Buzzing Daily

Phoebe Bridgers - That Funny Feeling (Bo Burnham Cover)

The intersection of these two titans' talent is truly a blessing to the coinciding fanbases of emo rock and alternative comedy. What may seem like a slim Venn diagram has actually proven to be quite robust, as fans' recognition of this track at Phoebe Bridgers' recent live shows implies Punisher wasn't the only album this ghost-and-skeleton-clad crowd has been spinning. "That Funny Feeling," originally written and performed by Bo Burnham, one of comedy's premier talents, is a standout from his most recent special Inside, which landed on Netflix in May of this year and nearly broke the internet in the process. If you're familiar with Bo and Phoebe, it shouldn't shock you that she heard this song and loved it. The intelligence and poignance fit the bill of what she imbues in her own work. The articulation of general complacency in the midst of societal collapse, climate crisis and international neural numbing is crystal clear and sharp as a knife in this rendition. There's a certain brand of nihilistic nuance shared by the two that strikes a chord with fans.

If this description seems abstract, it's intentional. I'd rather you take a moment to listen to Bo's original track (which you can find on streaming services, or even better, in context while watching his special on Netflix) and then take a moment to listen to Phoebe's cover. Not long ago, the two performed this song together for the first time at Largo in LA, an undoubtedly special experience for the audience; "That Funny Feeling" has since become a part of her setlist, a pleasant and near-perfect fit for the live show, as the song itself melds seamlessly into the narrative of Punisher, an echo or sister song to "I Know The End." If I wasn't already privy to Bo's work, I might mistake it for one of her original songs. The folk base of it appeals to her roots, while Phoebe brings a more explosive element to the track by adding horns and a longer, evolving outro. I'm thankful Bo and Phoebe sparked a friendship clearly built on philosophical and artistic similarities, and I hope it means we'll see more collaborations between the two of them in the future. Photo by Daria Ritch.

— Hannah Lupas on November 2, 2021

William Maxwell - Dead Plants

Though also a member of the Austin-based project The Oysters, William Maxwell’s solo act allows for a deeper, more vulnerable connection to the artist. Maxwell’s latest album, It’s Been Here Changing for a Long Time, is no exception. Released with a 24-page art booklet, in all,the album is a multi-media exploration of self-expression.

“Dead Plants” is a perfect example of his talent and candor. Drawn in by the lively guitar, you quickly find yourself wrapped up in the story of the lyrics. You find regrets lingering like a bicycle still tied to a tree, apologies spilling out like water in a cab. “I guess when you’ve done so much crying,” he sings as a buoyant guitar carries through, sometimes all you can do is “sit back and laugh.”

There’s something just so raw and unexpected about the last lines: “I’ll do anything just to try to get you back / When you’re gone for the weekend, I’ll still water your dead plants.” It’s clever and modest, but it punches you right in the gut—a William Maxwell specialty. Photo by Mireille Blond.

— Monica Hand on May 4, 2021

Lydia Luce - Dark River

Each day this week, Nashville-based folk singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lydia Luce offers insight on tracks from her sophomore album, Dark River. Follow along as she intimately details her songwriting process in her own words. Photo by Betsy Phillips.

I wrote this song with my dear friend Raven Katz. This song is about not letting people take away my energy. Raven and I lived together for a year and she knows me better than most. The song talks about habits both good and bad. Sometimes when I am depleted of energy and running myself into the ground I give more than I should. I am learning that I have to take care of myself and recharge before I can show up for others. I know that when I give myself alone time especially in nature I am able to recharge and fill up my cup. This is something that works for me because it forces me to listen to what’s really going on in myself without the external noises from around me. I value my time spent in solitude. — Lydia Luce

— on April 30, 2021

Laufey - James

Laufey's debut EP Typical of Me is out today, and it's already stealing hearts left and right. Her track "James" might be especially good at that, as it tells a tale of the type of heartbreaker we've all fell for—and had a dramatic fallout with. Nothing feels quite like the realization that you were in too deep over the appearance of someone who is, in reality, too shallow. And nothing feels quite likes this track as Laufey combines her jazzy guitar style with captivating vocals and harmonies that will give the name "James" a whole new meaning for you. The Icelandic-Chinese musician writes songs the way a painter would make a self-portrait: mixing strengths and limitations to present a perspective no one else would have. The result is something deliciously charged with feelings. For more of that, make sure to check Laufey's Typical of Me. Photo by Blythe Thomas.

