BPM: Everybody
Artist: EVERYBODY
Cliffnotes: EVERYTHING
Same Aisle As: EVERYWHERE
Okay, full disclosure, I’ve been mad busy and dealing with some gnarly depression for the last few weeks so anything that hasn’t been my full-time job, related to my dog/girlfriend, or showering has taken a backseat.
I have, however, been listening to a LOT of music and come across a lot of great artists I’d like to share with you. So instead of focusing on one artist, I thought it best that I share some tracks from multiple artists that you might want to check out.
Wet
A trio from Brooklyn, they have a lot of lush and mellow harmonies. They kind of remind me of Bon Iver meets Frou Frou. They have a lot of synth sounds that serve as a nice support for the ethereal vocals. Also their website URL is http://kanyewet.biz/.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou53-1Tl5Ko
Broods
Definitely my favorite pick from this grab bag. Broods is yet another export from New Zealand that is making some pretty awesome tunes. This duo has a great sense of rhythm, catchy hooks, and instrumentation. Here are my favorites of this band:
ASTR
The electronic-pop duo definitely seems to be the successful trend in the industry. ASTR has kind of a dance-hall sound a la SBTRKT with tones of old hip-hop mixtapes and a vocalist who sort of reminds me of Sia. They also have a pretty great Drake cover.
MØ
MØ is a Danish singer/songwriter that sort of reminds me of Grimes or the diet version of Santigold. Like some people want the diet version exclusively and other people want the non-diet version because the diet version could never compare but either way it’s okay on its own.
Anna of the North
An early find, Anna of the North (from Norway) is just starting to kick off finding her sound and releasing songs. I like all the different instrumentation that’s going on here and I think this artist will have some promising releases!
FLUME
A slightly dubsteppy sound, but Chet Faker’s vocals brings a nice softness to the edgy snares and synth. If anything, just watch the music video for the fancy footwork!
Nightmares on Wax
Essentially what would be a great track to put on for a night in and smoking, this DJ has a very chill vibe and is pretty wonderful to space out to. Not super great, however, for my productivity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXoIbXGKPrY
The Glitch Mob
YOU GUYS I KNOW IT’S JUST THREE DUDES* BUT HOLY CRAP I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Whenever I’ve been feeling down lately, I just put on The Glitch Mob’s first album and I feel better almost without fail. I feel like I can take over the world and do whatever and the soundtrack to my life is epic. It’s so easy to lose yourself in this kind of sound and I just saw them live at Lolla and they were just fantastic. Interesting fact: when they perform live, they usually have an electronic drumset and a cool MIDI interface that they use to layer all the tracks instead of queuing up their tracks like most DJs do. The track “We Can Make the World Stop” has some great instrumentation that takes you by surprise and “Fortune Days” has an awesome drum track at 1:55.
*Changed thanks to Chelsea’s correction. I had previously written “THREE WHITE DUDES” but she pointed out that edIT is, indeed, an Asian dude.
And just for kicks…
This song. Because I love it. And it has gotten me through this month.
Just like this article, I’ve made a “grab-bag” drink from my fridge! So here we are. A nice summery spritzer to get you through the hot, sticky, humid jungle. Or is that just Chicago? Just Chicago? Okay. The drink itself doesn’t look anything fancy, so here is me drinking it with my fancy face.
(via my Iphone)
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ Steigl Grapefruit Radler
- ½ champagne
- Splash of orange juice/grapefruit juice
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Pour all ingredients in a cup.
- Take a sip.
- Do you hate it? Then drink a little more and add whichever ingredient you want more of.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until desired taste is achieved.
My latest thing has been adding grapefruit juice into champagne to make mimosas and I really like the bitter taste it carries with the sweetness of the champs. One of my summer beverages of choice to sip on is the Steigl Grapefruit Radler. Being fully aware that it’s not really beer and it just tastes like alcoholic Fresca, I STILL LOVE IT. So if you hate how it tastes with the rest of the ingredients, I’ll take console in knowing that I’ve at least made you try the Radler at least once.
Check the playlist below on Spotify for the tracks listed in this article and additional tracks!
An installment of BPM: Booze Paired with Music. A brief exposé on artists, popular or obscure, to suit your need for beats. Along with it, a little treat to make for yourself while you bask in the sound of glory and a drink well done. As a former DJ, violinist, aca-bopper, and hip-hop dancer, I try to bring you as much variety in artists and commentary as I can. Listen on!
