Summer Staff Pix: July
The Milk Crate staff takes a break from their sun-soaked summer breaks to select their favorite songs released during the month of July. Listen to our choices for the perfect poolside playlist!
Will Ingman
Return to Dust by Venus Twins
The list of bass-drums duo bands is as surprisingly long as it is fascinatingly diverse, with entries ranging from Lightning Bolt’s frenetic, overpowering noise rock to the moody, experimental post-punk of The Garden. But every group on that list is unified by a single question, heard in whispers at the fringes of their shows: “how do two people make that much noise?”. Venus Twins are a fairly recent entry into the roster of raucous rhythm-sections, and their infectiously energetic sound mixes snot-nosed punk spirit, jazz-influenced rhythm experiments, and a healthy dash of room-filling noise to cleave out their musical niche. “Return to Dust”, the first single from their upcoming second LP, assaults the listener with metallic distortion and forceful, driving drums, more a duel than a duet as the twin instruments lock horns in a battle for the lead role. Showcasing both fierce chops and a keen sense of restraint, Venus Twins’ “loud-quiet-loud” composition and all-out musical rage comes through crystal-clear on this single, conveyed not just through raw energy, but precise technical mastery as well.
Sophie Severs
Boys + Girls W/ Guitars by Guyville
We’ve all been there — silently swaying at a concert, enjoying the vibes, when all of a sudden we fall head over heels in love with a musician at first sight. We eagerly pursue our newfound love by spending the rest of the night trying to make eye contact with them, hoping that they’ll notice us and return our affections. LA-based duo, Guyville, (AKA, Kat Hamilton and Emily Hulslander) are here to shatter your dreams of love with their single, “Boys + Girls w/ Guitars.” The two see past the facade of the ‘musician mystique,’ lambasting any band member who dares to try and woo them, biting back with a slew of witty insults layered over their cascading guitars. They rationalize their feelings, singing: “So what, you like the same song / from the same band, from 1990 / so what, it doesn't mean love / it’s just a moment, it’s just coincidence.” But even so, the two continue to wonder ‘what if’ nonetheless; ending the track admitting: “I’ll always do it again.” In just shy of four minutes, Guyville provides a blissfully fun soundtrack for the heartbreak that many face when dating a musician comes to a sour end. So, next time you find yourself over the moon in love with a musician, listen to “Boys + Girls w/ Guitars” to come back down to earth.
Sarah Fournell
Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa by FINNEAS
Diverting from the piano ballad intros and pulsating electronica choruses featured on his latest album The Optimist, FINNEAS ushers in his newest sonic venture with his single “Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa.” While his songs “A Concert Six Months From Now” and “Happier Than Ever” feature crescendos to pent-up electric guitar solos, “Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa” is in a constant state of climax. Each verse details his reliance on and admiration for his girlfriend, Claudia Sulewski, with deeply relatable lyrics and a punchy drum track that forces you to skip along to the beat. His reverence for Sulewski is at its peak in the chorus, with comparisons of her to Mona Lisa and heaven itself (if it was an “actual place”). You can practically hear FINNEAS singing through his smile on “Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa”, as if he can’t contain absolute joy and overwhelming disbelief of his current state of life. His live performance of it inflicted the same effect on the audience, read my review of his show at the Troubadour here!
Lily Hartenstein
So Typically Now by U.S. Girls
Love it or hate it, the 80’s are back. Maybe the Duffer Brothers are to blame, maybe it’s the 20 year cycle times two (are we really repeating the 80’s hype of the 00’s?), but from current politics to various forms of popular media, the proof is in the pudding. And of course, if Beyonce says so, it is law. After the spectacular release of RENAISSANCE, an exceptional ode to the queer underground scene of the time, it’s impossible to complain about the sonic influence of the decade in today’s music. U.S. Girls leans into the same disco-dance sound on “So Typically Now”, coupled with lyrical references to the economic turmoil of these so-called “post”-pandemic times. With her aloof yet entrancing voice satirizing the real estate market over infectious, synth-laced house beats, Meg Remy gives us yet another anti-capitalist dance classic, a style that I am sure will soon be emblematic of the 2020’s; you could call the sound so typically now.
Karenna Umscheid
ALIEN SUPERSTAR by Beyoncé
Return of the queen. Beyoncé’s latest album is another game-changing digital drop, stopping the world with further flawlessness in her already timeless, incredible discography. Everything is top-notch here, from the production, to the vocals, to the lyricism. Beyoncé’s talent and passion is unreal, her career has spanned decades but her star power and music quality has never wavered. In RENAISSANCE, she infuses house music, ballroom, hyperpop, and disco with her stunning voice and confidence that is always seeped in her tracks. “ALIEN SUPERSTAR” is an anthem of femininity and a tribute to the galaxial power of ourselves. It deserves to be played at every party, every club, every roller rink or really any room with colorful lights and loud speakers. Only Beyoncé could make an album so classic, so fun, so powerful and musical and unendingly danceable. RENAISSANCE is simply otherworldly, I wouldn’t dream of leaving the dance floor.
Julia Norkus
Spilling by Ryann
There’s something eerily addictive about relationships that we know are bad or wrong for us. Ryann’s newest single “Spilling” encompasses that feeling, of wanting to hold on to something while knowing it isn’t right to stick around. The single acknowledges the challenges that come with wanting so badly to make something work, “Astrology might hate us / And I’ve gotten over it / But sometimes I cross my fingers / And just hope for the best,” proving our perseverance in trying to turn those red flags into a beautiful lime green. “Spilling” has the same energy as a coming-of-age film cliché, one that calls for screaming into the bottom of a hair brush and jumping up and down on a twin sized mattress. Maybe even heartbreak calls for a bit of nostalgia to power through.