What a week, huh? What a week, huh? What a week, huh? What a week, huh? What a… sorry. With all the news lately, we’ve kind of been stuck in a permanent loop of asking that question. The words have almost lost their meaning, and our voices have grown hoarse from screaming into the void. That doesn’t mean we haven’t been finding time to enjoy the little things in life, though, and music is the littlest thing anyone can even begin to imagine in these turbulent times. Here are five songs that briefly distracted us from the terrors of modern life.
Alex Orange Drink ‘Everything Is Broken’
‘Everything Is Broken’ might be the understatement of the year, but someone’s gotta say it. Who better than the artist that so dutifully soundtracks most of our mental breakdowns, Alex Orange Drink? His aforementioned single sounds like a tornado touching down at a beach party, but the house band’s sunglasses are too dark to notice all the folding chairs whipping around. A fitting metaphor for our current timeline and one hell of a video treatment if the band is looking for ideas.
Tropical Fuck Storm ‘Bloodsport’
Noted musical weirdos Tropical Fuck Storm have a new album coming out soon, which explains why our staff has been hard at work practicing their most angular dance moves. Their latest, ‘Bloodsport,’ is reminiscent of a bad acid trip, but one you willingly signed up for and somehow enjoy. Though the track won’t last 16-18 hours and make you paranoid for months to come, it’s still worth a spin or two in a dimly lit room with little other stimulation.
Fib ‘PS’
Philadelphia quartet Fib is gearing up to release their new LP ‘Heavy Lifting’ in just over a month, and they’ve just dropped the dreamy track ‘PS.’ It’s a healthy mix of power pop, shoegaze, and indie; as if someone put all the bands you quit over the past decade into a blender and smashed the puree button. The jagged guitars, floating vocals, and lo-fi production will calm you down enough to believe in things again before, ya know, you remember all the horrors.
Sorry Mom ‘Youngstown’
The up and coming Brooklyn based indie-pop outfit Sorry Mom have returned with ‘Youngstown.’ It’s a soothing pop-punk anthem that quickly turns scorched earth just as you start humming along. It’s got everything you would want in a song: chugging power chords, a catchy as hell melody, not one but TWO screamy parts, and multiple digs at Ohio. There’s literally nothing not to love about this one, not even for someone as soulless as you.
Deerhoof ‘Immigrant Songs’
Experimental legends Deerhoof have announced their new album ‘Noble and Godlike In Ruin.’ The lead single ‘Immigrant Songs’ was initially released via Craigslist ads – presumably with titles like ‘free: trip to the the seventh portal of hell – LOCAL PICKUP ONLY’ – but is now widely available to fuck up your brain via streaming. The track somehow crams an entire album’s worth of ideas into its first few minutes before devolving into the musical equivalent of the tunnel scene in Willy Wonka. It’s a trip worth taking, but try to find a hand hold before pressing play.
We know five songs probably won’t give you enough time to completely disassociate in the way you probably desperately need to, so we’ve added them to an ever growing and ever disorienting playlist. Clear you schedule for the next few hours – like you had plans anyway – and listen below: