We never get it on the first try
A playlist
I’ve been deep in podcast mode for a few months now, so I’ve neglected a lot of new music. When I get too far into a phase like this, I have to set some very intentional music listening time with myself — no distractions, just me and my Spotify and all the music I’ve been meaning to listen to for months. Because the Spotify algorithm knows me better than anyone else (something I am both proud and ashamed of), I usually end up falling down 800 different rabbit holes of music I love/forgot about/have never listened to/heard once in a movie soundtrack and couldn’t figure out what it was called until now.
This is what I found myself drawn to the most in my most recent dive — some new music that I’ve been loving + some old stuff I rediscovered through the rabbit hole.
“Dives” Alvvays
“We've been hanging out in dives forever / we never get it on the first try”
Alvvays’ self-titled record is perfect, but this has never been the song I’ve gravitated to when I’ve listened to it until this time around. I love how the mix makes it sound like someone’s playing it from another room.
“Change” Blondshell
“When I feel bad I bring it back and leave it all at your door”
Over the last couple years, Blondshell has become one of my favorite songwriters of all time. It feels like a stab in the gut every time I discover a new lyric from her that feels like it was pulled straight out of my psyche — and I felt that a lot on my first listen through her new record. New York’s hottest club is If You Asked For A Picture. This club as everything: family trauma, mommy issues, sex, drugs, violence, optimism, pessimism. I love it all.
“Grave Architecture (Portland Rehearsal Session)” Pavement
“It takes a locksmith, baby, to push you off / and I'm pushing you back”
I saw PAVEMENTS at the Belcourt last night. It was such a strange experience. I’ve been on a real Pavement kick since I bought the tickets earlier this month (and since I saw Stephen Malkmus + The Hard Quartet come through Nashville last month). I really lovee this version of Grave Architecture from Wowee Zowee off the film’s soundtrack, recorded when Pavement was rehearsing for their reunion shows.
“Walk Home” Bon Iver
“Walk home / wanna be inside with you”
SABLE, fABLE might actually be my favorite Bon Iver record. Very huge claim for me to make, I’m aware, but every listen through this makes me love it more and more. I’ve found myself gravitating toward this song a lot.
“Want Me” spill tab
“Think I'll cut my hair, let you stare through me”
One of the chiller tracks on spill tab’s new record ANGIE. I love a yearning song, especially when it’s got a good beat behind it.
“Better In The Dark” Jordana, TV Girl
“In the shadow of the stars, the lighter makes a spark / But I look better in the dark”
I vaguely remember when this TV Girl / Jordana record was released in 2021 but I didn’t give it too much attention then. Something brought me back to it recently and I have really loved this track.
“Deadhead” Foxwarren
“Twirl back, and I'm laughing / When will I be through losing you?”
Andy Shauf, my sweet prince. Foxwarren’s new record 2 is out and I am so jazzed. This one is fun.
“Please Be Rude” Gigi Perez
“It's easy running through your hair / Like fields of poppies in salt air”
Gigi Perez’s debut LP At The Beach, In Every Life is a beautiful body of work.
“How to Breathe” Momma
“What a tender place to be / In her arms, I flirt with Heaven / Angels bring her down to me”
Momma’s new record Welcome To My Blue Sky is SCARY good. This one made me cry the first time I heard it. The rest of the album rips too — it’s really not a crying record, but this one just really got me.
“Oblivion” Dry Cleaning
“See you on a dark night”
Dry Cleaning’s cover of the perfect Grimes song. No notes here, I just love this take on it.
“Through The Mirror” Tennis
“Through the mirror, you and I are falling now”
Perfect song from a perfect final album from Tennis.
“Sacred” Samia
“Saying without saying it / that you never loved me like you hate me now”
I still haven’t sat down and listened to this new Samia record front to back — which is how I prefer to listen to a new record for the first time, but I accidentally pressed play on this one the other day and really loved it. I’m sure the whole record is great — she is an unbelievable songwriter.
“We Both Have Nothing to Fear” Skyway Man
“Yeah, if heaven’s the light shining off the steel / We both have nothing to fear”
Sometimes I’ll close my eyes and scroll through my Spotify library just to see what I land on. This is from Seen Comin’ From A Mighty Eye, Skyway Man’s 2017 record that I really loved back then. I don’t think I’ve listened to it since that year—I also don’t even know remember I found it back then, but it’s a great record.
“Dear Someone” Gillian Welch
“I wanna go all over the world and start living free / I know that there's somebody who is waiting for me”
I am still too sensitive about missing both of the Gillian Welch / David Rawlings Ryman shows this month that I can’t even talk about it. I’ll just leave this song here.
“We Could Be Looking For The Same Thing” Silver Jews
“We could be looking for the same thing / If you're looking for someone”
Still on a months-long Silver Jews kick, especially after seeing the Pavement movie and watching Bob Nastanovich talk after the screeaning — I think I’ve written about this specific song somewhere on here before. Hits me right where it hurts every single time.