volume 153 - little black submarines
it will happen if it's meant to be 🦦
memes of the week 🤠
they not ready for round 9 of the Despacito megamix
what’s the supreme court equivalent?
don’t worry we’ll put the bill on one card and split it evenly even though you only got a side salad and a water no ice
conservative political ads are masochists
happy thursday y’all :)
every now and then, someone will float a song my way that captures my attention and doesn’t let go. they’re often so good that i need that person to share why they love it so much 🫡
i call them snippets™️
this week’s snippet™️ is from my partner Veronica aka Studio del Toro. we’re coming up on 6(!!) years together next week which is *wild* because i never thought i’d be with someone this long
and the relationship still feels very fresh! we’re growing together and growing our sense of self. it’s been a blessing to see her explore her creative side in ceramics and more
i couldn’t ask for a better partner 😌
in the meantime, please send me songs!! i will always subscribe to the human algorithm
and with that, let's get to the music for the week ❤️🔥
- claudio / claud / @offballscreen
this week’s music ⤵️
Stressed Out
Babyface
Released: 9/11/2001
For all the things you've ever dreamed
It could work out
So don't stress out (oh baby)
It will happen if it's meant to be
when i was researching the song i had to do a double triple take on the release date lmao
anyways, this song feels like ships passing in the wind: Babyface was in his early 40s and The Neptunes / Pharrell were continuing their meteoric rise into the mid-2000s (e.g. “U Don't Have to Call” released January 2022 🙏)
a friend was playing Quinta Brunson’s Spotify playlist and this came on. i’ve been hooked ever since 😌
Baltimore
Nina Simone
Released: 1978
Hard times in the city
In a hard town by the sea
Ain't nowhere to run to
There ain't nothin' here for free
originally this was a Randy Newman song:
his feels more critical like getting a lecture from your parents when you make a mistake. while her version feels much more empathetic as she’s singing more on a peer-to-peer level. she’s not above or below Baltimore: she’s right there with them
turns out Nina hated recording this lmao. she wasn’t feeling the reggae influence at all. the recording session for the entire album took a lil over an hour cause she wanted to peace out ASAP lmao
but she cooks here though!! i love how her voice meshes with the layer of sounds — the strings especially
when i sent this to
, he said it’s the perfect intro for a 70s detective show and that’s 1000% accurateAll the Go Inbetweens
Silversun Pickups
Released: 2005
Said son you're still young
But your mind has grown old it seems
Now go tell your sister
To show me her new magazines
KEXP has been cooking as of late. i’ve found this and other hidden gems listening to The Morning Show while getting my day started ❤️🔥
they make radio feel so raw and real. the DJs are never afraid to be vulnerable and the station as a whole continue to put out original programming
case in point: today they had 5 hours of shoegaze and in a couple weeks they’re doing Six Degrees of KEXP
Since starting in 2013 with Sharon Van Etten, KEXP's Six Degrees has been an annual spotlight of how our DJs program on the fly, relying on their vast music knowledge and thinking on their feet to come up with the next song.
Connections can include anything from guest vocals, shared musicians, same producers, and more. None of these connections have been pre-planned.
and they just started broadcasting on an FM station back in The Bay so i’m backing them even more now 🫡
Little Black Submarines
The Black Keys
Released: 2011
Treasure maps, fallen trees
Operator, please call me back when it's time
Stolen friends and disease
Operator, please patch me back to my mind
editor’s note: and now some words from Studio Del Toro…
—
What a sonic journey through emotions, tempo, and story. The low and slow (and almost quiet?) introduction really sucks me into the pain behind that broken heart…
And then WHAM(!), the first guitar strings and drums are a true plot twist. I feel the heightened emotion or chaos that those types of things can bring up out of nowhere. Tip to toe, a great tune.
- Veronica / Studio del Toro