Staff Pix 12/6: New Releases

As the semester winds to a close, the Milk Crate crew shares a few final new favorites of the year.

“The Sweet Life” by TV girl & George Clanton

Time is incapable of slowing down, the clock ticks even when we beg it to stop. Within the hour of this release, I didn't know if I wanted to savor every song or crush the synths to ingest the sound faster. I get overwhelmed with how one person can create something that makes my heart rate increase without moving. When it is two people I admire, that's when I have no choice but to let sound take over. With TV Girl and George Clanton collaborating on their anticipated silly putty-sound album Fauxllennium, I didn't know what to expect, only that it heightened my heart rate. The urge to get up out of my seat was inevitable. “The Sweet Life” is the after taste of pixie sticks at the graduation party. Being out past your expired curfew and watching the minute hand speed up. —Salem Ross

“Thrills of the Family Man” by Good Morning

These Aussies just keep delivering. Fresh from The Accident, their second LP of this year alone, "Thrills Of The Family Man” is a weird track–much like the rest of Good Morning’s discography. Pulling from what I can only imagine is every inspiration humanly possible, this duo is about as Pitckforkian as you can get. I say that lovingly and with so much respect. They’re constantly quirked up and ready to rumble. See, “Thrills Of The Family Man” is kind of like if you took a Vampire Weekend song and interpolated it on one of those Jimmy Fallon classroom instrument sketches, then handed it to a Bushwick producer with a mean mustache and a gluttonous collection of Carhartt (completely unironic). So yeah, this track’s good, but mostly because I am so confused by it, and therefore ignorant and blissful. —Sofia Giarrusso

“U&ME” by six sex

For the last few years, I’ve been enamored with Six Sex’s music. For the most part, she makes pounding, computerized reggaeton that sounds like a mating call in the sweatiest club of all time. Her newest single, “U&ME,” gets at the core of what the Six Sex project has been about since the beginning: hedonism infused with deeply tongue-in-cheek humor. When she chants, “MY NAME IS SIX SEX! MY ASS IS TOO BIG!,” it sounds like a battle cry. The breakdown that mostly consists of a chopped up “My boyfriend is gay!” is just the cherry on top. Essential listening. —Bennett Himmel

“2468” by Horsegirl

I have never heard a procession of tin toys sound so cool. The new single from Horsegirl, my favorite DIY band from Chicago, is an exciting hop, skip, and jump in a new sonic direction. It sounds like a cross between playful folk, upbeat indie-jangle, and punk nonchalance. I remember seeing Horsegirl’s first performances in high school at local house shows organized by TACO (Teen Arts Collective O…f Chicago?). Their sound was shoegazey then, with hints of Sonic Youth and even Belle and Sebastian. By the release of their first album, Versions of Modern Performance, their polished sound reverberated many of the ‘90s greats: Yo La Tengo, the Breeders, Interpol. “2468” feels very uniquely Horsegirl, and after seeing them perform at a street-fest this past summer, five years after those houseshows, I am stoked to see what they do next. —Christian Jones

“§1” by Opeth

Maybe I’m bad at being a metal fan, but I like my instruments heavy and my vocals yelling. I’m not into growling into a microphone, but with Opeth I am always willing to meet them halfway–especially when they’re bringing growl vocals back after 16 years. This opening track “§1” off their new project The Last Will and Testament bounces between angelic vocals, aggravated growling, and complicated progressive instrumentals which makes an exciting modern sampler for the group. —Sam Shipman

“All Star Breakfast (feat. Field Medic)” by Odie Leigh

Odie Leigh and Field Medic’s “All Star Breakfast” comes just in time for the approach of this typically reflective holiday season. Telling the story of inanimate objects and happy accidents, the unexpected, yet harmonic duo, evokes reminiscence of hazy, child-like memories. The soft melody of the pair feels like a warm hug and hands held. With mentions of winter holidays and the reflection that follows, the track is a gentle reassurance of the beauty that accompanies the passage of time. It’s uncertain and daunting, but within the disarray there’s something even more frighteningly beautiful and it's all around! —Sophie Parrish

“For Sale Sign (feat. Lizzy McAlpine)” by Tiny Habits

Oh, what a beautiful song. Tiny Habits does not disappoint with this new song, layers upon layers of beautiful harmonies warm enough to keep us toasty this winter. In between cozy melodies and melancholy lyrics, we follow a house and its inhabitant, we follow the intimacy of two strangers that continually see each other on each other’s land. What a perfect tune to mourn the potential of knowing a stranger and the sadness of no one living forever. Like trading looks with someone across the room but even more hopeful, more personal, more sweet. By the end, my heart aches and I wish the song would go on for a little bit more. —Ari Mei-Dan

“Ma Meilleure Ennemie” by Stromae and Pomme

Have I watched any of Arcane with the exception of a particular scene that occurs in a prison cell? No. Do I plan on watching it? Maybe. Here’s what I do know: when I was 13 and learning French and closeted, I would listen to Pomme and yearn for something —someone— I didn’t know I wanted yet. So, when I saw this song appear on my Spotify recommended, of course I had to listen to it. Every French student is familiar with Stromae’s Papaoutai and Pomme’s je sais pas danser, and their combined forces are nothing short of an absolute TREAT! C’est la meilleure et la pire chose qui puisse m’arriver… so, will I watch Arcane? You know what, for the killer soundtrack, I just might. —Monika Krueger

“Famous Girl” by venturing

Released under Jane Remover’s new alias, venturing, “Famous Girl” is the latest single off the project's upcoming album, Ghostriding. With snapping, ornamental guitars and bone-deep bass, Jane moves farther from the choppy water of Census Designated, and into smoother, crashing indie-rock riffs and heartbreak. Jane Remover can really do no wrong in my eyes, and anything remotely reminiscent of Census Designated has my vote, so imagine my excitement when I found an EP and a few rogue singles mysteriously distanced from the Jane Remover name. She’s tapped into a digital sound that spares none of the harshness and hedonism of a good rock song, now mellowing out with venturing, softening the sharp edges of her past work, but still never allowing her sound to reach anywhere near dull. —Nathan Hilyard