Almost a full month of Warm Selections is upon us with installment #4 here, but I’d like to remind the readers about one thing: this is NOT purely a new music column, er, newsletter, er well, weekly blog post that some people are subscribed to via email, which you can do so below if you haven’t already.

This is a space where I post about music that impacted, or at the very least made a slight indentation in my life that week, whether it’s new or old. I don’t make that much indication on whether something is new or not (you can figure it out… if I’m writing about how this is a single from album that’s coming, or if I mention a song is from the 1980s, you’ll know). I didn’t want to segregate them into different camps. We’re all listening to different things, from different time periods, different states of mind. And this is what I’m into.

All of the “older” songs were sourced from my continual exploration of my 0-play mp3s in my iTunes library, which I explain a few times below. Good way of defeating the algorithm, using my trusted old iPod Classic, and discovering music I would have otherwise overlooked, despite clearly finding some kernel of intrigue in it from when I downloaded it in the first place. Anyways – onto the tunes.

Ana Caprix – “Powerlines Run Through Clubland” [Self-Released]
This week’s installment of Warm Selections features more older songs than usual, all pulled from my iPod shuffling explorations where I listen to all the 0-listen mp3s in my iTunes library. Got this track on my morning commute as I was transferring trains. It’s not especially mind-blowing or anything, but it was a nice throwback to just 10 years ago. This kind of electronic music almost feels bygone at this point, despite it being very pleasing to listen to. Grand, sweeping synth ambiance with some glitchy interference, some strings, eventually opening up into a more hard-hitting beat with tinny snares and echoing claps. The back half of the track could have been a sick cloud rap beat in 2012; that’s the kind of energy we’re going with here. This certainly came from a Gorilla Vs Bear mention when I downloaded it back in 2016. 

Avalon Emerson & The Charm – “Jupiter & Mars” [Dead Oceans]
Producer and DJ Avalon Emerson is embracing her dream pop band once again with her upcoming album Written Into Changes, out this Friday (March 20th) via Dead Oceans. It’s referential to so much pop in the past in terms of its structure, the vague timbres it employs, but feels squarely anchored in this moment through its production and delivery. It’s got a great sense of momentum, steadily adding in new elements as it climbs to its climax.

Eartheater – “Airborne Ashes (La Petite Mort Edit)” [PAN]
I’m very familiar with Eartheater’s 2020 album Phoenix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin, but I really haven’t spent enough time with its companion, 2021’s La Petite Mort Édition, where each of the tracks from Phoenix flow together as one hazy, seamless soup. On La Petite Mort, Eartheater’s lyrics become secondary, as her already sinewy vocals are digitally stretched to their absolute limit, being flayed in the unassuming gale that the instrumentals take on in this version. If anything her voice becomes one with the strings: weeping angels that leave light streaks as they plummet from heaven into hell. Or maybe scorched, fallen angels being accepted back into heaven? Up to you to decide. This track was a pull on an evening commute where I just happened to be taking the ferry home, and  standing on a dock looking out onto the Manhattan skyline at sunset: this track really feels good.

Eveline Fischer – “Cascade Capers” [Nintendo of America]
This past weekend I came down with some kind of bug that took me out for a day. Thankfully I had the bright idea of replaying the old Donkey Kong Country games for the Super Nintendo with this downtime, likely inspired by the great piece of writing on “Stickerbush Symphony” in Pitchfork, which I also referenced in last week’s Warm Selections. Donkey Kong Country 3 is widely regarded as the lesser of the trio of original SNES titles, in terms of gameplay and soundtrack, but since this was the first-ever DKC game I ever played, I gotta give it some kudos. Also worth mentioning that while David Wise composed the most music on the first two games in the series (doing DKC2 on his own), Eveline Fischer did the majority of DKC3. The soundtrack still has its fair share of notable tracks, like “Water World,” and “Enchanted Riverbank” (which gives me Animal Collective vibes – Feels or Centipede Hz zone). “Cascade Capers” is a spacy, mysterious track that fits its levels perfectly. You’re constantly climbing up a cliffside, all structured around these waterfalls you can both go in front of and behind. It’s an understated track, but still one that showcases a lot of good elements of the soundfont the game uses: the bouncy double bass, the reverbed piano / plucked staccato strings, and the twinkling synth arpeggios, all with the din of a waterfall crashing in the background. It’s a lovely track, from a lovely game! Should this become a gaming blog??

