March has brought some sunny weather and a lifting of lockdown measures is imminent so we’ve kept this month’s playlist breezy and easy-going. Dare we dream for the return of live music in summer? Save getting your hopes up just yet and tune into the radio channel of inertia.blog for some chicken selects of top drawer music, some of which you might be familiar with, some of which are all new sounds to get lost in. Crack open a lemonade and enjoy.
Charlie’s Picks
Kit Sebastian – Yürüdüm Büyüdüm Çürüdüm
Just when I felt my taste in music was growing stale again, I discovered Kit Sebastian. Their sound is distinctly Mediterranean, their lyrics seamlessly interspersed with English, French and Turkish. I love this track, it almost sounds like it’d be at home in a Spaghetti Western as it layers terrific percussion with some reverb-y chords and smoky riffs. Sonically it sits somewhere between Nadine Shah and Khruangbin. I’m glad I’ve discovered them when I have as it seems like they’re gearing up for a sophomore effort with the release of a spate of new singles. I’ll be looking forward to see how they can further develop their already mature sound and break some new ground.
La Femme – It’s Time to Wake Up 2023
It’s not on purpose that I’ve found myself obsessing over another francophone artist this month as well, but I’ve been returning again and again to La Femme’s 2013 LP Psychotropical Berlin. The whole album drips with creative energy, each song a meticulously constructed soundscape that takes on its own character as you listen. I understand maybe 1 or 2 words in the lyrics but it’s in French so it sounds sexy regardless and compliments the music perfectly. It’s Time to Wake Up is a dreamy, rhythmic burst, totally unafraid to expand out into the open and swallow you up. This is one of those songs that can give you goosebumps if you’re in a certain mood, and I love it for that. It’s dense, and rewards repeated listens as I have gone back to it again and again over the last month.
John Tareugram – Glorieux Passé
I thought I’d cap off the playlist with this energetic groover that makes use of horns, bass guitars and organs in a gorgeous package of deep house goodness. Jazz infusions in house tend to lead productions in a more downtempo direction but this tune subverts that and keeps things speedy. The give and take of breakdowns and drops are executed perfectly, which makes this cut a real toe-tapper.
Ewan’s Picks
Johnny Marr & Maxine Peake – The Priest
This hidden gem created by the former Smiths guitarist alongside decorated actress Maxine Peake’s vocal performance is something that I only stumbled across very recently. Despite the decidedly 90s trip hop kind of feel to the song, it was only released in 2017. The track acts as a kind of art piece as Peake reads quotes from a Big Issue editor named Joe Gallagher that he himself has taken from overheard interactions between homeless people in Edinburgh. This combined with the music video featuring BBC drama regular Molly Windsor may make the whole thing seem more of creative art project, but the song is mainly here because it sounds good. Johnny Marr has never lost his ear for what sounds good and continues to create great music, which is more than can be said for Morrissey.
Kendrick Lamar – Real (feat. Anna Wise)
After recently reigniting my Kendrick obsession I have come back to the age old question; good kid m.A.A.d city or To Pimp a Butterfly? For me picking a decisive favourite album from the Compton rapper is impossible, with my answer switching regularly based on the day. Two albums that are, in my eyes, perfect obviously leave me with an abundance of tracks to choose from. Real is one of those songs that stays in my head for days after listening to it, which is to say that it’s been stuck there for much of March.
St. Vincent – Pay Your Way In Pain
St. Vincent is back in a massive way with this new track from her upcoming album, Daddy’s Home. After her critically acclaimed album MASSEDUCATION from 2017, we haven’t heard all too much from St. Vincent. Instead of capitalising on her ‘high stock’ she took a bit of time away and has returned in dramatic fashion with this uncompromising first single. For myself and many others this is an exciting development and has raised expectations for this new album beyond the already grand expectations set from her last project.
inertia 