Fluxblog Weekly #158: Rock*A*Teens, Jeff Rosenstock, MorMor, Affectionately, Boy Pablo
April 29th, 2018
Chewing All The Scenery
The Rock*A*Teens “Go Tell Everybody”
The Rock*A*Teens’ music from their original run in the ’90s was awash in a heavy reverb that made their songs sound nostalgic and majestic, and accentuated the grandiosity of Christopher Lopez’s wildly emotive voice. “Go Tell Everybody,” the first song to be released from the first record of their recently initiated second run, dials the reverb down significantly. It’s not totally dry, but it’s very clean and direct – if they were trying to evoke the past on the old songs, they’re now going for a more urgent and present feeling. Lopez’s voice is still the main attraction: He’s way up front in the mix, and still sings with the maximum level of conviction you can hit before ending up in Joe Cocker territory. The lyrics seem to be sung from the perspective of Jesus Christ, urging on the proselytizing of the apostle Bartholomew. It’s an interesting topic for a breezy, summery rocker, especially when you consider that his evangelizing eventually leads to his horrific murder.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
April 30th, 2018
The Courtesy Of Listening
Jeff Rosenstock “Beating My Head Against A Wall”
“Beating My Head Against A Wall” is a fun, Ramones-style punk tune about something a lot of us have spent too much time doing over the past few years: Arguing with someone you fundamentally disagree with and has no respect for you or your point of view! Truly, it’s a miracle that Jeff Rosenstock can make this sound like a good time. But I can suppose you can make any deeply frustrating experience if you use it as fodder for a hyper-catchy bop. Also, I think part of what makes this song work is that Rosenstock is not coming from an aggressive place here – he’s exhausted mainly because he’s giving patience, respect, and courtesy but not receiving any.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
May 1st, 2018
The Sky Blows A Kiss
MorMor “Whatever Comes to Mind”
MorMor has a lovely voice, but I’m more into his chord changes and taste in tones. “Whatever Comes to Mind” is built upon a dreamy organ drone and crisp guitar chords that move at a relaxed, leisurely pace. It sounds like he’s trying to evoke heaven itself, or some blissful approximation of it here on earth. The vocal melody is gorgeous too, rising up with passion on the chorus but resisting cheap melodrama – he never does anything corny that could break the spell of those tranquil chords. He’s singing about searching for some kind of certainty from within or without, and his voice conveys an earnest and optimistic belief that he’ll find it. He doesn’t seem particularly bothered that he still hasn’t found what he’s looking for.
Buy it from Amazon.
May 3rd, 2018
Every Single Heart
Affectionately “Shadow You Become”
I’m not going to lie to you: There is no better way of describing this song than by saying it is ~~extremely chillwave~~. If the original wave of chillwave was about making music that sounded like a nostalgic but vague memory of ’80s pop, “Shadow You Become” sounds like a nostalgic but vague memory of chillwave itself. The production is paper thin and exceptionally woozy, and the sentiment is sweet and romantic but also weirdly passive – this guy is singing about wanting to find “the person that I’ll love” and figuring he’ll only find them if he goes to sleep. The melodies are what make this song, particularly the main guitar motif that’s been processed to sound so high and tinny that it sounds like the sound of a musical toy.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
May 4th, 2018
How Could I Be True
Boy Pablo “Losing You”
Boy Pablo’s songs render melodramatic teenage emotions – specifically the sort of romantic angst that comes from minimal experience mixed with cultural expectations established by pop culture – with a refined elegance that makes it all sound kinda suave. It’s like if Seth Cohen was writing lyrics for Bryan Ferry. “Losing You” is sleek and gorgeous, and sounds like it comes from a better, sexier world that we only ever glimpse in TV shows and movies. It’s the kind of song that winks at you and suggests you play it by the pool at a boutique hotel. And you’re just like, jeez, are you even 20 years old?
Buy it from Bandcamp.