Fluxblog Weekly #107: PWR BTTM, Maggie Rogers, Fin, Chastity Belt
May 7th, 2017
Send Myself A Strongly Worded Email
PWR BTTM “Now Now”
“Now Now” is a self-directed pep talk that extends to anyone who hears it. It’s very simple and direct, with Ben Hopkins and Liv Bruce singing lines the verses about wanting to punish themselves for being so hard on themselves, and choruses that resolve to do it NOW NOW NOW! Setting aside the irony of admonishing oneself for other self-admonishments, this is a lovely sentiment and written from the perspective of people who know damn well that deciding to change ingrained behaviors isn’t as easy as simply deciding to do so. The trick of this song is making the act of letting go sound so cathartic and fun, and emphasizing that the barriers you create for yourself as the main thing keeping you from the happy life you want. I love how playful Hopkins and Bruce sound on this, and the way their willingness to get silly and excited sends a message to the listener that it’s OK to let yourself be ridiculous and vulnerable. Most PWR BTTM songs are in some way about self-acceptance and breaking out of restrictive social norms, but this is the one that makes the most effort to pull the listener out of their hangups and into their better, more glamorous world.
Buy it from Amazon.
May 8th, 2017
Take Me To That Place
Maggie Rogers “On + Off”
“On + Off” is built upon a network of interlocking rhythms, but somehow never feels particularly dense or even all that busy. The beats and clicks imply a shifting space around the lead vocal melody, which seems to hover just above the rhythm. Maggie Rogers’ voice is striking in the way it’s emotive in a very pop sort of way, but also a bit aloof and serene. She’s singing about finding a state of emotional stability with someone, and then yearning for it when they’re apart. The interesting thing to me is that she’s singing from that safe place, reporting live from the peaceful equilibrium. She’s already anticipating the yearning to come.
Buy it from Amazon.
May 9th, 2017
Out Of Ash
Fin “Pike”
I have listened to this closely several times over and I am not fully confident this woman is singing words throughout this song. Well, aside from when she says “no shit” a couple times. That’s totally clear. But regardless of what she may or may not be saying, the repetitive murmuring has a pleasingly hypnotic effect. Fin’s approach to layering beats, synths, and vocal parts is rather similar to that of Grimes, but trades off Claire Boucher’s typically bratty/perky tone for a more subdued and vaguely mystical vibe. “Pike” sounds like it could plausibly be music associated with some techno-utopian cult, or what might happen if you asked a computer program to create spiritual dance music. The track has the feeling of not quite being something or somewhere, but knowing that it must be something and somewhere.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
May 10th, 2017
What Good Does Truth Bring
Chastity Belt “Caught In A Lie”
Chastity Belt’s first two records were more lo-fi than their forthcoming third album, and the primary casualty of this aesthetic choice was that Lydia Lund’s crisp, elegant lead guitar parts usually got crowded out in the mix. I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone has a cleaner sound and the mix doesn’t feel nearly as cramped and claustrophobic. They haven’t really changed much about how they play, but the implied negative space in the recording makes everything feel much more relaxed, and much closer to the lovely low-key melancholy of Real Estate than a standard punk band. This suits them very well, and the sad-but-pretty tone of the music serves as an interesting frame for the unpolished angst in Julia Shapiro’s voice. I love how the sound of “Caught In A Lie” is mostly quite drowsy, but Shapiro sounds alert but exhausted, like she hasn’t slept for days because this uncertain feeling has been burning a hole in her brain.
Buy it from Bandcamp.