Staff Pix 2/4

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.

Harry Bates

No ID by Tank and the Bangas

Tank and the Bangas dropped this absolute banger of hit ahead of their May 13 album release. Simply press play and instantly become dazed by the smoothness of Tank’s voice alongside the heartfelt instrumentals of the Bangas. The beat is just too infectious to deny, as any listener will certainly fall for this whimsical sound. Also, the “No ID” hits hard here – I would love to go to the Tam for a drink some time. Maybe this song will put the bouncer into a trance and let me in ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Good vibes all around!

Will Ingman

World Impact by Drug Church

Not quite emo, not quite metalcore, Albany’s Drug Church have been post-your favorite band and proto-the next big trend since their 2013 debut. After the release of their simply excellent 2018 album Cheer, a more typical band would have settled into the softer side of their sound, but “typical” and “Drug Church” might as well be antonyms. “World Impact”, the third single from their March 2022 album Hygiene, keeps Cheer’s riff-heavy groove and spotlights the growl and spit at the lowest end of vocalist Patrick Kindlon’s range. This is Drug Church in their purest form. Play it loud.

Sophie Severs

Judge Me by Ludic

HOT off the press, it’s a track by Ludic, released TODAY (Feb. 4)! Ludic is a three piece band from Vancouver BC Canada, known for their funky grooves and genre blending sound. “Judge Me” marks the band’s 10th release since forming in 2018. As the title of the track suggests, “Judge Me” comes from a place of vulnerability— it encapsulates the frustrating feeling of not being able to do enough and being judged by others for your capabilities. The single comes as a quick reminder for you not to be so hard on yourself— you are doing enough.

Sara O’Connell

Vickie by Peach Pit

Vickie is one of the three songs off of the Vancouver band’s EP. This track is an indie rock anthem to the comfort of close friends. Along with this, it’s a birthday gift to the lead singers, Neil Smith, friend Vickie. Even though this EP dropped in the middle of the cold and dreary winter, this song (and the whole EP) give off a fun summer vibe.

Lauren Larking

Every Shade of Blue by The Head and The Heart

Seattle based band The Head And The Heart returns to the indie folk-rock scene with their new leading single “Every Shade of Blue” teasing their upcoming album set to be released in April. This passionate pining anthem has piano notes that pull at the heart strings and an orchestral section worthy of worship. The Head and The Heart took a turn into pop on their 2019 album “Living Mirage” but seem to have returned to their rhythmic roots with “Every Shade of Blue.”

Everly Orfanedes 

squares by Cavetown 

Indie pop meets the famous sandbox game Minecraft with singer-songwriter Cavetown’s new single “squares”. Released just this past January, the song combines new melodies with older minecraft classics to create the perfect soundtrack to listen to while you mine and craft! The song features C418’s infamous melodies from the original Minecraft soundtrack, as well as original lyrics by Cavetown describing the minecraft gaming experience in whimsical detail. “squares” serves as a perfect song to add to your gaming and studying playlists, great for crafting both essays and minecraft houses.

Diogo Fernandes Tavares 

Fire in the Hole by Earl Sweatshirt 

Happy Black History Month!  

Adora Brown

Jigsaw by Conan Gray

Conan Gray released a new single this week with his similar heartbroken tone. Jigsaw, however, was a little edgier than Conan’s latest album. It felt like a return to the album that first introduced me to his music – Sunset Season. With cover art drawn by Conan himself, Jigsaw felt more personal and guttural. He hits home with lines like, “I’ve changed every part of me / Until the puzzle pieces aren’t me at all.” By the end of the song, the lyrics can best be described as a scream as he repeats “Why don’t you love me?” As an OG Conan fan, I can not wait to see what this new era unlocks for him.  

Karenna Umscheid 

Watercolor Eyes by Lana Del Rey

After a two-album 2021, Lana Del Rey starts off the new year with a song on hit TV show Euphoria, and of course, it’s phenomenal. Melancholic, romantic, and silky smooth, this single has everything to love about a Lana song. She says “I think that you taste like rock candy, sweet like beaches, leave me all sandy,” California-coded lyrics in food and nature metaphors, one of the things Lana does best. The fact that the tune only played during the credits of the episode is a travesty. 

Lily Hartenstein

Vest and Boxers by Lava La Rue

If I listened to Lava La Rue in high school I simply would not have known how to act. The West London all-around creator caught my attention years ago with their EP Letra, and has since gone from vibey lo-fi rapper to a master in poppy indie r&b. “Vest & Boxers”, a self-declared “queer anthem” is a continuation from their 2021 EP Butter-Fly, doused in dreamy guitar riffs and loved-up lyrics. This track takes a step further from the rose-tinted perspective of Butter-Fly to show the anxiety embedded within the rush of a first date as a queer person, gently building tension underlying its dancy beat.

