Atwood Magazine’s Weekly Roundup: August 5, 2024

Every Friday, Atwood Magazine’s staff share what they’ve been listening to that week – a song, an album, an artist – whatever’s been having an impact on them, in the moment.

This week’s weekly roundup features music by Remi Wolf, Angie McMahon, Clairo, Bathe, The Harpoonist ft. Big Sugar, Muri, Bastille, Trophy Wife, Menajerie, Arrested Youth, Jonathan Plevyak, flyingfish, Broken Record, blondestandard, Anike, Sam Smith ft. Alicia Keys, Lizzie Weber, Rosie Lowe, Davis Gestiehr, NIKI DEMAR, The Duskwhales, Izza, sullvn, Annie J, & No Beauty!

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:: Big Ideas – Remi Wolf ::

Marc Maleri, Connecticut

Remi Wolf’s third studio album, Big Ideas, not only is as grand and filled with joy as her other works, but her sound has become a bit more mature on this project. Wolf feels sure of herself on Big Ideas, the bold choices she’s making from track to track feeling like a fully fleshed out vision. Her previous albums catered to a subcategory of Gen Z, creating her own genre of intoxicatingly fun pop music with lyrics that were tailored to our generation’s vernacular and production that’s unique and even divisive at times. Fully leaning into an ‘80s style on this album, Remi’s marriage of her signature sounds and vocal delivery mixed with groovy sonics makes for an unforgettable release in 2024.

From tracks like “Soup” that sound like it was pulled straight from a Kate Bush album to slower moments off the project like “Motorcycle,” Remi Wolf has proven her ability to branch out beyond the inception of what constituted her early career. While her songwriting ability has definitely made significant strides since her last album, where she has always shined for me is in her production; this album is no different. A track like “Kangaroo” packs punches that make it difficult to resist the urge to get up and dance, the texture from the song incredibly satisfying. Switch to “Cherries & Cream” and suddenly you’ve gone from a sweaty dance club to meandering down a lazy river in the midst of summer. Big Ideas is having the same effect on me that Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess did: A terrific pop album that has taken hold of my ability to play anything else.

:: “Just Like North” – Angie McMahon ::

Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York

As much a meditation on life’s lows as it is a song about hardship and perseverance, Angie McMahon’s “Just Like North” aches relentlessly and unapologetically. Born from the same sessions as her recently-released sophomore album Light, Dark, Light Again (Atwood called it a “breathtaking and beautifully vulnerable journey of inner reckoning and redemption, catharsis and self-compassion”), the singer/songwriter’s latest single reads like poetry and bleeds raw emotion:

this season is for going back to the sea
where nothing is certain, to rinse off old parts of me
toweling my clean skin, powerful washing away
i always want outlines, i head for shore
beg for the road signs that i had before
that wasn’t joy, amnesia babe, that was pain

and pain will be on every map, just like North is
and pain will be in every year, just like August
and if you get everything right,
then there’s nothing else left

“‘Just Like North’ is one of my favorites from the writing period of Light, Dark, Light Again,” McMahon shares. “In the end it didn’t fit into the sequencing, and I always wanted to put it out somehow. It was written in a School of Song session led by Courtney Marie Andrews, who prompted us to respond in some way to a beautiful poem called ‘You Can’t Have It All’ by Barbara Ras. This one was also mixed by Alex O’Gorman. We’ve been playing it on tour lately because it holds the album theme of trusting in the course of failure and rebirth.”

Ras’ poem, as one might expect from its name, is a rumination on aging, on hopes and dreams, on acceptance and understanding, learning to move on, and learning to let go – themes that cropped up throughout McMahon’s recent album, and themes that feel particularly salient (and understandably so) to “Just Like North,” as the Australian artist grapples with deep, intimate emotions, finding words where often there are none.

remember the magical thing that you found that said
from this point forth i am sticking around
i am coming with you, i’m gonna show up in your shape
you can pick your grace out of the crowd
you’ve done it before and it made you so loud
then it taught you a lesson about breathing
babe, when it failed

failure is on every map just like north is
failure is in every year just like august

“Just Like North” isn’t “easy listening” – few Angie McMahon songs are – but it’s a special song that hits home for anyone going through hard times, and let’s face it – we’ve all got hard times. If you’re in it right now, hopefully her music helps. Otherwise, save this one for a rainy day – because when the rains come, and they always come eventually, you’ll be glad to have this tune in your arsenal, like a shoulder to lean on or a hand to squeeze.

Whether you come to this song for love of McMahon’s artistry, or for need of some musical therapy, “Just Like North” is a gentle giant of soul-stirring tenderness, love, and self-care.

You had to be ugly before you were gorgeous
balancing tiger with rhythm of tortoise
here in your chest, chest

you’re not gonna blow it cause slowness is calling
you don’t have to know where your feet will be falling

if you get everything right then
there’s nothing else left, left
if you get everything right then
there’s nothing else left, left

:: Charm – Clairo ::

Julia Dzurillay, New Jersey

Clairo’s music already felt synonymous with summer to me — those languid feelings of desire and longing. To be somewhere else, to want something else. It feels like an easy listening experience, even when the lyrics hit a little too close to home. Just in time for summer 2024, the songwriter debuted Charm, doubling down on her iconic soft rock sound.

