Sunday, July 13, 2025
catch me in the kitchen where the dope is/with an apron that's whiter than the pope's is
Listen, I'm as big on nostalgia as the next person (probably more so), but what the fuck are we doing here?
catch me in the kitchen where the dope is/with an apron that's whiter than the pope's is
I can put aside that we were only 8 or 9-years past the end of "indie sleaze" when people started lamenting the days of the Libertines and American Apparel tights, since it was the pandemic and, hey, we were all looking at our tiny screens for literally anything that sparked joy.
And even though throwing back here feels like throwing an 80s night in 1998, there's also been some fun looking throwback parties (shout out to East Van's best bar and one of the guys who was throwing some the original parties).
But who's going to party to not-even-that-old ass songs at an arcade inside the movie theatre inside the suburban mega mall?
During the Four Nations Cup, I tried meeting some friends to watch one of the games there and the vibes were so bad, we audible'd into a different bar. And that was just to watch hockey! There is a special opportunity to truly marry the spirit of late aughts hipsterdom with the "unique" venue and do a bump of coke off of a Mario Kart steering wheel or something though.
Album of the week
Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out
Speaking of cocaine. Here's a blow adjacent comeback I can get behind.
Push never left, but he's finally reunited with his brother, who finally dropped the "No" and became just Malice again. They called up their buddy Pharrell. And somehow we've been blessed with a new Clipse record, a decade and a half after Til' the Casket Drops.
I didn't think we'd ever get another Clipse album. I definitely didn't think it would be this good, if it did happen.
Again, no surprise that Pusha T is dropping bars all over this thing, but his great and, at this point, lengthy solo career, kind of made me forget just how good these guys sound together. Recreating that magic really hinged on Malice still having something left in the tank. But apparently dude still has gasoline to spare.
What else is there to say? It's a classic Clipse record. It's Push and Malice swapping shit talking verses back and forth and aside from the opening--and truly heartwarming--tribute to their deceased parents, they don't really stray from the old formula.
The guests all bring their A game, but Clipse superfan Tyler, the Creator absolutely spits on his "POV" verse:
My only (minor) complaint is Pharrell's production work. It's mostly great and at least good in the worst moments, but it felt like every Clipse record had at least one track that I'd have to excitedly wind back to answer the question, "what the fuck was that sound?!" and that doesn't happen here. Someone has to broker peace between Pharrell and Chad in 2026 or something.
Universal wanted to erase the extremely good Kendrick guest verse on "Chains & Whips" because of Drake's lingering lawsuit, so Push bought the Clipse out of their record deal with Def Jam(!) and Let God Sort Em Out is out now on Jay-Z's Roc Nation.
They also blessed us with one of the best Tiny Desk's of all time this week.
Jay Som feat. Jim Adkins - Float
Syd - Die for This
Song of the week
No matter what Melina Duterte does, my brain will always think of the claustrophobic bedroom recording sound of "I Think You're Alright," a song I still love as much as the first day I heard it.
She's done so much since then, from her own songs to producing other people's songs to slinging bass in the touring version of Boygenius. And the distance between how "Float" sounds and how "I Think You're Alright" sounds is about 8,848.86m in elevation.
Her newest single's aptly titled, soaring along with the kind of radio ready punch that's worthy of the Jim Adkins guest spot. I'm not gonna tell you it's "the Middle" or "Sweetness," but Jim sounds like he's ready to devour planets again on the chorus and the power chords behind him really sound like they're bleeding American.
"Float" and b-side "A Million Reasons Why" are both on Belong, Duterte's first album in 7(!) years. It's out on October 10th.
Classic of the week
New Young Pony Club - Ice Cream
Okay, fine. You want a little indie sleaze as a treat? If put those skinny jeans down, you can have this skeezy little dance tune that's got all the Gang of Four guitars, but none of the pesky Gang of Four "thinking about serious things." It's got those non-chalant, too cool for schoolUnion Pool, grew up in Long Island voca... hold up. This lady's from fucking England?!
If you really wanna go back, the ever wonderful Matthew Perpetua put together a pretty definitive indie sleaze playlist.
More heat
BBQ season music (complimentary) that's got enough bounce to get some dance floor mileage after summer's over.
Neko Case - Wreck
Neko Case also hasn't put out a record in 7-years, except unlike those early Jay Som records, Neko Case's records all sound massive, because Neko Case's voice is massive. It's so easy to get fixated on Neko's voice, that I kinda missed what this song was even about through the first couple of listens. But it's this gorgeous ode to new love and how scary it can feel when someone starts to feel like the centre of your universe (or solar system, I guess). It also features 2025's second best line about freckles (the best one is that "say I wanna have your baby/cause I freckle and you tan" one from Wednesday's "Elderberry Wine").
End It - Life Sublime
Really "quote from man stabbed" hours to talk about how becoming a hardcore guy at this age would be a midlife crisis for me last week and then find myself walking around East Van in the summer heat, dressed like an absolute dirtbag with the song cranked in my headphones this week.
Shame - Quiet Life
I think it's a symptom of being old and cranky, but I haven't been able to get into the post-punky thing these guys have been doing (even though they do it well). This bouncy little rockabilly number though? It's a proper choon, innit?
herbal tea - Seventeen
This song makes me want to lie down in the sun, close my eyes and let the day float away. Helena Walker (who records as herbal tea) had this to say about "Seventeen":
There is a section halfway where the chaos stills and the piano and vocals re-emerge. It’s one of my favourite moments on the record.
Same.