Lydia Aga

Skin Tight by Ravyn Lenae (ft. Steve Lacy)

Ravyn Lenae returns to the limelight with a soulful and sensual new single accompanied by heavenly guitar riffs by the one and only Steve Lacy. “Skin Tight” explores intimacy and temporality as Lenae’s voice strains, falls, and whispers, “Hope you understand/ We won’t go as planned/ Hold me while you can.” Lenae and Lacy adorn each other through the language of longing as they burst with the desire to hold eachother skin tight. Lacy is entranced by Lenae’s hypnotic pleas to stay and reassures her on the single’s hook that the kinetic energy the two share is indestructible.

Izzy Desmarais 

Love Me More by Mitski 

Four years after the release of Be the Cowboy, Mitski is back with her sixth studio album Laurel Hell, released today! “Love Me More” is the fourth single for this album and is without a doubt my favorite track so far. I am a total sucker for upbeat songs with incredibly depressing lyrics, which is exactly what Mitski delivers here. This song perfectly encapsulates feelings of loneliness and isolation in a romantic relationship. I could even argue that the lyrics can represent the tumultuous relationship between an artist and their fans. I just absolutely love this song and I can’t wait to listen to the album on repeat all weekend long.

Nia Tucker 

Last valentines by Pinkpantheress, WondaGurl Remix

Long time hip-hop producer and collaborator with big name rappers like Lil Uzi Vert, Jay-Z and Travis Scott, WondaGurl takes on one of the more lowkey tracks from PinkPantheress’ 2021 LP, to hell with it. The track takes on a heavy bass, hyper-grooved feel that makes it an immediate standout from the newly issued remix album that otherwise contains new features and standard house vibes all around. Considering PinkPantheress’ typical garage/hyperpop/house sound, WondaGurl’s hip-hop affectation makes me wonder if PinkPantheress should indulge more in that genre. 

Maxwell Reid 

The Overload by Yard Act

Post Punk’s not dead. The past two years of Black Midi New Road domination in the genre has surely been great for fans of reverberated guitar and mopey lyrics, but England is proving that it isn’t done just yet with pumping out new Post Punk classics. The Overload by Yard Act is the space to occupy your Isaac Wood grief. This song is just FUN. In a scene that takes itself all too seriously with incomprehensible virtuosity and lyrics to make Morrissey sigh, this record is a breath of fresh air from Yard Act’s Londoner contemporaries. The album itself is a hit or miss, but this single should be on your rainy Boston day playlists for the foreseeable future. 

Adri Pray

Get Out Of My Life by Little Hurt

Colin Dieden’s debut 2022 release following his 2021 album, Every Second, continues the edgy signature sound Little Hurt, as he’s known in the music industry, has so effectively crafted. A strong guitar melody carries the bass line and percussion to describe the rush of doing something that he knows is bad for him. This single is perfect to listen to when you’re having your main character moment.

Sarah Fournell

Simulation Swarm by Big Thief  

In anticipation for their next album, Dragon New Warm I Believe in You, Big Thief have released eight singles, with each new release replacing the last as my favorite.  “Simulation Swarm” is a captivating display of Adrianne Lenker’s dizzying lyricism put into a folksy indie rock context. Once again, Lenker’s soothing cadences backed with the band’s simplistic acoustic riffs and minimal drum beat create a whimsical anthem that sets the bar extremely high for the rest of the album.

Julia Norkus

Kissing Lessons by Lucy Dacus

I already wrote about it, but it’s just so good that I have to write about it again. Lucy Dacus is known for her haunting and almost mournful vocals and lyrics, but “Kissing Lessons” is more lighthearted than what we’re used to from her. It’s so different and so fresh that I haven’t been able to stop listening to it since it came out this past week. She’s really getting us in the mood to celebrate Valentine’s Day or even just to celebrate love in all forms, whether it be a holiday or just another day.

Nora Onanian

Softly by Arlo Parks

Arlo Parks is coming off a massively successful year. She released her debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams last January and kicked off a tour across continents, including a sold-out show I was lucky enough to catch at Brighton Music Hall. Her latest single, “Softly,” released just this week, highlights just what makes her music so good. Backed mainly by piano, a light drum track and a small but powerful selection of strings, her angelic vocals shine. Through the lyrics, Parks sings about anticipating a breakup and wanting the news to come as gently as possible. A warm buildup leads into the refrain where Parks repeats “break it to me, break it to me softly.” The track is a bit more upbeat than most of Parks’ discography, but still has a beautifully delicate quality you’ll love.

Maura Cowan

Beg For You by Charli XCX feat. Rina Sawayama

Beg For You, the second single off electro-pop darling Charli XCX’s upcoming album, is a powerhouse collaboration with ever-rising star Rina Sawayama. From the first note, it is easy to tell that she and Sawayama are a musical match made in heaven, with vocals that perfectly complement each other as they sing out romantic frustrations over a dance pop beat. I’m a sucker for a track that allows you to dance through the heartbreak, and this perfectly fits the bill.