“I came to the conclusion that, to me, charm is the moment when two people meet, and they have separate life experiences, all their own stories and feelings, and then they tell each other the first layer,” she said (via the New Yorker). “‘I’m from blank, and I do blank.’ There’s this beautiful haze and buzz when you’re still imagining the rest of it. That feeling is so good.”

“Haze” and “Buzz” are the perfect adjectives for this project. It’s almost lazily visceral on “Terrapin” before turning self-assured and upbeat with “Add Up My Love.” If you weren’t a Clairo fan before, this album will charm you – awful pun intended.

:: “Avalon” – Bathe ::

Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York

With summer in full swing, I’ve been leaning more on relaxed rhythms and laid-back grooves than ever before – and Bathe’s latest single more than satisfies that appetite. Released July 10 via MNRK Music Group (their first for the label), “Avalon” is a warm, dreamy reverie. Corey Smith-West’s sun-soaked guitar licks are the perfect complement to Devin Hobdy’s tender, achingly emotive voice: “I’m too featherweight, flightless bird, floating on a storm,” he sings at one point, heat radiating all around. “Even lighter now, ride it out, ’til it takes me somewhere warm and less traveled on, takes me somewhere warm to Avalon…” Together, Bathe’s two members deliver a sense of wonder and longing out into the world, imploring us to join them and bask in a sweeter state.

i heard you’re far away
just an island in a dream
make believe
but I’d throw it all away
just to taste your nectarines
your gentle sweetness

As the duo explain, this song is rooted in both our reality and our fantasies. “‘Avalon’ is about all of those times you catch yourself daydreaming in your cubicle,” they tell Atwood Magazine. “We both have had many corporate jobs and the work culture that we’ve spent years grinding in post college was just unrelenting. You know the type of places that give you unlimited PTO, but make you feel bad for using it. This song was inspired by days spent physically in those offices, but with our minds drifting elsewhere.”

ooooh sorceress
rub that golden honey in my wounds
feeling better now
woke up late
and drove straight
to my interview
in my Avalon
im shipwrecked
in my Avalon

I’m right there with them; as much as I enjoy writing about songs from the comfort of my desk, right now my mind is floating around in the Caribbean, dreaming of Saint Lucia or some other tropical paradise I’ve yet to see with my own eyes. It’s a testament to this music’s beauty that it can conjure up such visions in the first place, and for that, I’ll be spinning “Avalon” all summer – and possibly all year – long.

and wouldn’t it be lovely
if i washed up on your shores
would you take me?
would you take me?
or do i smell to much like the city?
if so i could wash up in your shores
and tell the old world to forget me
forget me, forget me, forget

but i heard you’re far away
just an island in a dream
make believe
but I’d throw it all away
just to taste your nectarines
the gentle sweetness

:: “Show Me the Green” – The Harpoonist ::

Josh Weiner, Washington DC

Once upon a time, for a 17-year stretch, there was a duo named The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer. Eventually, the Axe Murderer vanished – given the group’s name, it’s morbidly entertaining to imagine ways in which that may have happened – but The Harpoonist is still around and producing new tunes. The latest of them, “Show Me The Green,” was launched into this world this past week.

Described by its author as “a lust with the utmost respect for feminine power and grace, all embedded in jade stone,” “Show Me The Green” finds The Harpoonist (otherwise known as Shawn Hall of Toronto) as he aims for some out-of-his-league females (“She’s a force of nature not to be denied… She’ll tear a strip off the back of a mountainside”). Ultimately, Hall is confident with his abilities to score with the ladies, hence the name and central chorus line of the song: “Show me the green.”

The song is one of several that The Harpoonist recorded in a ten-day stretch at the Austin, Texas ranch of his friend and fellow Canadian musician, Gordia Johnson of the band Big Sugar. The full stash will be out this October as part of The Harpoonist’s debut LP, which he says will build upon his past catalogue by throwing in even more humor and character. Another chance to “show [us] the green” may well be coming up this fall!

:: “Rêve-toi” – Muri ::

Joe Beer, Surrey, UK

London and Paris based singer/songwriter Muri has just unveiled her latest single “Rêve-toi,” offering a sunshine-soaked, uplifting anthem for the summer. A track for those who may be yearning to embark on new adventures, “Rêve-toi” is about embracing reality and gaining new perspectives.

Muri shares, “It’s about learning to be OK being in the in-between. It’s about looking up, discovering hope and finding you can dream again. I was affected by a lot of change and transitions. Where I faced the reality of letting go of certain things, certain narratives. And only in accepting that, learned that I could rebuild myself. I’ve moved homes and really felt I lost my sense of anchor, sense of purpose, and essence of who I am.”

Twinkling with kaleidoscopic synths, and upbeat percussion, Muri’s soft vocals chant, “Dream building, all willing, cut the conclusions, they’re all illusions.” With an ebb and flow of more introspective, melancholy moments, “Rêve-toi” reflects the rollercoaster of life, and how for all the lows we experience, there will also be massive highs, as long as we keep dreaming and keep positive.

