The Group Hug

1. I Shall Be Released - The Band I recently had to do a Brisket Boot Camp which is a lot less fun and a lot more sweaty than you’re thinking. After 22 long hours, the briskets came off the smoker and we, the briskets and I, were able to catch some much needed rest. This track is a sonic example of that feeling; I saw my light come shining and I’ll be god damned if I’m not about to be released

2. Like Mariah - HOMESHAKE
   Former member of Mac DeMarco’s live band, Peter Sagar has been putting out music as HOMESHAKE since 2014. This cut is pure bedroom pop, with a little lofi beats to chill study and relax to sprinkled in on top. If only we could all be like Mariah, then, shit, maybe things wouldn’t be so out of whack

3. Vaan Varuvan - Britto Jude, Deepa Mathana
   Now I’m gonna keep it real with you here, I have done extensive research, I’m talking 15-20 minutes of it, and I can’t figure out the translation of these lyrics. It sounds great, though, and I like listening to it, so of course it gets a slot on this weeks list. If you figure it out, make sure to hit me up and tell me what this ones all about

4. All We Need Is A Little Energon And A Lot Of Luck - Meet Me in St. Louis
   Part 1 of the Math Rock Hitters for the week. Also winner of Outrageously Long Title of the Week, this track from Meet Me in St. Louis, based out of Surrey, England, is a technical odyssey. Tempo changes and rhythm switches abound, almost as if the band relishes in the sometimes difficult to follow composition. Also, towards the end of the song, it’s criminally obvious how English these dudes are. Make sure you listen up for the “woulk, doan’t woalk”

5. MIYAZAKI - TIN
   Shouts out to my favorite Instagram food influencer Pierce Abernathy for putting me on to TIN. A member of 88Rising, TIN is sultry and fun and this song has an almost Lana-Del-Reyesque flow. I think it helps that TIN doesn’t take himself too seriously with this one, showing that R&B is accessible to everyone, especially people who are talented on the ole Pro Tools. With this track, TIN shows that making music isn’t necessarily about making the perfect song every time, but it’s about making every song have something interesting that anyone can dig some hooks into

6. Teenage Dream 2 - Kidd G feat. Lil Uzi Vert
   I know what you’re thinking, “Bear, why put this song on the list? What kind of monster would do this?” I know, I know, but just give it a couple listens and I promise this one’ll grow on you like a fungus. Roll with me!

7. Cumberland Gap - Nora Brown
   As I’ve grown to appreciate more and more classic American folk music, I owe Nora Brown a lot of credit. Through her NPR Tiny Desk, I was sent down the rabbit hole and I haven’t looked up since. This performance of the classic Cumberland Gap is absolutely masterful. It’s really hard to believe that she’s only 15 years old. When I was 15 I was drinking stolen Sweet Tea Vodka and playing Super Smash Bros. Well, shit, I guess I’m still doing that to some extent, but at least now I don’t have to steal the liquor

8. The Space Between - Dave Matthews Band
   I first heard this song in a Miller’s Ale House. That doesn’t really have anything to do with the track itself, but I figure it’s a fun fact. I don’t know many DMB tracks, but my ex girlfriend had a manager once with a DMB tattoo that covered his entire right arm, so there’s gotta be something about this guy that people fuck with. Maybe this is me trying to tap into that fandom, we’ll see

9. We’re Really Jazzed About the Gig - Wavelets
   Part 2 of the Math Rock Hitters for the week. Wavelets hails from Gainesville, Fl. and as a proud FSU Alum I have to mention that Gainesville is far inferior to Tallahassee. This song was referenced heavily by another punk band, Dads, on their track called Big Bag of Sandwiches. They were both released in 2012, but Wavelets dropped their album about 8 months earlier. Once you hear both, it’s really hard to deny the similarities. I don’t want to dig up old bones, but the coincidence has always been super interesting to me

When’s the last time you engaged in a group hug? I’m not talking about three or four people, I’m talking like 11 mother fuckers all locked in an embrace. Is there room for a group hug in a Post-Covid world? I’d like to think so. See you next week

Sleepybear

⛺