Some Albums and Why I Bought Them
September 18, 2024•461 words
Usually when I buy for music I just shop what's physically for sale at a nearby store. The other day though I copped several albums on BandCamp. Here I describe the feeling behind those decisions.
Three Lices and a Molly - Maybe we'll hug each other in a past life
It's a saturated lo-fi universe out there, but this album latched onto my brain the first time I heard it. There's some "weirdcore" dialog and sampling that to myself a weirdhead felt too distracting. They weren't enough to turn me off of it, though. Something about the way the music's wired, and its distortions I don't know enough about sound engineering to name, makes it the perfect vibe for what I'm doing right now: sitting in darkness writing about art.
Favorite track: 039
JPEGMAFIA - I LAY MY LIFE DOWN FOR YOU
This is the newest album on my list. I'm not sure what to say about it except that there are sounds and vibes on this album I simply hadn't heard before. Maybe that's some kind of self report. Need to study some more. 🫡
Favorite track: don't rely on other men
Long Beard - Means To Me
One of those on-repeat albums for months now, Means To Me was crafted with a distinct sound I'd recognize on a crappy overhead speaker in a crowded train station. The lyrics and their delivery are, in the best sense of the word, painful.
Favorite Track: Getting By
Tiny Vipers - American Prayer
This is an album I can't quite describe what I like about it. I guess I was primed listening to Tiny Vipers' 2009 album, Life on Earth, so much. This feels like logical and haunting next step. My only complaint is how short it is; I wanted a longer prayer, Jesy.
Favorite Track: Tormentor
Mirrorring - Foreign Body
Being a collaboration between Jesy Fortino, of Tiny Vipers seen above, and Liz Harris, of Grouper, I probably let out a gasp when I discovered Mirrorring a few years ago. Fortino and Harris combined their atmospheric forces to make this eerie and cryptic masterpiece. Ideal for these spooky months. My favorite track, Drowning the Call, I like mostly for the first few seconds.