Welcome to the July edition of Beats Per Minute’s monthly playlist BPM Curates.
The end of summer is nigh but that just means that autumn is around the corner – typically the time of year when we get the biggest and best album releases and tours. With those just on the horizon, artists have started teasing them with tantalising singles to whet our appetites – several of which occupy our playlist this month. We also have some bangers from the most outstanding albums released this month to spice things up.
So, get hyped by listening to our playlist of picks below.
Below is the track list and some notes from our team about why they’ve selected them for this month’s playlist.
Cassandra Jenkins – “Aurora, IL”
Even when Cassandra Jenkins writes a melancholic song, you can’t help ending up marvelled by the way certain things tend to magically interconnect. “Aurora, IL” captures this magical confluence of phenomena like so many other songs Jenkins has penned. A song inspired by William Shatner’s disarming sadness after riding in Jeff Bezos’s rocket ship, somehow only heightened Jenkins’ awareness of the beauties within her everyday surroundings. Sometimes ignorance is indeed bliss, and you’d rather just never leave Aurora, looking up instead of peering down. – Jasper Willems
Chat Pile – “I Am A Dog Now”
Oklahoma’s Chat Pile announced new LP Cool World On the same day I interviewed The Jesus Lizard – forcing cool into uncool much like the revered and returning noise rock forebears. On the blistering “I Am Dog Now”, the post-hardcore/noise outfit sound even more deranged and refractory than on their debut God’s Country. These cats sure do have that dog in them, in case you didn’t notice, and “I Am Dog Now” is about as rough-and-tumble as your average Alex Caruso hustle play mixtape. – Jasper Willems
Clairo – “Second Nature”
“Second Nature” is that feeling when you’re lazy, but you still want to vibe; it’s walking with an occasional skip in your step, swaying to the music but still hitting the breaks. The perky staccato piano, ambling wordless hook, woozy synths, and the oaken woodwinds that appear as the song trails off are just the right ingredients for drawing you into “Second Nature”‘s unhurried promenade. Feeling otiose? “Second Nature” will allure you towards productivity. Feeling stressed? It’ll lull you to a calm. – Ray Finlayson
daena – “Intrusive Thoughts”
Nashville artist daena can shift gears effortlessly from rock to R&B to ballads. She’s one of the best vocalists in a town chockful of them – and “Intrusive Thoughts” is a quirky-yet-delightful summer surprise. – Larry McClain
Eminem – “Fuel” (feat. JID)
While opinion is, understandably, still hotly divided on ol’ Marshall Mathers’ latest album, there’s no denying it accomplished certain things fans have been waiting on. Namely, it found Eminem abandoning the pop rock rap production that marred efforts since Recovery, as well as primarily setting aside his obsession with painfully technical verbal acrobatics in favor of actual songs and thematic interests.
Naturally, Slim is still gonna Shady, so “Fuel” finds him rapping as if his life depends on it yet again, but with good reason: he invited one of his stylistic successors, JID, along for the ride. They both aim for the jugular over a simple, attention-demanding banger of a beat (something, again, all too lacking in Em’s more recent oeuvre) and for those griping that Mathers isn’t capable of locking in on anything meaningful or relevant, here he is calling out Diddy for rape and alleged involvement in murder, speaking on the Kyle Rittenhouse and Alec Baldwin shootings, and even shouting out DJ Paul. If you’re able to set aside the whole “get back to bed, grandpa” label that Eminem – admittedly willfully – so readily invites, this is undeniably stomping fun. – Chase McMullen
Foxing – “Greyhound”
With each passing record, Foxing move further from their modest midwest emo origins, focusing more on atmosphere and the overwhelming vastness of their music. “Greyhound,” the lead single from their forthcoming fifth album, captures this shift with eight minutes of brilliantly twisting movement and unexpected peaks and valleys. It’s a slowly ticking bomb at first, though explodes in beautiful full bloom halfway through, leaving listeners bathing in the sonic shrapnel and fallout dust the rest of the way. – Kyle Kohner
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – “Empty Trainload of Sky”
It’s been 13 years since the last album of original material from Gillian Welch. That record, The Harrow & The Harvest, was a Grammy-nominated slice of perfect dark Americana, made, as usual, alongside musical partner David Rawlings. Now, they’ve announced an album as a duo, Woodland, and the first single “Empty Trainload of Sky” proves yet again how indelible their strain of folk and country is.
