Helloooo welcome to the Unskippables, where we definitely know what encores are.
Let’s get right to the takes and the Good Links this week, eh?
He’s done with Sergio (and the band) – The Jane’s Addiction tour falls apart after Perry Farrell tried to punch Dave Navarro onstage. I really don’t care about this, nor do I understand who is still pumped to go to a Jane’s Addiction reunion tour. Not an example of living mas!
I like the girls who ban posts – the LCD Soundsystem subreddit officially bans talking shit on the Dare…but where are your friends tonight???
Can you counter-sue for wack vibes? Bruno Mars sues Miley Cyrus for “Flowers,” whose intertextuality with Mars’ “When I Was Your Man” was kind of the whole thing that made it cool and smart? And definitely shouldn’t require royalties? Lame!
Just a very sick filter – Travis of Grooms/Activity/Trap Door Electronics released a very rad low-ass filter called Active Acid It’s built off of the Prophet 5 filter with a crazy number of LFO/follower modes and onboard overdrive – as my friend Salem put it, “I cannot afford to know about this.”
As always, you can follow along on our playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, which update every Tuesday along with the newsletter. Enjoy!
Floating Points – Key103
The first single from Floating Points’ new LP Cascade was my favorite dance track of last year, and luckily the whole album is filled with pulsing bass music that’s just as just as good as that lead track. In addition to impossibly crisp mixing and colorful synth choices throughout, every song has a twist in the middle – not quite a drop – guaranteed to put a smile on your face. For “Key103,” its the hard cut to a stripped-back bass workout at the five minute mark, where the track’s caterpillar-like synth ripples tighten into an ugly burble that opens up to a gorgeous synth string conclusion. It’d be easy to reduce Cascade to a “return to dancefloor” record after his wide-ranging output, but the sense of wonder that drives a collab with the likes Pharoah Sanders is alive and well in these playful, thrilling workouts.
Juniore – Monumental
Sometimes French psych-pop is exactly what you’ll expect it to be – no more, no less – and that’s great. Singer Anna Jean’s insouciant vocal stylings pair perfectly with acid-soaked guitar, haunted organ, and bone-dry motorik drums. If you’re looking for something to dislike, reconsider if you’re capable of having a good time.
Pop Music Fever Dream – Another Screen
I’m a few weeks late to this single from NYC’s Pop Music Fever Dream, but wanted to shout it out ahead of their new EP Songs for Emotion out Thursday, which they’re celebrating with a show on “Trash Bridge” in Bushwick. The track’s abrasive sonics can’t hide the band’s ear for fun, giddy pop hooks and joyful, skittering rhythm, even as “Another Screen” devolves into a backbeat-free dirge in its back half.
Father John Misty – Screamland
Recently I’ve been far more excited by the concept of new Father John Misty music than the actual output – but I’m still excited about FJM’s newly announced upcoming album Mahashmashana. “Screamland” feels way more intentionally “pop” than his last two records – blame the big chorus drop – but it’s still excellent to hear FJM’s voice, and the song’s reach feels like a more direct swing than anything on Chloe and the Next 20th Century.
Olivia O. – Hole
This is one of those songs that seems barely there until you realize its hooks are already deep in you halfway through. “I’d rather roll over into a hole in the ground than let you touch me now” is just a perfect fuck you hook, and it somehow stings worse over energetic, major-key campfire strumming.
throwback
Mauro – Buona Sera Ciao Ciao
An Italo rec from my pal/bandmate Joe Tirabassi so good I had to drop it here and give him the honor of the blurb:
An Italo dancefloor beauty from a Trieste-based singer that seems more suited for the Eastern Bloc than the boot, complete with a promo clip that wouldn't be out of place in one those full-motion video arcade games that never quite took hold.