:: & (Ampersand), Part One – Bastille ::

Christine Buckley, Connecticut

Bastille are back with what they’re calling a “Bastille Presents” album, a collection of songs that singer and songwriter Dan Smith hadn’t initially planned to release under the Bastille name, but eventually saw as something like a sister (instead of a side) project. The set of songs is a different way to release: They’re calling it Part One of four, consisting of tracks 1, 2, 3, and 8 on the full record, out on October 25. Yet a four-song release is pretty much an EP, another thing people have been calling it, so…who knows.

Whatever it is, it’s a thoughtful concept: a collection of “story songs,” as Smith puts it, from the perspectives of literary characters and historical figures. The songs are bare, just Smith’s voice, layered harmonies and fingerpicked guitars. It was written and partially recorded at Smith’s kitchen table; a place he refers to in the first track, “Intros and Narrators,” as he takes on his own voice for what we can assume is the only time on the record, and uses it to shy away from the light.

I never wanted to be main character
Pretty fucked up there in the light
I’d rather sit at the kitchen table, and
Just start to hitchhike

Maybe to me, other stories are more interesting, and
Maybe to me, they’rе a mirror back on everything
So much bigger, boldеr, braver than I’ll ever be

The perspectives are what give the first three story songs interest as they deal with three famously tragic characters: biblical figure Eve, Greek god Narcissus and poet Emily Dickinson. Each song explores themes of identity and love through the lens of these misunderstood individuals. I’ve always loved Dan’s voice, and he gets quite impressively baritone in these. There’s a rawness here that suggests much of it was recorded in one take, like his striking video for “Intros and Narrators,” recorded in the Bermuda Triangle with the help of Greenpeace.

There’s a lot to pick apart in these songs, like references to Eve’s storied birth from the rib of Adam and Narcissus’ ignored, tragically lovestruck admirer Echo. It’s a stirring return for Dan and Co., and makes anticipation quite high for the full album.

:: “Keep It” – Trophy Wife ::

Grace Holtzclaw, Los Angeles, CA

Brooklyn-based trio Trophy Wife is striking a nerve within the current rock scene that bites at the heels of nostalgia while remaining brazenly original. Their latest release “Keep It” is a slow-burn turned cathartic catastrophe that muses on the frustration that comes with getting over someone. Riding high on the momentum of countless editorial placements, it’s clear that Trophy Wife is speaking straight to the culture with their dynamic new single.

Drawn together by rolling riffs, stark percussion, and ruminative yet rageful vocals that up the ante as the track unfolds, “Keep It” is the bombshell we’ve been craving. Lead singer McKenzie Iazzetta sings, “Do you want someone else to make it better? / Do you want me to keep it all the same?” The lyrics toe the line of ambiguity further clouding the complex relationship at hand that “Keep It” chronicles.

Paired with a cryptic music video to match, Trophy Wife lets loose in a white room. Captured head-banging, pretending to strangle each other, and grinning through guitar solos, the music video embraces the band’s silly side. “Keep It” breathes new life into the current demographic of rock with iconoclast vocals, adrenaline-inducing guitars, and reflective songwriting that pushes the envelope.

:: “First Sunday” – Menajerie ::

Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York

Their last single was the one actually called “Melt,” but Menajerie’s latest song is a white-hot smoldering seduction. Independently released August 2^nd, “First Sunday” radiates passion and pain as the Brisbane-based neo-soul band build tension with charisma, charm, and furious funk. “Why do you always disappoint? Why can’t you ever bring me joy?”  frontwoman Rosa Mack sings, her voice a beacon of raw, visceral energy – a boiling pot ready to spill at a moment’s notice. “Why you gotta make so much noise? I don’t know what to say to you…” It’s a haunting entrance, and one that instantly sends shivers down the spine as, together with bandmates Gracie Mack and Mel Galletly (and drummer Beau), Rosa Mack ensures we stay hooked from start to finish. Bustling bass licks, gorgeous piano playing, and dramatic jazz drumwork add to the song’s beauty and intensity as the band build their song up while expanding its world out, dazzling the ears for six transformative and spellbinding minutes.

“‘First Sunday’ was written in two halves,” Gracie Mack tells Atwood Magazine. “The first part has tense, pensive verses and lush, emotive choruses with interplay between the guitar, Rhodes piano and vocals. It then crescendos to a big release at the end of the rising, cosmic bridge. But once we got to that point, it didn’t quite feel finished. The song had more to say. So we added the introspective, bass driven outro that brings the energy back down and inward. We considered releasing the two halves separately, but ultimately felt the story was served best having them together.”

“We had a lot of fun recording this song at home,” she adds. “It gave us freedom to play and try out different textures before landing on the finished product together. We’re super lucky that our drummer Beau is skilled enough as a recording engineer to piece all our mad ideas together.”

It’s the middle of summer in New York right now, and each day seems hotter than the last. “First Sunday” is a perfect complement to that heat, itself a truly stunning display of musical talent that all but demands we let it whisk us off into our very own fantasia.

:: “Little Cup” – Arrested Youth ::

Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York

Listening to “Little Cup” for the first time feels like you’re sitting down next to Arrested Youth’s singer/songwriter Ian Johnson at a bar, and he’s spilling (no pun intended) the contents of his soul. “Go ahead now I’ll tell you everything that you wanna hear,” he sings over a slick indie rock beat. “Who I am, who I once was, and what brought me here.” Echoes of Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes aside, the latest single off Arrested Youth’s forthcoming third album Too Late to Start Over is a feverish, sonically charged confessional ready to rouse, riling us up through gorgeous melodies and tight grooves that hit hard and leave an instantly memorable mark on the ears and heart.

