Fluxblog #290: Fluxpod | Night Rap Playlist | Activity • Kylie Minogue • Norah Jones • Otta
Fluxpod, the new Fluxblog podcast, launched this week and you can find the debut episode featuring Rob Sheffield on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, and Patreon. The next episode, which features Brittany Spanos, will be out on Saturday and the next episode after that with Ryan Broderick will be out on Wednesday. From there on every other episode (ie, the Saturday episodes) will be exclusives for Patreon subscribers.
This week's playlist is Night Rap, which is pretty much exactly what the title suggests – it's a lot of rap songs I think sound good at night. It's not definitive, just good vibes. [Spotify / Apple]
November 10th, 2020
Born To Hotel Floors
Activity “Violent and Vivisect”
Activity’s debut album Unmask Whoever was made in 2019 but matches the tone of 2020 very well – cold and claustrophobic and paranoid, desperate emotions deadened by a cynicism that’s beaten into you from a near total lack of positive news. The record mostly feels like being trapped in a depressive haze, with songs that move on a tension that shifts but never really lifts. “Violent and Vivisect,” the penultimate track on the record, is the only song that allows for a true catharsis. It starts off very tightly wound but in context it nevertheless feels like a gasp of air after so much heavy atmosphere. The eventual climax is a blast of traditional alt-rock on a record in which this rock band otherwise avoids obvious alt-rock dynamics, as though the entire concept of the record was to start from the most harshly electronic that was possible for them and to very gradually allow themselves the permission to cut loose. And even after letting it all out in the final third of this song, it still ends on an unresolved feeling. It’s like getting all riled up and then losing all energy, collapsing into a defeated sigh.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
November 12th, 2020
Take The World Away
Kylie Minogue “Miss A Thing”
It’s rather commonplace for songs to be put together in remote sessions now, even before it was fully necessitated by quarantine lockdowns, but even still knowing this particular song was made this way makes it feel a little more poignant. It’s a disco song for a world without discotheques, elaborately produced with an imaginary string section and a thumping bass line that will mostly just be heard on tinny laptop speakers and earbuds. It’s far from the only song robbed of its deserved context in 2020, but because it was made under these circumstances the song itself seems to know that it’s thwarted, and even as Kylie Minogue sings it like any other pop song her emphasis on moving quickly as not to miss anything suggests she was very much thinking about time running out for all sorts of ordinary joys. It’s basically a very “carpe diem” sort of song, but with a very acute sense of the clock running down on that diem.
Buy it from Amazon.
November 13th, 2020
New Ways To Be Myself
Norah Jones “Hurts To Be Alone”
Norah Jones is famous for the raw loveliness of her voice and the subtle nuances of her phrasing – she’s the kind of singer who can convey a lot of emotional information in slight inflections. But she’s also quite remarkable on the piano, and that gift for graceful articulation carries over to her style on that instrument. “Hurts To Be Alone,” a song she composed herself, showcases both ends of her skill set. The chords are sophisticated but understated, carrying the melodic weight of the music so her vocal can drift along behind it like a leaf in the breeze. There’s great details in the arrangement too – the way the standup bass will occasionally pluck out a couple notes to punctuate a pause, the sound of a Hammond B3 gently streaking through the mix as an accent. Everything about this recording is very thoughtful but played with a loose and gentle touch, that perfect sweet spot between calculation and improvisation.
Buy it from Amazon.
November 13th, 2020
Nothing Can Keep You From Yourself
Otta “Just Like the Rain”
Otta sings positive affirmations in this song with a slightly exasperated tone, like she’s addressing someone who seems incapable of seeing their own value. This is the tip off to me that she’s singing to herself – there’s a familiarity and frustration in her tone that suggests she’s confronting her most stubborn insecurities rather than talking about someone else’s hang ups. “Just Like the Rain” has a smooth and soothing groove, but Otta’s vocal brings a little bit of neurotic energy to the track – even when she’s aiming for gentle and sweet, she can’t quite project a chill vibe. But that works for the song, as the bass is there to provide the feeling of comfort, warmth, and stability.
Buy it from Bandcamp.