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A
This episode is brought to you by Scout Motors. You don't change the game by standing on the sidelines. You do it by building something new. Iconic in the 70s and reimagined for today, the all new Scout Terra and Scout Traveler are engineered from the ground up with advanced capability and bold ingenuity. Build brand new for what's next. Opposing defenses take note. Join the waitlist@scoutmotors.com Concept vehicles not available for sale. Joining the waitlist does not guarantee purchase. Visit scoutmotors.com for details. This episode of Dissect is presented by Amazon Prime. The holidays hit fast. One moment, you're planning the next, everything's out of sync. Luckily, prime helps you catch the rhythm with fast, free delivery that gets it there just in time. Prime's fast shipping is always there for you during the holidays, especially when it's last minute and it just can't wait. Hosting essentials or the gift that hits the right note. It's on Prime. Head to Amazon.comprime to shop now. Foreign.
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Welcome, everyone, to a special episode of Dissect. I'm your host, Cole Kushna. This is our 5th annual Best of the Year music podcast. Joining me, as he always does every year, is Camden Ostrander. It's been a while, Cam. How are you doing?
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B
I'm doing great, Cole. Thank you for having me back. This is. I'm excited. I love doing this every year.
- [01:19]
A
And we also have a very special guest coming from the studios in New York City. Margot Margo's been. Hello. I've been a fan of your stuff for a couple years. I've been following you on social media. You're a master music curator.
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C
Oh, that's so sweet.
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A
So you're here to expand our musical palette specifically. But yeah, thank you for joining the show.
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C
Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm really excited.
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A
Cool. Well, we're going to go through four categories this year. We are going to talk about our favorite, not our best. This is. I like to make the distinction that this is not trying to be, you know, claiming to be the best music of the year. It is just our personal favorites. And we have four categories that we're talking about. We have our favorite musical moment. We have our favorite quote unquote underground album, which is just a release from a lesser known artist that we wanted to highlight. And then the main categories are our three favorite albums of the year each and our three favorite songs of the year each. So we'll go through the categories here in a second. I guess. I always try to Open this conversation up with our general, like, feeling about the music that came out this year, the year end music, in terms of quality and output and all of that. I feel like for me personally, it's been like an amazing year for music and it's coming off the back of 2024, which was for me also very, very, very good year in music. There's. I feel like there was a good diverse output of like, from big artists releasing projects and a lot of like, I would say like kind of quote unquote, middle class artists releasing some great, great music. I don't know, I feel like it was overwhelming in some respects in terms of just. I feel like I'm just constantly catching up on what is great music all around. I don't know if you guys have similar feelings about that. Cam, I don't know. I'm going to start with you.
- [03:07]
B
I mean, yeah, this year I really was able to like unplug from a lot of stuff and kind of sit with a few works kind deeply, which I really appreciated. But there was so much good, high quality stuff. I mean, at the end of last year we had like Chromacopia and gnx, so we kind of had like a big carryover from the year previous. But I mean, I spent most of the year with like Dijon and Lorde and just was able to sit with those projects for a long time and it was. I thought it was great. Yeah, I really enjoyed it.
- [03:34]
A
Yeah. How about you?
- [03:36]
C
Yeah, I maybe feel differently than Cam because I really wish that I was able to spend more like, quality time with albums that I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself, especially towards the end of the year to listen to as many releases as possible. So I feel, I mean, I feel very similar, like overwhelmed. But I don't know, I guess like in like the last quarter of the year when I'm like putting a lot of pressure on myself to listen to all these releases and catch up to everything I didn't catch when they came out. I find myself, like, wanting to listen to other records that came out, like at different times of the year. And that's when I know, like, those are the albums that are actually my favorite. So, yeah, looking forward to talking about them today. Yeah.
- [04:22]
A
Yeah. I don't want to spoil too much pod, but there is one album that has taken over my life since it came out. Maybe some of you out there can guess what it is. I did an emergency episode on it. I'll be talking a lot about it this episode, but before that, Though I was listening to a lot more. But let's jump into the first category, which is favorite musical moment. So this is. This is a music adjacent experience that could be like a concert, it could be a release, like a moment when, you know, the album released and the things that happened around it. But not specifically a song or an album. But yeah, just a music related moment. I'll kick it off for us. I have three honorable mentions before I get to my number one here. I'll go through these quickly, but the moment. Well, I'm going to save one of my honor. I don't want to talk about Rosalia. The first thing I say is about Rosalia. I'll refrain. Okay. I saw clips in the clips has one of my favorite releases of the year. I'll talk more about later. But I saw them in a relatively small venue in San Francisco as their first tour in like 15, 20 years or whatever it was. It was amazing. I really, really enjoyed it. Those guys are doing incredible things, which I'll talk more about later. But just seeing him in concert was really surreal. It's one of my childhood or my, you know, teenage favorite groups. And to see them still executing at this level has just been really one of the highlights of the year for me. I took my daughter to see Lorde in concert.
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The concert was amazing. Having my 10 year old daughter there was even more amazing. We saw it at the Berkeley Greek theater, which is my favorite venue. It's a outdoor venue, like a bowl shaped arena. You can overlook San Francisco. It's so beautiful and the show was great. And having my daughter by my side specifically at a Lord concert was like tears. But even that can't trump my number one, which is Kendrick Lamar performing at the Super Bowl.
- [06:25]
B
Oh my God, that was maybe, maybe.
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A
My daughter should have been number one. I'm sorry, Michael, but historically, you know, you guys know I love Kendrick Lamar. He's what I think is the latest, the greatest living artist that we have. Especially operating at the scale that he's operating, doing the things artistically that he's doing at this scale is just phenomenal. Once in a lifetime artist. And to see him not playing his back catalog, playing like one, maybe two, like two hits essentially, and just putting on essentially an art performance, theater performance that was cinematic, you know, thematic, had. So it was just ingrained with so much meaning and history and to, to. To have that, like that compromise, that uncompromising vision at scale where everything everyone's probably telling him, play the hits, play the hits, play the hits. He doesn't do that. He sticks to his artistic guns and put on a phenomenal. Probably what was very confusing performance for a lot of the people watching the super bowl specifically. But that is the shit I love. I mean, that. I mean, I'm so lucky to be alive during it. That's. That's where. How special that thing is for me, just because of the scale of it. It's the most watched thing ever since the moon landing. It's like, that's crazy to me. And for it to be an artistic performance with that much history and meaning, I loved it. So that was my number one musical moment of the year. Kendrick Amore at the Super Bowl. Cam, what do you got?
- [07:54]
B
Yeah, sure. I mean, look, I guess I'm with team Mabel. I'm with your daughter. My favorite musical moment of the year was seeing Lord on that ultrasound tour. I saw it with the dear friend. I saw it in D.C. particularly. The moment for me was man of the year, the whole tour and performance. I thought the aesthetic design of the stage, I thought Lorde's dancing throughout really add a lot to the album that I'm sure we're gonna talk about later. Um, but for those who didn't see it in man of the Year, when she performed live, you. You see the duct tape, the, like, major symbol of that song on her chest. Everything that that represented, like, I was floored. Like, I couldn't, like, breath taken away. I was just. The performance was absolutely incredible. I can't believe that she was so raw on stage throughout the whole thing. But that's, like, such a truly special live performance that I saw this year that, like, has stayed with me ever since. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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A
The way specifically the show was influenced by the themes of the album. The way that that showed up was pretty phenomenal. Specifically that you're highlighting kind of the capstone of that performance in that idea of, like, the body image stuff triumphing over the body image stuff and then putting your literal body out there for everyone to see is just, like, the symbolism of that is just so powerful. And I feel like every piece of that concert was so thought out really well.
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B
She has an interview where she talks about the narrative of the performance and even all the way through to the end where she kind of goes to the back of the crowd and then leaves amongst the crowd. Very Lord, very how she's always been her whole career. And for the whole structure of that performance, I just thought it was perfect. Yeah, yeah.
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A
Did you catch that show? Are you a fan of Lorde, Margot? Me?
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C
Yeah. Lorde is great. I feel like. I mean, I pretty much grew up with her music. I feel like we're the same age. Maybe she's like a year older than me. I'm not too sure. But yeah, I mean, just following her career from the very first record has been so cool to see. And I think she's one of the smartest songwriters active today, especially for her age. And, yeah, just like, you know, similar to what you were talking about with Kendrick. I feel like both of them are just such true, like, uncompromising artists. So, yeah, Lord is awesome.
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B
Yeah.
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A
It's crazy that she's. Because she's been in our lives for over a decade. It does feel like she's like mother or something. But she's like. She's daughter, 28. You know, she's like. It's like. And so, like, for me, it's like a lot of artists, like, their career starts at 28 or whatever. I don't know exactly her age, but it's like we have decades of her left. You know, like, she might not even be in her prime yet, because I. We'll talk about her newest album later, but I. It's personally right up there with, you know, her first two albums. So very excited for Lorde. We'll talk more about her later. But what was your Margot, your musical moment this year?
- [10:55]
C
Well, I should preface this by saying that I'm an Alex G. Super fan. He's, like, one of my favorite artists of all time. For those that are unfamiliar, Alex G. Is, like, king of indie rock, at least in my eyes and, like, in my, like, musical world that I exist in. Yeah. And he put out his 10th record this year called Headlights, which came out in mid July. And the day before the album came out, he posted on his Instagram story that he was having a show, like, well, I think it was two days prior the next day, which is like the eve before the album came out. And it took place at, like, this indoor soccer field. The album is called Headlights, so, you know, kind of like sports themes. And so the show happened at, like, this indoor soccer field in, like, Dime Square in, like, lower Manhattan. And, you know, tickets were super limited. It's like a little field. So it was maybe like, 150 tickets available.
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And I. You know, they sold out immediately. I was unable to get it, but I was. I was able to finesse and, like, be able to get myself in. But, yeah, so I was able to go to the show and it was. I mean, you know, it's mid July. It's like, peak summer. This was the hottest show I think I've ever been to in my life. Like, I've never been dripping sweat. Like, I was at this show and, you know, it was like, 100, 150 people. Like, people had room to move around the room, but I was still just, like, I'm surprised people weren't passing out. They were, like, handing out, like, bottles of water, which is good. But, yeah, it was just. It was pretty chill given how hot it was. And then, yeah, Alex just performed the entire record. It was just him, not his band. And it was just like a stripped down. Like, just him and his guitar set. And he performed for, I want to say, like, over two hours. Just, like, he performed the full record, which is, I want to say, definitely, like, under 45 minutes. And then he just ended up taking requests from the crowd. And, you know, people are just, like, right there. There's no, like, stage in this indoor soccer field. And so, yeah, his fans are just, like, surrounding him, and he's just, like, taking requ, which is something that he usually does and has done all throughout his career at his shows of various sizes. But, yeah, he was taking requests for, like, over an hour, and he just played songs for. You know, he has over. Well, he has 10 albums, and that's, like, his officially released music, and he has a larger body of even more unreleased music. And these are, like, super fans that are in this room. So he was just taking so many requests. And, yeah, I think it's one of the best shows of my life. As someone, you know, similarly with Lord, I've grown up with Alo Shi's music. I feel like I've come of age during his career, and he's probably the most meaningful artist in my life, if not one of them, the most meaningful living artist in my life. And, yeah, that was just, like, the best show I think I've ever been to. At least, like, most meaningful show for me, you know.