As Johnson tells Atwood Magazine, this song is ultimately about making sense of turmoil and turbulence; of the storms life inevitably sends our way. And it’s about the power of love to sustain us through those harder times.

Go ahead now I’ll tell you
everything that you wanna hear
Who I am, who I once was,
and what brought me here
Keep your questions incoming
I’ll answer them I’m down to share
My only question is,
how much honesty can you bear?

All the while it felt like I was racing
To a distant, hopeless destination
So pour me up a little cup

“‘Little Cup’ is really about the search for solace and understanding in the midst of life’s chaos,” Johnson explains. “Those moments when everything else fails to make you feel better. To me, a little cup is a symbol of modesty and sufficiency. It’s not about excess or needing a lot to feel content — small doses of love and support that can have a profound impact.” His chorus is a particularly special moment of cathartic connection:

So pour me up a little cup
I just wanna feel the buzz
A deeper rush, a cleaner cut
I’ll drink it when I can’t get up
When nothing else does the trick
Hold me when my heart feels sick
And pour me up a little cup of your love
Of your love
[Not too much, just enough]

What matters most, I think, is that reminder that we’re not alone in whatever we’re going through; that there are those who will be there for us, through thick and thin, for better or worse. “I don’t want the world, no I just want my piece of it,” Johnson sings in the second verse. We’re all just trying to get by, and in “Little Cup” we’re reminded that no one needs to go it alone. Maybe it’s “too late to start over” – as Arrested Youth’s album title suggests; but I have a feeling that this album, like the artist itself, is far more than meets the eye.

:: “Electric Eyes”- Jonathan Plevyak ::

Julius Robinson, California

You know those fleeting romances. The kind that is so magnetic and supercharged, but then in a flash…bam it is gone. Jonathan Plevyak speaks to every hopeless romantic holding onto that spark with “Electric Eyes.” The intoxicating release gives off vibes of songs like Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams.” His warm, sizzling country-esque vocals leave you yearning for more. The steady guitar and percussion drive the track forward. He sings with stunning falsetto in the chorus, “My girl’s got electric eyes and a vinyl soul. I guess that’s why she’s never coming home.” In those lines you get the sense of being deeply drawn to a person’s energy, but also understanding they could easily disappear.

Plevyak is a Nashville rock and soul singer with a distinct sound that truly sets him apart. He delivers a raw, emotive quality that is intensely captivating. His style also emits a vintage flavor taking inspiration from greats like Elvis and Johnny Cash. The single is off his upcoming innovative EP Loverboy where each piece represents a different theme of love. When you listen to “Electric Eyes” you will get lost in the palpable passion.

:: The Way Night Falls – flyingfish ::

Frederick Bloy, London, England

Given the chance to ardently observe one, or perform adequate research, the antics of a creature like a flying fish are very much comprehensible. The biology makes sense – their elongated wings allow for gliding, and sporadic, propelled leaps out of a body of water. But, crucially, does this make their activities any less mesmerising?

Ever since its genesis in the ‘90s, shoegaze has developed into a renown genre, in some cases revered, in some other cases, as a fault of repletion, uninspired. flyingfish is still finding their own voice – quite literally. The Way Night Falls is a second EP, released at the age of fifteen. That remarkable youth is an inadvertent promise of potential; flyingfish has found an individual shoegaze sound, implementing drone-ish inflections, but with it comes a promise that the most unique sounds are yet to come.

The Way Night Falls, and flyingfish’s previous EP, Isolation, have accrued a horde of admirers already, each one enamoured by every bittersweet chord progression, or glinting melody, or shrouded vocals that murmur beneath a buzzing, layered throng of guitars. As aforementioned, this music has years to grow. From already being so loved, surely it can only move on to further, loftier sounds and heights. No matter what evolves, for many, flying fish never cease in being enchanting.

:: “Ringer” – Broken Record ::

Will Yarbrough, Philadelphia, PA

When I was young, emo was a scene that every self-respecting music nerd was supposed to outgrow. Heck, the best-selling bands at Hot Topic went well out of their way to disparage the brand. In an infamous 2007 interview with the University of Maine’s student newspaper, patron saint of the swoop Gerard Way called the entire genre “f*ing garbage.”

It’s now enjoying yet another revival, but emo doesn’t hit me in the feels quite as hard anymore. A supportive long-term relationship and some financial stability has made my thirties much easier to enjoy. But Broken Record hit a nerve — or lack thereof — that I feel more and more as an adult.

“So overrun,” Lauren Beecher opens up on their new single. She sings from the deepest blues of her lower register, though the melody isn’t all that’s bringing her down. “Watered down without a sense of feeling.“

Indeed, Broken Record have gone through the ringer since releasing one of my favorite songs from last year. Their old label nearly went up in smoke (literally), but these Ovlov-loving Denver buds are a resourceful bunch. “Ringer” comes courtesy of a split with Power Goth Recordings, which Beecher runs alongside bassist Corey Fruin and writer friend Jay Papandreas, whose newsletter is how I discovered this band in the first place.

