Staff Pix 3/28
The Milk Crate staff’s favorite tracks of the week, presented with blurbs worthy of a promotional sticker on a jewel case. Tune in Sundays from 5-7 EST to the Staff Pix radio show.
Annie Wojnarowski
You All Over Me (feat. Maren Morris) - Taylor Swift
As all swifties await the release of Taylor’s first re-recording: Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Swift has appeased her fans by revealing the first song “from the vault”. Written in 2008 but heard now for the first time, Swift goes back to her country roots in a naively vulnerable ballad dedicated to a teen love. Maren Morris, a country superstar in her own right, features on this track with beautiful harmonies that adds texture and dimension to this infectiously teenage country ballad.
Sarah Fournell
Paris Syndrome - Carter James
Carter James is a Boston based bedroom pop musician. They released “Paris Syndrome” on March 26, a dreamy synth-pop track based on the feeling of disappointment that can come with expectations of Paris. It’s a melancholic and nostalgic track that yearns for “a picture perfect life that I was once told.” Their calm vocals are infused with feeling, completely enveloping you with a warm gloominess. Carter writes and produces all of their music in their bedroom at Berklee College of Music, truly embodying what it means to be an independent artist.
Kyle Woolery
Siren (Basement Jaxx Cruise Mix) - Shygirl
Shygirl seriously cannot stop winning. The genre-bending artist recently enlisted legendary electronic music duo Basement Jaxx for not just one but two incredible remixes of her song “Siren,” one of the standouts from last year’s Alias EP (which you need to listen to immediately if you haven’t already). The first remix, the “Joy Ride Mix,” is a fierce techno banger accentuated by the sounds of gurgling synths and wailing sirens, evoking imagery of a jet-black sports car speeding through a city at midnight or of a sweaty all-night dance party in an abandoned warehouse. The “Cruise Mix,” my favorite of the two remixes, transforms the track into a euphoric deep house number with a lush, stylish soundscape consisting of a groovy bassline, some distant horns, and even a brief piano breakdown (at around the three-and-a-half-minute mark). It’s the perfect song to blast at full volume
Nia Tucker
Haunted - Laura Les
I know what you’re thinking. Yes I am a gec-head and I’m proud. This track from ½ of the 100 Gecs duo, Laura Les, is a melancholic, sardonic, earache-y track. The unintelligible shrieks over dungeon boss-level video game music is addicting—like a well-earned gumball from a coin machine. The lyrics describe a scene of chaos, like shattered glass and “little blurry stars scattered all across the room” as Les sings/shouts about being misunderstood while sitting in her sadness and being seen as frightening to others. It’s a song of catharsis and meant to be left on loop as it amounts to 1:42. One end flows into the beginning, like it’s devouring itself and this is why Les and 100 Gecs are good at what they do. Their songs are able to capture a much-needed sense of release that few artists can, and the incredulousness of the lyrics and mega-futuristic sounds take you to another realm of emotion that you weren’t aware could be accessed until now. Like you’re haunted by the feeling of discovering the previously unknown within yourself.
Reina Garcia
Oidar - Hether
Musician Hether showcased his distinct alternative indie sound with the release of his first studio album on January 15, 2021, Sticky Thumb. The track “Oidar” serenades the listener with sunny chords, and lyrics reminiscent of past love. “Oidar” has a nostalgic presence, one that is distant but familiar, like a warm hug on a cold day. This entire album flows together beautifully, laced with psychedelic instrumentals and echoey vocals, however, Hether’s overall sound is one that is hard to define. I feel that comparisons can sometimes take away from the individuality of the artist, that being said, Tame Impala fans will likely enjoy this artist.