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A
Very cool. Okay, so let's move on to the next category, which is favorite underground album. The only stipulation I put on this is, like, less than a million listeners on Spotify, but essentially we're just trying to, like, highlight non mainstream, put some people on to someone that maybe they haven't heard, and I can kick us off here. I have two honorable mentions that I want to just quickly highlight. One is Ben Reilly, who just put out an album called Save. It just came out, like, a month ago, and I think if I had more time with it, it might have taken the Top spot. It's. It's a really, really cool concept project. Ben Reilly's a rapper. I would say he's this. He's in the school of Kendrick. He's. I would say he's like a child of Kendrick Lamar in terms of his sound and a lot of comparisons to Baby Keem. And he has. Ben Reilly is, I believe, like a. The name of a spider man alter ego or something in the Marvel world. And he's really. I guess he grew up like, really passionate about comic books and that influences like his Persona. He's like wearing a mask in the. So he has this whole comic book theme and the story of the album, or at least what I could kind of pick up on with this much time after its release, is like a play on the hero's journey, but it's like a superhero's journey. So he's like embodying this superhero figure that is a symbol of his coming of age story, essentially. And so heavy concept. There's a narration throughout it. The songs are great. The energy is great. The variety of sound is great. If you like Kendrick Lamar, Baby Keem, I would definitely suggest checking out Ben Reilly before he blows up. I feel like he's one of those artists that we'll be hearing a lot more about in the next couple years. Another, I would say similar artists in terms of, you know, on the precipice of maybe blowing up a little bit is McKinley Dixon. He released an album called Magic Alive. It's hip hop with a live band and done really, really well. Usually I'm a little bit like iffy on the live band. Hip hop fusion. Like, I'm open to it as an idea. Execution sometime is not, you know, where I would personally like it to be. This one is great. Instruments are great. It's. It's a really great album. But my favorite underground album of this year, I don't know, maybe it's borderline underground at this point because I feel like he's. His name is getting bigger and bigger, but it's. Is it Quadeca or Kadeka Cam? Do you know this?
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B
I thought it was Quadeca.
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A
Quadeca. Okay.
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B
I thought.
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A
I thought you knew.
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B
Something.
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A
Quadca. It's like the first time I'm saying it out loud. I think Quadeca, Vanisher, Horizon Scraper is a phenomenal project. It is high concept, fusion music in terms of like folky, electronic, orchestral hip hop. Like, it's. It's very, very hard to describe without it sounding like how could that possibly work? But it really does work. It's a high concept album. It's all about, like, a man at sea who's going on this nautical voyage toward the horizon, trying to, I believe, trying to reach the horizon, which is kind of this metaphor for chasing goals and, you know, and trying to reach the unattainable. And it follows this protagonist on this seafaring journey. He said, I wanted to just read a quote because it's really good. He said, why he set this album in the ocean. He said, quote, the ocean is very interesting as an idea because it's this thing that surrounds us. It's a permanent force. It's very musical. It's very rhythmic in a lot of ways. It mimics the way life is. You think you have control over your destiny and where you're moving your sails, but ultimately you're at the whim of nature, which I thought is just like the perfect metaphor for life and life's journey, where some control, but not all control. And, you know, there's elements that are uncontrollable around you. The. The song that I wanted to highlight from this is.
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The Great Bukinawa. So this is toward the end of the album, and again, he's at sea. And the Bukinawa, apparently is a sea serpent in Filipino folklore. And it lives deep in the ocean and it comes up out of the ocean and swallows the moon. And that's what, in folklore, that's what they say creates eclipse, is this big giant sea serpent, dragon thing that lives in the ocean. And so this is like the third to last song on the album. It's the climax of the album. It's when the. The voyager at sea meets this folklore, fantastical figure. And the song features Danny Brown, and Danny Brown raps from the perspective of the sea serpent Bukinawa, which is fucking incredible. It's so sick. He says lines like this. He says, trying to get you out your circle every day of the week Circle being moon A play on the moon Take you to them deep waters no one wavy as me I'm the beast of the night and I'm about to take flight Take the light from the dark Want to swim with the.
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C
Sharks Trying to get you out your circle every day.
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I'm the beast of the night and I'm about to take flight Take the light from the dark Want to swim with the sharks so.
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A
He'S playing this villain character and I get a part of the. The folklore is that like they swallow. It swallows the moon and it. It threatens the world to cover the world with darkness. So it. And It's a snake, serpent creature. So there's biblical, you know, Adam and Eve kind of stuff going on here. But when I figured out that Danny Brown's rapping from the perspective of this Philippine folklore dragon. What are we talking about? It's, like, amazing. And then also, just last thing, I'll say, sorry, this long winded. But just to show you how committed Quandeca was to the concept, he traveled. So the album supposedly takes place in the Philippine waters in the Philippine sea that surrounds the Philippines. He traveled to film the visual for the album at sea. He traveled to the Philippines and filmed it in the actual waters where the album takes place. Like, so cool.
- [19:47]
C
That's crazy.
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A
So if you have not checked out this album, it is, I think, a masterpiece. It's fucking incredible. So that's my spiel. Are you guys. Anyway. You guys familiar with it?
- [19:59]
C
No, I hadn't been previously.
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B
You hadn't heard? I. I had seen him open for Gene Dawson, and, like, Quadruple's fans are like.
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A
They're.
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B
They're very into him is what I would say. When I saw him, I was like, wow, these people are. They really are into it. And I love how high concept he is.
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A
Yeah. Every one of his projects apparently, is, like, pretty conceptual in this way. Okay, Cam, I'm interested to hear your underground pick.
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B
Yeah, sure. I did want to shout out a couple.
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I didn't think she would qualify for this because I thought she was like, I don't know. I thought Jane Remover's album Revenge Seekers was one of the best of the year. I have to shout her out at the front of this. Her work with Dani Brown all year has been incredible and excellent. She is so amazing, Margo. I know. I saw you interview her, and that was when I loved that.
- [20:48]
C
Oh, thanks so much. She's so cool and such a great musician and producer. Some of my favorite songs of this year, she made, for sure. Dancing With My Eyes Closed, as it called. I love that track.
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B
Yeah. So I love that project. I love everything about it. I wanted to shout out the babe Gabe's Honeypop, which is kind of like she was a part of Blackstar Kids. It's a little hip hop, R and B. It has a track on that Riot Girl Drama Queen, which does the thing that Tyler does on the ninth or tenth track where it's always like, two. She does the same type of thing on hers, and that song is just phenomenal.
- [21:23]
A
Yeah. I'm sorry to interrupt because I forgot to say this. We're gonna have a Playlist link in the description of all the songs we're talking about. So people. I forgot to say that up top. So there will be a playlist. Everything that we're mentioning will be on it.
- [21:36]
B
Awesome. Yeah.
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There'S more honorable mentions and all that, but the one that I wanted to highlight as my favorite underground album of the year is from Backwash. And the album is called Only Dust Remains.
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I mean, if you want to listen to a song, I think the most palatable entryway point is the song Wake.
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A
Up.
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C
Were facing the pod I making.
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A
How long it been since I fit.
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C
My parts in the shit? How many minds does it says how.
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B
Many more will bring which is just a frenzied, chaotic rap, heavy, like aggressive, really hype up track. This album is like an incredible artistic piece.
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Backwash is this Canadian trans rapper. She is so energetic. Her spirit is so high energy throughout the whole thing. Her previous projects have all been excellent, but I really love this one. There's this narrative of a Black Lazarus character and she's exploring like this space that's like between birth and death. It's so frenzied. It's so aggressive. The rapping on it is incredible and it's very high concept. The themes, the religious themes, the death and rebirth and the trans experience that's evocative throughout the whole project. It gripped me for two months of this year. This was all that I was listening to. It's not necessarily a happy listen, but it's so powerful and it has brought me to tears a lot. And I love that project.
- [23:14]
A
Yeah, I remember listening to. I can't remember when it came out exactly, but I heard good things about it. I checked it out then and then when I saw it on your list, I revisited it and I was like, yeah, this is one of the best albums this year. It's really good. I need to spend more time with it though.
- [23:27]
C
Yeah, I'm gonna have to check it out myself. Wow. Sounds awesome.
- [23:31]
A
Margo, you wanna go?
- [23:32]
C
Yeah, sure. I'll just do a quick fire of some honorable mentions.
- [23:37]
Lifetime by Erica De Cassier is so amazing.
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James K. Friend, which I'll talk more about when I talk about my favorite songs of the year.
- [23:48]
Nourished by Time. The Passionate Ones was one of my favorite albums of the year. Definitely my top five. But my. And they're all, I guess, considered underground artists. I mean, I feel like that's like my whole world. I'm listening to a lot of smaller and up and coming artists and like I'm in the indie Zone, you know. But, yeah, I guess the record that I really want to talk about is this album called Radio DDR. That's the letters D, doctor, all caps by this artist named Sharp Pens. It's like Sharp Pens Innocence.
- [24:28]
It's the project of this guy. His name is Kai Slater, and he's in this band called Lifeguard. That is. This is, like, all connected to, like, the Chicago. The current, like, Chicago indie rock scene. His band Lifeguard, is on the label Matador, and they also released a record this year that I admittedly didn't check out, but the Sharp Pins record. I remember my friend just, like we were in a coffee shop and she was like, I feel like you'd really like this record by Sharp Pins. He's like, in the band Lifeguard. And, yeah, it's just like, really great, like, kind of sunshiny jangle pop guitar songs. Like, he's such a great guitar, guitarist and, like, singer, songwriter. He is so strongly influenced by, like, the Beach Boys and the Beatles, for sure. And, like, just, like, a lot of British Invasion stuff from, like, the 60s, late 60s, the kinks, and like, I guess all of those bands is like disciples that were to follow, I guess, like, from the past 20 years or so in the indie zone. Like, I'm thinking of artists and projects and bands like Cut Worms and the Olivia Tremor Control and even, like, early Beach Fossils. I know I'm, like, saying a bunch of names, but this is just what came to mind when I was really getting into the record, I want to say in the spring. And, yeah, it's just like, he's just, like, a great songwriter. And, you know, like, because he's so heavily influenced by all of this stuff, it's, like, so, like, inherently derivative that it almost shouldn't work because it just feels like it could easily just, like, copy paste. But something about his song and his melodies, it just. He makes it seem like so fresh and uniquely his own, despite being so strongly influenced by some of these great bands throughout history. And he's also so young. All of the bands in the Chicago and Drock scene are so young. Like, early 20s, I want to say. Like, he's maybe like, 22, 23, but he, like, you look at him and he looks like he could be, like, in the Kinks. Like, they're all, like, kind of. They have, like, this, like, 70s shag. They're wearing, like, blazers. Like, tweed blazers. Yeah, he's so cool.
