Knock knock! It’s me! And I’m going to rapid-fire some recs. It’s all music again this month, baby. This is Cool Stuff For Cool Lifeforms: September 2023!
Vangas – Vangas
Wow. What a breakthrough this is. Half of the songs on this album are remixes, but they’re so brilliantly reproduced that you could almost swear they’re completely new songs. Vangas has honed their mix of Nirvana-like semi-melodic angst with the harsh but fun grooves of post-noise-punk bands like Gilla Band and Thank. It makes for a listen that’s fun but not hollow. It’s challenging but still still accessible. This is how you make that next leap. I just want more, more, more.
Subsonic Eye – All Around You
Annnnnnnnd this is another breakthrough album. They’re a post-punk band from Singapore that I think would be getting a lot more buzz over here if they were from the West. Few bands in this genre manage to write songs with an ear for melody like Subsonic Eye do. It reminds me at times of Dirty Projector’s experiments in pop but never losing their edge or sneer. It’s cool as shit.
Explosions in the Sky – End
An Explosions in the Sky album often comes down to execution more than new ground covered. I want what I want out of this band, and what I want is post-rock music that sounds like the soundtrack to the biggest moments in anyone’s life. Hell, there’s a reason why Friday Night Lights chose their music for their literal soundtrack. And boy, the execution on this album is amazing. So, if you like this band already, you’ll be blown away. If you don’t, I guess that sucks for you.
Good Looking Friends – Wasted Now
And speaking of perfect execution, here comes Good Looking Friends. There’s a lot of emo bands out there now. A goddamn explosion in the sky of them, so what separates them are all the little things. Good Looking Friends decided to craft what I’ll just flat-out say is a flawless catchy emo album. The songs change pace at the exact moments they need to. The harmonies come in right when you want them to. The screams hit hard. The band understands shifts in dynamics the way a lot of emo bands just don’t. What matters here is the craft and the attention to detail. They took their time and care to make sure each moment was scripted to perfection. Instead of taking away from the urgency and emotion, it actually heightens the drama. Hell yeah.
Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis – Calibrating Friction
My man here made a neo-classical album for people who love heavy music. Or heavy music for people who love neo-classical music. There’s a lot to unpack here if you want to listen closely and analyze every little detail, but it’s also great just to have on at any moment in the day. A genuinely perfect album. A masterpiece.
Hella – Hold Your Horse Is
I don’t need to go long on this. It’s Hella and it’s their best album reissued, and it sounds awesome. This is just an excuse to revisit it, which I did a lot in September 2023. You should, too.
Patio – Collection
I first put this album on this morning, honestly, but it’s fucking cool so fuck it. Do you want disaffected post-punk vocals in short, strong songs? That’s this. I haven’t listened to it enough to analyze it further, but the fact that I’m recommending it this quickly should speak volumes. I love the use of space and the interplay between the bass and guitar especially.
JOHN (TIMESTWO) – A Life Diagrammatic
JOHN comes back with probably their most accessible album to date. Special attention seems to be paid to making sure the vocal hooks pop and the album itself breezes by. But don’t take that to mean that this band has lost its edge. Cuz, I mean, this is still JOHN (two of them). The drums are as unrelenting as ever. The guitars are loud and weird and in your goddamn face. It’s just that if you want to sell someone on this band, this is now the friendliest place to start. And it’s a welcome change of pace for old fans, too, without losing what makes JOHN JOHN.