— Giulia Santana on April 30, 2021

PRONOUN - I WANNA DIE BUT I CAN’T (CUZ I GOTTA KEEP LIVING)

In their first release since the sultry pre-pandemic single “Song Number 1.5” (Sleep Well Records, 2020) PRONOUN (formerly stylized “pronoun”) has returned in all caps, with a single to match. Tight, upbeat guitar riffs and kick drum bring a pop-punk sound to the latest from the self-proclaimed “indie-bedroom-pop-rock-whatever” musical project by Brooklyn-based artist Alyse Vellturo, whose layered reverberating vocals are the undertow of “I WANNA DIE BUT I CAN’T (CUZ I GOTTA KEEP LIVING).”

The song’s lyrics hit home right from the start: “Everybody’s moving on / Growing in their own way / No matter where I put myself / I’m always in the same place.” Even after more than a year spent primarily in quarantine and face masks, where surviving alone can be seen as an accomplishment, the pressures from society (and often from ourselves)—to do more, grow more, be more—have hardly let up. For this anxiety-prone writer, the future has been an ever-looming and ever-daunting question mark, with very few anchors around from “the before times” to keep the spiraling at bay, and not nearly enough of anything to distract from spiraling into the past. “I WANNA DIE BUT I CAN’T (CUZ I GOTTA KEEP LIVING)” is both a comforting notion that these feelings are not as unique as they can often seem and a welcome reminder that “Everything gets better, just later.” The arc of the lyrics in the song mirrors the title itself, waxing from self-deprecation to pep talk, with these especially encouraging words near the song’s end.

The release of “I WANNA DIE BUT I CAN’T (CUZ I GOTTA KEEP LIVING)” was accompanied by the announcement of PRONOUN’s forthcoming five-track EP, triumphantly titled OMG I MADE IT, out June 11th on Wax Bodega. Photo by Mitchell Wojcik.

— Maya Bouvier-Lyons on April 30, 2021

Lydia Luce - Maybe in Time

The song was written with my friend and fellow singer/songwriter Raymond Joseph. Growing up in a religious family I have often questioned the existence of God. I went to a Christian school from preschool up until college. l attended Christian camps in the summer, went to church every week, and memorized Bible verses. For most of my life, I accepted the ideologies of Christianity because that was the only thing I knew. As I grew I started playing music and reading books outside of my Christian school curricula. Music led me to spaces filled with people that did not believe the same things I did. I started to question the beliefs I was raised with and become curious about other possibilities.

I feel that I am in connection with God when I am still and when I’m in nature. Writing this song forced me to have conversations about my beliefs with my family and it encouraged me to be vulnerable and honest. Even though we don't believe the same things there is still love and respect for one another. I want to remain curious and respectful because we are all just trying to work out the complexities of life. — Lydia Luce

— on April 29, 2021

Richie Quake - Never See You

Occasionally, farewells can be some of the most difficult bridges to cross. Other times, well, it seems those bridges just couldn’t burn any quicker. Indie-pop gem Richie Quake tells the tale of the latter in his latest drop “Never See You."

This smooth track offers experimental synths that activate the senses, maintaining an intoxicating spontaneity in every pulse. Quake cultivates a lo-fi, retrowave audiovisual within this track that is most notably his. A stylized bassline effortlessly carries the lo-fi nature of the track before bleeding into an electronic funhouse of synths. The chorus is inexplicably tranquil, gliding listeners through the three-minute song on the back of the happily purported reassurance that he will “never see you again."

