Beck - Up All Night

| Kerri

When you get the rhythm and words all make you cold
When they break it down and this world is all you know
Hands up, you're waving it 'round
Now get yourself together
When you count the dominos fall, it's time to go

Now I'm feeling so far away
I see the colors and all the kids going home
Night is crawling into the day
I hear my voice ringing
The summertime's singing

It's an objectively amazing feat to be a mononymously known, multi-instrumental, multi-decade, multi-grammy winning artist. I have to admit to respecting Beck's artistry, talent, and uniqueness way more than I actually love most of his songs. "Loser" will forever be an anthem - I mean, I was in high school when that came out so of course. The Kanye West weirdness at the 2015 Grammy's was another unforgettable moment. Those things are almost 25 years apart!! He seems like a cool cat and I like this single more than most of what I've heard from him over the years (my personal taste, and maybe about exposure as well -- gotta admit his affiliation with Scientology became a real turn-off for me). Anyway, here's to being weird and making it work, kicking off this week's Most Important Songs. 

RIYL: Weezer, Cake, Beastie Boys, The Dandy Warhols, The Flaming Lips

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Robert DeLong - Happy

| Kerri
You come here you don't need an occasion
Just an ill-advised itching for the conversation
Got a good sub going, got a good vibration
Getting mixed results from mixing strong libation
 

A Seattle child like us, DeLong moved on to L.A. to ply his trade and hone his sound of singer/songwriter meets electronica. His version of "experimental dance" didn't hit my ears until his third album released in 2015, and specifically the track "Don't Wait Up". For today's MIS, I mined back to his debut album. I love the echoing vocals, the slow, methodic wall of sound that crashes in on you, the almost whistling keys, the trailing piano. "Happy" is definitely a repeatable track and good for building a mood. Let's build up a happy mood for this week, shall we?

RIYL: Big Data, Joywave, Max Frost, Miike Snow

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Helado Negro - Come Be Me

| Kerri
You and me can make it forever
I can call you up
And you can say my name
Cuz I been talking about you to everyone
So they know
You're fine

Helado Negro is one of the many monikers for Roberto Carlos Lange, a tropical-electronic producer out of Brooklyn (via south Florida, from Ecuadorian parents), and more of a collaborative effort for the label Asthmatic Kitty. Digging around his discography doesn't disappoint - a lot of mellow grooves, some more energetic, all fairly interesting, some quite moving and speaking to his experience as a POC in the US. I love this latest single for it's end-of-summer dreaminess. 

RIYL: El Guincho, Cineplexx, CLUBZ

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Foster the People - SHC

| Kerri
I want to live my life again
But you won't
I'll never understand the winds
But you do
I didn't know I was afraid
But you did
I want to do it again

Well I've been sleeping
Waiting for something
But to feel nothing
At all, avoid the call
Sometimes I'm reckless
Sometimes misdirected
And sometimes when I'm tested
I tend to do nothing at all

"Pumped Up Kicks" was so huge and omnipresent, I didn't realize that it basically came from nowhere. Mark Foster recorded and released it free on his own website and when it went viral he had to scramble to figure out representation, licensing, a touring lineup (now full band), and record an album to include "Pumped Up Kicks" and play on tour. They went from playing in empty rooms to a showcase at SXSW to playing with the Beach Boys at the Grammy's (where nominated for 3) in 16 months! Humongous adjustment to make - hat tip to him/them that the first album had so many gems, and at the same time no wonder the sophomore album was practically unheard. (That may be an exaggeration, I didn't look up the numbers, but I didn't recognize a single song from it when I checked it out this morning.) ANYWAY, this summer the band released it's third LP, Sacred Hearts Club, a groove-driven record that IMO lives up to the promise of their debut. I'm looking forward to their set at ACL next month!

RIYL: MGMT, Phoenix, Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun, Portugal. The Man

 

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Twenty One Pilots - Tear in My Heart

| Kerri
Sometimes you gotta bleed to know
That you’re alive and have a soul
But it takes someone to come around
To show you how

She’s the tear in my heart
I’m alive
She’s the tear in my heart
I’m on fire
She’s the tear in my heart
Take me higher
Than I’ve ever been

The songs on the radio are okay
But my taste in music is your face

Truly my fave TØP song. Maybe I shouldn't have picked "Trees" last time (shoulda gone w/Keith's fave, "Ode to Sleep" or even "Guns for Hands" or "Fake You Out" or - oh god Vessel is such a good album). Of course, "Tear in My Heart" is from Blurryface, also an awesome album, if slightly less perfect end to end than Vessel. Seeing them at ACL about 3 years ago was amazing. I can't wait to hear what Tyler and Josh come up with next. Anyways, this song is rad and suits a lot of different moods & purposes for me, including remembering my first tattoo, and second trip to New York. 

RIYL: Postal Service, Robert DeLong, The Griswolds, The Front Bottoms

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