Monday Mixtape
Featuring Teenage Fanclub, Phoenix, The Lemon Twigs (x2), Jacklen Ro, Blondshell, and Jordana
Howdy and happy Monday! It’s the start of a new week and I’m happy dancin’ because I get to sleep in my bed tonight after 2 weeks away. Hallelujah.
Before we start, some housekeeping!
I’m trying something a little different today. I realize not everyone uses Spotify, and most of my links are Spotify links because *I* do. So while the the main playlist may still be built on Spotify…I’m going to link the songs below via YouTube for (hopefully?) easier access and cooler content. I love having the visual element included. Let me know if you have any opinions on this change. The tracklist will still be available on the Monday Mixtape playlist, however, as featured below:
If you’re reading this and the playlist above ^ doesn’t match what I’m writing about in the rest of this post, you might be reading an old post. Archived tracks from past playlists will live on the Monday Mixtape Archive found here!
Without further ado, here’s what’s been in my rotation lately:
The Concept by Teenage Fanclub
"The Concept" is a song recorded by Scottish rock band Teenage Fanclub and is the second single from the band's third studio album Bandwagonesque.
“She wears denim wherever she goes
Says she's gonna get some records by the Status Quo
Oh yeah
Oh yeah”
Whenever I listen to this I feel like I’m being transported to a different time. It’s grungy, tongue-in-cheek, and full of angst. The breakdown at 3:11 is both punchy and dreamy and the visuals in the music video are so out there. I love it.
Reminds me of: The Lemonheads, The Beta Band (also Scottish!), and Dinosaur Jr.
All Eyes On Me by Phoenix
Let the record show I will listen to pretty much anything Phoenix puts out. The band is a reminder of my high school days and is incredibly nostalgic in the best way. If you aren’t familiar with them, what a treat!! It is my honor to share them with you. Phoenix is a French pop rock/alternative indie band from Versailles. They formed in 1995 and have put out seven albums, including their latest album Alpha Zulu.
“All Eyes On Me” is pure fun. It’s full of infectious, catchy, and experimental beats that are impossible to keep yourself from nodding along to.
“Before they cut you out
And you went missing honestly
I thought you weren’t allowed
Mais oui mais non mais non merci
All eyes on me
Peel slowly and see
Tristan is broke
Selling his Van Gogh
And then you figure out
Your coeur de cible is courtesy
I caught you anyhow
Do, ré, do, do, ré, do, ré, me
Didn’t I tell you then?
Didn’t I tell you not to stutter?
Did-Didn’t I tell you when?
Didn’t I, didn’t I, didn’t I?”
Fun fact: Phoenix’s lead singer, Thomas Pablo Croquet (also known as Thomas Mars) is married to American filmmaker and actress Sofia Coppola.
Reminds me of: Empire of the Sun, MGMT, and Foster the People
Any Time Of Day by The Lemon Twigs
OKAY PEOPLE. Two things:
I included not one, but TWO of The Lemon Twigs’ songs on this list at the same time. Why? Because I couldn’t make up my mind, and these songs are THAT GOOD. Yes. I mean it.
If you listen to only one song off this list, make it this one.
The Lemon Twigs are an American rock band made up of brothers Michael and Brian D’Addario. When I tell you I cannot listen to this song without smiling like a fucking idiot, I mean it. This song slaps. It is everything good in the world. It makes you feel like life is worth living. It’s beautiful, the vocals are insane, and the songwriting is out of this world. And the key change??? It’s a damn near-perfect song. Maybe it is perfect. I’m only human, so I don’t know. I just love this song, and the music video makes it that much better. It’s the cherry on top.
“Sometimes you have to crawl to know that gravity is working
'Til you're one day walking tall and know that nothing is for certain
And no one can close the curtain but
Baby, I don't need someone to turn around
Maybe all you need are both feet on the ground
And you can make it bright any time of day (You can shine)”
In all honesty, this was me, in my car today, singing this at the top of my lungs:
Fun fact: The Lemon Twigs have previously toured with Phoenix!
Reminds me of: Foxygen, Todd Rundgren, Big Star, and Traffic
Corner of My Eye by The Lemon Twigs
I talked about transitional fall songs in the last installment of the Monday Mixtape, and this song will 1000% have a spot on my official fall playlist. It makes me think of leisurely strolls through the Downtown Farmer’s Market on a cool fall day.
No? Just me?
“I played the game of heartbreak
The emptiness remains
But how much loneliness can a man take
'Til he tries to take the reins?
But when I've got you in the corner of my eye
All my moments are the same when day or night
I saw you twice before
Now I really wanna see you more”
Basically, I’m going to be listening to this album for a while. Shoutout to my friend Casey for putting me on them!!!
Reminds me of: Foxygen, Todd Rundgren, Big Star, and Traffic
Timebomb by Jacklen Ro
I ended up linking the acoustic version of this because 1) the duo is so cute and 2) it’s fun to see their faces and hear their voices live as they figure out the kinks. Jacklen Ro is a Los Angeles-based queer indie-rock outfit made up of friends Jackie Giroux and Caelen Perkins. This song came to me randomly and I remember thinking how raw and real both their voices and the lyrics were. It screams teen-to-early-twenties-angst-and-heartbreak in the best way. As Steven Ward put it on Grimy Goods:
“On their latest, the band wraps themselves in sunny melodies and hazy rock sonics, dipping in and out of a delirium-soaked bliss that fuels their unabashed attempt to capture life in all its blinding romantic beauty.”
I mean, what a perfect way to describe it.
“'Cause now we're just a time bomb baby
Since the day that we met I've been crazy
And I'm tryin' to pretend I don't like it
But I'm back here with you, so I guess that I do
There's a way that you hold me inside of your kiss
Where we're not so lonely and time doesn't exist
A time when we're still kids
And I know what this is”
Reminds me of: The Greeting Committee, Indigo De Souza, Sjowgren, and Christian Leave
Sepsis by Blondshell
Sabrina Teitelbaum. Blondshell. New Yorker now living in Los Angeles. Fucking badass. I keep trying to find a way to describe this properly: as a woman, you know when someone is being difficult with you and you’re just over it? And the other person knows it, too? That’s what this song sounds like to me. It’s a soft, yet firm, “whatever, man.” It’s cathartic, angry yet level, sharp yet mellow. It’s a middle finger to your ex while secretly hoping they want you back. The drums and her voice are killing me!!
“He wears a front facing cap
The sex is almost always bad
I don't care, 'cause I'm in love
I don't know him well enough
What am I projecting?
He's gonna start infecting my life
It will hit all at once
Like sepsis
What if I'm down to let this kill me?”
I’ll leave you with this comment, lol.
Reminds me of: Wednesday, Momma, Indigo De Souza, The Beths, and Wild Painting
Sparks by Jordana
This video is a little fuzzier than the recorded version, but my god. This cover of Coldplay’s “Sparks” is beautiful. Her voice is just as sweet and strong and mellow at the same time as Chris Martin’s is in the original. If you’re new to Jordana (full name Jordana Nye), she’s a 23-year-old bedroom pop artist who has been in similar circles as TV Girl, Yot Club, Dev Lemons, and the like. This cover is a nice break from her usual, pop-y, upbeat stuff and it gives her a solid opportunity to showcase how clear and steady her voice can be.
“My heart is yours
It's you that I hold onto
Yeah, that's what I do”
Reminds me of: Lunar Vacation, Good Morning, and Loving
Please let me know if you end up loving those Lemon Twigs tracks as much as I do. Hope you enjoy + happy listening!
-Pam