ON REPEAT: Osees, Sudan Archives, Yaeji, Doechii, Lifeguard, Harry Nilsson
How can I run away, from darkness at the close of day?
Hello, in this thing I talk about, among other things, The Best Show with Tom Scharpling, which you can learn about here. Check out the 24-hour marathon we’re doing from 9/12 to 9/13, where I will push my weak little body and mind to the limit. You’ll also see a familiar face make a special appearance or two…if you’re familiar with my, uh, face.
Here’s a link to a playlist where I keep all of this stuff.
Sudan Archives “Home Maker”
I really loved Sudan Archives’ Natural Brown Prom Queen, from last year. It was my “album of the year” and I’m still finding new things to like about the album, like this song. She is so talented and the album is full of wild left turns and great pop songs with cool production.
Also, this music video sometimes looks like an Eric Andre prank.
Osees “Always At Night”
I work on The Best Show, a show I’ve been more or less involved with for my entire adult life, since I began doing bits as a caller in 2005. In fact, this year actually makes it that I’ve been involved with the show longer than I haven’t. I’m twice the age I was then. Time is wild!
Anyway, the show is really good. If you’ve never listened, give it a shot. If you’re a lapsed listener, check out the video version of the show, which adds a whole new element to it, as evidenced in this performance by Osees (aka Thee Oh Sees, or any variant of that).
They performed their new album in full and I got to be up close and personal with it, along with a crowd of cool people, like the guy who plays Barry. I’ve liked this band for a really long time, too. They are particularly known for their live shows which are fun and intense and unlike any other band you’ll see.
This song stuck out as an outlier in this set. It almost sounds like John Maus, minus all the weird baggage. I hope this starts a trend at their wild live shows that everybody stops and starts slow-dancing like they are at prom.
Lifeguard “In The City”
I’ve previously spoken about how I was impressed by Lifeguard’s set, but in particular, I liked their cover of this classic by The Jam (who rule). They don’t reinvent the wheel or anything, just add a bit more of a punk edge to the song, and instead of Paul Weller’s big, bolf vocals, they’re just a bit more, um, “shy teenager.”
I don’t mean that as an insult, as I am also a shy teenager.
Yaeji “For Granted”
I also previously talked about this Yaeji album, which I have enjoyed all of, like all of Yaeji’s releases.
I really like this new iteration of DnB I guess. DnB means “drum n bass” not “Dave Natthews Band,” like my brain reads it as for some reason.
Doechii “Crazy”
I have also spoken about my love of Doechii, and made a comparison to Nicki Minaj. I was already into this song, and was gonna write about it but literally just now I found this version of the song which HAS Nicki Minaj on it, which makes it extra “Crazy” (in the good way), as well as Killumantii.
THEN you add Azealia Banks to the mix, doing what made us all love “212” back in the day—HMM I WONDER WHAT SHE’S BEEN UP TO SINCE THEN?—which makes the song even more crazy (in the “Azealia Banks is genuinely crazy, just look at these sentences from her Wikipedia page” kinda way:)
That August, after performing in Sweden, she said she "would really love to see someone bomb the shit out of this place"
In 2016, Banks took to Twitter… "I think Donald Trump is evil like America is evil and in order for America to keep up with itself it needs him."
In February 2021, Banks publicly announced her engagement to American artist Ryder Ripps. They made an audio sex tape and sold it using NFT, which was then up for resale for $260 million.
In 2020, she stated gay men were "appropriating horse culture" by using harnesses, ketamine, and sexual lubricant.
She had praised Russia's president Vladimir Putin, saying that she "really fucking love[s]" him.
In January 2021, she received criticism after posting a video on Instagram of her digging up and cooking her dead pet cat.
Maybe we don’t put her on songs? I’m just gonna say the original version is my official pick after all.
THE GOLD STANDARD
Harry Nilsson “All I Think About is You”
I love this song. It’s my favorite Nilsson song, and a zillion times better than the one where he sings about putting the lime in de coconut. Harry famously lost his voice recording Pussy Cats with Paul McCartney and while it was kinda back by this point, he still sounds TIRED, which adds to the mood. Take a minute to listen to this one without distracting yourself with anything.
I definitely got into it at a time when I was being melodramatic about a breakup, and sometimes it’s nice to hear from another “weird guy” (he has four eyes, you see) about feeling lovesick.
Shout out to the string section The St. Paul's Cathedral Choir Boys for adding to the grandness of this song and props to Klaus Voorman for making this album cover that looks like a shitpost meme way back in 1977.