BPM: Disclosure and a Corpse Reviver #2
An installment of BPM: Booze Paired with Music. A brief exposé on artists, popular or obscure, to suit your need for beats. Along with it, a little treat to make for yourself while you bask in the sound of glory and a drink well done. As a former DJ, violinist, aca-bopper, and hip-hop dancer, I try to bring you as much variety in artists and commentary as I can. Listen on!
Artist: Disclosure
Cliffnotes: Earworm-y, energetic, synth-y
Same Aisle As: AlunaGeorge, Flume, SBTRKT
While I really enjoy focusing on artists that are QPOC or at least in the family, I would never forgive myself for writing an electronic music column and not covering Disclosure. If Disclosure isn’t on your radar yet, they will be soon. This duo of brothers from the UK has rocketed into your local DJ booth during the last year and shows no sign of stopping. Though a specific genre is hard to pinpoint, electronica is definitely the blanket term that most people have been using because of the prominent deep house beats, sharp snare beats, and sweeping synth chords. Disclosure’s debut album Settle has been a very successful introduction for these musicians; most bros give it five out of five fist pumps. They feature a vast array of guest artists such as AlunaGeorge, Sam Smith, London Grammar, and Jamie Woon. Not surprisingly, all of these artists have had symbiotic effects on each others’ career trajectories.
Guy and Howard Lawrence, or another pair of names to add to the list titled “People That are Younger and More Successful Than Me, Dammit” (courtesy of Disclosure Official)
The interesting thing about the sound of Disclosure is that it sits on the fence of several different genres. Is it pop because there are so many catchy hooks? Is it rock because it has that new wave-y grungy garage sound? Is it electronic music because it has synthetic drums and cymbals, deep bass drums, and clap tracks that have the authenticity of a sitcom laugh track? I think that’s what makes this album so great. It accomplishes a sense of familiarity and accessibility for listeners who are new to the house scene, but offers a refreshing and effusive hour for those who feel like pop has twisted house music into an extremely unpleasant knot. So, let’s dive in.
Let’s start with the song with Sam Smith, “Latch.” Starting off strong as the second full track on the album, it starts off deceptively calm. Smith’s croons lure you into thinking that this is just a lounge song, but just wait until the chorus right around the 1:20 mark. I won’t spoil the surprise for you, but I would turn it up and hang onto your black skinny jeans. For the music theory nerds out there, that time change into 6/8 at the chorus is just awesome, isn’t it? Also of note, there are some pretty cute queerios making out in music video. In slow motion. Surrounded with rainbow sparkles and looking at each other with googly eyes.
There are a lot of cool tracks on this album, so instead of going into them in great depth, I’ll just touch on a few of my favorites. You’ll notice a lot of similar trends throughout the album which may touch on repetitive, but it makes it all the more easier to just play the record from start to finish for an hour-long dance party.
Mary J. Blige throws down on this track. Her soulful and heavy voice fits very well into the driving bass laid down by the brothers.
Starting off high energy, this track is definitely leans more to the electronic genre. Aluna Francis of AlunaGeorge carries this song with a nice saccharine sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MfLZM7kvy0
Fans of Jessie Ware will enjoy this song. It’s not a huge departure from her own sound, but it’s a nice collaboration that successfully combines both artists’ sounds. Pretty cool to see it live as well.
When I went to see Disclosure live, it was one of those shows where you might regret the morning after but whatever ‘cause you had fun anyway. A lot of people around me were doing this weird fly-swatting motion while playing bumper cars with each other. This prompted me to create a twist on a “Corpse Reviver #2.” Just try not to spill it while you dance.
(Via chow.com)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 oz dry gin
- 1 oz orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, CVS brand, etc.)
- 1 dash absinthe
- 1 dash of St. Germain (DO NOT OVERPOUR UNLESS YOU HEART ST. GERMAIN LIKE MAD)
- 1 dash of lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Shake all ingredients along with ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon if you please.
For those that might not have absinthe or St. Germain lying around, a nice bright drink I’ve been tricked into loving is a “Beermosa.” Just mix equal parts of your favorite light beer with orange juice. Any Belgian white will do e.g. Blue Moon or Shock Top because they taste good with oranges anyway.
