downpour. You might call it boilerplate indie rock, but it still has its own flavor through and through thanks to all the fun chords and Sara Lov’s fucking insane vocals (listen to that final crescendo!). Chills. Nothing but.
Superdrag – “Sucked Out”
I found this one by coincidence. Caby and I have been watching a lot of Red Letter Media lately, and she sent this video someone put together of clips of Gorilla, Interrupted that just so happened to have this song in the background. The video is a rather bittersweet reflection on aging (look at tiny Jay!), and I suppose the song fits that mold too. Never let it stop being fun, lads, whatever you do.
The song itself is just stupidly catchy, frankly annoyingly catchy, power pop from that era with Nada Surf and Weezer and all them “geek rock” bands. It (especially the solo) reminds me of a 90s punk version of “Just What I Needed” by The Cars, which might yet be my favorite Cars tune, so that’s a very good thing to remind me of indeed.
I should listen to more Cars, shouldn’t I? And these guys too. I’m gonna become the authority on 90s one-hit wonders at this rate, I swear.
