"The Light" by Noel'le Longhaul

Song: The Light
Artist: Noel'le Longhaul of Loone
Album: Laughter Over the Water
Also try:  associated bands: Loone, Paper Bee, mallory, River Wrought, Jess X Chen, nick berger
Commentary: "Queer dirges and hymnals" is a nice self-descriptor. Noel'le Longhaul is awesome. Her music is wonderful, her art is cool, and her story and the life she's building is impressive.
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If you want a fuller picture of the aesthetic, I love this studio session video. (18 min.)

"Krasikrêshe" by Wirephobia

Song: Krasikrêshe
Artist: Wirephobia
Album: Kurdistan
Also try:  any harsh experimental noise mash-ups with traditional folk recordings
Commentary: P sure I saw Wirephobia on Bandcamp when they featured musicians from countries that 45's travel ban targeted. Somehow I've taken to listening to their harsh noise music, even though I usually don't find much in that genre. The songs on this 3-track release, though, are my favs because of the nice Kurdish folk.

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"Dum Surfer" by King Krule

Song: "Dum Surfer"
Artist: King Krule
Album: The OOZ
Also try:  Jonathan Richman, maybe.
Commentary: I like this album. This song keeps my head noddin'.

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"Metallic Taste" by Show Me the Body

Song: "Metallic Taste"
Artist: Show Me the Body
Album: Body War
Also try:  Moor Mother
Commentary: This song doesn't sound like the "hardcore punk" label ascribed to them. And when I listen to this song with other people, I find it hard to explain why I like it so much. But I JAM to this song. The whole album is great.

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"Some things last a long time" by Daniel Johnston

Song: Some things last a long time
Artist: Daniel Johnston
Commentary: Been covered a lot for a reason.

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"Shark Smile" by Big Thief

Song: Shark Smile
Artist: Big Thief
Album: Capacity
Commentary: Grooooved to this in summer 2k17. Some of my 15 year-olds had trouble getting over the distorted intro of the album version. Sad.

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Nickelus F & Shawn Kemp's "Bathory Motive"

Song: Bathory Motive
Artist: Nickelus F & Shawn Kemp
Album: Trick Dice
Also try:  Lil Ugly Mane, Denzel Curry, Spaceghostpurrp
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"A Mulher do Fim do Mundo" by Elza Soares

Song: A Mulher do Fim do Mundo
Artist: Elza Soares
Album: A Mulher do Fim do Mundo (The Woman at the End of the World)
Commentary: Great album. As per usual, somewhat "non-standard" vocals make me love it all the more. Elza Soares, age 79, makes a great album.

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"I Remember" by Scott Seskind

Song: I Remember
Artist: Scott Seskind
Album: Sky Girl (2016), also Chance (1991)
Also try:  the rest of the Sky Girl compilation
Commentary: A fine song from an awesome compilation by French DJs Julien Dechery and DJ Sundae. "Sarra" and "I wouldn't dream of it" also stood out musically to me (despite how creepy and rapey the latter is). But really, I like this compilation. Well-curated.

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"Frankie Sinatra" by The Avalanches

Song: Frankie Sinatra
Artist: The Avalanches
Album: Wildflower
Commentary: If you read that the Avalanches were an electronic music duo, you would not expect this album. It's heavily samples based with lots of rap, rock, and pop. I really enjoyed it. And this lead single is the most fun.

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"Ima Read" by Zebra Katz

Song: Ima Read (feat. Njena Reddd Foxxx)
Artist: Zebra Katz
Also try:  Cakes da Killa, Le1f, Mykki Blanco
Commentary: Part of the talented, radical queer rap vanguard, Zebra Katz is awesome. This music video is weird, but mostly comprehensible. I'm not sure I understand how Zebra Katz is trying to " empower " the word "bitch," but who knows. It certainly doesn't read as empowering when coupled with the space of fashion shows ... But I guess it's cool that Zebra Katz got that exposure.

