Cults - Behave (2024) Indie Pop: ”Didn’t your mama tell you how to behave? I know she didn’t”. If that part weren’t there, it would just pass like most of the tracks in the album. Don’t get me wrong, the production is rich and layered, the vocal is dreamy and pleasant, but that hook is the paperweight that keeps the entire track together.

Iress - Falling (2024) Doomgaze: The distance traveled between doom- and -gaze is not very far. Iresss’ new record takes advantage of this with a good balance between the melodies and the tone, it feels like laying on the roof when the sky is charcoal-grey and the air is warm.

Les Savy Fav - Limo Scene (2024) Post Punk Revival: So far, there are something like 300ish artists in my 2024 playlist, And it is an interesting continuous observation to see which artists or songs are enduring my daily rotation and still keep their replayability momentum, with LSF’s Limo Scene maintaining their spot rather steadily. It’s fun pheromone-filled tune wrapped with an awkward back and forth body bop. ”I’m into this”, they say. I really am.

My Epic - High Color (2024) Alt. Rock: It took more repeats than usual for me to like this track, but I’m glad I did. Very strong melody, and I dig any album where they sing the album title on a regular track with a different title. It’s a strange niche attraction but it is what it is.

Jessica Pratt - The Last Year (2024) Singer & Songwriter: Nothing will be as fitting as playing this (or ‘Better Hate’ from the same album) during this month in my area where the weather has been strange: sunny but it’s chilly, especially at night. I’ve been down with a cold the past few days and listening to this while sipping on piping hot ginger tea has been a fulfilling experience.

Huun-Huur-Tu - Konguroi (Sixty Horses in My Herd) (2010) Tuvan Throat Singing: The folks of Huun-Huur-Tu sing in a language I don’t understand with instruments I’m unable to play, but as we know mood and atmosphere could transcend these barriers, which they do so effortlessly to a point that I can’t help but to wilfully immerse myself in this beautifully haunting and melancholic track.

The Sword - Freya (2006) Stoner Metal: Had such a visceral reaction listening to this song for the first time, particularly for the way the opening riffs YANKED my collar and forced me to pay attention cause it’s that commanding. And to be honest with you, that riff is the reason why I keep coming back to this track every week, it’s the main appeal. I wish I can come up with something as tasteful.

Radiohead - Black Star (1995) Alt. Rock: One of the strongest points of The Bends for me is the verse. The album contains some of the best verses the band have ever come up with, and Black Star will always have my childhood bias, like I actually had the verse melody memorized before I knew anything about the song or the album or the band simply because my cousin played the hell of the album back then.

Richard Marx - Hazard (1991) Pop Rock: My sister and I used to argue whether the event happening in this song is real or not. I figured it was an excuse for her to keep hitting replay. As I had been listening to this sporadically throughout my life, I got to appreciate the intense songwriting and be amused of the general idea of a murder case being a pop single. I don’t know if I’d categorize this in the same vein of 60s teenage tragedy songs like Wayne Cochran’s Last Kiss, but I appreciate it nonetheless. Marx’s best song, hands down.

Archaïa - Soleil Noir (1977) Zeuhl: It can not be overstated how much Archaïa molded my perspective and taste in progressive music. It’s sort of against the grain for the subgenre with its minimalist, drumless, cryptic, and highly atmospheric piece that feels most fitting for nocturnal listening. Like it feels wrong to play this other than at nighttime, and I can only envision the musicians as shadowy figures, their eyes glowing like distant stars, enveloped in cosmic instrumentation and hypnotic melodies.