For additional tracks, check out the BPM Spotify playlist. It also compiles all listed tracks of this column.
BPM: Sylvan Esso And A Calimocho
Artist: Sylvan Esso
Cliffnotes: Bright, heady, easy
Same Aisle As: Feist, Alt-J, Tune-Yards
I’m really excited to introduce you guys to Sylvan Esso, the product of an unusual pair of artists: Amelia Meath from Mountain Man (an a cappella threesome that focuses mainly on Appalachian folk a la The Wailin’ Jennys) and Nick Sanborn from Megafaun (indie folk-rock a la Justin Vernon). Together, they’ve just recently released their self-titled album that kind of sounds like the Feist remix album you’ve always wanted. Meath’s richly textured voice is effortlessly layered on top of Sandborn’s punchy and addictive synth. Despite not even having a Wikipedia page yet, this band screams “WE’RE GONNA BE GREAT.” Their debut album is nothing to joke about: great hooks, easy beats, and pretty much the best introduction to their sound that you’ll get.
Though the album is a comprehensive work, each track easily stands on its own. I could see every one of these tracks serve as a strong single. The ones that stood out to me are listed here:
This track starts you off thinking that you might be listening to a Feist album by accident. Amelia Meath’s strengths as an a cappella vocalist are really wonderfully showcased here. About a minute in, Sandborn’s rolling synth creeps in with just enough punch to move the song right along and completely reframes the song. It’s a great introduction to the album that pulls you right in and lays the framework of how these two work seamlessly together. AND THAT VIDEO IS LIVE. Like, gosh.
A bit farther down the tracklist, let’s check out one of their other singles.
This track is much softer but we’re still seeing this pattern of Meath’s warm voice over some pulsing synth. This track is a great example of their sound: simple with the right accoutrements but overall, a clear example of the instinctive interaction between these two artists. This is the stuff I just really love: warm, velvety vocals mishmashed with electronic instrumentation. What’s different here from other electronica bands with a front-woman and bearded men playing keyboards in the background is that Sylvan Esso seem to have found a groove where they perform a true duet.
I can’t really say enough about this album. Sandborn does a great job of knowing exactly when to support Meath’s voice and when to back off, allowing Meath’s a cappella background to shine through pleasant harmonies that you miss in typical pop chords. To reflect this unusual pair, we’re going with a calimocho this week – another unusual pairing with delightful results.
I was first introduced to calimochos through my girlfriend during a summer picnic. It’s easy to make, a bit punchy, and strangely addicting. Calimochos are very popular in Spain where it originated when (according to legend) some festival goers created the mixture when they happened on some sour wine. Think of it as a poor man’s sangria. It’s a great drink for a warm summer’s day or a little pick-me-up at night.
Photo credit Anne Marie Walen
Calimocho (Kalimotxo)
INGREDIENTS
- ½ part Coca-cola
- ½ part red wine
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix both ingredients in a tall glass with ice.
- Garnish with a lemon or lime if preferred.
I find that this drink works best with cola made with sugar cane and red wines that are a bit on the dryer side. We usually have cabernets or merlots at our place. That being said, you certainly don’t have to be fancy with this drink, considering its origins. Your favorite type of cola and Charles Shaw from the store will work fine.
For additional tracks by Sylvan Esso, check out the BPM Spotify playlist. It also compiles all listed tracks of this column.
BPM: Maya Jane Coles and a Paloma
An installment of BPM: Booze Paired with Music. A brief exposé on artists, popular or obscure, to suit your need for beats. Along with it, a little treat to make for yourself while you bask in the sound of glory and a drink well done. As a former DJ, violinist, aca-bopper, and hip-hop dancer, I try to bring you as much variety in artists and commentary as I can. Listen on!
Artist: Maya Jane Coles
Cliffnotes: Soft, smoky, toasty
Same Aisle As: Frank Wiedemann, Nina Kraviz, any song to any L Word sex scene ever
Not too long ago, I heard a remix of the song “Howling” by Frank Wiedemann. This song sort of sent me down the rabbit hole of navigating through basslines and wob-wobs and drum machines until I found an oasis in the desert: Maya Jane Coles.