- [26:37]
A
Look him up on Instagram. I saw your list before. He looks so young.
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C
No, he looks like A baby. Yeah, but I mean, he's such a good songwriter and has like a really promising future. Lots of like, great indie stuff happening right now, especially with like, really young musicians. So it's a cool time to witness all this stuff.
- [26:55]
A
Yeah, me and Cam were talking a little bit before recording and I was saying, like, I feel like we might be on the precipice of like a rock renaissance.
- [27:02]
C
It's insane. Oh my God.
- [27:04]
A
I feel like there's just. I keep hearing about all these, like even that scene that you just mentioned in Chicago. Like, yeah, I just keep hearing about things bubbling up. And then we'll talk about Geese later, but I think they might be spearheading like, what could be like the start of something.
- [27:20]
Let's save that conversation later. But yeah, I think that's a. That's a great pick. I really enjoyed the song that I listened to by him. So we'll have that on the playlist. But yeah, let's move into the main event. Maybe perhaps we might call our three favorite albums.
- [27:38]
Yeah, I'll start. But we'll go honorable mentions first. Just, you know, quick fire. Some albums you just want to at least highlight and say their name. And we can put songs from these honorable mentions on the playlist too.
- [27:51]
The two that I wanted to highlight are Jid's God Does Like Ugly. I'm sure most people listening to this podcast are familiar with Jid. If not, he's an Atlanta rapper, super phenomenal, technical craftsman. Makes really, I think, thematic and meaningful music. God Does Like Ugly is a really, really great album. I think if the year wasn't so stacked, this probably would have made my top three. But just been one of those years where couldn't get in. Also, I'll say Jid, I got to sit down with him a couple weeks ago. That episode will be coming out, I guess a week from this episode coming out. So we'll have a full one hour conversation with Jid breaking down this album God Does Like Ugly next week, which was really great. But I also wanted to highlight Ray Vaughn's the Good, the Bad and the Dollar Menu. Ray Vaughan's on TDE Records. I put out his debut project. I think he was Conan, calling it a mixtape. I think it's an album. It's an album quality mixtape. I'll say I talked a lot about it in the the mid season or the mid year music recommendation podcast that I did with professor sky. But it's just a really great, phenomenal concept project. Really, really vulnerable by what I think is one of the best up and coming rappers that we have that is kind of continuing the more traditional lane of hip hop in terms of like being a, you know, student of Nas, being a student of, you know, the classic kind of MCs and kind of carrying on that tradition. So I guess I have another strong runner up that I'm going to talk about next, but I'll save that one. Cam, you want to give some quick shout outs later on?
- [29:29]
B
I'm going to be able to talk more about Ash Tuesday's album Ought and Nina Jirachi. I love my computer. The other one that I wanted to shout out right now is Danny Brown's Stardust. I love what he did on this. The amount of the producers, the collaborators he brought into this project. He's over 40 and he's doing this like Danny Brown is having an incredible. He had an incredible year. The Stardust concept and the loose narrative of it. I think that he's just operating on an incredible level for all the work that he's doing right now. So I want to shut that out.
- [30:00]
A
I love that he just keeps going for it too. Just not afraid to experiment. Yeah, I really like the project. I need to spend more time with it because it kind of feels like it just came out.
- [30:10]
B
Just.
- [30:10]
A
Yeah, yeah, I really liked the direction. I thought that was really left field and so cool. Margot, you want to give some quick shout outs for your albums of the year?
- [30:19]
C
Sure, yeah. I mean thinking about my top 10 and you know I'm going to talk some about these artists and bands later when I talk about songs. But I want to shout out this album called Caroline 2 by the band Caroline. They're this London based like octet and they're like making like kind of experimental, deconstructed post rock. But they've had the their album this year, Caroline 2, which is the second album after their first self titled record Caroline. That album was really amazing. I'm like a huge fan of them. I also definitely want to shout out ok, Lou's new album this year called Choke Enough. I think she is so incredible and she's always been on my radar for the past couple of years, I want to say since her last record that came out during 2020. But yeah, choke Enough I feel like is really putting her on everyone's radar and she has such a voracious fan base online.
- [31:13]
Yeah, really great. Just kind of like understated, kind of like retro, futuristic Y2K influenced pop really. But it's super minimal. But her melodies are so strong. But she has so many tracks that just have no drums, but it just still goes so hard. I don't know. She's French. I think she's based in Paris. I'm not sure, but I know she's French. But yeah, that album just, like, had me, no pun intended, but in a chokehold all year. It's just. I just kept thinking about it all year. That one is really great. So, yeah, those are two really good honorable mentions for me.
- [31:50]
A
Okay, cool. Okay, so let's start with. We're going to go three, share our third favorite album of the year. We'll pass around, share our third, and then go second and third. I could start us off. So I have. Technically, my number three is Cam's number two, so I'm not going to. We're gonna save the conversation till then. So I'm gonna. This is a strong runner up for number three that got bumped off last minute because Rosalia's Lux came out and. Sorry, sorry. To Chance the Rapper's Starline. I just got my Spotify wrapped and this was actually my most listened to album this year was Chance the Rapper Starline. Part of that is because I was prepping for my interview with him, but it's a phenomenal album. I think it's an incredible comeback for Chance. I think it showed so much maturity.
- [32:39]
There's the themes and the things that you're talking about, I feel like, are so important and very traditional to the lineage of hip hop in terms of its function. Societal, you know, societal function and shining lights on stories and issues and environments and communities that, you know, don't often get that kind of attention. I think there are some moments on this album that just moved me to tears. He's incredibly vulnerable. You could tell he did a lot of growing up in the five years that he was gone from his previous album. And I feel like he's starting this second act of his career where he blew up early at a very young age, won the Grammy for coloring book. And it seemed like he was just this phenom that was going to be the next Kanye or something. Obviously, things kind of took a left turn, but the way that I feel like he's now navigating out of it is really cool and like, almost like returning to his independent roots and really leaning into just like community and building communities, uncompromising with his art, not trying to make these huge hit songs. But, you know, still, he's. Still, he's. He just has a gift for melody and he knows what songs are, you know, he knows how to make catchy songs, but it never feels forced, especially on this album. I just feel like he's, he's going to just be a really, really solid independent artist that's going to have a really beautiful career and I think is making some of the best hip hop music to date at this time. So Starline, incredible album. If you haven't listened to my conversation with him, we dissect pretty much every song on the album. It was like a two hour conversation that I feel like could have went four hours. And he was really gracious with this time and was incredibly passionate about music and art. It was a really, really good conversation. So check that out if you had it. But Chancellor rapper Starline, technically my number four. We'll talk about my number three in a little bit. So Cam, what's your number three? This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime. The holidays move fast, so stay in sync with Prime's fast free delivery. Admittedly, I sometimes wait till the last minute to buy my gifts and I've been saved by prime more than a few times. That's because Prime's fast shipping is always there for you during the holidays, especially when it's last minute and can't wait. Need that final gift or holiday essential in a flash. It's on Prime. Head to Amazon.comprime to shop now.
- [35:06]
B
This episode is brought to you by.
- [35:07]
A
Salty Cheesy Cheez It Crackers. Should this whole podcast just be me eating Cheez It? That would be a top notch podcast. You could hear them crunching in my mouth. You could think about how salty and savory and delicious they are. You can just get Cheez it on the brain. Oh man, those Cheez it cravings, they get you. Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah. Oh, Cheez It. Yeah. Cheez it crackers. Go check them out.
- [35:33]
C
Oh, what fun.
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B
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C
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A
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C
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A
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C
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A
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- [35:59]
B
All right, so my number three album for this year is actually my most listened to as well album when Spotify Rap came out. But that is Baby by Dijon.
- [36:19]
Absolutely. Bai. Dijon is probably the best album of the century. Whatever. But baby, this year I thought was incredible. I could not stop listening to it. It is so messy and I Love just the amount that went into it. I just love how many different sounds there are and how he's performing over it. I think that Dijon's portrayal of love is one of the closest real, honest portrayals of love nowadays. There's so much going on. There is so much that is in all of us, and he's showing how great that is. I think in all of these tracks, he had a rare tweet where he briefly explained some of it, and it was, like, devotional tunes over lots of sounds. And I just think that I really find in his music a good understanding of contemporary romance. And the songs, bang, they're great. I can't stop listening to the album. I love it.
- [37:15]
A
Yeah.
- [37:16]
B
So Baby by Dijon.
- [37:17]
A
I feel like the sound, him and McGee are kind of spearheading. It's so interesting and so cool. We talked a little bit offline about we are now living in the age of where Frank Ocean has children. Specifically Blonde has children. Blonde's gonna be 10 years old next year, which is crazy, but. And I feel like Dijon is kind of, like, at the forefront of kind of picking up what Frank was doing, especially on Blonde, and just really creating, like, a very, very unique but palatable, catchy sound that is, like, warm and romantic, but also, like, industrial and, like, harsh at times.
- [37:56]
B
It is harsh at times. Like, his love, the love he's showing is, like, real, where it's messy and it's not nice all the time. And that's so actually honest and exciting.
- [38:07]
I love how it comes through him.
- [38:08]
A
Sounds like you're a fan too, Mario.
- [38:10]
C
Yeah, I've been a fan of Dijon since. Yeah, since absolutely. Well, even before then. But, yeah, since around 2021. I was actually originally a McGee fan first, and then I saw that McGee was collabing with Dijon, and I was like, oh, my God. They're working together and just seeing their rise that's happening at the same time and them, like, feeding off of each other has been so cool. But I actually have been putting off listening to the record, the new record, in full, because I'm really hoping to witness it for the first time live. Cause he's in. He's playing in New York this year. I mean, this week. So, like, right now. So I'm really, really hoping that I'm able to go.
- [38:48]
A
He's triggering, Cam.
- [38:52]
B
I was supposed to see him on Friday, and he canceled. Oh, I saw him on the Absolutely Tour, and that performance is one of my favorite that I've ever seen in my whole Life. He was in, like, a synagogue, and it was like. So that album is so special.
- [39:07]
C
Yeah. Such a great.
- [39:08]
B
Yeah, a little triggering to me.
- [39:09]
C
Sorry. I mean.
- [39:10]
B
No, I hope it's amazing.
- [39:12]
C
Yeah. I really hope I'm able to go. I would love to witness the music for the first time live. It's like, something that I've been really into lately, just, like, going into concerts blind and that being my first impression. But, yeah. My number three record of the year is this album called Bleeds by the band Wednesday.