It’s also their first single with label mate Larson Ross on guitar. Broken Record were already less twinkly than emo’s more experimental fifth wave. Even the “clean” guitars on this song are muffled by a pleasantly foggy Bass VI tone. Ross’ own band fleshes out this 7″ with a lush, grimy, psychedelic ode to a Swedish-American labor activist and he brings the same sprawling sense of fuzz to “Ringer.” His heavily distorted leads are free to color way outside the lines, spilling and swirling beneath the verses like rust from a leaky drainpipe.

My teenage angst has disappeared along with my acne and Brand New T-shirt, but like everyone else on the planet, I do wonder whether I’m happy or just comfortable now that my life has settled into a routine. It’s during these times of existential trouble that emo still comforts me. When nothing feels good, hearing someone embrace the tangled mess of their emotions can set you free.

Broken Record cut to that feeling. After all, the band don’t call themselves Stadium Emo™ for nothing. In terms of nuts and bolts, “Ringer” is 90% chorus. It’s a doozy, too, ripping and roaring with crunchy power chords that could spark an Avalanche power play. “Time won’t slow down,” Beecher shouts above the fray. She’s not giving in but giving herself over to the rush.

:: “RUIN MY DAY” – blondestandard ::

Chloe Robinson, California

We often care too much about what other people think. If someone makes one small jab or rolls their eyes at you it can affect your whole mood. blondestandard is tired of being ruled by sensitivity and is ready to put her joy first. Her single “RUIN MY DAY” is all about not letting someone have enough power over you to do that. It is a bold anthem we all need to hear. Her fiery and fierce tone sings of taking control of a situation. There is something utterly liberating about that act.

Caroline Grace Vein is the musical mastermind behind blondestandard. The name fits seamlessly as she truly makes a mark. Her sound is a unique fusion of alt-rock and pop with comparisons to icons like Gwen Stefani. There is a deep vulnerability within her tracks that listeners gravitate towards. After releasing her first two songs she was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer. She turned what would seem so dark into a positive, channelling the hardship into her work. That strength can be heard in her music and helps others gain that same courage.

:: “Pray for Me” – Anike ::

Josh Weiner, Washington DC

The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar already proved that making a rapping/singing record entitled “Pray for Me” can make for a winning formula. But now, Nigerian-American performer Anike is giving that approach a shot of her own, and is taking on both positions in the process! Her new single “Pray for Me” finds her delivering some beautiful R&B vocals (“I reclaim my victory, it’s your power over me”) while also dropping some occasional bars (“A different state of mind, it’s time to speak my mind, control my story when they try to pencil in the lines”).

It all emerges as a proud statement of female autonomy, and the Afrobeats-inspired production sends the track’s positive message soaring high. This is one of the singer’s first releases after having changed her name from Wande to Anike, the latter meaning “someone you cherish, care for, love and don’t take for granted.” Given what talent she possesses, an increasing number of music fans may indeed soon come to recognize her as such.

:: “I’m Not the Only One” – Sam Smith ft. Alicia Keys ::

Christine Buckley, Connecticut

It’s the 10th anniversary of Sam Smith’s In The Lonely Hour, and as is current tradition he’s released a special anniversary edition. The last song on the collection is Smith paired with unimpeachable vocal queen Alicia Keys for a remake of “I’m Not the Only One,” second only to “Stay With Me” as the 32-year-old virtuoso’s biggest hit.

Keys’ piano is lush and elegant, the strings are perfectly muted, and the R&B drums give just the right swing to this now-classic. And the simple yet heartbreaking melody, a true Smith hallmark, shows off two unbeatable voices that have only improved and matured in the last decade. The track fittingly closes the album, but you’ll find yourself hitting repeat anyway.

:: “Paris” – Lizzie Weber ::

Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York

I found myself in Paris around this time last summer, and while the French heat is certainly something to be reckoned with, I’d go back to the City of Love in a heartbeat – as, it seems, would singer/songwriter Lizzie Weber. A dreamy ode to all that her time in the French capital had to offer her, “Paris” (released July 19 via Magnolia Music) is a tender, enchanting serenade full of love and light, romance and sweet memories.

Can we stay here forever?
Forget about time?
Salt on my skin
Cigarettes and red wine
Your hand in mine

Riverside, moonlight,
kiss me while we train ride in Paris
“Maybe in another life,
you and I stay in Paris,”
I said as we dined
“Can we stay here forever”

It’s hard not to smile you listen to “Paris,” especially if you’ve already felt its allure; the sweet aroma running through every street, some combination of bakeries and brasseries and the occasional crepe cart. The way the light of the Eiffel Tower illuminates the sky; how the Arc de Triomphe inspires a sense of connection to humanity, to stories untold, but felt deep in the soul.

But I digress; this is Lizzie Weber’s Paris. “I wrote the song after visiting the city for the first time,” the St. Louis-based singer/songwriter tells Atwood Magazine. “Driving in the cab on my way to the airport, I felt something I never had before upon leaving a new place, that I truly never wanted to leave. And so, the song hangs in the balance, wishing I could stay, and getting lost in that fantasy.”

Tango in the streets
Un, deux, trois, un, deux, trois
Well I’ve never seen gardens of kings
Shall I be your queen?