While they’ve both been busy in the interim, including releasing bootleg compilations and a covers album, this song gives us reason to be excited that they’re back with original material. Welch remains a sharp and imagistic lyricist, painting a prosaic vision of a freight train bringing “an empty trainload of sky”, until she herself is floating “like a sword.” The drums are airy and steady, but beyond anything else, it’s Welch’s vocals – plaintive and powerful, beautifully bruised — alongside Rawling’s harmonies and his exquisite lead guitar, as nonchalantly impressive as ever. It’s a simple tune, but ultimately, it’s just so nice to have them back. – Jeremy J. Fisette
Hinds – “Superstar”
Though they’ve released a few tracks from their forthcoming album already, the scathing and infectious “Superstar” from Spanish band Hinds feels like a bonafide kicking in of the door, a mission statement through and through. Impossible not to get caught up in (the ditzy “do do do” hook certainly helps), Hinds charge forward with bursts of guitar and eyes rolled to the back of their heads. “Good job, now you’re a local superstar,” they spit with sarcasm sharp to cut through steel. It’s not a track you want to get in the way of, so the much better alternative is to rally behind Hinds and kick the door in with them. – Ray Finlayson
Jamie xx – “All You Children” (feat. The Avalanches)
The production mastermind behind the xx is finally gearing up to release the follow-up to his world beating 2015 and the singles so far remind you that nobody does it quite like Jamie xx. For the latest in this hot streak he’s teamed up with legendary forebears The Avalanches, whose magpie-like abilities to find unexpected earworm samples slots in perfectly with Jamie’s tastefully light-yet-energetic bubbling techno production. “All You Children” seems to draw from all of the decades of dance music at once – including the next one. If anything is going to get all the children to dance, this is it. – Rob Hakimian
La Fleur – “Plastic Miami”
Sweden’s La Fleur creates and cuts with the precision of a surgeon. New single “Plastic Miami” – a cut form her forthcoming debut album that doesn’t even hit the four minute mark – is a perfect example of this. Starry arpeggios sustain the upbeat EDM track as it inhales and exhales, building up anticipation. In its final run, a robotic riff is inserted into the mix for a short while before the track makes its graceful exit. La Fleur wastes no extra time and trims away anything that could be called indulgent. It does leave you wanting for more, but with her debut album Väsen coming in October, we’ll soon have more to feast on. – Ray Finlayson
Los Campesinos! – “Clown Blood / Orpheus’ Bobbing Head”
Self-destructive tendencies have long been a feature of Los Campesinos! songs, but never have they put so wickedly, proudly, violently on display as they are on the epic “Clown Blood/Orpheus’ Bobbing Head”. A shredder from the off, it finds legendary vocalist Gareth David in a mess of mental confusion and sexual longing, but flaunting it in the tongue-in-cheek chorus of “God knows why she’s worrying about me”. Then we get a detour to A&E where he evilly eyes his ex’s “Bundesliga boy” before we round it all off with the rousing shout along stemming from Greek mythology. It’s exhilarating. – Rob Hakimian
macaroom – “machino uta (It Was Christmas Eve)”
burning chrome is a tad hard to fully sell out of context. Japanese duo Macaroom, having been doing their thing for dang near 15 years now and never having missed a step along the way, have long since refined their sound into a seamless, arguably flawless, groove. What exactly that groove is can be harder to impart: they drift harmoniously between dream pop, ambient, glitch, indietronica, and – of course – J-pop. Their latest album is a veritable masterclass in blending together influences and sounds into a serene, gently bubbling mixture. There are bits of Eno at his prettiest, some of the Chromatics’ icy cool, and a very sincere, palpable, distantly urgent emotional plea at play. It’s subdued and gorgeous. It’s a gentle friend in an hour of need: kind, giving. It’s a much needed embrace. – Chase McMullen
Mustard – “Pressured Up” (feat. Vince Staples & ScHoolboy Q)
Not much needs to be said about this one. “Pressured Up” is the sort of song that we can only wish Faith of a Mustard Seed was entirely composed of. It’s a sinisterly fun Cali heater, with an ominous, addictive beat. It’s primarily guided by Vince Staples, with ScHoolboy Q making sure to slide through with a dominant verse of his own. It captures the parties of their youth, where you’re as likely to get knocked out as get lucky, but it was all so worth it. It’s got energy for days, and richly deserves a spot on your 2024 Summer Playlist. – Chase McMullen
My Brightest Diamond – “Have You Ever Seen An Angel”
Shara Nova is back as My Brightest Diamond, hallelu! Announcing her sixth album, Fight the Real Terror, Nova ushers us in with a surprisingly gentle first taste in the form of “Have You Ever Seen An Angel”.
