New Music Mondays | 02.26.18

Midterms got you down? Cheer up, we have a ton of music just for you #NMM

‘Nameless, Faceless’ – Courtney Barnett

“She’s back! Courtney Barnett, Australia’s queen of indie rock, returns with a brutal takedown of armchair misogynists, served with a generous helping of her trademark wit and dry humor. It seems straightforward at first: men on the internet are attacking Barnett because she’s a successful woman and they feel threatened, and Barnett in return, says screw you. But she’s not unsympathetic. “I’m real sorry about whatever happened to you,” she says, before outlining in detail how pathetic that anonymous “you” is, by way of the Maragaret Atwood quotation “men are afraid that women will laugh at them… women are afraid that men will kill them.” The message is pretty clear. If you, as a man, are threatened by successful women, get over it. Whatever threat you’re imagining is nothing compared to what women experience every day. Hell yeah, Courtney.” – Craig Short

‘Maraschino-Red Dress $8.99 at Goodwill’ – Ezra Furman

“Transangelic Exodus, the newest record from Ezra Furman, is an enchanting and eclectic journey. Songs on the album stylistically vary from synth-pop to folk, to furious punk. A standout track is Maraschino-Red Dress $8.99 at Goodwill. Musically, the song is reminiscent of post-punk legends The Minutemen with its angular guitar chords and rowdy vocals. Lyrically, Furman brilliantly touches on his cross-dressing, religion (Judaism), and self-hate. The song builds to a powerful climax with Furman angrily howling, “Sometimes you go through hell and you never get to heaven.” If you’re looking for an album that reaches for new sounds, yet is still accessible I’d recommend listening to some other cuts off Transangelic Exodus. It’s an album that has, unfortunately, gone thoroughly under-looked this year.” – Joey Molloy

‘Nautical Depth’ – Czarface & MF Doom

“MF Doom is known for his collaborative albums. Partnerships with artists such as Madlib, Danger Mouse, and Bishop Nehru make up nearly half of his discography and are some of his most legendary releases. The next collaborative venture is only a month away, an album with hip-hop supergroup, Czarface consisting of Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck as well as 7L & Esoteric. “Nautical Depth” is the first single from Czarface Meets Metal Face! and it’s as villainous as you would expect such a collaboration to be. Listening to the dark bassline and ominous drones in the instrumental, I can imagine comic book supervillains zooming around a dark city skyline. The album cover and lyrics play into this vibe even more. As I write this, I’m becoming more and more excited for the album to drop on March 30, mark your calendars!” – Spencer LaChance

‘White Flag’ – Bishop Briggs

“What is 2018 without an endless string of politically charged songs? Rising indie pop star Sarah Grace McLaughlin known as, Bishop Briggs took her hand on the trend circulating most musical genres at the moment with her new single, “White Flag.” Presumably as the first single off her debut album Church of Scars, set to release on April 20th, “White Flag” is McLaughlin’s ode to the millions of people protesting against the current administration. With lyrics like “won’t wave my white flag/no/this time I won’t let go/I’d rather die” the single sounds as if it was made to play as an anthem at protest. With generally vague lyrics about not giving up and sticking it to the “man,” McLaughlin succeeds at relating to a mass audience. After releasing her debut EP Bishop Briggs almost, a year ago, McLaughlin has stayed pretty quiet, preparing for the release of her first full length project. However, you can hear the influences of Bishop Briggs on “White Flag.” The driving, strong beat of her hugely successful single, “River” is very evident on “White Flag.” Her vocals are very similar on the two songs as well, with a softer tone in the verses and strong belting on the chorus. “White Flag” proves what Bishop Briggs began to show last year, McLaughlin has one of the most powerful voices in pop music right now.” – Emma Turney

‘Blue Ribbon’ – Remo Drive

“Minnesota indie rock band Remo Drive broke huge news this week announcing that they’re joining Epitaph Records. Along with that news the band announced a new 7” EP with blue ribbon being the first single off it. Filled with light and crisp guitar chords, upbeat drums, and colorful and playful lyrics, the song matches that soda themed album art perfectly. The instrumentation on the song is a departure from their grunge like tone on their debut album, mostly the guitar sounding thinner and the drums a lot slower. However the distinct singing style of lead singer Erik Paulson and quick and upbeat bass lines from bass player Stephan Paulson keep this song sounding familiar enough to fit the rest of their discography.” – Moin Khwaja