Riverside, moonlight,
kiss me while we train ride in Paris
Maybe in another life,
you and I stay in Paris
Je ne quitterai jamais,
je ne quitterai jamais Paris
C’est seulement toi pour la vie,
embrasses moi, my love

What a pleasure it has been to watch the Olympics play out in Paris this summer; it’s a constant reminder of the historic city’s timeless beauty. Whether I go back in one, five, or ten years, it will still be there, ready to welcome me in with open arms – just as it will Lizzie Weber, whenever she makes her inevitable return.

:: “Gratitudes” – Rosie Lowe ::

Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York

Sitting here listening to good music, with a cup of rich coffee in my hand and the smell of baked goods wafting throughout my home, I know I’ve got plenty to be grateful for. All things considered, I’m quite lucky – and so when I first heard Rosie Lowe’s latest single, and now every time since, I’ve been brought into a hypnotic trance-state of humble appreciation and recognition what all I’ve got. Released July 24 via Blue Flowers Music / [PIAS], “Gratitudes” is the third track taken off the English singer/songwriter and producer’s upcoming fourth LP Lover, Other – billed as a “celebration of all sides of her character and musicality, a patchwork tapestry of her experience.” Here, she takes a second to reflect in an open, wondrous, and warm space. In point of fact, “Gratitudes” is a reflection about reflecting – say what that about you will – but it’s also a song about the importance of re-centering oneself, and striving to find balance in a world that so often knocks us off-course.

I see the setting sun every time I choose
To see the rivers run, to watch the fading moon,
So easy to regret and feel all shades of blue,
So often I forget to say my daily Gratitudes

I need to say my daily gratitudes
You need to say your daily gratitudes
I’m so lucky, say my daily

“I’m a big believer in saying daily gratitudes to help shift my mindset,” Lowe tells Atwood Magazine. “This is my ode to my morning ritual and a reminder to myself in times when I’m stuck in my head that there’s so much to be grateful for.”

“‘Gratitudes’ was formed in Berlin with D’monk in the 15 minutes before leaving the studio to meet some friends. My favorite songs always come to be in those stolen minutes before turning off the equipment for the night. We got a CR78 drum pattern looped up in the MPC 3000 and some chords. I remember leaving Berlin the next morning, excited to get home and put some ideas down to the song. The melody and lyrics came as quickly as the instrumental. Gratitudes are a big part of my morning routine, alongside breathwork and exercise; I find when I’m stuck in my own head or in a negative cycle, it can really help shift my focus on to the things I do have and am thankful for. If I’m in bed and feeling anxious or can’t sleep I don’t count sheep, I count my gratitudes. Works a treat.”

I consider this song an intoxicating, enchanting gift from Lowe to us – and whenever I hear “Gratitudes,” I’ll be sure to pause and consider where I am in life, and how lucky I truly am.

How much time I waste from going round the shit I didn’t do
But baby I’m just scared when my glass is half full
I guess its self protect, but I know just what to do
I need to manifest and to shift my Peggy attitude

I need to say my daily gratitudes
I need to say my daily gratitudes
I’m so lucky
Say my daily gratitudes

:: “High” – Davis Gestiehr ::

Joe Beer, Surrey, UK

Nashville artist Davis Gestiehr just dropped his new single “High,” delivering a candid anthem about how he copes with his anxiety. With unflinching honesty, the twenty-three-year-old speaks about how getting high is a mechanism to manage his anxiety. Gestiehr explains, “I think it’s a very universal experience to feel as if you’re wasting your life away and watching as experiences and opportunities pass you by. I feel like this song portrays the idea that it’s easier to face those realities when high, rather than when sober.”

It’s to no surprise to learn that Gestiehr grew up surrounded by music including the likes of The Ramones, Sex Pistols, and Iggy Pop, due to his punk-loving parents. “High” showcases the same raucous energy and gritty instrumentation, with its fast-paced percussion and lighthearted tone offering a juxtaposition to its seemingly depressing lyrics. Described as “the sonic embodiment of ‘if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry’,” “High” reminds us that we’re all in this together and we each have our own methods of coping under pressure.

:: “Vegas” – NIKI DEMAR ::

Grace Holtzclaw, Los Angeles, CA

NIKI DEMAR is turning a new leaf as a queer artist. Her new single “Vegas” is about embracing the chances we take for love at every turn. Leaving us with a dopamine-high that lingers long after the music’s over, DEMAR sweeps us away on a wild weekend getaway.

“Vegas” dazzles with washed-out guitars, fleeting beats, and crystalized vocals that muse on a fated connection. DEMAR sings, “Let’s go to Vegas / Book a one way flight / Spend all our money / Go to a chapel / Get married tonight.” The song celebrates letting go of reservations, trusting your gut, and embarking on an unforgettable adventure.

The music video for “Vegas” opens an exciting new chapter for DEMAR as the first video to feature her partner Julianne Hope. The couple is captured basking in the glow of Vegas as they venture through chapels, hotel rooms, and the wide open desert. “Vegas” is NIKI DEMAR’s moment to put her money on joy, love, and herself.

