Is Thing On?
Music from Bats, Spiritualized, Margeaux.mp3 and more
Welcome back again to Generally Weekly Every once in awhile we’ll try to send over a new record, an old record, a playlist, an item of note, and a bonus track. Please share if you dig.
A New Record
Bats - Good Game Baby - A lot has been written lately about the quick demise of the music press. The last 5 years or more we’ve all seemingly had our head in the sand, hoping for a turn, or something, a miracle cure. And now, in the past few months, we’ve seen a steep drop-off, leaving a seriously limited number of reliable outlets left to cover bands like, well, Bats.
Which is a total fucking shame, because in a perfect world, the music press would be rolling, and Bats and other great artists would be highlighted by every reputable outlet under the sun, and then some. And, yes, there are other promo channels, sure, but not every artist wants to post a video of themselves every 11 minute on the internet. And don’t even get me started on Big AL!
This is all a longwinded and slightly get-off-my-lawn way of saying that the latest album from Jess Awh is another diamond in the rough that deserves wider discovery; a slightly tattered DIY musical couch overstuffed with the same vivid imagery and keen lyricism that drew us to her debut, Blue Cabinet.
Take the first track, “Going For Oysters,” for example:
Does dementia feel like clouds In your brain that you can’t get around? Do the old things fade away? Summer camp and learning how to skate
Or “Thanks to U"
So thanks For being that person for me for like a month and a half of our lives It really meant a lot I’m gonna think of you the next couple times I almost die
Awh demonstrates both deep empathy and wry humor - a sort of balanced perspective that you don’t necessarily find anywhere, much less from someone in their twenties. She possesses a Berman-esque wit, as well as the ability to make localized lyrics universally relatable, like on the aforementioned “Thanks to U,” in addition to album standout, “Oh My God,” and “Finger in the Tear,” to name a few.
That’s not to mention the production, which is perfectly worn like a new favorite old shirt you might have found at the Charlotte Ave. Goodwill a decade or so ago. And the playing. It’s all here.
So, give it a whirl and tell everybody. As a good friend of ours would say, this is a seriously great record.
An Old Record
Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies - We’ve been listening to this one after finding a copy at All Day Records in Carrboro, NC., over the weekend. A high water mark. True beauty. Bask in the glow.
A New Generally General Playlist
Music from Bats, Sam Evian, Young Fathers, and more…
An Item of Note
One of the new voices in the music media / enthusiast / champion space that we appreciate is Margeaux.mp3. Give her 2024 playlist a spin and follow her on IG for great reviews and recs.
A New Track
This might be too obvious for the cool kids but we can’t get enough of this track from Mk.gee. Even our cool kids like it.
That’s all. Please share if you dig it.
Thanks! Always enjoy these lists.