Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, our writers share what they’ve been listening to over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been listening to as well, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things started with what I’ve been listening to over the past month.
Kyra’s Tunes
Every once in a while, I slip into an Imogen Heap phase. This past month was one of those months. “Hide and Seek” and “Headlock” (from her best-known album, Speak for Yourself) serve as warm handshakes into Imogen Heap’s boundary-pushing electronic sound. There’s a reason why Imogen Heap is the favorite artist of many people’s favorite artists. Heap may be one of the most influential electronic artists few people know. But many of you may know a segment of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek.” It was sampled in Jason Derulo’s song “Whatcha Say.” Heap is the robotic voice. She has an uncanny way of giving autotune and voice modulators feel.
I love how Imogen Heap explores sound. Fun fact: the “rain” one hears during “Hide and Seek” is actually Heap cooking bacon. I’m a huge fan of artists who use unique musical instruments. I said something similar about Fiona Apple several months ago. And just like Apple, Heap’s lyrics elevate her sonic landscapes. I love the line in “Hide and Seek:” “The dust has only just begun to form crop circles in the carpet. Sinking. Feeling.” I love her imagery. Like I said, there’s a good chance Imogen Heap is your favorite artists’ favorite artist. I’m only discussing “Hide and Seek” because you should discover Heap’s discography. She may not be as prolific as she once was, but Heap continues to explore. You should discover her music.
We lost Jeff Buckley far too soon. While his entire Grace album is worth a listen, his heavenly voice renders what may be the definitive version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” I’ve been listening to Buckley on repeat as much as I’ve been listening to Heap this past month. Both have haunting vocals and brilliant lyrics. Heap plants her flag firmly in music’s future. Buckley has a classic sound. The aforementioned “Hallelujah” has a soul quality. I dare you to hear this song and not have an emotional response. You won’t be able to do it. I love Buckley’s voice.
The Sundays fit with the other two artists I’ve mentioned. I don’t know why. It’s a vibe. I wouldn’t mind creating a playlist with all three of these artists included. Anyway, to give some folks context, The Sundays were The Cranberries before The Cranberries. In fact, when they first hit the UK music scene, The Cranberries were accused of copying The Sundays’ sound. The Sundays’ Reading, Writing and Arithmetic (album art pictured above) is one of the greatest dream pop albums. The Sundays had two follow-up albums, Blind and Static & Silence, and all three were massive hits. And then, The Sundays disappeared.
Principal songwriters Harriet Wheeler and David Gavurin got married, had kids, and retreated from the public. The couple still writes music. They’ve hinted at a return for decades. Sadly, The Sundays may be a victim of their own success. Wheeler and Gavurin seldom view their new work as worthy as their older material. I hope The Sundays return, but even if they don’t, we have three superb albums. Reading, Writing and Arithmetic is perhaps their best album. “Here’s Where the Story Ends” lives rent-free in my head. The band’s cover of The Rolling Stones “Wild Horses” is the definitive version of that song. Seriously, when future artists cover “Wild Horses,” they play The Sundays’ version. And “Summertime” from The Sundays’ third (and currently final) album is their biggest hit.
I don’t accuse The Cranberries of copying The Sundays. But if you like The Cranberries, you owe it to yourself to check out The Sundays.
That’s all the music I’ve been listening to over the past month. Let’s check in with Season.
Season’s Tunes
Whenever I listen to a love song, I like to imagine many scenarios in which the song would be relevant beyond romantic love, such as familial love, friendships, love for pets, etc. “The Rose” can definitely slot into any of those categories. I also frequently forget Bette Midler is a singer before an actress.
I love the imagery in “The Rose.” It describes painful love, such as “Some say love, it is a river/That drowns the tender reed.” I’ve never heard that metaphor before, and Bette Midler sings it beautifully. It discusses people’s longing for love, but they don’t always know how to give and receive love. I’m definitely one of those people. I’ve gotten mixed feedback from people in the past. I’ve yet to watch the musical drama The Rose that features the song. That’s next on my list.
I’m outing myself as an avid watcher of music/dance and cosplay content on Instagram. On the dance side of things, there are a lot of people dancing to BTS’s “SWIM” and “Hooligan.” I came across both songs at nauseam, bit the bullet, and watched the music videos for each.
“SWIM” is pretty straightforward. They’re literally singing about swimming in the ocean with romantic undertones. I’m guessing the romantic undertones are fan service since a lot of women are into BTS. After some research, the consensus is that “SWIM” is about persevering through life, but BTS hasn’t actually confirmed this. If it is about persevering through life, it comes across as a loose meaning in “SWIM.” I’d recommend “Solsbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel if you’re looking for something with a more nuanced take on perseverance to scratch that itch.
“Hooligan” was less thuggish and more middle-aged dudes trying to relive the glory days. If BTS came out with “Hooligan” closer to when they debuted, it would have given their band a rougher persona. The oldest member is thirty-five. The knife-sharpening sounds and the punk-inspired outfits made “Hooligan” gimmicky at best. I giggled the entire time watching the “Hooligan” music video, and I’m not ashamed.
Verdict: Eh. They were songs. Most of BTS’s English songs (that I’ve heard) have surface-level meaning. “Dynamite” doesn’t have much meaning beyond the surface, but it’s cute and fun. “SWIM” and “Hooligan” are trying to be serious, but it doesn’t land. English isn’t their first language, but they’ve been producing songs in English for around five years now. I was hoping to listen to a bit more nuance in this still prolific K-Pop band I get serenaded with every time I open Instagram.
Trigger warning: Explicit content
Speaking of Instagram, I discover lesser-known artists there, too. “DIET” by Mad Tsai is a sex song. However, it’s got interesting visuals with the lyrics, and is about men. Just men. I don’t think I’ve heard a sex song about men that has as colorful imagery as a heterosexual sex song. I need to expand my music repertoire. The music video for “DIET” dropped recently, and it’s goofy, but not in the same way as “Hooligan.” It shows grown men playing spin the bottle and having pillow fights. There’s a makeout session or two, but it isn’t meant to be taken seriously.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle again. Looks like Skye is taking off this week. We’ll have to see what she’s been listening to next month. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
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