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"I am Star Wars!" by Smog

Song: I am Star Wars!
Artist: Smog
Album: Julius Caesar
Also try:  Bill Callahan, Destroyer, Times New Viking
Commentary: I've posted a song by Smog before, but this one is from a different era. With "I am Star Wars!" we get more lo-fi weirdness and less of the marvelously deep voice that is Bill Callahan's. Bill Callahan is part of the Drag City cohort who I count among my favorite musicians (cf. Will Oldham, Joanna Newsom).

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"Crime" by Real Estate

Song: Crime
Artist: Real Estate
Album: Atlas
Commentary: Real Estate are pretty consistently awesome. All of Atlas is lovely.

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"On the Regular" by Shamir

Song: On the Regular
Artist: Shamir
Commentary: I'm writing my dissertation, so posts are rare this year, sorry, all. But still hearing some fresh music, some of it cool. Proof:

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"Harvey" by Alex G

Song: Harvey
Artist: Alex G
Album: DSU
Also try:  Elliott Smith, Built to Spill, Youth Lagoon, Perfume Genius, Modest Mouse
Commentary: On DSU, Alex G manages to evoke echoes of some 90s music that I quite like. Sometimes, he sounds like Elliott Smith; sometimes, the guitar shows Alex G to be a disciple of Built to Spill; and, sometimes, songs will sound like those early song scraps released by Isaac Brock as Modest Mouse. And sometimes, the Alex G take on this 90s amalgamation makes me excited to see what else they’ve got.

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"Chemirocha III" and "Chirombo Noye Nditerere"

Sorry, gang, about the absence. Summer break is now over.

Songs: Chemirocha III
Artists: Unidentified Kipsigis Performers
Albums: I heard Chemirocha song on the compilation Yeti 4
Also try:  other Yeti series, the Excavated Shellac blog, or compilations that included this song including Kenyan Songs and Strings
Commentary: Chemirocha, named for Jimmie Rodgers (half-man, half-antelope) has a good story, read it here: http://excavatedshellac.com/2012/04/04/excavated-shellac-fifth-year-anniversary/.
I've also included another recorded by Hugh Tracey because it's just. so. darn. good. Chirombo Noye Nditerere apparently means "Spirit Listen to Me."

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"Johnny and Mary" by Todd Terje

Song: Johnny and Mary feat. Bryan Ferry
Artist: Todd Terje
Album: It's Album Time
Commentary: This is the stand-out track on a decent album. It’s the best and it’s pretty different than the rest of the disco tracks. Not sure what kind of radio station would play the “radio edit” though, ha.

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"In the Beginning" by Daughn Gibson

Song: In the Beginning
Artist: Daughn Gibson
Album: All Hell
Also try:  Calvin Johnson, Headphones (with David Bazan), Bill Callahan, Kurt Vile
Commentary: I don't know what to say about this one; made my 2012 album list. This song is nice: some electronic sounds, folk influences, deep male voice crooning over pop melodies... Very late 2000s/early 2010s.

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"Hi-Five" by Angel Olsen

Song: Hi-Five
Artist: Angel Olsen
Album: Burn Your Fire For No Witness
Also try:  PJ Harvey, Joni Mitchell, Liz Phair, Julie Doiron, Hank Williams, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Commentary: I decided that Angel Olsen sounds alternately like PJ Harvey, Joni Mitchell, an extra in the Carter Family, Liz Phair, what’s-her-name in Portishead…, and Julie Doiron. In the spectac opener to the album, she does all this marvelous stuff with her voice and I definitely intend to practice singing like her. Her first album's great too. Hoping for more great stuff from Angel Olsen. Her Will Oldham collab is encouraging.

Also, great album title, no?

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"track 2" by Dean Blunt

Song: track 2 (feat. Inga Copeland)
Artist: Dean Blunt
Album: The Narcissist II
Commentary: Real easy to just nod your head and chill with this song. Every piece seems carefully placed and not overdone.

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