July

This month was defined by summer album listening, Kayla Pincus, and returning to things that didn’t grab me the first time around. It's also our second expanded list! Not sure if I'll keep this up for the rest of the year or if it'll just be a summer thing, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Next 2 U, Kehlani

This one didn’t hit me until months after I first heard it. It came out as the second single from Kehlani’s CRASH (following last month’s opener “After Hours”) in May. It’s naturally one of those songs that may be abrasive on first listen, since throughout only 2 minutes and 41 seconds she cycles through numerous keys, time signatures, and genres. But I strongly recommend giving it a second listen, because if you stick with it, all of those things that may have been off-putting at first become the best parts of the song. Kehlani pulls you in and out of different moods, exploring musical tension and release brilliantly. The constant change keeps you interested; it’s impossible to guess where she’ll go next. Of all of it, my favorite part is the intro. That first 28 seconds has to be one of the most cinematic moments I’ve heard in music. I revisited this song on the same day I saw Luke Gilford’s National Anthem, and I can’t help but see Dylan and Sky when I hear it, sitting in the desert sun, hair blowing in the wind, wildly and uncontrollably in love.

You Lose!, Magdalena Bay

Magdalena Bay is one of those artists that I have to put in no effort to love. For all the diversity across the music I love, there is still one kind of music that I don’t have to hear to know I will like: synth pop. Thanks to my taste being formed by Taylor Swift, Maude Latour, and Isaac Dunbar, something about it always manages to be appealing to my ears. That’s not to say that there isn’t bad synth pop—there most certainly is. But I bring this up to highlight the extra level of appreciation I have for synth pop done well, and Magdalena Bay is synth pop at its peak. The first song I heard from them, “Chaeri,” was the final cut from the very first Old Town Roundup back in January. It’s still one of my favorites. But I came across this one more recently, and it quickly became one of my most played songs of the summer. It’s a classic, MGMT, indie pop hit that feels fit to soundtrack one of those cult classic coming of age films. If you have any interest in synth pop, I highly recommend checking out this whole album. 

Scream, Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson

I think I am possibly the last person on earth to realize the genius of this song. It honestly didn’t hit me until a few months ago. I have to credit this rediscovery to the biggest MJ fan I know: Kayla Pincus. I’ve learned in my time with her that even if I don’t listen at first, she’s almost always right about things in the end, and Michael Jackson is no exception. This song is one of those that is so good as to completely surpass time. It doesn’t feel like I’m listening to a 90s song, it feels like I’m listening to one of the greatest songs ever made. The production, the key changes, Janet’s interlude and the build back in… I’m not sure what else to say other than that everything about this song is great. I’ve been listening nonstop all summer, and it hits every time. 

Your Prime, Anderson .Paak

Another artist I’m late to is Anderson .Paak. He’s been on my radar since the fateful night in late 2022 that my father and I went out to dinner at a random French restaurant that played Anderson .Paak the entire evening, making us both realize just how much we were missing by not devoting more attention to his work. But in spite of all the inspiration I was struck with that evening to go pick up all of his records, at the start of this month I still hadn’t gotten through a full album of his. However, I’m proud to say I have now amended my ways, and found some incredible music in doing so. The entirety of Malibu is wonderful, as Anderson takes you on a journey through soul, heart, music, love, loss, and the frequent summer fling. This song falls in that last category: an affair with a college girl told as light and fresh as the love (or rather the sex) itself is. I’ve played this for a lot of people, and haven’t yet found someone who didn’t enjoy it. The groove of this one is inescapable.

bikini bottoms, Reggie Pearl

Now, in contrast to this month’s theme of being late to things, here’s an artist I’m incredibly early to. I first saw Reggie Pearl opening for Isaac Dunbar (who, by the way, was the painful last cut from this month’s list) with some friends (including recurring character Kayla Pincus), who made me come along to go talk to her after the show because we had been so blown away by her performance. Typically, I’m terrified of speaking to musicians, but Reggie was so incredibly sweet and seemed just as grateful to be meeting us as we were her. Kayla and I have kept close watch on her since then, and though we liked her album a lot, we both agreed that at this stage in her career she’s better live than on recording. But “bikini bottoms” changed my mind on that. It’s a genre-fused track that perfectly showcases the most unique qualities of her voice and her sound, as she tells a tale of a relationship in decay as the two fight to be the worse person. It feels like the first bloom of a new musician who’s finally found her light, and is soon to become a fully-fruited tree. Hop on the Reggie Pearl train now, before everyone knows her name. 

