My Top 5 Songs of the Week (2024 Week 20):
https://youtu.be/T0Se1-n_hdI
1. Jake Bugg – "Zombieland". A Britpop-adjacent rocker from Nottingham singer-songwriter Bugg that hurtles along for nigh on 3 breathless minutes. #music

https://www.scribd.com/document/720424944/BlazeVOX24-Spring24#from_embed
Since the beginning of this year the amazing Chris Stroffolino and I have been writing poems on our relationship to music, both in dialogue and collaboratively. Nine of the pieces from this project appear in the Spring 2024 issue of BlazeVOX launched today. Follow the link and click on Chris's name to read four of his response poems, plus one that we wrote together. Click on my name to see four of my responses (plus one, "Future Futures", that's unrelated). #poetry

My best of 2024 (so far) playlist is updated regularly and can be found here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDJeO4dNUaIn2mN9hFpBK1szGAA07d8pq&si=ZVqklnxTIwkgAQKq
#music

https://youtu.be/iybZTElHqIM
5. Angus and Julia Stone – "Down to the Sea". Australian siblings hypnotize with this tense indie folk gem. "They tell you you're forgiven, but you're not". Perfectly written, arranged, played, sung, and recorded. #music

https://youtu.be/lUnpIO-OTx0
4. Fcukers – "Bon Bon". Meanwhile, in another corner of '90s rock, New York's Fcukers spin up this laid-back electronic shuffle pitched somewhere between Deee-Lite and early Daft Punk. Dig that sine-wave bass. #music

https://youtu.be/-DmixSHLIn0
3. Beabadoobee – "Take a Bite". Bea's back with another '90s-indie-rock inspired confessional, this time recorded with producer/guru Rick Rubin. #music

https://youtu.be/o5I1wz1j64k
2. Hinds featuring Beck – "Boom Boom Back". That's what Spanish garage-rock duo Hinds are bringing in this strutting single from their fourth album, with help from Beck (who's seemingly become everyone's go-to collaborator lately, with a high banger ratio.) #music

My Top 5 Songs of the Week (2024 Week 19):
https://youtu.be/rnUnuCqqEUg
1. Johnny Hunter – "Frustration". You'd be forgiven for writing this Australian quintet off as a Sisters of Mercy clone on hearing this track, but the dramatic postpunk intensity and cinematic goth-rock excitement quickly won me over and they might do you as well. #music

My best of 2024 (so far) playlist is updated regularly and can be found here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDJeO4dNUaIn2mN9hFpBK1szGAA07d8pq&si=ZVqklnxTIwkgAQKq
#music

https://youtu.be/YwdVlUUa7xU
5. The Decemberists – Much of the mythohistorical weirdness of the band's early output has fallen away, leaving just their unique sense of arrangement and Meloy's distinctive phrasing to adorn this lovely song. #music

https://youtu.be/b_ahoz_pwtI
4. Bat for Lashes – "Home". Slowburner whose tenderness is given a dimension of heartache and longing by distortion on the bass and vocals. #music

https://youtu.be/PdQpQFvdIp8
3. Amadou & Mariam – "Mogolu". Mali's first couple of music is back with a new tune that's got their familiar swing. #music

https://youtu.be/_EzFiRyiij8
2. DIIV – "Frog in Boiling Water". More woozy, whammy-bar dreaminess from the album of the same name by Brooklyn's DIIV. Strong followup to week 13 top 5 pick "Everyone Out". #music

My Top 5 Songs of the Week (2024 Week 17):
https://youtu.be/nWW4tFuzxGE
1. St. Vincent – "Big Time Nothing". Annie Clark brilliantly channels the sound and swagger of Fashion-era Bowie and (duh) Big Time-era Peter Gabriel. #music

Would be funny if the conservative majority SCOTUS agrees with Trump that the president has absolute immunity, and later that day, Joe Biden sends in SEAL Team 6 to grab Trump and all the Justices who voted in favor and drag them off to Gitmo, then appoints 5 or 6 new Justices. He wouldn't do it, of course, 'cause he's not an asshole. But it would be funny. In an ironic, poetic justice sort of way.

The neighborhood Karen is judging you.

Cyanide millipede. Wanna guess how it defends itself from predators?

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/24138291/do-vaccines-work-explained-study-efficacy-evidence

Study by the World Health Organization estimates that vaccines have prevented over 150 million deaths during the last 50 years.

https://www.northcoastjournal.com/arts-scene/take-the-mods-thrifting-29560438
I have a new poem in this week's North Coast Journal. It's called "Take the Mods Thrifting", it's part of a collaboration I've been working on with Chris Stroffolino (more about that soon!) and it's an homage to articles of clothing mentioned in pop songs.
If you're not in Humboldt County to pick up the paper edition, you can find it online at the link above. #poetry

My best of 2024 (so far) playlist is updated regularly and can be found here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDJeO4dNUaIn2mN9hFpBK1szGAA07d8pq&si=ZVqklnxTIwkgAQKq
#music