Maya Jane Coles is a producer from the UK and has dabbled in trip-hop, hip-hop, dubstep, and deep house music. She’s been decorated with numerous awards for her remixes and original tracks since her breakthrough track “What They Say.” Since then, she’s taken the BPM down quite a bit to settle into a more sensual tone of sound.
Oh yeah, and she looks like this:
Courtesy of mixmag.com
Second of all, she’s been taking the house scene by storm and has been named in Rolling Stones’ “The 25 DJs that Rule the Earth” – a list typically dominated by men. Not that Rolling Stone magazine should be taken as the be-all-end-all authority on music, but this kind of exposure has begun an avalanche of recognition that this talented producer deserves.
I’ll tell you right now that Maya’s music doesn’t lend itself very well to the power hour pre-game vibe. It does, however, go very well with a nice night drive, or a walk around a rainy city at night. I even really like listening to it at work while I code.
I’m pretty sure this is what my girlfriend thinks I do at work.
Her most recent album release, Comfort, has some great tracks to start off with. This is one of those albums that you can easily listen to as background music and just sort of let it immerse you in sound until you forget you’re listening to it. Kind of like a DVD menu that loops again and again, but not as annoying when you’re trying to take a nap on the couch.
https://soundcloud.com/
This song is SO good, isn’t it? Karin Park’s vocals blend so effortlessly into the track. It seems clear that Maya takes a lot of responsibility to create a track that will cater to the vocalist’s timbre and texture. It isn’t overpowering, but it shines out where it needs to. For example, the way that she brightens up the tone of the song during the chorus to showcase what Park is singing? GAH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
This song is a cool one too. Significantly more low key, but the tremolo in the higher pitches and the twangy bassline keep the energy up. If you’re looking to seduce someone in a low-lit hookah bar, this is the song to do it to.
Maya Jane Coles produces some great music to have on in the background or tell everyone about before they catch on to her success. Yes, now you too, can be THAT friend. To pair with her tunes, we’re going with a Mezcal cocktail today. Mezcal is tequila’s earthier and spicier cousin. To account for the brightness in her songs and the rising price of limes, let’s add some grapefruit juice for a Sort-Of Paloma! Mezcal is typically drunk with no frills, so we’ll keep it simple.
INGREDIENTS
-
1.5 oz mezcal
-
1 tbsp of honey (optional)
-
3 oz of grapefruit juice
-
1 pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
-
(Optional) If you already know that you’re not going to like the taste of tequila, mellow it out by stirring the mezcal with a bit of honey. That helps to round out the flavor so it’s not quite as face-scrunching.
-
Add salt, mezcal, and grapefruit juice in a shaker with ice. Shake well until chilled.
-
Add ice cubes to glass of your choice and pour out the cocktail.
-
Garnish with a lemon rind, if you please.
For additional tracks by Maya Jane Coles, check out the BPM Spotify playlist. It also compiles all listed tracks of this column.
BPM: Morgan Page and a Café Royal
Artist: Morgan Page
Cliffnotes:Warm, emotive, and poignant
Same Aisle As: Kaskade, Haley, Dragonette
If you’ve never listened to any sort of electronic music, Morgan Page is a great place to start.
First off, he’s done some really great music with Tegan & Sara. Many know the song “Body Work”, but there is also the lesser-known (but in my opinion, superior) Video.
Give it a listen and let’s get warmed up. I mean, it’s been one paragraph and I’ve already brought up Tegan & Sara so really, I shouldn’t have to write anymore than that, amirite?
Look how excited Sara is about squats!
BUT I TREK ON.
From the get-go, Morgan Page has a very recognizable style within a genre that is very easy to get lost in. He has a great command of melody, chord progression, and timbre of vocals mixed with instrumentation that focuses on that raspy, soul-aching, unrequited-love-for-my-lover-
https://soundcloud.com/morganpage/in-the-air-album-mix?in=morganpage/sets/in-the-air-remixes
I really LOVE this song. A great example of Morgan Page’s typical use of voice, I think it has a really different sound from what’s out there now and shows an artist expanding on what he knows what he’s good at. Synth strings, big percussive sounds, and for the music nerds out there, this song has some great suspensions that just seem to really just stretch your heartstrings. When the beat drops, it’s so organic and natural it’s from Whole Foods and provides a nice driving pulse for the rest of the song.