I Got Heaven, Mannequin Pussy

Back on topic: being late to things. “I Got Heaven” was one of my final cuts from last month’s list, but back then I just hadn’t spent enough time with it. This month, it was an guaranteed addition. Mannequin Pussy has said that the song is meant to “merge the sacred and the profane,” which it achieves not only in theme but also in music. Lead singer Marisa Dabrice has so much character in her voice, using it to flip between raw punk resentment and sticky sweet indie indifference (which unintentionally serves as a great commentary on the Phoebe Bridgers-ification of indie rock). It captures well the feeling of being a teenage girl: the anger and vileness burgeoning inside forced to coexist with the growing expectation to be small and polite.

How, Omar Apollo

You might recognize this album cover from last month’s list, but the full record came out only two days before I wrote it, so at the time I hadn’t had a chance to listen to it yet. Having heard the whole thing, I’m incredibly proud of the ways Omar Apollo has grown since I first heard his Apolonio mixtape back in 2020. He’s finally mastered his sound, which has given him a ton of freedom to explore as many different directions as he can take it in. This album is the result of that achievement, moving through countless different vibes while all remaining songs that could’ve only been made by Apollo. For me, the centerpiece was clear (or maybe I just love a good build): “How.” It’s a uniquely Omar Apollo kind of epic–never taking itself too seriously, but still driven by the raw emotion that prompted its creation. Plus, it’s almost 3 whole minutes. 

Wave, Remi Wolf

You know, I definitely might just love a good build. When I listened to Remi Wolf’s second album this month, this song caught my ears immediately. I suppose it’s fitting for the album’s title: she’s definitely exploring Big Ideas. I’d never heard her go this big, this rock ballad. But the wait for this sound was well worth it: her voice slots perfectly into the heights “Wave” is reaching. I never thought of Remi Wolf as someone with much vocal power, but this song proves she was just saving it for a rainy day. It reminds me most of Arlo Park’s “Devotion,” another experimentation with rock from an indie pop artist I love. But for Parks, it was clear this song was an ode to the music she grew up loving, not the music she knew she was destined to make. Her voice deliberately shies away from the most intense parts of the song. For Remi, it’s the opposite. I’m really excited to see where she goes with this.  

Turnitup, SpykeLovo

July marked the culmination of one of the coolest moments of my life thus far: the release of the first album I ever had a hand in making. Make Waves Music, Vol. 6: MOTR has been the project at the front of Kayla and I’s minds for most of the last six months, and the night it was finally released was a gratifying one for both of us (though I have to give Kayla her credit here–she did most of the work on the actual release, so shout out to her for carrying our first big project as presidents). When it finally did come out, it was not just exciting because it was done, but also because I had never heard the record in full before. The track I had a direct hand in is Cody Holmes’ “Lost,” but outside of that, I hadn’t actually heard most of the songs. I was excited to find there was so much to love that I didn’t even know about. Some of my favorites include Kayla’s live rendition of “So I,” Ambrielle Aylon’s (one of my favorite rising artists) debut release “unattended,” Jay FNN’s “Mr. No Auto,” Yvng King’s “Something over the Horizon,” and of course, “Lost.” But out of all of these tracks, the one I’ve found myself listening to most is SpykeLovo’s “Turnitup.” Something about his sound clicks with me every time. I’ve played this song far too many times this month, and I’m very excited to hear what else he has in store for the future. 

getting tested, June Henry

Since the release of “listen to sydney,” June Henry has been on my mind all the time. For the last week, I’ve barely listened to anyone else. Her writing is a once-in-a-generation level of talent. Her secret, I believe, is the way she connects her stories to reality–for example, tying the pain of still not being over someone to the visceral uncomfortability of of taking a urine test at a doctor’s office (where you might run into said someone). This song is filled with punch after punch of lines: “Used to try to be so strong for you/Someday I will get to be the weak one/Does there even need to be a weak one?,” “My friends say I’ve got my life back/Do I want you or my life more?” and the bridge, “I put my sample on the shelf/And put my lipgloss on/In case you were in the hallway when I got done.” As fitting with the theme of this list, “getting tested” actually precedes “listen to sydney” in release date, but something about it didn’t catch me until more recently. I listened to this whole album, and it’s phenomenal. The song I chose to put on here was a very close tie with the title track, “podium,” which contains on of my all time favorite June Henry lines. I recommend you listen to it to find out which one. 