- [39:42]
Is a band from North Carolina.
- [39:47]
And I guess they're like. I don't know. Their sound combines alternative country with shoegaze, but they've been doing a lot more, like, heavier stuff. And the band is fronted by who I think is one of the greatest songwriters of my generation, hands down, Carly Hartsman. Carly is. I could write a book about how much I love Carly, especially witnessing, like, the peak of her powers on this record. But, yeah, I don't know, I feel like she really, you know, she. The band loves North Carolina so much. Like, they're really, like, putting North Carolina on the map, along with their studio guitarist, MJ Linderman. But, yeah, with this album, Bleeds, they really lean into their love for North Carolina and giving a voice, specifically through Carly's, like, vivid songwriting. Giving a voice to people that kind of, like, live on the fringes or people that, like, you know, just, like, everyday people in your life that maybe you haven't thought about in a couple years, and you're just like. But that are just still, like, you know, existing and, like, living their lives, maybe like, not really being exciting, but just, like, you know, the lives of, like, everyday people. But, yeah, it's just, like, random with a lot of heart. And, you know, that in combination with the band's, like, just, like, tightness of musicality, especially, like, you know, I've been a fan of them for so long, and I remember seeing them perform in, like, small venues and they had, like, a different lineup. But, yeah, just, like, seeing them hone in on their skills and Carly also honing in on her songwriting craft over the years and seeing them become who I think is one of the best indie rock bands active today. And a lot of people would agree with me, has just been so, like, personally rewarding because I've just believed in them from the very beginning, and it just really blows me away how good they've been. And this album is just so amazing. I could gush about this record forever. It's so incredible. I'm so proud of them, really?
- [41:44]
A
All right, Cam, let's get. Let's do your number two so I can talk about my number real number three.
- [41:49]
B
All right. We're gonna talk about Lord. We're talking about Virgin.
- [42:07]
Man, this album is so great. I. Look, Solar Power was awesome. I actually did. I think. I know we both enjoyed Solar Power, but Virgin, this is Lord at peak form. I was blown away by how raw and honest. I was, blown away by the sound, the aesthetic of the whole thing. I think it's like. It's unique. It's actually boundary pushing. This is Lord doing, like, her best stuff.
- [42:35]
A
I.
- [42:36]
B
Man, this album is so special. I can't.
- [42:39]
A
We can't.
- [42:39]
B
I can't get over it. I don't think you can either. Like, this thing is.
- [42:42]
A
Yeah, it's. It floored me, you know, this was my favorite album of the year for a long time when it came out, and I'd say I'm surprised. Well, my number two, I listened to a lot, too, but this one, I listen to a ton. And, yeah, it's so unique. It's like. It's. It definitely, like, is more of that melodrama sound, but I feel even like the. It's. It's definitely like a fresh and like a reinvention of that lane. You know, it's closer to that sound than obviously, Solar Power, but it's. It is unique and it's, you know, singular in terms of, like, the way she's approaching electronic music with the producer, Jimmy Stack. It's like this. So it's like, minimalist and raw and, like, it's like. It reminds me, for whatever reason, of, like, brutalist architecture.
- [43:28]
B
Yeah.
- [43:29]
A
And I feel like that she kind of tapped into some of that with the visuals on the tour and, like, really gave you that, like, warehouse New York kind of scene, like, that industrial kind of vibe. And that. That seemed to just match the. The sonics of the album so well.
- [43:47]
B
Right.
- [43:48]
A
But, yeah, I mean, we talked about a little bit before, but just the vulnerability.
- [43:53]
The way that she was able to use what are very. Are probably continuing very real struggles with very real issues, and the way she was able to transform those into art is just so inspiring and, like, powerful. If it's a. So well constructed of an album.
- [44:13]
The more I listen to it, the more I dig into the lyrics and kind of, like, sit down with them. I'm, like, finding all these connections. I can share one now because I think we both had the same highlight song in Shapeshifter. Yep. Which was my favorite song on the project. It probably still is, but I was going to talk more, a little bit more about David.
- [44:29]
Because it does. It does kind of give you some insight into like the intention of the album. So David is the final song on the album. It's. The name comes from Michelangelo's famous sculpture of David, which she went and saw and was really influenced and, you know, inspired by. And she said this about David. She said Michelangelo carved David from age 26 to age 28. And he said that people, when asked how he did it, he said he just carved away all that was not David. And so I thought about that a lot, making the album. I just. It was just like carve away everything that isn't you. Which makes so much sense when you know what she's talking about on the album. And her coming, it's almost like, feels like her coming of age record because she's coming off of this relationship that she had when she was really young, this long term relationship that didn't sound like it was healthy with an older guy. And part of the reason why she called it David too, which was confirmed by her, was the story of David and Goliath and like this underdog facing this bigger kind of nemesis, which I think is in part this. This man she was seeing.
- [45:39]
She even kind of alludes to this in David lyrics. She says, uppercut through the throat I was off guard. Pure heroin mistaken for a featherweight. So tying into this kind of battle imagery. But then you also realize the first song is called Hammer. And so this idea of a hammer and a chisel chiseling away everything that is not me. And her, you know, literally an X ray photo of her, you know.
- [46:05]
B
Yeah.
- [46:05]
A
Private regions being the. The album cover.
- [46:08]
C
Yeah.
- [46:08]
A
Coming from a. From a woman that has struggled with body issues that she talks very transparently about on the record is just like, this is what art is meant for. Like, this is an artist overcoming struggle through art, or at least expressed in art that is then translated into like some of the most moving songs that I've heard in my lifetime. Like Shapeshifter David. Like, there's a handful of songs on glass and Just Broken. Like. Yeah, just go down the list, man. It's like, it's. It's such an incredible project. Sorry, I took over the conversation.
- [46:41]
B
Absolutely. That's it. We know it. Yeah, Yeah. I think the whole thing is so special.
- [46:46]
A
I.
- [46:46]
B
It's also wonderful how it's like it is temporary and it is. It's in progress, it's in construction. That's the thing that to me Is so special. Is like the construction is happening and you're seeing it go on. You're seeing the process. Like, she wasn't scared of showing herself in the middle of things. I think a lot of times we want to be like a finished product. We're not going to be a finished product. And she was so real about that process happening and being that in the music. I thought it was. Yeah, it's so special, so inspiring.
- [47:17]
C
Her vulnerability is just like, wow, that's. Yeah, just really. I'm really inspired by what you guys just said, really. And just taking it in real time, you know?
- [47:27]
A
Yeah. Shout out Lord Jamie, you have anything else? Do you wanted to highlight or.
- [47:31]
B
I think. I mean, I also want to talk about, like, I thought the ultrasound detail was really cool of the X ray. The ultrasound tour, first off, just ultrasound being the musical idea is sick and it makes sense with everything that's going on. But also ultrasounds. I don't know. To me, it's usually thought about with pregnancy, womanhood, femininity, having a womb, like, and her stage in her life and what she is showing us. I thought that it's like her world building. Not just the music, but the aesthetic drive of it with her and her synesthesia and how she always does this stuff. It's endlessly inspiring.
- [48:07]
A
Yeah, it's one of those albums you can like, picture. There's this certain album, I talk about this a lot, where it's like you could see the album in your head somehow because the world building of it has been so well executed. So it's like when I. I could picture this album in the same way that I can picture like, yeah, Frank Ocean's Blonde or like, you know, name your classic album. I think the intention, like I talked about this album on the meteor episode that we did. And I highlighted something that she did with the sound of the digital water sound, essentially. So a lot of this album was created in New York. She would go to that. I forgot what the fountain is called, the famous fountain in New York City. She would go there every morning and like, be writing some of the songs there. And she would sit at the fountain so that. And obviously water has tons of symbolic weight in terms of rebirth and cleansing and transformation and all that. And so there's a digital sound of water that's represented in the start of the album and it returns at the end of the album on the song David. And I think the end of David is one of my favorite music moments of the year, where she does that, like the electronics swell behind her, and she lets out that huge belt where she says. What did she say? I made you God. Again, probably talk about this figure. This David figure. I made you God because that was all that I knew how to do. And then she screams, but I don't belong to anyone. That line is set up to be, say, but I don't belong to anyone but you. But she omits but you, and just screams, oo, oo. To make. Symbolizing that she's now detached from this person, and I don't belong to anyone but myself. And at the climax of the album, when the digital sounds of the water return, symbolizing transformation, rebirth, like, it's. It's fucking perfect.
- [50:14]
Anyone that hasn't listened to this album or hasn't listened to it enough, it's. It's really, really, really good. So we love Lord Margo. You want to go number your number? We're on number two now.
- [50:25]
C
Oh, my gosh. Okay. My number two record is this album called Big City Life by the Norwegian duo smers. That's S M E R Z.
- [50:47]
They are kind of back and forth between Oslo in Norway and Copenhagen. So they're kind of tied to, like, this, like, Copenhagen art pop scene that I'm probably the biggest fan of. I feel like anyone that is familiar with me online knows how much I root for those girlies making crazy experimental art pop in Copenhagen. But, yeah. So Big City Life, the newest album from Smurz. I remember talking to another artist actually about this record, and he was like, yeah, I don't know. I just can't get into the Smurz album. I was telling my friend, like, how I just can't really get into it. And then she told me that she's. That it's just because, like, I'm not a girlie. Like, I feel like this album is, like, for the girlies, like, living a big city life, which is why I connect with it so deeply. I feel like it's for the girls that, like, yeah, are living this, like, metropolitan life, always on the go, or people that, like, aspire to live this life and they can kind of escape into that through this record. It really just, like. It's so minimal in its production, but, I don't know, I feel like whenever I listen to certain songs, I can just see it in my mind's eye. Like, it relating to certain experiences I've had in my life. And that sounds, like, really deep, but the album is, like, not that deep. I feel like it's just, like, a vibe and it's about this kind of sultry, feminine atmosphere that it has me tap into personally. And I feel like a lot of fans of Smers also tap into that when listening to this record. I really think about that when listening to my favorite track on the record called Feisty, which the lyrics are, like, pretty.
- [52:32]
I don't know, stream of consciousness. I feel like it's kind of painting these different vignettes of a night out. Like being in the bathroom and checking your makeup or seeing a guy that you matched with on Tinder and being like, oh, is that him? He looks kind of cute in person. And your friend being like, oh, my God, he's walking over here. You should say something.
- [52:49]
Of these experiences with some of my best friends, like, just like, living in the city and it's just like, somewhat nostalgic, but also just so inspiring and inspires me to, like, connect with my, like, inner utmost femininity and like, like, womanly power and just like, be confident and sexy and I don't know, even like, when I'm not feeling that way, like, I listen to this album and it just gets me that mindset. I think it's so good. The production is great. The two women who make up Smurz, it's. It's. It's a duo between two women and like, they're like girl. Girl vocals together. Just. It's like. It's like the ultimate, like, feminine power to me. So I love that record.
