I'm not sure what the Norwegian band Pom Poko has to do with the Studio Ghibli production if anything, but I could see their music fitting in nicely because they're quirky and fun. They've got a handful of singles out now, and the best of those in my estimation is today's Most Important, "You'll Be Fine", a sweet love letter to yourself.
RIYL: Eisley, Sløtface, Alex the Astronaut, Billie Van
I'd never heard Jay Som until about a week ago*, and I've been listening through her backlog for the last week or so and really enjoying it. Her latest "Pirouette" is pretty straight-forward indie fare, but there's something in the jangly guitars and low-fi fuzz that I find really pretty and pleasant.
*that I remembered. Kerri posted another Jay Som track last summer :)
RIYL: Alvvays, Japanese Breakfast, Tennis, Diet Cig
I don't know much about Grand Rapid's Oliver Houston, but their debut album Whatever Works, which came out towards the start of last year, is terrific; it's straight-forward midwest emo/punk and I've been enjoying it quite a bit lately.
RIYL: Sinai Vessel, Prawn, LVL UP, Signals Midwest
I've been a little bit obsessed with Field Music lately. They have such a fun, quirky sound that hits all the right spots for me. If you've never heard them, I highly recommend checking out 2016's Commontime, particularly "Disappointed" and "The Noisy Days Are Over" - they're hard to explain or categorize, so just listen. Or, just jump into today's Most Important, a terrific new track with a solid message about Brexit.
RIYL: Of Montreal, Talking Heads, Neutral Milk Hotel, Islands, Dirty Projectors
"Nervous Young Inhumans" is instantly recognizable as CSH, but marks a change in their sound that I really like. There's a lot going on, at times maybe a bit too much, especially compared with their previous efforts, but if this is where they're going, I'm down. The new album is out in February, in the meantime, check out this fun video.
RIYL: Diet Sig, Parquet Courts, Jay Som, DIIV
