July Grab Bag
Lots of new music out this month!
After a long dry spell of pop music this season, it seems like we’re finally getting some new releases. Maybe everyone decided to just not compete with last year’s brat summer and we’re getting an indie girl fall. Open to suggestions on naming. What music have you been listening to recently? Because I keep having “Ordinary” stuck in my head after going to the grocery store and need something to get it out.
In an effort to be on TikTok less, I’ve started following more subreddits (out of the frying pan into the fire, I know) and have been really getting into r/popheads – I love getting into pop nerd discourse. Maybe it’s because of that a lot of the other recs this month are pop music related
Even though the album cover freaks me out and looks like a sleep paralysis demon, I’ve really enjoyed Wet Leg’s new album Moisturizer: some fav songs include “davina mccall” and “jennifer’s body” and I’ve already talked about how much I love “catch these fists” but I can report a few months on that it’s become an instant classic in my household. I desperately need for it to be used in a fun action sequence in the near future
In other British indie rock band news, I’ve also been loving the new single from Last Dinner Party, “This is the Killer Speaking” – it feels like a fun progression from their earlier album, incorporating some old west-y elements and a slightly more vulnerable vocal performance from lead singer Abigail Morris
Yayyyyy Chappell Roan’s Subway is finally being released August 1st
Obsessed with this article going into the mechanics of choose your own adventure books. Loved the maps so much!
Sarah Z always makes banger video essays, and this one about chess cheating scandals is no different
Presence was a really cool take on a ghost story, with the bonus of featuring the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen on film
I wish the songs in KPop Demon Hunters were just a liiiiitle bit better, and it was less weighed down by unnecessary lore, but the animation was great and I was charmed overall.
I have to admit this whole month I have been losing my shit at this video of a Pikachu mascot costume deflating during a performance. I love everything about it – even without the wardrobe malfunction I keep cracking up at the little stilted wiggles in the Pikachu choreography
Inspired by Hannah Witton, I’ve made myself a bingo card of tasks I keep putting off – hate to say it, I am very motivated by giving myself a little game to win
Hope you enjoyed all these music recommendations (even if maybe they are fairly well known). I always welcome more artist suggestions, I need to seem cool to my new r/pophead friends. See you all in a couple of weeks!
Each month I will try to highlight an organization that’s important to me, in a small attempt to help out In These Trying Times. While financial donations are great, there’s also other ways to get involved in community building work — volunteering, building relationships with neighbors, offering up skills and services you might have.
Today I’m shouting out the Immigrant Defense Project.
Thanks Emma!