Staff Pixx 10/9/20
The Milk Crate staff’s favorite tracks of the week, presented with blurbs worthy of a promotional sticker on a CD release (the kind Emerson kids peel off and plaster their laptop shells with). Tune in Mondays from 7-9 EST to the Staff Pixx radio show.
Eric Shifman
In the End (Demo) by Linkin Park
“It starts with one/thing, I don’t know why,”: these are, of course, the omnipresent traded vocals between the late Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, which kick off their introspective and devastating single “In The End.” Now, the world discovers that the lyrics were almost “It starts with one/and multiplies ‘til you can taste the sun/and burned by the sky you try to take it from,” with the release of “In the End (Demo).” Putting this track out ahead of the 20th anniversary of Hybrid Theory, (2000) Linkin Park reveals the focus on Shinoda’s rapping during the verses and Bennington’s vocals during the choruses was more pronounced in the demo. The rhymes remain as esoteric and vague as the ones above (perhaps why they were changed for the single version) and create a vastly different track than the heartbreaking alt-metal onslaught that made the final cut. What didn’t change however, was the emotional gut-punch of hearing a song with never-before-heard vocals from Chester Bennington, whom all Linkin Park fans wish was still here with us to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his first album.
Erin Christie
Sad Cowboy by Goat Girl
South London post-punk group Goat Girl is back after what feels like an eternity (but is, realistically, two years) with a comeback single of epic proportions. Alongside accompanying the official announcement of their forthcoming sophomore record, On All Fours (due January 29, after having been produced by Speedy Wunderground’s Dan Carey), “Sad Cowboy” is a massive sci-fi synth-heavy track accompanied by gritty, entrancing guitar that tackles the idea of disillusionment and detachment from reality. As vocalist Clottie Cream stated, it channels how you might feel “when you’re within a world that constantly makes you feel as though you’re living out of a really bad dream.” Considering our current reality and what it’s hosted recently, feeling disassociated, or at least wanting to be, is all too normal.
Natalia Szczepanski
R/Edgelord by JER
Who said ska was dead? According to Jeremy Hunter of both Skatune Network and We Are the Union, it is anything but that. They prove as much with the recent release of the first official single “R/Edgelord” off a future 2021 debut LP—already hitting over 11,000 listens on Spotify. JER hits back at the internet trolls with flashy guitars, hard hitting drums, and a crisp walking bass line. Their voice roars above all: beckoning you to join the mosh pit to rage about the edgelords. Lyrics such as “So what have we learned today? / Not shit from you anyway / Your lack of empathy / It fucking sickens me” encapsulate the frustration that comes with existing on the world wide web. Supporting brass and saxophones, a staple of ska, also make an appearance on what would otherwise already be a catchy alternative song. Put simply, the fourth wave of ska is alive and well.
Nia Tucker
Earthquake (Audiotree Live Version) - Tenci
Tenci is a rare soulful folk unit that creates music reminiscent of night drives through unknown expanses of land. Their recent Audiotree session is a gift during lockdown where intimate concert sessions are a part of our distant memory. Lead singer Jess Shoman’s undulating vocals over the sparse drums and lonely guitar are the perfect background to anyone’s growing autumn blues.
Annie Wojnarowski
dragon eyes - Adrianne Lenker
Releasing the second single off her upcoming album, songs, Adrianne Lenker only uses the bare necessities. “dragon eyes” lets Lenker’s soft voice lead with light guitar strings only close behind. Muses about nature and a loved one that she wants to spend the rest of her life with, it’s a beautiful ode to a moment in time that is as serene as the sound of the drummer’s taps on the record. Lyrics that sound like they’re describing a still life, Lenker’s vivid descriptions of a chilly summer day turns into a proposal: “Stars bloom on a warm summer night / They have a clear view without the bedroom light / I just want a place with you, I just want a place.” Setting the tone for the record (one of two!) that she recorded in quarantine, Lenker sets the scene for a moment of peace in the middle of chaos.