Staff Pixx 11/5
Looking for new tunes? The Music Staff submits their favorite songs of each week for the Staff Pixx radio show. If you can’t tune in Tuesdays at 6pm, check in to the Milk Crate home page for a full playlist, along with notes from each of our writers!
Mateo Rispoli
Ampliphædies by Sun O)))
Sunn O)))’s second album of the year acts as a roaring companion to April’s Life Metal. Recorded using entirely analog tape, the droning chords and wailing feedback of Stepehn O’Malley and Greg Anderson tear across the mix. Each track is the product of a modal drone session, the parenthetical letter in the title of each track being the key. Both meditative and visceral, Sunn O)))’s new sound continues an evolution for the genre mainstays.
Kenny Cox
Sad Day by FKA Twigs
With mere days until the release of her much-anticipated second LP, Magdalene, FKA Twigs’ new single, “Sad Day” is a final hint of what’s to be an incredible album to come. With her signature whispery vocals, FKA Twigs creates a quietly devastating track centered on her last grasps at a love falling apart. “Would you make a wish on my love?” asks FKA Twigs, trying her hardest to remain calm as a storm of crackling synths and thundering sub-bass swirls around her. “Sad Day” is yet another single that shows the maturation of FKA Twigs’ sound, and her one-of-a kind artistry.
J. Faith Malicdem
Now I’m In It by HAIM
After holding off on releasing new music for a year and instead featuring on Twin Shadow’s Caer while also making an appearance on the Lady Bird soundtrack with “Little of Your Love” in 2018, HAIM made a comeback with releases “Summer Girl” and as of last Wednesday, “Now I’m In It”. “Now I’m In It” features an automated, syncopated drum beat and a staccato, fast-paced melodic line, conveying a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that accompany a deep state of depression. “The track is chaotic- like my mind when I’m spiraling. Fast-talking to myself- words jumbled up. Heartbeat racing. These times are hard to forget and even harder to work through,” said Danielle Haim in an Instagram post, announcing the song’s impending release. The band promotes self-love and care with the release of the tune, hoping to further bond with their audiences over the lower, darker points in life.
Annie Wojnarowski
Don’t Start Now by Dua Lipa
The first song of her new era, Dua Lipa packs a punch in her new single, “Don’t Start Now”. A dance pop earworm, Lipa sings about a relationship she doesn’t want to start back up again. Sounding like a part two of her hit song, “New Rules”, Lipa closes the chapter on this subject and is ready for a new one. This song plays upon its fun sound with lyrics that emphasize personal growth and strength. It looks like Lipa is looking to mature on not only her sound, but her lyrics, ushering in a new era of reinvention.
Lily Hartenstein
dripbounce_7_24_18 by Toro y Moi
Toro y Moi, the stage name of musician Chaz Bundick, is one of the most underrated musicians of today, in my humble opinion. He really does it all, and he does it well, from funk to jazz to rock to rnb. He released this surprise EP of 24-minutes of lo-fi tracks back on Dropbox back in January, titled Soul Trash, but just this week dropped a visual album to go along with it and made the release available on streaming platforms. The whole EP is entirely unique in the Chaz-Bundick weirdness only he is capable of, but it seems reminiscent of Frank Ocean’s musical ruminations, with that same loose, lost-in-thought sound. This final song closes out the project with a gentle guitar tune that eases some of the anxieties he explored in earlier songs.
Isaiah Anthony
Hey Lupe by Lupe Fiasco
This track, which has existed in the ethos for the better part of two decades, has finally materialized on streaming services. Quintessential aughts rapper Lupe Fiasco has a storied history of progress and growth as an artist, and this track, originally recorded in 2006, demonstrates that growth while shining light on the undeniable inherent talent of the artist. The incredibly groovy tone to the upbeat single creates an everlasting jam that captivates as well today as it would on the soundtrack to NFL Street 2 in 2004.
Simon Tranfaglia
Love Affair by UMI
UMI released her first visual EP, “Love Language” on October 30th. Every song having its own episodic video, displaying the entire story and meaning behind this EP. Love Affair stands out with its dream-pop R&B sound rooting in pieces of neo-soul. “Love Affairs” video, feels straight out of comic book; displaying her working at a coffee shop, where she quickly falls in love. Seconds later she is fighting off a robber complete ninja style. Love Language is an aesthetically refreshing blend of storytelling and bedroom pop; the perfect song to fall in love with or fight off the bad guys.
Owen Murray
EAST by Earl Sweatshirt
Earl Sweatshirt’s super-short surprise album FEET OF CLAY is his darkest and most disorienting works yet. Doubling down on the experimental aspects of last year’s Some Rap Songs, Earl sounds more original than ever. “EAST” is the album’s most unusual tracks which contains a monotonous but somehow fascinating string sample. Earl’s wordsmithing is as impressive as ever as he continues to explore new sonic territory.