Hello! How did we get to the end of July already? How are we already halfway through the year? I’m trying to hold onto every bit of summer I can: enjoying meditative, cool walks in the evening, trying new ice cream spots, getting to the beach, wearing tank tops, the list goes on.
A couple of July highlights:
Caught legendary ‘70s French jazz funk group Cortex at the Mayan earlier this month. They’ve been one of the most sampled French artists particularly in hip hop from the likes of MF Doom to Tyler, the Creator to Lil Yachty. Put on by Jazz is Dead collective, it was a memorable night and a reminder of the importance of giving past artists and groups their flowers.
Enjoyed a work trip to NYC where I got to interview Glass Animals as part of their Amazon Music City Sessions performance. I also got caught in a downpour as I was walking back to my hotel, and it felt like a movie scene. I stayed in Manhattan for the first time in a while as I’ve usually stayed in Brooklyn on past visits. Savoring Magnolia Bakery’s banana cream pudding on a park bench on a warm night in NYC couldn’t be beat.
The Olympics. Kim Yeji has stolen my and the rest of the world’s hearts. I made my phone lock screen the viral image of her breaking the past world record for air pistol shooting. She’s my reminder to stay focused and sharp. All the Asian women shooters at the Olympics have been truly inspiring to see. Loved this hilarious tweet from comedian and writer Youngmi Mayer. Sign me up to be a part of this badass group too.
Here’s my short and sweet round up of July gems. Listen to the playlist here.
Zacari - Berserk!!!
TDE’s R&B artist Zacari hails from a musical family in Bakersfield, and his voice is pure angelic magic. If you’re not familiar, you may have heard him on past features like on Kendrick Lamar’s “LOVE.” His new album Bliss released a few weeks ago, and there’s a lot of heat on the album—Zacari’s voice paired with incredible production from long-time collaborators like Teddy Walton make these songs perfect to cruise to on a summer night. My other favorites are “Destiny” and “Lonewolf Still.” I’m excited to catch him on tour with SiR in the coming weeks.
Keshi - Say
I’m so excited for Keshi’s forthcoming album Requiem due out on September 13. Two years later, I still have GABRIEL in regular rotation. “Say” is a sweet catchy song about wanting to make a first move on a crush and swirling in that hesitancy. In an interview with Genius he says, “In all my attempts to make meaningful music, I overlooked songs that were built to just get people to move…I remember touring on the road and really craving to play songs that just felt good to groove to. ‘Say’ is my answer to that. It’s got a moody sort of cadence with an admiration for city-pop baked into it.” I love the music video as well that was filmed in Korea. I had the honor to host a film screening on behalf of Amazon Music two years ago when GABRIEL dropped along with an accompanying documentary that told the story of the making of the album. I interviewed keshi and director Kenji Chong in a special Q&A, and I’ll forever be grateful for that experience. I am stoked to see boylife is also supporting keshi on his upcoming Fall tour.
Glass Animals - On the Run
Oxford, UK band Glass Animals have been around since 2010, and they released their new album I LOVE YOU SO F****** MUCH a few weeks ago. It’s remarkable they’ve been creating together for the past 14 years. “On the Run” is a favorite of mine from the album. I love the build-up of this song. This album encapsulates all the levels and milestones one goes through in their relationships, whether romantic or platonic. It certainly had me reflecting on mine, both past and present.
Charlotte Day Wilson - Dovetail
I revisited Charlotte Day Wilson’s recent album Cyan Blue that dropped in May, and this song “Dovetail” reminds me of the summer. She mentions the album is about all the stages of love and grief and the process of writing it was also about reconnecting with her inner child. I’ve been trying to do that more myself.
wave to earth - love.
I love me some K-indie music. I discovered this band wave to earth on Instagram Story’s recommended songs when I was looking for a song to pair a fit check video with. Released in 2023 from their album 0.1flaws and all., the instrumental intro had me locked from the start. I saw they’ll be in town in September for a show so look forward to catching them live.