Over quietly played guitar, with some very subtle embellishments, Nova guides us with her infamously captivating, astonishing voice. That voice is in as fine form as ever, gliding into her higher register in the finale, betraying her opera training. It might not be the most immediate or catchy song of Nova’s career, but it’s a promising glimpse at what is surely to be another album of dramatic, moving songs from one of music’s more engaging artists. – Jeremy J. Fisette
Nilüfer Yanya – “Call It Love”
While many of her peers opt for more brisk stylistic shifts, Nilüfer Yanya continues to organically steer the course prompted by Miss Universe and PAINLESS. “Call It Love” – off of upcoming third LP My Method Actor – channels both the retreat of the former and the restlessness of the latter, as two guitar melodies – one dark and one luminescent – snake around each other like an elegant double helix. “Heating me up / I catch your flame / Some call it love / I call it shame,” Yanya sings with spellbinding aplomb. Chasing down your passion rarely sounds this enchanting. – Jasper Willems
OLTH – “fire dOve”
NYC SCREAMO FUCK YOU were the words emblazoned upon the petrol bomb of a debut album that OLTH put out last year. This is a band that does not fuck around; every day is sOmeOne’s speciaL day saw the band rip through unusually earwormy emoviolence with reckless abandon with Sean Kennedy’s screeched vocals expressing the depths of human anguish; whilst their live shows give the impression of a live electrical wire flailing around.
On their first release since then, OLTH demonstrate that they have both a softer side and a more ambitious one. The four-minutes-and-change long “fire dOve” is the most complex composition in the band’s faultless oeuvre and may well be the single best thing they’ve put out. It presents a band at the height of its confidence and powers. With a sound this abrasive, it’s unlikely that OLTH will achieve crossover success, however deserved, but they’re definitely one of the leading lights in modern screamo and contemporary heavy music – Andy Johnston
Porridge Radio – “Sick Of The Blues”
“I’m sick of the blues / I’m in love with my life again”, Dana Margolin sings on Porridge Radio’s newly released single (from Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me, out on October 18). While Margolin’s lyrics point to a sense of resurgence, being able to (finally) put the past aside and step into an uncluttered future, her voice conveys weariness, a sense of burden. That is, despite what she’s saying (or wishing), it’s quite likely that she actually still has the blues, perhaps even more so now than before. Also, is she in love with her life? Has she ever been?
Musically, the band embrace straightforward rock rhythms, though as the track unfurls, the sonics inch more and more in a cacophonous and centrifugal direction, sounding more and more urgent, agitated, and frayed. The piece ends just prior to its probable implosion/explosion. A listener wonders if, behind the curtains, the musicians and their instruments are scattered across the floor, everyone and everything covered in blood and red rags. – John Amen
Rose Gray – “Free”
East Londoner Rose Gray is a marvelous singer, both of ballads (in her early career) and bangers. Her latest single “Free” is a hook-laden dance classic that builds on the momentum of her outstanding collabs with TSHA and Kungs. – Larry McClain
Trace Mountains – “In A Dream”
Dave Benton aka Trace Mountains has always been a searcher and the first single from his upcoming album describes someone on a late night bike ride – through dreams as much as the literal streets. It’s accompanied by a motoric chug, deep bass swells and his echoing guitar, drawing the wide expanse ahead. This is a road trip song to its very core, across its seven minutes urging you to get up and out ands see the world – and learn while you’re at it. – Rob Hakimian
TWICE – “LOVE WARNING”
TWICE don’t understand taking it easy. Alright, sure, their more chilled out, summer songs can create a vibe that encourages you to take some “me time”, but taking a rest themselves? Nonsense! While some K-pop groups – perfectly understandably – tend to treat Japanese releases as jury duty, the likes of Red Velvet and TWICE attack them with dedication. Naturally, TWICE have more than a helping hand with three of their members hailing from Japan, but it doesn’t change the charming fact that they simply see their Japanese releases as a further opportunity to provide vibes, focusing on original, playful material, rather than simply regurgitating their Korean smashes albeit in a different language. – Chase McMullen
Listen to our BPM Curates: July 2024 playlist here.
