Welcome to Season 2, Episode 2. We are in the depths of summer, and our moods and song choices reflect that. We just wanna vibe, and vibe we do.
Listen along on this week’s playlist:
Alex monologues about his thoughts on nostalgia, and how do we move forward and grow artistically when we are all so stuck in the past? Toy Story 5 anyone? Alex watches movies from days of yore to escape. Jana listens to her same playlists over and over again. Then Jana admits she’s never seen Twin Peaks, and Alex has to come to terms with that as a friend and a co-host. (Then we go down a She-ra and He-Man gay-lore tangent). Take a listen and see if you agree on the potential harms of too much nostalgia. Our songs this week are all throwbacks to something, which for this moment in time, we are ok with.
But first? A drink. Speaking of nostalgia, this week we cheers to the life of Sam Neill. May we live in a way that the whole world mourns when we go.
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This week’s drink:
The Pin Up
Somewhere between a Jasmine and a Boston…
Jasmine: Famous cocktail made in the 90s by mixologist Paul Harrington. Used for the proportions of this drink; the Campari in that recipe is switched out for elderflower liqueur and the orange liqueur is switched out for apricot brandy.
Boston: Where the apricot brandy comes from. The recipe Alex found was from Boothby’s World Drinks And How To Mix Them, from 1934.
- 2oz gin
- 1oz apricot brandy (the lower ABV kind)
- .75oz lemon juice
- .5oz elderflower liqueur
- barspoon of Luxardo cherry syrup
(Jana used peach brandy and it worked well too!)
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First up, Jungle has a new album out, and we are featuring “Someday, Somewhere.” Jungle are a British band formed in early 2013 by London-based producers Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland. In 2023, Lydia Kitto joined as a full-time member.
This is a breezy, island-y, summer jam and there’s not a lot to talk about lyrically. It’s chill, it’s optimistic, it’s the feeling that something better is coming. Don’t we all need it? Alex hears Leon Thomas, Earth, Wind, & Fire, and a lot of 70’s inspired soul and funk. The bass line is strong, as it needs to be in this case, and we recommend the whole Jungle album as a mid-July lift.
“People are dying, some good, some bad, and we need this song.” - Jana
Next up, Westside Cowboys new track “Pin Up Boys.” Another UK-based band, but much newer on the scene. We can tell from this recording that this band is a really practiced live band. This British band is making American-style rock, some Americana to it as well. We love the one channel to stereo trick in the intro, the edgy guitars, and the lyrics play a little on the nostalgia theme too. Alex talks about Rainbow Kitten Surprise as a reference (check out the playlist for this week). The breaks and transitions between parts keep this from being a typical indie rock song. Toward the end, someone is yelling through effects for a melody line and we love that.
Lastly, Kelela and PinkPantheress team up for “The Bridge.” A smooth throwback R&B inspired jam to listen to while you soak up some sun / try not to roast. We love Kelela’s voice here, and they blend really well. Vocal cuts used as rhythmic piece are super cool and make a simple lo-fi housebeat work well for 4 minutes. The stereo-widening of the vocals works nicely here, and a flanging effect is working too (an audio effect produced by mixing two identical signals together, one signal delayed by a small and gradually changing period, usually smaller than 20 milliseconds). A Glitter reference too…early 2000’s girly pop will never die.
“The Pussycat Dolls on Xanax.” - Alex
Jana confesses vocal chops as a production technique are near and dear to her (listen to "It Ain’t Me" by Selena Gomez/Kygo) and Alex references Donna Missal’s “sex is good (but have you tried).”
Anyway - big Kelela fans here, and thus concludes our Summer Jams episode.
As always, thanks for listening! Leave us a review and tell your friends!
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Alex's links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerboying
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowerboying
Alex's Substack: https://alexanderdaoust.substack.com
Jana's links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janapochop
Website: http://www.janapochop.com
Jana's Substack: https://janapochop.substack.com
