FIELD NOTES
I suppose I should use this platform to talk about some other things I do outside of musing about Sum 41. Going to drop links below to other places I exist online, if you’re above self-promotion feel free to scroll down to Part III of my March playlist review.
BANDCAMP: L. Mounts & The Swellheads (when I tried to make power pop cool again); Loyalty Snob (this is my current project, lots of high-pitch distortion noise, keyboard loops, general obnoxiousness)
DEPOP: @swellheadsforsale (selling merch!)
DISCOGS: @swelheadsforsale (selling record! yes, there is one L missing from the username because Discogs won’t allow me to change it more than three times and I typed it in too fast on that third time)
INSTAGRAM: @sleeps.with.angels (personal account, lots of show photography and promoting my writing / music); @murmur.than.hell (vinyl collection); @hot.for.tshirts (merch collection); @verticalcoffin (hey, that’s the name of this blog! this is physical music photography that I really enjoy getting into)
MUSICBOARD: @verticalcoffin (reviewing every new release that I listen to)
SWIM INTO THE SOUND: Mentioned this site in the inaugural Hunter’s Log, but I’m very lucky to get to write on and off for this great music blog. My review of the latest album by The New Pornographers is up now.
TWITTER: @verticalcoffin (chaotically tweeting about, unfortunately, whatever comes to mind)
YOUTUBE: @murmurthanhell (talking about vinyl, CDs, and more)
HUNTER’S LOG RADIO — MARCH 2023 (#13-18)
Crushed - ‘respawn’ (2023)
One of the year’s most exciting new bands is Crushed, a shoegaze-meets-trip-hop duo out of Los Angeles. Their debut EP extra life really stands out amongst the other hyped-up and reverbed-out bands of the modern era. Think adjacent to Australia’s dream pop princess Hatchie and her excellent Giving The World Away LP from last year. Or if you’re enjoying the blissful new album sestinas from North Carolina’s indie-gaze project Infinity Crush. ‘respawn’ is my personal pick from the EP, blending all the elements of ‘90s alternative music so well, it sounds like a genuine time capsule. The electronic production is stellar, and the vocal performance from Bre Morell sits perfectly on top of it. Was hoping for more than just six tracks from this band, but hopefully the release gap for Crushed will not be lengthy.
Young Fathers - ‘Holy Moly’ (2023)
Scottish weirdo-rap crew Young Fathers have always been on my radar, but I haven’t totally loved a release since 2011 and 2013’s Tape One and Tape Two. Since those mini-albums, the group has evolved from lo-fi, leftfield hip hop to an amalgamation of dance, rap, soul, and world music. Heavy Heavy is currently in my top 10 releases this year, on which Young Fathers meld all of those styles to a perfect boiling point. The unique energy on this album is full-force on every track, like the rhythmic opener ‘Rice’ or the earnestly funky ‘Shoot Me Down.’ ‘Holy Moly’ is such a fun and groovy cut and the most up-tempo selection on the LP. Buried at the second to last track, it gives the listener one more chance to dance before the ethereal closer ‘Be Your Lady.’ If you’re enjoying the latest LPs from Kelela (Raven, released on Ninja Tune alongside Heavy Heavy) or Algiers (Shook, Matador), give this a shot.
Coldplay - ‘Everyday Life’ (2019)
Coldplay is a somewhat-average band with a handful of really great songs. Contextualize them as purely U2 worship, and it can either negate their catalogue entirely, or be able to spark new appreciation for their non-hits (the latter is what happened to me). The title track and closer from their Everyday Life LP is a genuinely beautiful song, even if Chris Martin is running a little generic on the lyrical front. “Everyone hurts, everyone cries, everyone tells each other all kinds of lies.” A bit of a post-R.E.M. sentiment, but I’ve actually grown quite sick of that ballad over the years. This song is just ubiquitous enough to say seemingly nothing yet still pull an emotional response at the same time. That’s exactly what Coldplay is, music so you can feel something while picking up a prescription or buying a button-down shirt.
Toehider - ‘But Mostly Metal’ (2009)
Part one of a two song block where I got metallically nostalgic last month. Toehider is the progressive metal project of Australian multi-instrumentalist Michael Mills. Despite enjoying the hell out of this song when I discovered it in middle school, I’m not certain I ever listened to anything else he put out (and he’s still going, releasing the one-track, 47-minute album I Have Little To No Memory Of These Memories last year). The thing that really got me is the fan video made for this song (linked above) where every word has a corresponding photograph, heightening the tongue-in-cheek attitude. It’s a commentary on the genre (specifically, power metal) with lyrics like “there’s leather in my metal on my chopper made of fire” and “we play for sorcery, and magic, and wizards, and pain.” It’s the metal equivalent of CollegeHumor’s spot-on pastiche ‘Too Many Ska Horns.’
Splatpattern - ‘Fucking Fucking Fuck’ (2004)
I’ll let this one speak for itself.
Especia - ‘No1 Sweeper’ (2014)
Japanese and Korean pop music is one of my major blindspots as a listener, outside of a few tracks (I’m an unashamed fan of ‘Ice Cream’ by Blackpink / Selena Gomez and ‘Crazy Crazy’ by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu / Charli XCX). My favorite YouTube series about oddities in internet and music culture, This Exists, did an amazingly in-depth episode on Idol culture in Japan that featured this track by Especia. I feel like describing this as a “vaporwave-influenced pop song” might be a bit of a misnomer. Vaporwave itself is influenced by corporate pop music, so I’m not sure of the musical ouroboros totally connects in that way. But for the sake of hyping this up, that’s how I’m gonna put it. It’s a feel-good, windows-down single that feels impossible to not have fun while listening to. On the off chance you’re as stubborn as I can often be, check out the music video (linked above).