:: “St. Anthony” – The Duskwhales ::

Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York

It’s been a full pandemic and then some since I last wrote about The Duskwhales – and while I’m still somewhat of a sucker for their earlier work (2018’s Hospital Dreams is a deeply intimate EP well worth the listen), the Virginia indie rock trio sound better than ever in the run-up to what will be their fifth full-length album, and their first LP in seven long years. Tracks like “Mountains Separate Us,” “Strawflower Lane,” and most recently “St. Anthony” capture the sweetness, the dynamic energy, the colorful lyricism, and the catchy, charming melodicism that make The Duskwhales such an inevitably enchanting listen. All three songs are taken off the forthcoming LP Strawflower Lane, set to independently release in mid-August.

In the dark of my fantasy
Someone must have sought to destroy me
Led me to rot out in the sun
Fooled me out of the garden

Even St. Anthony could not find
Even St. Anthony could not find
All that I’ve lost
All that I’ve lost

“Strawflower Lane is the first album we produced and recorded totally on our own — basically just locked ourselves away in the basement for the better part of a year, added way too many harmonies, and then took forever to mix it,” Chris Baker, who plays alongside Seth Flynn and Brian Majewski, tells Atwood Magazine. “It was definitely a learning experience, but liberating to have total creative control and infinite possibilities for the songs, even if we got carried away at times. It was also early COVID days (2020-2021) when we were recording, so the studio (basement) was our bubble and a much needed escape from the bizarre blur of the quarantine-times.”

“The album is an eclectic sonic journey and a battle for sanity in a time of mental unraveling; a search for true love when you feel undeserving of it; a realization and coming to terms with mortality, and exultation of the ability to live and grow. Working together as a band has always given us a chance to meld the mystic of our minds for 2-5 minutes and bare truths that may not be as readily available if not put to music. There are moments of sincere loss and desertion foiled by moments of coming together against odds and realizing you are not alone even in the darkness of isolation because of the persistence of love.”

“Musically, our inspirations dip quite a bit into ‘60s-‘70s artists like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Queen, David Bowie, Carole King, The Who, The Zombies, Todd Rundgren, etc. Some more contemporary influences include Andy Shauf, The Lemon Twigs, MGMT, Hers, Radiohead, St. Vincent, and lots of video game soundtracks.”

Hear the hounds far below me
Singing until I fall to sleep
In my cathedradrama dream
The curtains run away from me

Come look for me
St. Anthony

Indeed, there’s something refreshingly nostalgic about The Duskwhales’ music; it’s light and sweet, endearing and heartfelt. The Beatles (and the music of their peers) are a massive influence, and it’s a testament to all three band members’ talents that they’re able to carry that musical torch forward, while carving out a sonic space that can be theirs, and theirs alone. “St. Anthony” will absolutely be on repeat over the coming months, and I, for one, cannot wait to be graced with the full Strawflower Lane later this month!

Even St. Anthony could not find
Even St. Anthony could not find
All that I’ve lost
All that I’ve lost

:: “Flavor” – Izza ::

Chloe Robinson, California

The perfect vibrant summer jam, Izza’s “Flavor” is just the piece to tantalize your taste buds. The honey coated vocals glide over glossy synths and we are instantly addicted. The song details the beginning stages of a relationship when you are uncovering new discoveries about your partner that make you further fall for them. The singer reveals, “When exploring the sensations of taste, smell, and touch, I’ve found that dating has its own unique flavor.” The song is just as exciting as that feeling itself.

The pop singer, songwriter, and producer is a Los Angeles native crafting mesmerizing melodies. Her daring dance pop pieces are feel-good atmospheric ecstasy. She has obtained a strong presence on social media connecting with fans through her creative campaigns. She inspires others by championing self-love and acceptance. Izza’s undeniable confidence in “Flavor” is a prime example of that.

:: “Liars” – sullvn ::

Julius Robinson, California

There is a skillful deceit that some people have perfected to an art. Radiant retro-soul group sullvn have crafted a witty debut track entitled “Liars.” The infectious song is an ode to all the smooth-talking pretenders. From slimy salesman to politicians, there is a tendency to exaggerate the truth. Like the song states…”that’s just something liars do”. We even sometimes lie to the ones we love. Relationships can also be tainted with falsehoods. The penetrating vocals pour over big band brass sonics delivering a stern yet playful message about honesty.

sullvn are a thrilling 10-piece that are sure to get you moving. Their vintage yet modern sound breaks boundaries and can resonate with fans of all generations. “Liars” is the ideal showcase of their vast talent. The groovy offering is a great catapult into the music scene. I look forward to hearing more from the boisterous band.

:: “Your Power” – Annie J ::

Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York

Seattle’s Annie J has me utterly enchanted with “Your Power,” the soulful and spellbinding lead single off her forthcoming Been Loving You EP. A reflection on inner strength lying within each and every one of us, “Your Power” is a bold and buoyant expression of the self; of what it means to be human – a fact we admittedly do forget, from time to time. Life is chock full of distractions and things that, quite frankly, don’t matter; keeping in mind our potential, and our self-worth, is one thing that always does.

I’ve been loving you, see it through
All the time I needed you

Looking for greater depth
Looking for more than light versus dark
Looking for greater depth

“Imagine embodying that voice in your head, the one you hear from time to time that seems to say – ‘hey, I’ve been here loving you the whole time. You can heal, and grow and reach for joy.’ Imagine embodying that same voice, watching yourself slip back into the depths of fear and trauma,” Annie J tells Atwood Magazine. “This song, to me, is remembering the patient inner voice exists, though she’s sometimes so quiet compared to the rest. And knowing I will fall, again and again, and there will always be a way back. For me, that knowledge is not a given, but must be practiced and relearned over and over again.”

