Fluxblog Weekly #211: Jamila Woods, Imperial Teen, Big Thief, Cate Le Bon
May 13th, 2019
Better Than Your Best
Jamila Woods “Miles”
“Miles” is Jamila Woods’ attempt to channel the energy of Miles Davis, and though there are musical nods to his early ‘70s aesthetics, it’s more about his persona and legend. Woods sings bold words with a righteously contemptuous tone, and in approaching his absolute confidence she gives herself permission to feel self-assured and powerful. She’s playing out a role but you can sense she’s truly feeling it – the swagger is real, the soulfulness is not a put-on. The funk in the music carries through to her voice, and though it’s not a visual medium, you can feel her movement. It’s a willful transformation that’s both spiritual and physical.
Buy it from Amazon.
May 14th, 2019
Watching It Can Make You Blind
Imperial Teen “We Do What We Do Best”
I’ve been listening to Imperial Teen since their first album came out in the mid ‘90s, and it’s taken me a long time to figure out what it is about them that makes them distinctive among indie/power pop bands: It’s the constant suggestion of seediness and odd sexual energy. The queerness of the band has always been overt, but that dirty, furtive quality is more subtextual. It’s in the playful but nervous energy in the tunes, and the way they can create this tightly-coiled tension in their grooves that screams “barely repressed horniness.” “We Do What We Do Best,” the first single from their sixth album, is indeed them doing what they do best. They chant that title phrase as one of the key hooks and the cockiness suits them well. Their synth tones are on point here too – a bit filthy, a bit dorky. It’s in a direct lineage of pervy new wave going back to The Cars and Soft Cell.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
May 15th, 2019
The Seasons Will Bend
Big Thief “UFOF”
The tone of “UFOF” is so ambiguous that its loveliest qualities feel vaguely uncomfortable and ominous. This unsettled feeling suits the lyrics, which are largely about mystery and miracles, and how much not fully understanding things allows for both humility and magic. Arianne Lenker’s voice falls somewhere between the elfin intonation of Joanna Newsom and the conspiratorial whispering of Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino, and her words render apocalyptic visions and romantic moments in vivid detail. It’s hard to get a read on her mood – she seems to find some beauty in chaos and a measure of terror in tenderness, and is intrigued by pretty much everything in between.
Buy it from Amazon.
May 16th, 2019
Take It Outside
Cate Le Bon “Mother’s Mother’s Magazines”
“Mother’s Mother’s Magazines” starts off feeling quite similar to Vivien Goldman’s post-punk classic “Launderette,” with its awkwardly funky bass groove, creaky atmosphere, and a wry sensibility. But Cate Le Bon doesn’t settle there. The song becomes more jaunty as it moves along, ending on an extended vamp in which horns honk rhythmically alongside keyboard lines that seem to wiggle and squiggle like worms. Le Bon somehow makes this weird, borderline unpleasant sound feel vaguely soothing. Maybe it’s in the way any word sounds nonsensical through repetition, or how the absurdity in the track is so jolly and inviting. It’s like entering someone’s eccentric but ultimately comfortable little home.
Buy it from Amazon.