Lav's Music Corner

Some major announcements this week didn't dissuade from a few surprising names landing on the list. Enjoy <3 5.  Nail In A Wooden Trunk  - Tapir! Earlier this year Tapir! dropped one of my favorite debut albums of 2024 so far and though I wasn't crazy abotu their first follow-up single, this song reminds me of EXACTLY why I like them so much. From its subtle instrumental versatility to its rustic sound palette to an understated but still truly bizarre vocal performance that's been stuck in my head all week. This is another hit from Tapir. Listen 4.  No Comma  - Slayyyter A classic Slayyyter banger for 2024. After an album that felt like a bit of an experiment wandering away from her pummeling pop swagger she's back with a song that feels like it could have slipped into her early mixtape. This song is even better when you realize it's a slight subversion of the kind of expectations Slayyyter often faces. She manages to even make being less slutty than her reputati...

Slayyyter is a California-based singer whose found her lane in hypersexual pop and electronica. While she's dabbled in the sounds of hyperpop and electronica her sound is some blend of the two with more conventional pop. Review by LAv: Critics didn't exactly fall over themselves to praise Slayyyter's last album Troubled Paradise , but I liked it a lot. She's an impressive vocalist but really won me over was her sheer pop-star charisma. She could be sexually confident, even dominant on songs like Self Destruct and Cowboys . But she also had a more sentimental pop side to her that she was able to pull off almost as well. This album is once again torn between those two halves. But where on Troubled Paradise  they worked harmoniously and consistently, on STARFUCKER  they're uneven and at odds.  Slayyyter leans into her club music influences harder than even on this record and when she does it pays off brilliantly. Erotic Electronic  didn't blow me away as a single b...

5.  Isolette  - The Drums While this single hasn't blown me away in quite the same way as others I know better than to count out The Drums. I will say that most of my issues are hung-up on the pre-chorus because I think the hook itself is solid even if it isn't one of their strongest. The instrumentation surrounding it is also vibrant and shimmering as usual. This may not be a standout moment on the forthcoming album but it's a solid addition to the singles. Listen 4.  Erotic Electronic  - Slayyyter The song I've seen a million grainy twitter videos of from various livesets for what feels like forever is finally here. Even though it was pretty much exactly what I was anticipating I'm still happy to get it. The style of hypnotic club-thumping electronica is something that's always felt right for Slayyyter and this is her most direct embrace of it yet. Listen 3.  City Girl  - Metagirl & Laptop Funeral The first new song from Metagirl since the release of ...

5.  TUYA  - Rosalia Even though this is a lane that feels extremely familiar for Rosalia, it's still worth remembering how far ahead of her peers she is in the first place. Her stylistic blend and unmistakable vocals certainly make for a distinct combo and while this isn't necessarily the most stunning display of either, even a decent Rosalia is shades above anyone else. Listen 4.  I Inside The Old I Dying  - PJ Harvey PJ Harvey at her eeriest is no joke. Between the subtle touches of vocal distortion and what sounds like whispers and chimes distantly occupying the messy mix this is an unsettling listen in all the right ways. I was consistently surprised by how captivated the song's mystique was despite how simple it appears on the surface.  Listen 3.  Moonless  - Julie Byrne Call it 3/3 on singles so far from the highly anticipated return for one of the gentlest singer-songwriters in the game. Like many of her songs this one doesn't seek to blow liste...

While I've been doing a lot more of watching Coachella sets than listening to new music this weekend, I still took the time to lay out some of the best new songs released this week. Enjoy <3 5.  About Damn Time  - Lizzo Lizzo had quite a big weekend releasing this highly anticipated new single which came with an announcement of the similarly titled album and a performance of the song on Saturday Night Live . While the song itself may not quite live up to those expectations it is a catchy and dancy flavored piece of throwback funk pop with more than a spoonful of confidence mixed in.  Listen 4.  Something Changed  - Interpol After a rough lead single Interpol are back on track with this song which does their methodical and creeping brand of post-punk much more justice. When the slick guitar riff and kick drum open up the chorus it makes for a wonderful moment that harkens back to so many highlights from Interpol's discography.  Listen 3.  Hatefuck ...

Lets get crazy. This is the first list of the week that is truly and honestly separated completely from everything in the world around it. Every single song released on any album, mixtape or EP this year is eligible for the list no matter how abstract, experimental or unconventional. From major pop hits to tracks that test the very conventions of what a song even is, these rankings set out to find the 100 best songs of 2021, and put them in order.  Enjoy <3 100. Cold Summer  - Issa Gold Starting off the list we have one half of rap group The Underachievers whose solo album has gone painfully under the radar this year. While he isn't rewriting the book on conscious hip hop he does have plenty lyrical ability, tight flows and compelling thematic points to touch on. Nothing here will sound unfamiliar but the level of execution Issa Gold works with on this track is thouroughly impressive. Key Lyric: "Before we finish one thought, we thinkin what to say next, quiet that mind, th...