As soulful as it is seductive, “Your Power” is an inspiring outburst of soothing, seductive energy. With an emotionally charged voice and the production and arrangement to match, Annie J ensures we dig deep and reconnect not just with our core, but with our reason for being, as we immerse ourselves in the cinematic beauty of her new song.

You can get off the shelf
Dust yourself and be a real boy
You can get off the shelf

It’s your power
It’s your power
Sinking to greater depths

:: “Hourglass” – No Beauty ::

Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York

One of the many takeaways from No Beauty’s song “Hourglass” is that time is precious, and we should be more mindful about how we spend our time – and who we spend it on. I’m personally glad I took a chance to spend some time with this Hamilton, Ontario-based indie band. Making a raw mix of alt-rock and alt-folk, No Beauty are, in fact, full of beauty. Their debut record No Beauty Will Remain, released in mid-July via longest love record co., is itself a soul-stirring fever dream aching with palpable feeling and cathartic melodies. The dreamy opener “so do I” and rip-roaring second track “JUNE” were the album’s proper singles, and each is worth the listen in its own right, but right now I can’t help but be moved by the visceral, vulnerable third track, “Hourglass” – a song steeped in introspection, in anger, angst, and anxiety, and ultimately, in a sense of hard-won reclamation and self-empowerment.

Long story short, don’t let anyone dictate how you live your life, or how you spend your time. You don’t get that time back, so only you ought to determine what you do with it. Of course, this is far easier said than done; and for No Beauty – comprised of Helena Alexandria, Jonathan Malstrom, and Will Fachin – it took a chance, less-than-savory encounter with an ostensible time thief to realize just how precious our seconds, minutes, and hours really are.

I don’t feel angels anywhere
If I am pretty I don’t care
Embalmed within an awkward stare
I pose with flowers in my hair

To brim with life and bore to death
Without my word within my breast
I do not come alight unless
Someone is there, someone is there

I met the wind, he has your laugh
Lived out East a year and a half
Thought he’d brought his true love back
Her eyes are blue and blue and black

“I wrote this song in one afternoon after a very long conversation with an acquaintance,” No Beauty’s lead singer, songwriter, and guitar player Helena Alexandria tells Atwood Magazine. “Getting to know people has always been a double-edged sword for me; I tend to fawn in the face of people I don’t know very well and kind of defer to them, just letting them set the pace for interactions and trying to listen intently and see what they’re about, and this can be a very time consuming and sometimes self-silencing process. This particular acquaintance I was speaking to reminded me a lot of a person I used to know and care about deeply, but who never really listened to or cared about me in return. I learned so much about this acquaintance in this conversation – about 4 hours of talking. Or rather, they mostly talked and I mostly listened. At the end of it, I came away with this feeling like ‘Wow, that was a long time to spend listening to somebody that I don’t really know talk about themselves and not really offer up anything of myself in return.’”

“I didn’t leave the conversation feeling connected; it felt like time had somehow been siphoned from my life, and my head was full of information about this other person. I started to second-guess the motives of this person, and was reminded starkly of other times I had felt similarly, and the people that had provoked that feeling in me, namely the person this acquaintance reminded me of.”

“It was this feeling of not being seen that had drawn them together in my mind. I was all of a sudden staring down a younger version of myself, watching her do the same thing through my memories: Offering up all this time to people she didn’t know well that she could have been spending on herself. And though I think this aspect of my nature comes from a genuine and curious place, I was pricked by the dark side of that nature, letting myself fade into the background because of my own judgements of others as interesting and worthy, and myself as lesser by comparison, meant to just sit and listen, deferring, learning about them while they do not learn about me. For a lot of my life, I felt like the most useful I could possibly be was when I was listening and letting someone else be seen by me, even if what I wanted or who I was became obscured by that process, or if it took so much of my time and focus I didn’t have any left for myself in the aftermath.”

A blushing cheek, a balladeer
Sings “There is nothing for you here”
From my left shoulder, pride intact
My eyes are blue and that is that

I’ll learn to love the aftermath
A dancer is a diplomat
I’m interested in what you have
An hourglass, an hourglass

“The chorus comes at the end, at the moment I’m having this revelation that I am not a side character in the lives of people I might judge as more interesting than me,” Alexandria adds. “Even though I might feel at times that others are more worthy of attention and time than I am, I battle these judgements by remembering that attention is a dance of wills, and I have my own to use. The song progresses into a kind of ‘We made it!’ ending, where I imagine myself prevailing against just sitting there listening, getting up from the conversation and just leaving, finding my voice and flipping the hourglass, totally focused on myself as the sand runs through.”

The tension building throughout the song ultimately spills out in a feverish, sonically and emotionally charged outpouring of overdriven guitar churns; it’s a sizable and spirited climax, and one that faithfully captures all the intensity, the passion, and the promise of No Beauty – a band I will, without a doubt, be listening to throughout the rest of the year.

I’ll always love the aftermath
A dancer is a diplomat
I’m interested in what you have
An hourglass, an hourglass

You won’t get it back
You won’t take it back

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