Also, his lyrics. I am personally someone who does not really pay attention to lyrics either way as long as they get the point across (“YOU WANT A MASERATI? YOU BETTA WORK BITCH”). But I know a lot of my friends appreciate a good, meaningful, emotive, and poignant set of words every now and then. Page does a great job of setting some lyrics that hit you right in the feels to some music that propels you forward while still . I feel like the song “Addicted” does a really great job of conveying my relationship with Diet Coke.
Morgan Page has been one of my favorite artists for some time now. His music often reminds me of warmth and enveloping, and for that reason, we’re going to go with my twist on a “Café Royal.”
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup of brewed coffee
- 1 oz of Café Patron Tequila Liqueur
- 1 tsp. of brown sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Mix coffee and coffee liqueur.
- Stir in brown sugar and garnish rim with brown sugar if desired.
Extra credit:
“Fight For You” – feat. Lissie – A strong, driving anthem, this song had a big part in my own sexual awakening as a queer woman and the video has Lissie in a tiny little dress-hoodie doing sporty things. Things I’m not mad about.
“The Longest Road” – feat. deadmau5 and Lissie – (This one won a Grammy!) This is the first song that I listened by Morgan Page. The intro is a bit long, but if you can make it through, it’s one of my favorite hits.
“One Day” – feat. Camila Grey – FAMILY!
For Spotify users, here’s an ongoing playlist that compiles all the listed tracks of this column into one playlist:
BPM: Yuna and a French 75
Artist: Yuna
Cliffnotes: Bubbly, uplifting, soothing, feel-good
Same Aisle As: Zee Avi, Anya Marina, Feist.
I first saw Yuna at Lollapalooza a couple years ago. She had just released her first EP and she had the teeniest tiniest stage and it was just her, her computer, and the sound guy. An occasional ukulele made an appearance now and then. Since then, Yuna has released 2 full-length albums and has only shown immense growth and flexibility as an artist.
Though I wouldn’t classify her as “electronic” music right off the bat, Yuna (full name Yunalis Mat Zara’ai) uses a lot of synth instruments in her music to layer with a voice that is so sweet and delicate, but not overly saccharine. You really just can’t help but smile and it doesn’t hurt that she’s super super adorable.
This song, “Someone Out of Town,” is a perfect example of how Yuna got started. A simple synth loop, her acting as her own back-up vocalists, and her voice floating right on top. Like the perfect piece of cake, Yuna strikes a perfect balance between digital and analog sounds to create a comprehensive sound that is easy to pick out each and every delicious layer.
Off of her first album, “Yuna,” she has a song “Lullabies” that shows growth in both songwriting and exploration in different textures of sounds. Still keeping with her style, but just showing a bit more of a mature sound. This song is just so bittersweet and lovely and I can’t help it if everybody falls in love with her after a listen.
After her first album, Yuna sort of starts to become a badass. This song “Gold” that she recorded with Adventure Club is a HUGE departure from her style of music and she pulls it off so so so so well. Adventure Club is known for their dubstep sound, but still retains a nice melodic line and hints of progressive electronic music. At first listen, you wouldn’t put the two together, but this song is a testament to how well Yuna’s voice can carry her own amidst some fairly heavy-duty electronic background.
Yuna’s most recent single, “Rescue,” is just an anthem to Y’ALL ARE BADASSES AND DON’T NEED NOBODY TO HOLD YO HAND. I’m thinking this song is going to be used really soon for a cancer flashmob or something. Or like…week 3 of that terrible break up and you start thinking that you totally deserved better than that assbag. Or after a terrible week of work, school, or being at home.
“Yeah, she’s got light in her face, she don’t need no rescuing, she’s okay.
Yeah, she’s got life in her veins, she don’t need no rescuing, she’s okay.”
Or maybe she’s just talking about getting over a bad hangover, I dunno. The elements of this song only reinforce the idea that Yuna is growing at an unprecedented pace as an artist, but still delivers music that is consistent to her original style.
To pair with Yuna, we’re going with another champagne drink this week because there’s just no better counterpart to this bubbly and adventurous artist. One of my favorite drinks for one of my favorite artists: a French 75.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz gin
- splash of simple syrup (or just fine sugar)
- ½ oz lemon juice
- 6 oz champagne
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pour lemon juice, sugar/syrup, and gin into a shaker.