Lithonia, Childish Gambino

“Lithonia” and I have a complicated relationship. The first time I heard it, I was super ready: new Childish Gambino? Very excited to hear what it could be. But by the end of the first line, I was confused–what is he up to here? By the end, I was sad to say I had lost my hope for the new project. I moved on. I didn’t come back to it until the release of the second single weeks later, “In The Night,” which I only heard by accident. Suddenly, something about it clicked. I got it. I went back to “Lithonia” and I understood. It’s the centerpiece of what is possibly Gambino’s best record yet. It also happens to be the soundtrack to an upcoming film of his, which adds a lot of needed context. The mixing on the whole record is my favorite part; how they juxtapose distorted and clean tones. That’s certainly exemplified in this song. I’d recommend checking out the whole album, but if it seems weird at first, just give it some time. When you get it, it’s so worth it. 

The Other Lover, Little Dragon & Moses Sumney

If these lists were to have an artist of the month, July’s is Moses Sumney. I’ve been a fan for the last four years, but I hadn’t seen him live until June 30th of this year. I’ve known for a while he’s one of the most talented musicians alive right now, but I don’t think that realization fully hit me until I got to hear his voice in real life. He is one of the most talented musicians alive right now. It sent me into a deep dive on his music, and I had a total of four Moses Sumney songs that were contenders for this list. But the best one, my favorite song of this month, is actually one I heard for the first time years ago—a song he made with Little Dragon called “The Other Lover.” I’m not sure how to describe this song other than a sonic storyline reminiscent of art, film, and most of all, the nature of what music should be. It’s one of those songs that you will hear and think, “how did it take humanity so long to make this?” It’s perfect in every way: simple yet rich, vocals as smooth as vocals can be, unique instrumentation, AND (if you know me you know how important this is) it’s a true duet, written to tell two interacting sides of the story! Sumney is finally having his moment in the acting world, but if you have any interest in music, I’d highly recommend checking out his stuff. He just released a new EP with some amazing experimental things on it called Sophcore, but if you want the full experience, his most recent full album græ is absolutely worth a listen. He is years ahead of the game, and I’m confident one day we’ll look back on his albums and recognize them as some of the best music to come out of this decade. But I feel lucky to know him now. It’s truly a privilege to get to watch his growth in real time. 

Illinoise*, Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens is a character I’ve kept an eye on in passing over the years. I checked out his 2023 record Javelin when it came out, and I did really love it. But it was one of those records I appreciated for its musical brilliance, not necessarily one I felt myself pulled towards on the personal level. However, I came to the conclusion I was possibly missing something with his work. I decided I needed to check out the album I’d heard about the most: Illinoise. I put it on during a road trip through the middle of California with my dad. When the record closed after and hour and 14 minutes, we sat in silence for a bit. I don’t often hear my father stunned into silence by music, but neither of us were quite sure what there was to say. Eventually, the quiet was broken with my dad turning to me. “That was a really great record.”

Illinoise is, as its title suggests, very much an album about Illinois. If you look up each person and place he mentions, down to the tiniest detail, you’ll find they all connect to the history of the state. Stevens certainly did his research. But don’t let that put you off. Because even more than that, it’s a record about growing up. Looking back on your life, and wondering, “Who am I?” Sufjan Stevens uses Illinois as a vessel to tell stories of the most joyous and painful moments of his life, and mostly, the ones that are both. It contains of some of the most heart-wrenching poetry you may hear; he writes so you can feel every bit of the fullness of his chest as he falls in love and every bit of the draining of it as his loves are taken away again and again. The best example is my favorite track on the album: “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out To Get Us!” Though the title may be deceiving, it’s a tale about falling in love with his childhood best friend with the wasp as a metaphor for the ways in which they were pushed away from each other by the shame of others. The lyrics could easily be one of my favorite poems on their own, but the music uplifts them even more. The instrumentation on the whole record is intricate and complicated but carefully designed, which is something he’s known for. The centerpiece “Chicago” is an epic about the changes of life, and “Come On! Feel the Illinoise!” is another favorite of mine for its wacky rhythms and upbeat spirit. This album will take you up and down, in and out of emotion and energy. But the best word to describe it is ultimately, beautiful. 

*The title of this album is somewhat up to interpretation, since it's referred to interchangeably as Illinois (the name on streaming services), Illinoise (the name on the cover), and Sufjan Stevens Invites You to: Come on Feel the Illinoise (the technical full name). I have chosen to use Illinoise in this review, because it's the most fun.

you can find this month's playlist here.