2024 Music Enjoyer Pt. 4
Further Jukebox Hits from a Better Timeline
Hope everyone had an excellent (or at least un-terrible) holiday, if you’re in the part of the world doing the thanksgiving thing.
Here’s another flock of wondrous sounds from actual human bands making awesome music that’s probably hitting the top 40 in all the cooler timelines. Let’s get to it!
Pearl & The Oysters - Planet Pearl
Ever since their mind-blowingly perfect album “Coast 2 Coast” came out last year on Stones Throw, I’ve become a mega-fan of Pearl & The Oysters. This is the band I didn’t know I desperately needed, like someone with terminally low vitamin C eating a delicious citrus fruit and suddenly feeling the sunrise inside their mind.
“Planet Pearl” might save you a bundle on therapy, friends. To play the ‘sounds like’ game, I’m going with “sounds like if Stereolab, Air, and Steely Dan all got pleasantly high on beach together”. Of course, that’s not what happened— Juliette Pearl Davis (lead vocals, synth, flute) and Joachim Polack (Synth, Keyboards, Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Backing Vocals, Drum Machine) just happen to contain a whole musical universe inside themselves, and they’ve been so kind as to share it with the rest of us.
Go outside in the sunshine, throw this on your headphones, and feel your heart smiling wider and wider <3.
Peel - Acid Star
This album is sonically all over the place, hitting a wide-ranging rainbow of vibes that feel like a huge love-letter to late 90s/early 00s synth pop & indie rock gems. The opening single “Y2J” hits you full in the face with the best song MGMT never made, and “Cycle” gets me right in the part of my brain that loves old M83. If any of that’s speaking to you, check ‘em out!
Majak Door - Fantasy Camp
Not sure what’s going on in Australia these days, but they remain one of the most reliable sources on the planet for incredible fuckin’ bands. Majak Door does the psych-tinged indie pop rock thing with a high-planes drifter twang that’ll make you want to hop on the next plane to Melbourne.
Ginger Root - SHINBANGUMI
A friend turned me onto this gem, and while I like making up genre tags a lot, I can’t do better than the artist’s own description: Aggressive Elevator Soul. Cameron Lew & company will take your brain on a kaleidoscopic cruise around a brighter world, lifetime tickets for only the cost of a record.
Jack J - Blue Desert
I absolutely love Jack J. Still have two copies of his first big single (Thirstin’) it’s still just as good as when it came out nearly ten years ago. But since then, the man’s sound has truly evolved by leaps and bounds, with 2022’s “Opening The Door” absolutely blowing me away with its exquisite blend of fuzzy dub-bass, 80s-leaning guitar pop, and its own special magic touch. His newest outing, “Blue Desert” is still growing on me, but I’ve no doubt it will soon hold a place in my heart. This time the influences seem to trend more towards 90s pop and alternative, but with the same undeniably melancholy richness of soul that infuses all his work. I can’t wait to see where Jack J goes from here.
Khruangbin - A La Sala
Bringing the vibe back down to a gentle desert sunset mood, Khruangbin turns in another absolutely lovely slice of intimate yet expansive tunes that’ll get you these increasingly rough times. There is a softness to the whole sound here that feels like a big warm group hug from a couple old friends you haven’t seen in too long. Laura Lee’s bass is as foundational as ever, but this time around her vocals really seem to be flowering into full bloom, and as someone who’s been following their journey nearly 10 years now it’s just wonderful to hear. Most of the album is very mellow, but “A Love International” picks up the vibe just a lil’ bit and it’s probably one of the most perfect songs of the year. Absolutely magical.
Mei Semones - Kabutomushi
Ok y’all, I am not an impartial listener here. This one’s special. I don’t know why exactly, but something about Mei Semones’ sound just cuts directly to my heart and…helps. Her heart-rending voice, her incredible guitar skills, the mind-blowingly lush arrangements…they’re all components, but the combined effect is just overwhelming. I’m usually not one of those ‘get all the formats’ people…but dear reader, I have this one on tape, CD, and (just released last month) vinyl. Her live performances are all incredible— be sure to check out her youtube channel once you’re done jamming this EP on repeat.