- Shake well with ice cubes.
- Strain and pour ingredients into a tall glass.
- Fill glass with champagne.
- Garnish with lemon if it please ye.
This is a really delicious drink that actually lays a great framework for branching out, similar to how Yuna has branched out and grown WOW MUCH PARALLELS. A French 75 is very easy to customize to make it your own. Triple sec would be great first choice, or if you’re a super fancy-pants, I once tried it with this fig vanilla black pepper syrup that was amazeballs and super delicious.
Extra credit:
“Thinkin Bout You” (Frank Ocean cover) – Yuna covers Frank Ocean and does a really great job. Enough said.
“I Wanna Go” – I love the syncopation she has on this track. It drives the song along the relaxed beat underneath.
“Favourite Thing” – Cute gushy song about huge lesbian crushes and stuff. Bonus points for gender neutrality.
For Spotify users, here’s an ongoing playlist that compiles all the listed tracks of this column into one playlist.
An installment of BPM: Booze Paired with Music. A brief exposé on artists, popular or obscure, to suit your need for beats. Along with it, a little treat to make for yourself while you bask in the sound of glory and a drink well done. As a former DJ, violinist, aca-bopper, and hip-hop dancer, I try to bring you as much variety in artists and commentary as I can. Listen on!
BPM: Getting Wet and Bubbly With BANKS
When a friend of mine first introduced me to Banks, I immediately thought but didn’t say, “You missed a ‘y.’” Like a good wannabe hipster, of course I knew Banks-y and the girl with the red balloon and wow I didn’t know he made music let’s check it out. Then, sex. Sex just happened in my ears and I was really not mad about it because holy Tegan and Sara this was so good.
Oh, hello.
Artist: BANKS
Cliffnotes: Sex, sexual things, downbeats, intimate, brooding, sex.
Same Aisle As: Frank Ocean, James Blake, the opposite of Justin Bieber
BANKS is actually a very talented up-and-coming voice who creates some really friggin’ awesome music. There are some notes that remind me of Portishead and Little Dragon, but there are also some really sick new-wave-y elements along the lines of James Blake and Jamie Woon. At the young age of 25, her music invokes a lot of powerful emotions along the lines of broken relationships, newfound crushes, and really everything she writes makes you want to dance and cry and fuck all at once.
BANKS’ tracks have incomprehensibly smooth vocals, exploring both velvet lower ranges and a perfectly-layered-on-top upper range. Transitions are smooth and every single beat is just SO. SEXY. This is like if trip-hop lounge music and new-wave electronic conceived a perfect R&B child with slight dubstep tendencies. Then they all get their own sticker on the back of the BANKS minivan and it’s awesome.
This song, “Warm Water,” is probably one of her more popular ones. I really don’t want to spoil it for you but I almost cried at work at how much I loved this song upon first listen. I think if you like this song, you will like every other thing this artist has written. I just love this song because you can feel the tension, but it’s tender. You can feel it pleading, but it’s seductive. Not to mention the music video is just so perfect for the song and it’s just everything okay WHATEVER WHO IS CUTTING ONIONS IN HERE PLZ STOP. Anyway, I almost want to tell you to use protection for this song because it is just teh secks.
BANKS is still establishing a solid fanbase, but I don’t think it’ll be long until she blows up. If you look her up on Wikipedia, it even says Ellie Goulding loves listening to her. Don’t you want to be like Ellie Goulding? Even more, BANKS is known for connecting through social media with her fans; her number is available to you via Facebook. Her EP “London” is available on iTunes.
To pair with BANKS, I would recommend a “Black Velvet” drink. This is one of the simpler drinks to make, albeit an unusual combination. It’s punchy, surprisingly refreshing, and has a darker lower layer and a light upper layer, like her music.
INGREDIENTS
-
½ Guinness Draught or Guinness Extra Stout
-
½ champagne
INSTRUCTIONS
-
Pour the Guinness until about half the glass is full.
-
Fill the remainder of the glass with bubbly of your choice.
-
PRO TIP: If you pour the champagne over an overturned spoon instead of pouring it straight into the stout, the effects of dual layers of booze will last longer.
