Monday Mixtape

The start of a new series where I tell you what I've been listening to lately

Hello and happy Monday from my past self. Right now it’s Sunday and I’m writing from a bar stool at Concord, my favorite coffee shop in my hometown (and the one I used to work at).

I’ve been toying with this concept for a minute and decided this week would be the week I’d debut the bi-weekly Not Just Me “Monday Mixtape.” I love music and I listen to a lot of it, so I plan on using this series to showcase some artists, albums, and standalone tracks that I care about a lot and/or just happen to be vibing with lately. I’ll also include some fun facts about the artist and songs that remind me of the artist or track in hopes it will help you connect with them a bit more.

I’ll be uploading these tracks into this playlist moving forward. Feel free to add it to your library to stay up to date with the new songs added every other week!

With every new edition of the Monday Mixtape, I’ll move past inclusions into the Monday Mixtape Archive so the original playlist stays fresh and up to date. I am a Spotify user, so these will live there…apologies to my Apple Music-loving folks.

Without further ado, here’s what’s been in my rotation lately:

Radio by Bershy

Bershy’s (she/they) Instagram bio describes themselves as “tortured lesbian pop,” haha. This is a certified summer banger. It reminds me of the kind of track I’d want to hear while at a roller skating rink with my friends. It’s sultry yet fizzy like a Sprite — light, fun, and enjoyable. It’s got a little bit of an 80s feel with the synthy pre-chorus and punchy drums.

“Then I met you and my eyes changed
And now you're in my eye range, I'm gunning for you
You changed my heart in a big way
Now everyday's a celebration and I wanna say”

I’ve listened to this more times than I care to admit; it hasn’t failed to put me in a good mood yet. Bershy’s artist bio says there’ll be an EP coming in 2023, and I’m very much looking forward to it.

Reminds me of: Cold Brew by BEL, Smog by Indigo de Souza, Sugar by Remi Wolf, Barely on My Mind by the Regrettes, Shut the Door by Blue Mena, and You Can Get It by BUMPER

From Me by Ava McCoy

This track comes with a full EP recommendation because damn. It’s that good. This is a recent release (July 14th, 2023) and I’d highly recommend listening to it with high-quality speakers or headphones. Or just at full blast in your car. It’s folk & Americana meets indie rock — the drums and guitar, in tandem with Ava’s voice, blend beautifully together in the chorus. Super atmospheric and makes you feel like you’re feeling big feelings with her.

“I thought I could die
Even when I wasn’t out to dry
I felt my hands on the back of my neck
Saying what you want from me?
And I can’t seem to find my way
No, I can’t seem to escape”

Not much to say other than this is a wonderful EP and I want someone else to listen to it so I can gush over it with them.

Reminds me of: to Perth, before the border closes by Julia Jacklin, Double Dare by Momma, Deep Sea by Snail Mail, Ones Who Love You by Alvvays, and Old Friend by Mitski

Last Drop by Kacey Johansing

Let me preface this by saying there is no song Kacey Johansing could put out there that I wouldn’t love. Blurring the lines of parasocial relationships, this woman has created music that will likely be etched into my heart forever (other artists like this include Bedouine, Weyes Blood, Julia Jacklin, SZA, etc…. that’s for another day).

“Last Drop” is a single released ahead of her upcoming album Year Away coming out on October 13th. While I enjoy and appreciate when artists play around with their sound and genre, I love how reliable and consistent Kacey’s sound is. To me, her music sounds like what it feels like to speak to someone you love who is older, wiser, and wants to share their love and knowledge with you.

“I keep you like a habit // I stick around like a ghost // I wanna run out and catch it // And disappear like smoke // When I can’t feel your love // And I want love to feel // As if it were the last drop and nothing ever lasts forever // As if it were the missing chord of a song that’s written for each other”

Beautiful lyricism, beautiful voice, beautiful ~vibes~. I just love it. Another summer jam, the perfect song for a nice drive (and the perfect addition to the playlist you’re thinking about making for your crush).

Reminds me of: Everything I had by Sun June, The Solitude by Bedouine, Belle Isle by Anna Burch, Song For Our Daughter by Laura Marling, and This Is Your Life by Hannah Cohen

Dinah by Maple Glider

TW: This song touches briefly on themes of sexual assault and religious trauma.

Maple Gliders’ most recent release, “Dinah” is a satirical adaptation of the bible story “Dinah gets into trouble.”

In a statement shared with ourculture magazine, Tori Zietsch (Maple Glider) says:

“For me, ‘Dinah’ is the scariest thing I’ve ever put out. It’s probably the most pop feeling song I’ve released, but it’s really quite an angry song,” Zietsch said in a statement. “I have felt incredibly disturbed and frustrated and sad in the process of writing and putting it together. I wanted the video to be fast paced, colourful, and full of energy, the same kind of riled up energy I had when I wrote the song. But it also had to be silly, because I can’t help that.”

“This album feels more like an opening up because there are things I wasn’t feeling ready to publicly share through songs, but now I finally feel ready,” she added.

I was introduced to Maple Glider last year by a friend who put me onto her previous album, To Enjoy Is The Only Thing (which I also recommend). Zietsch’s voice has a smooth raspiness to it that is captivating alone but is further enhanced by her lyricism and choice of instrumentation. It tends to fall under the “chamber pop” genre and her sound definitely fits the eccentric nature of it.

“I met Dinah at the Bible study when I was eight years old
She was just a story to them, but to me she was more than they told
They said "Be God fearing, don't be messing with those non-believing"

So I've been in the church making sure no one's looking up my skirt
But I do not feel safe here
I wanna feel alive
Do you thrive knowing that our God favours you over me dear?”

I’m excited to hear her new album, I Get Into Trouble, which also comes out on October 13th.

Reminds me of: Bad girl by Sun June, Old Man by Stella Donelly, Certainty by Big Thief, and damn by Ada Lea

Uncomfortable Teenager by Phantastic Ferniture

This track comes from a side project of Julia Jacklin’s that I didn’t know existed until now…unreal. I love Julia’s music, so it was a fun little moment to hear this for the first time and think “Wait a minute I know that voice…”

This is a punchy track that kind of sounds like something you’d hear in an early 2010s coming-of-age film during a scene where the protagonist sneaks into their high school (while on suspension) to hijack an event happening in the assembly room.

“Uncomfortable teenager
Terrible friends
You'll meet the right ones one day
Won't have to pretend
Blindly to thrive in now (?)
Get the fuck out
Move to the city baby
It'll all work out”

This is the only album that Phantastic Ferniture has put out and, unfortunately for us, it came out in 2018. Not sure if there’s anything else on the horizon for the trio, but at least we have this to enjoy.

Reminds me of: Season’s Greetings by Stella Donnelly, Less Than Thou by The Beths, You Were Right by Julia Jacklin, and Glory by Snail Mail

Take Me Away (Like A Song) by Abbi Ellis

“It comes in waves…I miss you.”

I’ve had the privilege of knowing this song for a while through acoustic performances over the years, but my dear friend Abbi recently recorded and released this track and it is, in every sense of the word, magical.

It’s got breathy + layered vocals, an abundance of negative space surrounding it (that makes the presence of the echoed vocals feel haunting but in a good way), and sleepy yet dazzling instrumentation that makes me feel like I’m in a dream (dream pop energy!!). The banjitar’s light and plucky notes at the beginning and end of the song contrast beautifully against the bridge’s grand entrance, a soundscape so full and shimmery it feels like stepping into bright sunlight and seeing the person you love for the first time in a long time.

“Every melody, memory, floods my heart again // It’s beauty so haunting // I try but I can’t forget about you”

On Abbi’s Instagram, she says:

“It’s been a long time coming and this story actually starts back in 2016.
My sister @kaylaagarth and I were on a road trip together, and found ourselves feeling nostalgic. We ended up listening to artists like Relient K and Hawk Nelson, the bands we were obsessed with when we were kids. Even though we hadn’t listened to them in years, we still knew every word to every song.

It struck me, the way our brains remember things. Memory is fickle, and I often find myself remembering things wrong, because it’s easier to remember how something felt more than the memory itself.”

It’s a special track and one that “takes me away” to another time and place — feelings of nostalgia, first love, and fairytales come to mind when listening to this song. Abbi has such a knack for storytelling and world-building (dare I say, vibe-building??) that makes every new song a joy to listen to. Definitely keep an eye out for new music to come. I can’t wait.

*Also: I have a ton of friends who played a part in this song instrumentally too, which is super cool, including Casey Newton who “played electric guitar” and is “a rock god.” He definitely did not ask me to say that, at all.*

Reminds me of: Time to Start (A New One) by Ava McCoy, Paper Flower - Edit by Beauty Queen, Old Bruiser by Hannah Cohen, Recuerda by Penny and Sparrow, Let Me Walk Right In by Kacey Johansing, and Angel by Alice Phoebe Lou

That’s it for this week. I’m sure this series will evolve a bit as time progresses, so feel free to share what you like/dislike and/or what you want to see more of in the comments.

Hope you enjoy + happy listening!

-Pam