- [53:33]
B
This is.
- [53:34]
A
This is all this the. The music that you're recommending today. I listened to this album. It's probably my favorite of your of your picks.
- [53:43]
C
That's cool.
- [53:44]
A
Because I wasn't familiar with them. It's so cool.
- [53:46]
B
It's so.
- [53:47]
A
I really love the sound and I know exactly what you're talking about in terms of like, oh, yeah, these are like the cool girls that I was talk to when I was in. When I was going out to bars and stuff because they just have this, like, swagger to the. I really like the song Roll the Dice.
- [54:01]
C
Oh, yeah. Like, all the songs are just, like, sassy and just like. Yeah, they just have. Yeah. Innate swag. Just like you described it perfectly. Just like the cool girls, like, in the corner at the bar that you're like, oh, my God, I'm terrified of them.
- [54:13]
B
Yeah.
- [54:14]
C
But like, you're also like, I want to hang with them, you know?
- [54:16]
A
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. It's a great pick. I. I'm really excited to listen to this album more because I wasn't familiar with it, but I really like their Sound.
- [54:24]
C
It's really awesome. Yeah.
- [54:27]
A
Okay. So I didn't talk about my number two, actually. I realized because I was. I might have convinced myself that lord is my number two. Just talked about it. But my. My number two is clips. Let God sort him out.
- [54:43]
C
Cold is just get rich Choke my neck and ice my beat the system.
- [54:48]
A
With chains and whips this is cultural. It is a perfect hip hop album. I think it's among, like, I'm not. You guys are younger than me. So clips to me and my, like young adulthood was like, they were. I mean, they were kind of like the smurs of hip hop at the time. They were like the cool guys wearing the cool fashionable bape when bape was coming. Like they were on. You know, they're fresh on everything. First they were rapping in a way that no one else was over Pharrell and, you know, Neptune's production that sounded like nothing you've ever heard, especially in hip hop like this. And they would always pick like the weirdest pharrell beats too. It's like Pharrell and the Neptune's had this more commercial, glossy sound, but then they had this weird experimental sound that the clips would tap into. And so it just created this really unique dynamic of like these kind of street swagger, tough guys rapping over this really odd instrumentation that's just unlike anything we've heard in hip hop. And so, you know, Malice left the group Pusha T, went on a very successful solo career. But then they have reunited to this year to create this album and they've. I think they're rapping better than they ever have. Like, they've not missed a step. They've only gotten better. Malice is my MVP of hip hop this year. Every verse on this album by Malice specifically is just a Masterpiece. It's like 52 or 53. Just showing one what it looks like to rap for, you know, what must be 30, 30 years. And just like, you know, it's kind of old school in its delivery in terms of just like very straightforward flows most of the time. But the rhyme schemes are so brilliant and technical. The word play is just phenomenal. I. It's just. It's a perfect hip hop album to me. I. It's definitely one of my most listened to albums. There's not a slow spot. There's not a skippable track in it. I think it's. It's among their best albums. My favorite. Probably Hell happened with Fury, but I think it's right there for me. And I think with age, it could very, very well be the best clips album when it's all said and done. So I was very excited. It's like, it's one of those things where it's like you're kind of looking side eye when, you know, there's a reunion, especially when they're a little bit up there and, you know, getting up there in age, especially in like hip hop, you know, usually could be solid, but it's never like out. Rarely is it outstanding. But I think we have got an outstanding project from a legendary hip hop group that is showing no sign. Signs of slowing down either. I think they're going to create more music and if it's at this level, I think a lot of us are going to be welcoming it with open arms. So I was very surprised and I think a lot of us that are, you know, very into hip hop, this is kind of like the unanimous hip hop album of the year. I'm curious to know if you guys are fans of clips at all.
- [57:38]
C
I haven't listened to that much clips. I mean, I actually saw them at a festival, like, during the summer, and, you know, I was unaware that they had dropped a new record. And I was like, wow, this is. They sound like. Like they haven't aged at all. Like, it was pretty amazing. I mean, I've been familiar with them, but I just haven't tapped into the new record. But I'm. I want to now after hearing you talk about it.
- [57:59]
A
Cam, you're a fan too, right?
- [58:01]
B
I am a fan. This is probably rap release of the year. I think so. Just like, clearly it's so incredible that they're doing this at their age. I thought so be. It is like that song. That's the best. That's the best one. Yeah.
- [58:13]
A
Yeah. If anyone missed it, I did a. I dissected the 10 or I thought the 10 best lines on the album as its own episode a couple weeks ago. So if you're into some. You want to hear me geek out on wordplay and triple entendres and rhyme schemes, go listen to that episode for more on the clips. Let God sort them out. But that's my number two.
- [58:33]
We've all done our number two, right? So we're going on to our album of the year.
- [58:37]
C
Yeah.
- [58:39]
A
Cam, let's start with you.
- [58:41]
B
Okay. All right. This is my favorite album of the year. I also do. I know we're doing favorite, not best. I do think that it is the best. I do think this is a masterpiece, like, of a generation. I think what I'm Talking about is Bad Bunny debitirmas photos.
- [59:09]
This album blows me away every time I listen to it. I.
- [59:14]
C
It's.
- [59:14]
B
I'm not an expert on this album. I'm not gonna sit here and say that I can do the dissect season right now, but I know that it should be done by somebody right now.
- [59:25]
It's been really special. It's been out all year. It came out in January, so we've had it all year. I've been able to talk about this with a friend for the whole year. And they speak Spanish, so they're able to help me understand a lot of it.
- [59:39]
I know sonically, without understanding everything, it's special. And then when really breaking down the lyrics and you look at everything that he's saying and he captures in this thing. I think Bad Bunny made a masterpiece like this is Put it in a museum. Like, this is forever.
- [59:57]
A
From what I understand. It's kind of like a love letter to Puerto Rico and celebrating the diverse sounds from his home.
- [60:06]
B
Yeah, when you look at. I think that it captures so much about today. It is definitely about Puerto Rican pride, him finding that he can express something about his culture. He talked in an interview about when he became a big star and went around the world. What he found is he would talk to people and he'd be representing where he is from, when he would talk to people from different places. And so going back to pr, Going back to being able to really mine that culture and represent it in the sound, it's really special. Every song is like 50 songs. There's so much going on in each one. And he really does do a great job of capturing so many different musical stylings. I'm not gonna sit here and say that I know all of them, but you can tell and you can see everything that's going on. It's really great. And he's doing the thing that we like to talk about a lot and dissect. When the song references multiple generations of songs before it, there's a bunch of moments throughout the album where it happens. But, like, in an interview, he said what he wants is for, like, a family to be able to listen to this and the parents to say, oh, that references this song. You don't know about that. This music is better than your young people music. And for the young people to then share theirs and the older people to share theirs. And just that idea of familial community is in every second. It's, like, baked into every bit of the album. Ideas of community and family and, like, it's the best.
- [61:37]
A
Yeah.
- [61:37]
B
I really do love it.
- [61:38]
A
Yeah. You said you were gonna talk about the title track at the end.
- [61:42]
B
Yeah, I want to save the title track for the song of the year. I'm gonna say that I can talk. There's another moment I did want to talk about, which was. And this is like a dissecting that we like to do. If you look at the song, well, Tita.
- [61:59]
There's a part of that where Bad Bunny, he quotes another song that a lot of Spanish speakers should be familiar with. It's called La Flaca by Jarabe de Palo.
- [62:17]
And that song is by a Spanish band. He says, por unbeso de la flaca yo daria lo que fuera. So he's like saying, like, if I could get a kiss from this girl, I'd do anything, is the lyric that he's quoting. And he's quoting it from the song La Flaca. And then in La Flaca, they do the same thing. They quote another song. They quote a song from Lalo Rodriguez, who's a famous Puerto Rican artist.
- [62:50]
That song Vendevorame Otra Ves. And so when he's talking about Puerto Rico and he's going through colonization and all the things that have happened, he's like, baking it into the references. The opening sample on the whole album is a thing about a Puerto Rican immigrant of New York, a song they made referencing that journey and everything like that. The references are there, the samples are there. It's so heavily educated. It is incredible the amount of synthesis he's doing in every moment on the album.
- [63:22]
A
We'll play the clips for people that. We'll play the reference clips, too, because that sounds really cool. And we love that here on Dissect, obviously, where it's like this intergenerational conversation through the art that if you're an active listener and interested, it's a portal into history, and it's like, follow the thread and you'll educate you. So that sounds amazing.
- [63:45]
B
This one's been for me this year, which has been really special.
- [63:47]
A
Special.
- [63:47]
B
Yeah.
- [63:48]
A
I'm actually rooting for Bad Bunny at the Grammys. I think if he could win at the Grammys, perform at. Perform at the Super Bowl. I feel like, especially with this album and everything that it's doing, I feel like it could be such a moment.
- [64:02]
Yeah. Margot, are you a fan of Bad Bunny?
- [64:05]
C
I am, by proxy, because one of my best friends is a super fan, so I feel like I just know so much about him and his music through her. I feel like, even my first exposures to Bad Bunny were through her years ago. So, yeah, I love him largely because of her. But, I mean, he is such, like, a trailblazing original pop star of today that you can't really ignore how great he is.
- [64:29]
A
Yeah. All right. Do you want to give us your album of the year?
- [64:32]
C
Sure. Yeah. I'm like, my heart is literally palpitating thinking about this record because it has actually come consumed me. And the record I'm talking about is Geese is Getting Killed My Love takes.
- [64:48]
B
A long time.
- [64:54]
C
Longer, which is like a parasite in my life in the absolute best way. Like, I feel like I'm not even a human anymore after listening to this record. I'm just like, a host for this album, which sounds extreme, but that is just hinting at the, for lack of better words, obsession that I have with this record. And, you know, if you're tapped into, like, the indie or rock sphere at all, you've probably heard of this band. And I was really resistant to the hype for a long time. Also, you know, living in New York, they're a New York band. I had been aware of them for a really long time, and they were never really taken that seriously. But with this record and all the buzz that it's gotten, I was like, what? Like, this band? And people are, like, talking about it with such high regard, like, there's no way. But after listening to the record and spending so much time with it, I am, like, fully converted. And I'm actually, like, a disciple of this record, I think. I mean, for one, like, they're all so young. They're, like, in their early 20s, and they're operating at such, like, a high level, I feel like, you know, when talking about Geese, when people talk about Geese and you look into the discourse around this record specifically, there's so many references that people like to make, and I can definitely see those references like the Strokes or, like, you know, whenever I listen to the record, I'm always thinking about Radiohead. But Geese are doing, like, this thing that's just so originally their own. Largely in part due to what I think is, like, the utter creative genius that is Cameron Winter's songwriting and vocal delivery in tandem. Like, I don't know, like, the whole record is just, like, absolutely no Skips for me, the only record that I've listened to that's come out this year that I think is no Skips. It just flows perfectly. The sequencing is amazing. But, yeah, Cameron Winter's just such, like, a genius songwriter, and at the age of 23. It actually scares me for his future and the future of the band. And I don't know. I mean, I could talk about so many tracks and so many moments from this record, but I think the one that really exemplifies their creative prowess and musical prowess is the title track, Getting Killed. I feel like every single part of this song is just the epitome of what makes Gies the most exciting band in rock right now. To me, Cameron's vocal delivery, Cameron's lead singer is just so incredible and so varied. All across this track, there's a line during, like. Also the structure of the track is just like. There's no chorus. There's just like four different verses. And I think like a refrain. But during the second verse, there's this line where Cameron says, I'm trying to talk over everybody in the world. And how he sings this line, it's like his voice is bursting out of him and it like. I just. I can't remember the last time I've seen or witnessed or heard like, a vocal delivery like this in indie rock, especially from, like a new band.
- [68:08]
That line is just always. Really gets me every time. And like during the refrain when he's singing this line that goes, I'm getting killed by a pretty good life over and over.
- [68:19]
Like, how he fries. His voice is just. It really just packs a punch. I don't know. I think his voice and how he sings in combination with his songwriting in combination with just like how great each one of the members are as musicians all combined together and like, joining forces just. It's just makes for such an exciting.
- [68:44]
Compulsive, for me, listening experience. And I feel like this album has consumed me whenever I've been trying to listen to other records from this year that have come out. Especially since the Geese record has come out, I cannot think about another album because I'm just thinking about the Geese album, really, which was proof that this album is just my favorite album that has come out. Not only this year, maybe in like, this easily could become one of my favorite albums of all time, I think.
- [69:13]
A
I think a lot of people share that excitement. I think it's crazy, pretty incredible to see a band like this, especially because I'm old and older than you guys. I kind of live through the tail end of rock music, you know, in terms of prominence and. And hip hop rising and that. That, you know, the access graphs going and, you know, hip hop rise, rock decline. And now I feel like we're on the precipice of another rise in rock music. Which I think, yeah, I think a lot of people will be accepting with open arms specifically because of like.
- [69:47]
You know, technology, exhaustion and the idea on the onset of AI. And it's like I think we're going to find real value in human beings getting together in person, creating music. I think that's going to become valuable again. Where I think we've kind of lost our way. Might have overdid it with the electronic stuff. And I'm kind of rooting for yeast to be spearheading what could be a larger movement towards maybe not rock music, but more like human people in a room together in a garage together again. You just don't hear about that happening these days. But that was commonplace when I was growing up. So I think for. Also for Geese, like their sound is so interesting. It took me like a few listens to like get accustomed to it because it's so odd in terms of like the way he sings is just so unique. I get the Radiohead Tommyork comparison because just the elongation of words that is just would never. It's just like, why would you ever sing it like that? Like, why would you hold that word so long? But that's kind of Tom York's thing too where it's a beautiful voice. And then even the way they develop songs is so interesting to me because the drums and the guitars are often like on different pages. Like the guitar part doesn't quite match what the drums are doing. And then they'll come together certain moments and then fall apart. Like fall apart in quotes. Of course. It's all. It's just also very interesting. And they're all like great musicians so it all works, you know, but it's just like it's one of those albums where it's like. It sounds simple because it's just, you know, guitar based drums singing. But the way that they're using the instruments, it's like your mind still is working all the time trying to figure out like it's not copy paste loops, you know, it's like everything's in the moment played throughout the whole song. They're not copy pasting parts, they're not looping parts, you know. So I'm really excited about like what they could potentially represent. And they have to your point of them being so young, it's like, yeah, I could definitely see this becoming something larger, you know.
- [71:50]
Beautiful. I said, well, okay, so I'm going to piggyback off of your point of being a host of. Of a album that has Become a parasite in your life. My number one album of the year is Rosalia's Lu.
- [72:12]
It is my album of the decade. I'm going to say that strongly.
- [72:18]
It's only been, like, a month or something since this album came out. That is how passionate I thought. Like, okay, the album came out was, like, instant masterpiece. Instantly my favorite album of the year. Then I was, like, having second thoughts. Like, did I go overboard on this thing? Was I just too excited in the moment? Was this too much of an album that just feels like it specifically catered exactly to my. My specific tastes, which is like, I have a classical music background. I love. I love the sounds of orchestras and all that. That might be true, but I still think it's a masterpiece. And it's still my personal favorite album of the decade. It is. It's hard to even know where to start. It is like, everything that I want in art is in this album, to me. And she is operating on a level. It's the thing I always say on the show, where it's like a Kendrick Gamar doesn't have to be as thematic and artistic as he is operating at the scale he is. And more often than not, when you get that big, you make artistic compromises to remain that big. Rosalia, her. Her discography is so weird, you know, like, flamenco album, hybrid flamenco album, electronic reggaeton, you know? You know, Monomami was a total left turn from everything else. And then now coming to this. So not only to pivot to Lux and the sound of it, but to execute it this well and be this ambitious, this young and only her fourth project, and her first two projects were created in college, you know, like, her second album was her college thesis. So it's like, again, like, this new generation is just like, man, what is coming? Because I feel like Rosalie has entered the space of the Kendrick Lamar, to me, in terms of, like, importance, artistically operating at scale. And Lux is just so ambitious, not only in, like, orchestration and musicality, but also in concept and in, like. Obviously, the biggest footnote of this album is that it's in 13 languages, which itself is just a feat and, like, shouldn't work, but does. Like, you don't ever feel like, oh, she's now singing in Japanese. Oh, now she's. You know, it's like. You know, it's so fluid and organic somehow that it's just. I. It's just boggling my mind how she created this thing. It is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
- [74:33]
We're gonna. We're gonna go into our. I'll save maybe my dissectable moment for my song of the year. But to be honest, I was like, we can segue into our songs of the year because legitimately, I. Because I wanted variation. I didn't pick just all songs from Luck, but, like, literally my favorite three songs of the year are. Are on this album, like, legitimately. So I'm very excited. Okay, let me. Am I crazy? Am I just, like.
- [74:59]
C
No.
- [75:00]
A
Am I too excited? Are you. Are you guys fans of this record, too?
- [75:04]
C
Yes, for sure. She reminds me of, like. Yeah. I feel like she's, like, the Bjork of our generation. I mean, you know, Bjork is the generation, but Rosalie is, like, the predecessor or the successor. The record is so incredible. I was really nervous to listen to it for a long time because I just knew that it would be so, like, artistically grand. But. And I think, Cole, you're gonna talk about this track eventually. But the track that you're gonna mention is the track that really just, like, had the album dawn on me being like, wow, this album is a masterpiece. She is operating at a level that no one else in her, like, sphere of pop might ever do in the span of their career. So I'm right there with you.
- [75:47]
A
Yeah, me too.
- [75:48]
B
Yeah, absolutely. Like, I thought about this in my top three as well, and I think that it's just operating at such a high level. I do love that the musicality went in your direction. I know. I was like, damn, this is just. When I listened to it for the first time, I was thinking, damn, okay, so this is cold bait. Like, this is just. This is made. Yeah, exactly.
- [76:10]
A
Yeah. Okay, so let's transition into our songs of the year. I can kick us off. I'll rattle off some honorable mentions just really quickly. Funny Papers by Mac Miller obviously did come out. It wasn't written this year, but came out early this year. Beautiful, beautiful song on a really great album. And Balloonerism. Sugar on my Tongue. Tyler, the creator. So fun. The whole album was so fun. But that song specifically, I'm glad it's getting radio play because it's weird as. But, like, it's so Tyler and so catchy.
- [76:43]
There's, like, four songs off of Clip's album. Chains and Whips Fico so be it that the birds don't sing. All incredible. Chance is no more Old Men. I talked a lot about that with Chance. That's one of my favorite songs of the year. So powerful.
- [77:00]
But I want for variation sake, I went for my number Three. I went with Johnny Greenwood's theme for One Battle After Another, the title track.
- [77:19]
Have you guys seen this movie? Cam, I know you haven't. I haven't seen it, Margo.
- [77:22]
C
Oh, yeah, I'm a huge PTA Stan. I would say you are in the right place.
- [77:28]
A
I saw it three times in the theater.
- [77:29]
C
Oh, my gosh.
- [77:31]
A
It is my favorite movie soundtrack since Phantom Thread.
- [77:35]
C
Yes, yes, we're on the same page. We're on the same page all time.
- [77:39]
A
But this, this. I mean, this. I love Johnny Greenwood's approach to scoring. Specifically his ear for orchestration and the way that he writes and arranges is just so unique. Classic. He's definitely a student of 20th century classical music, more avant garde stuff. But the way he's able to create warm moments on a Phantom thread. But also.
- [78:02]
There'S so many scenes in One battle after another that is literally carried by, I think, the soundtrack. You know, some of those scenes don't. Can't last as long as they do without the tension in the soundtrack. And specifically, the One Battle after another title track theme is the first thing we hear in the. In the music or in the movie. And what I love about it is like, you know, my dissect brain. It's like he's doing this thing called pedal tone, which is a repeating single note. It's definitely. I think it is. The first thing I thought about in the theater on my first watch was like, oh, that's intentional because. Because it's called One Battle After Another. So it's one continuous note representing the connection between one battle up, you know, a continuous journey of battles, which is then represented in the final scene of the movie where they're on the rolling hill, one continuous road, the. The hills representing each battle. It was just like, you know, so the nerd side of me really loves this piece, but also just sonically is so beautiful and so powerful, so had to shout it out. So that's technically my number three. So, Cam, what's your third song? Favorite song of the year.
- [79:11]
B
All right, so I did take the opportunity. I was similar, thinking that I might do three Bad Bunny songs. I took the opportunity, though, to use the songs as a way to talk about some of the albums I wasn't able to. And so the first song that I want to talk about is Number Three is All at Once by Nina Jirachi.
- [79:38]
Nina Jirachi. It's excellent. I gotta shout out my sister. My sister was listening to Nina Jirachi in 2018 or something. This has been one of her Favorite artists. I don't know how she found her in the first place, but Nina Jirachi put out this album called I Love My Computer this year, which has just been endlessly fascinating.
- [79:59]
A
So good. Yeah, it's so.
- [80:00]
B
Because we talk about, like, anxieties and fear about a lot of the development of technology. Nina Jirachi flipped it and it's like, well, I love it. It has made me who I am. I grew up with all this stuff. What are you talking about? And I don't think that we get enough of that. Where we see the good parts of it and the optimistic parts of it. All at Once is the last song on the full album. I love this track. I love a lot of the songs on the album, but I think that all at Once does an amazing job of bringing everything together. It does what it's saying. It brings the whole album. It is playing parts of it all at once. And, like, this is a bop. I love this song so much.
- [80:36]
A
I'm glad you highlighted this. This song specifically, because it's. It's really good. I didn't. It's like, it's at the end of the album, so it's like, it's easy to miss. But then be able to highlight it like, this is. Was a creative stroke. I appreciated. So it's a really. That's a. That's a really good album. I really like this album a lot.
- [80:53]
C
Yeah, I'm gonna have to check it out.
- [80:55]
A
Oh, you haven't heard it? No, I haven't.
- [80:57]
C
But, like, I really can appreciate that ideology because. Yeah, I mean, it's so easy to lean into how terrible technology has made our everyday lives. But also, like, technology is awesome and great and, like, the power of the Internet has, like, wholly changed my life for the better. So I do love my computer and I do love the Internet. So I'm gonna have to check it out.
- [81:20]
A
Oh.
- [81:22]
What'S your number three?
- [81:23]
C
Yeah, my number three. Really quickly. Some honorable mentions I want to shout out. 925 by nourished by Time, who I kind of mentioned earlier with some underground albums. But, yeah, that's one of my favorite tracks of the year. That whole album is really amazing. Called the Passionate Ones once again. Also Relationships by Haim, I think is one of the best pop songs of the decade. I love that track. I feel like I only love it more the more times I listen to it. And it took them, like, seven years to write, so I'm not, like, a huge Heim fan, but, like, I love that track so much. And I like just respect them so much as artists. What else? This song by a really kind of like low key artist or just like a smaller artist named Operelli, It's a song called you'd don't have One Hope. She's like an LA based singer songwriter with like a really great voice and knack for melody. So I love that track. But my number three track of the year is this song called Tell Me I Never Knew that. From an album I mentioned earlier called Caroline 2 by the London Octet Caroline. And the track features another Caroline in the indie zone, Caroline Polachek.
- [82:43]
She is like, like a melody genius. Also, her vocal stylings are just so unique. She's like really known for doing like vocal flipping and just like her range is so incredible. So them coming together and joining forces. Like, this song was made for me. I remember listening to it before it came out. Someone sent it to me like their manager and I was like, there's no way that this is Caroline Palacek on this song. And he was like, yeah. I was freaking out at like 11pm I remember listening to it for the first time. The song is really amazing how it combines Caroline's more avant pop sensibilities and just like her vocal expertise with Caroline's kind of deconstructed sound. But my favorite part of the song is the very end when they're. I don't even know who's singing. I feel like it's like one of the vocalists in the band whose name is Magda, and she's kind of singing like this auto tuned repetitive line, but it sounds like one line, but it's a series of different lines that kind of transform into each other. And it's a combination of like, it always has been, it always will be. And like it always has been kind of morphs into it always happens, which morphs into this always happens. And then the very end of the song is just like it always will be, it always will be, it always will be, it always will be. And it's almost like the more times that that that line is repeated, it just like carries more weight and meaning and resonance with the listener. So I'm a huge fan of Caroline. I have been for a long time. Both Carolines, really. So this track is like, it's. Yeah, like it's how like Lux was Cole bait. This track is like Margot bait, you know? So love both Carolines.
- [84:27]
A
All right. Perfect. Okay. All right. So my number two comes off of Jids God does, like ugly. It is the song Community featuring clips. My Ghetto's not your culture really die here so hard to say goodbye it's.
- [84:43]
C
The only lullaby here Kilos turning boys to men Gotta pick a side here.
- [84:47]
A
This. We talked about it with Jen. So, you know, if you want to learn more about the song and his thoughts and dissections of it, listen to our interview next week. But this, to me, is a perfect hip hop song. I think it's probably the hip hop song of the year. Ironically, it does feature clips. Maybe unironically.
- [85:06]
It'S again, to go back into like, you know, one of hip hop's functions in terms of, like, giving a voice to the voiceless and stories you would, you know, wouldn't otherwise hear. This song encapsulates all of that. It's called community. It centers like this apartment complex used as a symbol of. Of the history of this country. And what led to creating places like this apartment complex, the projects and then all each of Jid Clips or Malice and Pusha T all rapping from their experience growing up in places like this. And it's just a flawless execution of like, you have two elder statesmen and rap pairing up with Jid. Who is this? Not an up and comer, but, you know, of the younger generation. And I love the generational kind of baton pass between Jid and Pusha T. It's just a really unique thing that JD does at the end of his verse to link directly into Pusha T's verse. Because I grew up at similar parts of Virginia.
- [86:06]
Jad went to college, where Clips grew up. So he plays with that idea and then passes the mic to Pusha T in this really creative way. And then Malice comes in at the end with a. A perf. I am saying a perfect 16 bar rap verse. Like, put it in a textbook study. This. This is how you rap. This is how you execute theme and wordplay and rhyme scheme. It is a perfect, perfect rap verse. Probably my. Probably my verse of the year, which is ironically not on the Eclipse album, but from Malice still. So if you're not familiar with this song, listen to it. It's. It's so good. It's. I was floored when I first heard the song and I continue to have it on repeat. So that's my number two cam. Number two song of the year.
- [86:51]
C
All right.
- [86:53]
B
My number two song of the year is by an artist named Ash Tuesday and the song is called Scab.
- [87:09]
It's off of her album Aught. She's like a singer, songwriter. Most notable popular contemporary would probably be like Ba Dubi. It's kind of like heavier version of that. I got put on to Ashtuesday by somebody who saw her open for Leith Ross.
- [87:28]
The album is incredible. It's very post burnt out brain. Like the fried brain synapses just kind of trudging along. The song Scab, I think it just goes really hard. But also she is singing these stories that to me really capture and reflect what it is like to be like a kid or young, like a teenager today in America. Like, I think that this song really captures something that. And I teach high school English, I see this a lot. Like this is capturing something that I think a lot of children are experiencing today, which is terrible advice from parents to just kind of keep trying to go along even when everything is not working and everything is burnt out and everything is wrong and just being like. The advice seems to be ignore it. Just kind of just keep going as we fail and mess up everything. And.
- [88:27]
It'S not like the song is so heavy about that. I think the story is really evocative and really capture something beautifully. But that's something that just. I see. I think this song is the best on the album. The whole album does this, but I think this song is the best on the album for doing that. So it's really special to me.
- [88:44]
C
Yeah, Ashtise is so cool. Sorry, go ahead. Nicole.
- [88:49]
A
Oh, no, I was gonna say. Yeah, I had not heard of her and I was just looking her up and she only has 11,000 muscles.
- [88:55]
C
She's really slow.
- [88:56]
A
Yeah. But it feels like that might not be the case for soon because I hope not.
- [89:04]
C
Yeah, yeah, yeah, she's really great. I remember discovering her on TikTok a couple years ago. I mean, so yeah, I'm like her opening for Leith Ross and other kind of like prominent TikTok indie singer, songwriter, makes perfect sense. But yeah, I remember really being drawn to like how she plays guitar and the sound of her voice. Like she's super influenced by like 90s indie rock. But it just still sounds so unique and fresh to me. I'm always rooting for her. She's so cool.
- [89:31]
B
Yeah.
- [89:32]
A
You wanna go into your number three or number two?
- [89:34]
C
Sorry, sure. Yeah. My number two song is by Alex G, who I talked about earlier with my favorite musical moment of the year. So I won't kind of repeat myself, but it's the song called Afterlife, which was the first single from his latest album, Headlight.
- [90:04]
I mean, yeah, I just. I love Alex so deeply. His music has had such a, like, I don't know, formative impression on My life. And I've probably listened to every single song he's ever made. And this song, you know, he's so deep into his career as a musician, he feels like a veteran. I mean, you know, he's like. Like he's a dad now. Like.
- [90:28]
I've witnessed him kind of get older through his music, but still like, just kind of hone in on his singular voice in the indie landscape, which makes him one of the greatest indie artists of our time. But this song, it. I mean, he's made so many songs, but this just still sounds so fresh and it's so catchy. And in typical Alex styling, you don't really know what he's singing about. I feel like the lyrics aren't that much of a main thing that you focus on when it comes to Alex's music. The lyrics are vague and pretty simple, but just how he constructs songs. Afterlife being such a prime example of this. But just the melody and the guitar playing and just the weird Alex idiosyncrasies are just so present in this song. I feel like it has like every staple that makes Alex G. Alex G. Can be found in this song. Like, there's a part in the chorus where he just like hits this, like, high pitched screech out of nowhere. And I feel like if any other artist were to do this, it would be pretty jarring. But it just like, it's the part where, like, if he's playing it live, everyone, like sings along to it, which I think something that is like, so uniquely Alex that. That he can do. So just like a catchy song. It was like the song of the summer for me. I already have such fond memories to this song. So. Yeah, that's Afterlife by Alex G. Beautiful.
- [91:53]
A
Yeah, it's a really good song. I'm glad you turned me onto it.
- [91:55]
C
Oh, nice.
- [91:56]
A
Alex G. And I don't know if we said it on this podcast, but he worked with Frank Ocean on Blonde. So if you're a fan of Frank Ocean's Blonde, haven't checked out Alex G. Definitely check out his solo stuff.
- [92:07]
C
I remember I saw Frank in 2017 when he was the very few shows that he did for Blonde at the music festival here in New York called Panorama. And I traveled to New York to see this show specifically like this. Yeah, performance the festival for sure. But that set for sure. And Alex was performing with him at this, like, for this set, I think I was like the only person in the crowd being like, alex, Alex. I mean, you know, everyone was like crying over Frank and I mean, so was I, but I didn't know Alex was gonna be there, too. So these two faves of mine coming together on stage, I was like. Like, fully blacking out. It was so amazing.
- [92:45]
A
Okay, so it's time for our number one songs of the year, our official songs of the year. Is this everyone's song of the year? In terms of, like, you picked it off, even if it was on your favorite album, you picked your song of the year. Yep. Okay, so I'll start. No surprises here. My song of the year is Rosalia's Mio Cristo Piangi Diamante.
- [93:18]
The song, it could have very easily been Berg as well. Yeah, it's a. It's a. It's a close race, but I have to go with Mia Christo. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard in my. I. We say this stuff all the time. This is literally one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard in my life.
- [93:36]
C
Agreed. It.
- [93:37]
A
It brings me to tears. There's two parts that bring me to tears every single time I listen to it. Maybe not gushing tears, but. Well, you know, the welling of the eyes. It is so gorgeous. It's hard, almost hard for me to talk about because I'm, like, starting to get choked up just, like, thinking about it. It is one of those songs that have, like. It is, like, in my blood somehow already. It is so beautiful. It's like. Like it took her a year to write. It's based on. It's her version of an aria from an opera, just kind of taking what an aria is and kind of making her own version of it. It's written in Italian as a tribute to Italian opera. Like, every song on the album, it's. It's inspired by a different saint from history. Each song on the album is inspired by different saint from history. This one is about two saints. St. Clair of Assisi and St. Francis of Assisi, which was a man and a woman, were not romantic, but were, you know, devotional to God and had this, like, beautiful friendship, I guess, throughout their entire life. That was Platonic, but they were, like, you know, very supportive of each other during hardships and everything. So she was kind of celebrating this. This friendship and immortalizing this friendship of these two Italian saints. And. Yeah, it's just.
- [95:00]
I guess the part I want to highlight is the refrain. So it's pretty interesting song in terms of, like, it's almost through composed meaning. Like, it kind of just keeps going and going without repeating parts. But the part that does repeat is the chorus or the refrain Mia Christo pia johnte, which means my Christ cries diamonds. Which is just. I could think about that line forever. Like what does it mean to cry diamonds? What does it mean for Christ to cry diamonds? There's like sacrifice and suffering and beauty all encapsulated in that image that it's like supported by this history of these two saints that are devotional to God but supportive of each other and uniting around this Christ figure, you know, uniting around God, this friendship. And I would just say like the, the end of this song is just. It is my favorite musical moment of the year. She sings the refrain, the my Christ Christ diamonds. And that transforms into I'm not going to read the Italian, but the translation is I take you with me always. And she reached like the end of the song comes to this huge climax. The music stops and it's just her voice going high. It's a, a C to an F to a B flat which if you're music nerd, you know is a 2, 5. It's applying a 251 chord progression essentially. She is resolving the song herself just with her voice, but it is ascending. Each note is higher and higher to the. The next until she hits the B flat which is the resolving note of the song. It's reaching the highest registers of her voice. What she's saying, taking, you know, I take you, you with me always. I think she's talking about these saints but also talking about God. And it's just like transcendent chills, tears, everything. And then it's like who does this? We get this beautiful, this beautiful thing happening and then we hear her ad libbing essentially like her talking, like directing the orchestra saying that's going to be the energy. And then done. We hear her say done. And then the orchestra set like does the done. And she's essentially giving direction to the orchestra. It's like this bit of like realism but it's like the contrast between this beautiful just heart wrenching moment and then this like thing that makes you laugh. It's like so you have this cry and then you laugh immediately. So it's like this warm beauty and sadness and like it's just like who's doing this? Like who leaves that in like I don't know, it's just like every time I hear that part I'm just like oh yeah. Like she. Because I get so wrapped up in the beauty of it that it's like you forget about this really cute quirky moment at the end that is so Rosalia. And like, I don't know. And then it goes into Bergain. It's like the perfect transition into Brig. Like, this song is just incredible. I'm. I'm glad I am alive. There's just songs like this, you know, Music is my life. And so when songs like this come around and it's been only a month since it's come out, like, yeah, I'm going to about talk. Talk big about this song. Because, like, I've just. This is. I love this the most. This is like, music is the highest form of art to me personally. And so when a song like this comes around, I'm just like, I'm just lucky to be alive.
- [98:19]
Exactly. So that's my song of the year. Just, you know, just a little. Just a little bit, you know. Yeah. That was one of the best songs you'll ever hear.
- [98:28]
C
That's definitely the song that, like, transformed during my first listening of the record. That just really just changed the game for me, especially that specific moment, Cole. So I totally relate. It's just like, it kind of grounds you. Cause you're so swept up in the theatrics and just the marvel that is her voice. And then it just kind of pulls you back to reality. When she leaves that little part in about directing the orchestra and then it finishes. I was like, wow, she is. She's that bitch. So it was just. I was like, wow.
- [99:01]
A
Yeah, Rosalie. I mean, that Stretch. Porcelaina Mia, Cristo, Bergain, La Perla.
- [99:07]
C
Flawless.
- [99:08]
A
Game over. And then the end of the album.
- [99:10]
C
Oh, my God.
- [99:11]
A
Magnolia, Magnoria and Magnolias. Like, right? Like, it's so good. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, Cam, the floor is yours. What's your song of the year?
- [99:22]
C
All right.
- [99:22]
B
This is why I love talking, having these conversations. God, that's awesome. My song of the year is the title track from Debitira Mas Photos by Bad Bunny, but it's abbreviated to dtmf. I think that this song. I almost wanted to pick the song that comes after it, which is the last song on the album, La Mudanza. But I think it's. The title track is my favorite of the.
- [99:55]
There was a lot that I want to talk. I think that you could talk about this album forever. There's so much stuff I wanted to talk about with, like how his Spanish can't be Google translated. Like, he's speaking his dialect, the Puerto Rican dialect. That's why talking with my friend has been so educational about this because it's an in person experience that you kind.
- [100:12]
A
Of need to have.
- [100:15]
B
And the One thing that I really want to highlight thematically is the multi generational aspect of the album. The album title means I should have taken more pictures, which is a regretful statement. And it does, I think, capture something that I'm feeling right now about humanity. Like, we should have done a little.
- [100:36]
A
Bit more before we got where we are right now.
- [100:38]
B
We should have preserved a little bit of it and told a few more stories or had some more.
- [100:43]
But so on the song, it's a great song. And then it gets into this choral part where he just has a bunch of musicians and people singing on the song. And he has, like, so many generations are contributing musically to every piece of the album.
- [101:00]
And on it he's saying he hopes his people don't move and die. And he hopes that if he gets a little too drunk or does a little bit too much, that they help him and that people help him. And that goes into the theme of partying on the album. When he's talking about drinking and partying, it's like celebration. And if he celebrates too much or does too much, that they help whatever. When he's talking about the help and everything. And this becomes the chorus and the repetition, and it's, like, beautiful and so fun, and I love it. And then at the end, there's a voice that cries out and kind of flips the line. It's not me Ayude. It's send me mas nudes. Which is send me nude photos. Which is hilarious. That, like, he's gonna have this beautiful, heartfelt message. You know, people help, like, help me. Like, we love each other so much and we're gonna come together and help each other. And then one old guy yelling out, send me nudes. Right? It's hilarious.
- [101:50]
A
I should have taken more photos.
- [101:51]
B
I should have taken more photos. And that's it. And that's the thing.
- [101:54]
C
Oh, my God.
- [101:55]
B
If the album's theme is that I should have taken more photos, it's not just some crazy old guy yelling. The thing that a crazy old guy yells at a party where he's just saying something dirty to make everybody laugh. It is like. Like, you should have shared more and done it. And I'm about to cry about a guy saying, send me new photos, but I can't. Like, it does.
- [102:19]
Hearing them all. Yeah, it's a lot.
- [102:21]
A
Well, then. Yeah, then. Well, then they come in. Like, Then you hear, like, the song transforms at the end, and then you actually hear the people as if you're, like, on the street. Like, it's so cool. The Way that that song progresses at the end, it's such a. You just feel like you're in the party.
- [102:36]
B
Yeah.
- [102:37]
A
Yeah. Well, thank you, Cam. That's beautiful.
- [102:39]
C
That's awesome.
- [102:42]
A
Okay, so, Margo, what is your song of the year?
- [102:44]
C
My song of the year is a track called Play by an artist named James K, who's based in Ridgewood, Queens, here in New York. From her album that came out earlier this year called Friend.
- [103:09]
James K. Is kind of like an underground experimental pop artist that is well known amongst, like. Well, well known, like, within, like, certain circles in New York and has been for a super long time. But even, like, if you're like, in the scene in New York, you might not have heard of James K. She's like a super, like, underground artists, but the people that I've known since living here, I feel like so many people know about James Cage. She's prominent in the local underground scene. This album, I feel like, has kind of upped the echelon for, I don't know, just a recognition for her still in those kind of more underground tapped in circles. But I would consider this a break. I feel like it's gotten her more acclaim and attention than any of her previous releases. But like I said, everything is pretty relative. But this track specifically. Well, the whole album is so amazing. And I feel like, you know, we've talked about this when talking about a lot of other releases that we've discussed on this episode, but this album is just like a masterclass in world building for me. And I feel like this track specifically exemplifies. It's like world building within world building. And so I feel like as soon as the track starts and there's this Cynthia intro, I feel like that's you being immersed into her world. And then her voice comes in and James Kay's voice is just so. I'm weary of using this word because I feel like it's been overused, especially in recent years when it comes to music journalism. But it really is, like, so ethereal and dreamy. She really is reminiscent of, like, Liz Frazier of Cocteau Twins for me, which is one of my favorite bands. Yeah, the song is just. It incorporates so many different genres, like dream pop, and then it goes to this crazy, like, breakbeat section that makes you want to run at full speed. And then it goes, like, into, like, indie rock. But I don't know this. When I think of this song, it just is so innately girly to me, like, similar to what I was talking about with Smurs. I feel like it's like such like a track that makes me tap into my innermost femininity, but it still like rocks and goes hard. I feel like it might be James K's most accessible song. So for people that might not know her, I think this is the track to listen to if you're gonna listen to one track by James K. But yeah, I feel like when. I feel like a lot of people were telling me listen to the album for a long time and I was like, okay, okay, I'm gonna listen to it like whenever I come around to it. But when I did, I just couldn't stop listening to the whole record. Like, I feel like I had it on repeat for like days on end. But this track specifically, I feel like just had me in a chokehold. I think of like I was listening to it when I was flying a bunch, like in early fall and I would always be listening to it like on red Eye flights, like on the plane. So it's like a super immersive track but still like very accessible and popping. Like a weird, weird experimental way.
- [106:14]
A
Yeah. The drums on this song specifically are really cool. The way they develop from like electronic to then like combine like, I don't know if they do like electronic to real and then combine them at the end, but something's going on, like really cool. Over the cross. The song with the drums. Yeah, it's a great track. I haven't listened to the full album yet, but I'm excited to.
- [106:32]
C
Yeah, she's really cool. I'm excited to see where her career goes next.
- [106:38]
A
Yeah. All right, well, I think that's the end of the program. I really appreciate you guys joining me. This is really fun. Again for the listeners, we'll have all these songs that we mentioned in the playlist in the link in the description, so you can check out all the tracks.
- [106:54]
Next week I'll have the interview with jid, so check that out as well. But yeah. Cam, Margo, thank you. This was beautiful. I really appreciate your guys time.
- [107:02]
C
Thanks so much for having me. This was so fun.
- [107:05]
A
Yeah. And oh yeah, Margo, plug your social media.
- [107:07]
C
Oh yeah, yeah. I'm a music content creator and I interview a bunch of artists and bands about their favorite music. And I also talk about my own music tastes as well. My social handles on Both Instagram and TikTok is Marg MP3. That's M A R G dot MP3. So yeah, you can find me online there, I guess. Yeah.
- [107:30]
A
Beautiful. All right, well, thank you guys again.
- [107:32]
C
Thanks so much.
- [107:33]
A
Cole, Sam.