-
Guinness is one of my favorite beers, and this unusual combination won me over a few years ago. The ratio is easily adjustable for those who are averse to or have a penchant for darker beers, so just indulge me. If you like a sweeter drink, I would recommend Prosecco for your bubbles, as that’ll give it a sweeter and fruitier finish. The drink is smooth and rather subdued, but also if you hate it, now you have a bottle of champagne or a pack of Guinness. Everybody wins!
Extra credit:
“Work” – This song is quite different than her others. It is much more upbeat and aggressive. A nice departure from her usual productions.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/74570624″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
“Before I Ever Met You” – Tough break up? BANKS understands.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/77796678″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
“This Is What It Feels Like” – UHauled too hard. (I love the chorus in this one.)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/109564263″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
“Warm Water – Snakehips Remix” – This is a remix to the music video shown above and if 1:13 is not the best moment then I don’t know.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/100547289″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
An installment of BPM: Booze Paired with Music. A brief exposé on artists, popular or obscure, to suit your need for beats. Along with it, a little treat to make for yourself while you bask in the sound of glory and a drink well done. As a former DJ, violinist, aca-bopper, and hip-hop dancer, I try to bring you as much variety in artists and commentary as I can. Listen on!
Are you a Spotify user? Here’s an ongoing playlist that compiles all the listed tracks of this column into one playlist: BPM on Spotify
BPM: Kate Boy, The One with The Fictitious Androgynous Band Member
feature image credit to Per Ole Hagen
Welcome to the first installment of BPM: Booze Paired with Music – a brief exposé on artists, popular or obscure, to suit your need for beats. Along with it, we offer a little treat to make for yourself while you bask in the sound of glory and a drink well done. As a former DJ, violinist, aca-bopper, and hip-hop dancer, I try to bring you as much variety in artists and commentary as I can. Listen on!
Artist: Kate Boy
Cliffnotes: Urgent, dark, and strong.
Same Aisle As: Grimes, The Knife, Lissie.
Scandinavian countries have no problem consistently producing some really grade-A dance music. It must be something in water (or snow?) because Kate Boy is no exception; the members of this quartet hail from Sweden and Australia. Though their frontwoman Kate Akhurst seems to take the lead, the band is named for a fictitious fifth member representing the egalitarian approach the band uses to writing and composing songs. They comment, “Even the name Kate Boy, it’s this kind of androgynous thing we loved, a person who isn’t female or male and who’s the fifth member of the band.”
Fictitious or not, sign me up for keyboard lessons amirite?
Kate Boy hits you with punchy vocals reminiscent of The Knife with instrumentation similar to Grimes. With only a few releases to date, each song shows slick use of synthesizers, thoughtful placement of percussion, and vocals that really call the listener to attention. All these amazeballs sounds are slathered on top of some refined yet grungy musical foundations. The musical progressions are pop-friendly, but have a electropop edge to them. My favorite, “The Way We Are,” really conveys a sense of urgency in what the speaker is saying: LISTEN TO ME GAHTDAMMIT.
This is one of those songs that really grabs your attention right away. The chorus has a repetitive, ascending line that feels climactic and expansive. This is not a calm song, and I think it’s got a real defiant vibe to it. You know that epic rainfall that happens when you’ve just broken up with that one human that you’ve really been putting off doing for a long time and you just left their house and then it starts to rain to wash your regrets away? You know? And then they’re like “no come back” and you’re like “naw I got places to be bye.” Nawmean?
Don’t cry bcuz over, smile bcuz happened.
Anyway, yeah, like that has never happened to me more than twice. I digress. Kate Boy’s other two songs are slower in tempo, but just as exciting. They are pop with the fizz, but a darker side to its sound. In order to showcase that darker element, I give you a whiskey version of the “Dark and Stormy.”
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 oz bourbon
- 4 oz ginger beer
- 1 oz dark cola
- Squeeze of lime
- Muddled lime wedge
INSTRUCTIONS
- Crush and muddle a lime wedge in the bottom of a glass.
- Mix remaining ingredients and stir well in glass.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
Extra credit: (I mean, they only have 3 songs out…):
https://soundcloud.com/iamsoundrecords/kate-boy-in-your-eyes
https://soundcloud.com/iamsoundrecords/kate-boy-northern-lights-mp3
For Spotify users, here’s an ongoing playlist that compiles all the listed tracks of this column into one playlist: