Staff Pix 2/18

The Milk Crate staff’s favorite tracks of the week, presented with blurbs worthy of a promotional sticker on a jewel case. Tune in Fridays from 1-2 EST to the Staff Pix radio show.

Sophie Severs

Just to Be A Part by Julia Jacklin

Julia Jacklin offers a fresh new take on British songwriter Bill Fay’s song “Just to Be A Part.” Jacklin joins other contemporary artists releasing revamped covers of Fay’s discography, with all of the tracks accompanying a reissuing of Fay’s two-part album, Still Some Light. Fay’s work can be likened to that of fellow outsider musician, Daniel Johnston, as both write about deep longing and intrinsic human wants. Jacklin’s modern sound smooths over the original roughness of Fay’s recordings, providing the listener with a calming and hypnotic message. Her gentle voice accompanied by mellow guitar begs supernatural forces to loop her into the universal plan. 

Everly Orfanedes 

Pink Funeral by Beach House 

Beach House makes their first appearance since 2018 with the multi disc EP titled Once Twice Melody. “Pink Funeral” has to be one of the most notable from disc 1, staying within the band's dream-like instrumentals and soft vocals, adding an extra psychedelic twist. “Pink Funeral” has to be one of my personal favorites off the EP. I would highly recommend giving the whole EP a listen through, this track definitely scratches my music brain itch and is also perfect for falling asleep to. 

Julia Norkus

Surrender to Me by FireCityFunk

This groovy tune is FireCityFunk’s first and potentially only single. The bass line and overall vibe is reminiscent of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Fantasy,” and what more could one want? Regardless of the fact that this has become popular on Tiktok since its release this month, I just heard it for the first time this week which proves my elderly tendencies are growing worse. Zach Montana (he/him), said that his dad, William “Curly” Smith, wrote and recorded the song 43 years ago. The story goes that Montana was actually upset with his father for not releasing the song, and asked the Tiktok community to blow up a video with a bite of the song in it, enough so to convince his dad to release the track. It worked, and here we are.

Will Ingman

The End of Eternity by Rolo Tomassi

Lights are brightest when they are surrounded by darkness. Fire is warmest when it cuts through bitter cold. It is only through contrast that beauty is allowed to exist. That principle guides the hands of British post-metal artisans Rolo Tomassi, who punctuate their sweeping, orchestral soundscapes with moments of unfettered harshness, a pointed and meticulous construction that captures the beauty and character of both aspects. “The End of Eternity” treads feather-light into its apocalyptic crescendo, thundering and violent but never imprecise. It is a controlled demolition of its delicate beauty, revealing unrivaled brilliance in the debris it leaves behind.

Lydia Aga

No Dough by Fly Anakin and Madlib

Energetically and concisely, Virginia rapper Fly Anakin details the trials and tribulations in his journey through the world of Hip Hop on this minute and a half long track. Fly Anakin teams up with the legendary producer Madlib to create a timeline of his past shadowed by insecurity up until the present where his distinct flow and cadence is a testament to his growth. Fly Anakin practically glides across the beat and delivers a vocally strong performance which is present in every track off his latest EP - Black Be The Source.

Karenna Umscheid

Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh (Companion Version) by Bright Eyes ft. Phoebe Bridgers

Another Phoebe Bridgers track worthy of worship, the new companion version is of the 2010 Bright Eyes song “Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh” off their album Fevers and Mirrors. Singer-songwriter and guitarist Conor Oberst reunites with Bridgers, for the first time since their collaboration on Better Oblivion Community Center to resurrect the magic of this tune. Not that the spark of Bright Eyes was ever lost, but Bridgers’ soft yet passionate voice compliments the track perfectly, pulling it from the past decade to here. Both artists are best at disguising painful lyrics under unbelievably fun melodies. She’s the perfect accent to mark the end of Bright Eyes’ nine-year hiatus, and bring her young, occasionally dark, highly melodramatic fanbase to a band returned. 

Adora Brown

Billions by Caroline Polachek

Caroline was inspired by a two-week trip to Italy to create the surreal dream world of “Billions.” The lyrics do not link to a cohesive narrative, but nonetheless exude power and femininity. The newly released music video features Caroline picking grapes into a bronze cornucopia, stomping the grapes into wine, taking a milky bath, and serving the wine to children in elaborate glassware. “Billions” weaves together past and present in an almost mythological format. The presence of the Trinity Choir throughout the piece, and specifically the conclusion, creates an ethereal sound. 

Nia Tucker 

Still - Saba ft. Smino, 6lack 

On Saba’s new album he returns with frequent collaborator and fellow Chicagoan Smino and 6lack for a track that has them pondering their current successes and love lives and reminding themselves to slow down among all the noise. It features a looping clap sample and Chicago rap’s signature chill, molasses-like bass and beat underneath an energetic flow. Read Lydia’s review of Saba’s new album for more!

Lily Hartenstein 

Secret (feat. Vince Staples) by Raveena

Raveena’s latest album, “Asha’s Awakening”, is the perfect development of her crooning rnb style into something more expansive and lush. Secret (ft. Vince Staples) shows her ability to deviate from her traditional style into a more pop-inspired, dancey sound, but with an entirely fresh perspective. Her sumptuous voice over a sultry beat pairs expertly with Vince Staples casual bars. As potentially controversial as this opinion may be, it reminds me of the classic club duo of J-Lo and Pitbull, brought to the modern age; I truly hope they develop the same continued collaboration. 

Maxwell Reid 

The Place Where He Inserted the Blade by Black Country, New Road

Everything there is to be said about Black Country, New Road had already been said within the two weeks of Ants From Up There’s monumental drop. That being said, this track towards the end of the album, to me, is not already one of the best songs of the year, but maybe one of the best songs of all time. The immaculate and complex instrumentation, impressionistic lyrics that many can ascribe their own personal meanings to, this is Black Country New Road’s magnum opus, them working at peak potential and capacity to make a masterpiece. That ending refrain with the group vocals too, wow. Never before has a song made me cry upon first listen quite like this. 

Nora Onanian

Nobody Sees Me Like You Do by Japanese Breakfast

Today marks Yoko Ono’s 89th birthday and a tribute album was obviously in order. Sharon Van Etten, Yo La Tengo, Death Cab for Cutie, Jay Som, Deerhoof and more channeled their inner Ono, covering some of the singer’s most iconic works from across her career. Japanese Breakfast, the project of Michelle Zauner, dropped her cover of “Nobody Sees Me Like You Do” just before the collection came out in full this morning. Production was stripped back significantly from Ono’s more upbeat, saxophone-infused original, leaving just Zauner’s crisp vocals and piano. But the end result is anything but simple. Zauner gives the lyrics the emotional weight and appreciation they deserve, a tribute that honors Ono’s genius, maybe more than an overly stylized version would.

Maura Cowan

Naked in Manhattan by Chappell Roan

After almost two years of (if you’ll pardon the cliche) radio silence, Chappell Roan returned to the pop world on Friday with expertly generated fanfare. Like so many of the indie pop up-and-comers, Roan is a social media master, and she has turned to Tiktok over the past few months to promote this latest release, “Naked in Manhattan”-- a frothy, energetic, and perfectly pink piece about her first experience with another woman. It feels like nervous anticipation tinged with giddy excitement, and when the verses boil over into a shout of “Touch me, touch me, touch me!” I am reminded of the sheer emotion that drew me to Roan’s music years before.

Sarah Fournell

Q4 by Father John Misty

“Q4” is quintessential Misty, with an absurd and twisted anecdote about a misanthrope dancer, and whimsical acoustic guitar accompanied by a tragic violin. Josh Tillman’s sixth studio album under Father John Misty, “Chloe and the Next 20 Century,” is characterized by a calamitous glamor. It’s focused on the tragic side of Old Hollywood, the album graphics decorated with silk elbow length gloves, neon signs, and girls in ball gowns on vespas. You can practically smell the stale cigarette smoke wafting through the air as you hit play on “Q4.”