“Never See You” is the successor of “Rules," an upbeat funky track with a personality of its own that was released back in March. With more music on the way in the near distant future, anticipation cannot even begin to describe our elated disposition for all things Richie Quake. Photo by Freddy Torres.

— Bianca Brown on April 29, 2021

Lydia Luce - Tangled Love

Each day this week, Nashville-based folk singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lydia Luce offers insight on tracks from her sophomore album, Dark River. Follow along as she intimately details her songwriting process in her own words. Photo by Alysse Gafkjen.

"Tangled Love" is about attachment. I was in a relationship that became painful and difficult yet there was something that held me to it. My partner realized he was an addict and I realized I had co-dependency issues. This song talks about the intricate web that those patterns create.

We tried a few different percussive ideas and what stuck was clapping and hand drums to create these polyrhythms. The percussive section in the chorus is Ross McReynolds and Jordan Lehning clapping (Jordan's Idea). — Lydia Luce

— on April 28, 2021

James Lockhart Jr. - 2short

“2short," the lead single from James Lockhart Jr.’s upcoming debut EP, poignantly and cleverly tackles the cruel beauty of memory and the uniquely sublime nature of time spent with those you love. The song follows a back and forth in the narrator’s mind, between moments of warmth, brought on by images of the past, and cold realizations that those images cannot compare to the true moments of connection that they shadow. This contrast is expertly accentuated by the arrangement and production choices. In the sections of memory, the sound is full, the drums are center stage, and it feels like James is singing right next to you. When the feelings of isolation and longing take over, the drums cut and his voice takes on the distant quality of a radio or telephone. The lyrics are straightforward yet lush with emotional potency. The second verse description of a Polaroid photo being taken, and subsequently looked to, “when I need to see somebody glowing,” struck me with a sharp bolt of nostalgia because of its accuracy and truth. In this particular moment, as we move into the summer and the world hopefully begins to open up safely, “2short” is able to delicately both lament the love and connection which was lost over the past year and implore the listener to cherish the moments that will come. Photo by Sara Laufer.

— Emerson Obus on April 28, 2021

Lydia Luce - Occasionally

Jordan Lehning and I wrote "Occasionally" in the fall of 2019. He sent me the melody in a voice memo while I was on tour in California and I began jotting down some lyrics. Initially, the song was written about a reoccurring memory of someone. It lingers, you try and cast it away but it is resilient.

After the tornado hit Nashville in March 2020 this song took on a completely different meaning. I realized that this song was about anxiety. I was having a really difficult time the few weeks after the tornado with panic attacks and severe anxiety. We recorded this song at Southern Ground in Nashville. — Lydia Luce

— on April 27, 2021

Sea Glass - Lemon Lime Watermelon (feat. Sky Adler)

Sunny chords strum in to transport you to a beach somewhere with great friends and cool drinks on Sea Glass’ newest single “Lemon Lime Watermelon.”

Sea Glass is the brand new project from Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Jake Muskat. Through Sea Glass, he aims to create an exciting, collaborative project as each song features a different co-writer vocalist. For “Lemon Lime Watermelon,” Muskat enlists the help of Chicago native Sky Adler.

Whimsical lyrics let us know that “Lemon Lime Watermelon” is “fresher than toothpaste.” The song builds as arpeggiated keys and a buoyant beat surface, inviting us to get out of our heads and be more present as Adler sings, “They’re stuck in last year / I’m flying through this week.”

With the vaccine rolling out, the weather getting nicer every day, and the possibility of experiencing live music again, it certainly feels like we’re in the home stretch of a forgettable year. Although we must keep taking care of ourselves and others, these uplifting times tell us that despite what’s happened, there’s still joy to be found.

As the song closes and filtered keys play the last chords, you can’t help but feel compelled by their proposition: “I’m starting over baby / You should come along with me / Let’s go on a spaceship / Let’s go on a journey.” How could you say no to that? Photo provided by Sea Glass.

— James Ramos on April 27, 2021