Lily Seabird – “Demon In Me” [Lame-O]
Ok it’s not often I can compare a song to a Conner O’Malley video, but he just put out his new Irish Zionism video so it’s on my mind. The only similarities these two have is that during both I checked to see how much time was left and went “huh?? This is only half over?” In a good way of course. We’ve got a lot of lovely elements that build up to what I thought things would conclude: a steady horn accompaniment, piano, swaying sea momentum, and then finally the electric guitars crush in, about halfway in. I was certain we were wrapping things up; the big fuzzy crescendo would fade out, the big payoff of the song achieved. Many artists these days are content with reaching the top of the mountain and leaving it there. But no, the credits did not start rolling. Instead we got to see the natural end of the explosion: the escaping natural gas sputtering out of the flaming car wreck, just about to come to a close, until the whole thing sets off in one final kaboom. I don’t know a whole lot about Lily Seabird but I have some friends who are thoroughly obsessed. There is reportedly more new music coming later this year: watch this space.

Morita Vargas – “17” [Hidden Harmony]
If you know what I like, it’s processed vocals. The human voice is an instrument. It can be manipulated however the mind wants. In this case, Argentine producer/composer Morita Vargas distorts her voice into vague shapes: pitch-shifted, likely stretched in some unintelligible way, digitally stutters and repeats it, all amongst a minimal, murky synthetic landscape. It brings me back to my favorite era of FKA twigs, the exciting ambitiousness around her Arca-produced EP2, along with modern singers like Lucrecia Dalt. It’s a beautiful, ambiguous painting that I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of – on her upcoming album III, out April 17th.

Pan•American – “Taxi to the Terminal” [kranky]
A gorgeous, glitchy track from the upcoming Pan•American record, Fly the Ocean In A Silver Plane, out March 27th via kranky. It gurgles and sways with an invisible current, illustrates by warbling guitar lines and wistful synthesizer drones. It’s a shifting focus, an island in the distance at times looking like a smudge, other times looking like a mirage, clouds of seagulls hazily circling its coast.

The Waterboys – “Medicine Bow” [Chrysalis]
Appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day I guess. I don’t know if this is one of the singles off The Waterboys 1985 album This Is The Sea, but damn it goes. This was downloaded in my pursuit of my 80s project, and if there’s more where this came from, I’m definitely looking forward to listening to more of this. The production is absolutely insane sounding. Albums do not sound like this anymore. Soak it in, savor it.

White Suns – “Footprints Filled” [Load]
Another iPod discovery. I think this was a grab from my /mu/ days, or from when I was religiously watching everything Anthony Fantano put out. Either way, despite noise rock not being my genre du jour these days, this popping up on shuffle was honestly a lovely change-up. This is some seriously face-peeling stuff right here. The instrumental is ULTRA chunky, and the vocals occupy the territory of legitimately terrifying. Is this guy ok? I don’t know, but the drums are pushing me forward towards the decapitation machine. “Between my teeth, I taste it. Screw my eyes shut, I see it.”

Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl & Macie Stewart – “dawn | pulse” [International Anthem]
The trio known in Chicago as Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl and Macie Stewart has made incredible music on their own but are now putting their frequent live collaborations on record with the upcoming album BODY SOUND, out this Friday (March 20th) via International Anthem, or known by those in Chicago as, uh, International Anthem. This track “dawn | pulse” is simply stunning, and I’m very glad I’ve already preordered this album. To call it purely “ambient” would be severely discrediting it, but that’s a topic I’ll try and get into later on. It’s a conscious melding of voice, strings, drones, simmering distortion and ambiguous field recordings that blanket the listener but give enough air pockets to pop up and explore your surroundings. It’s all about celestial harmonies disguising themselves as every day occurrences: sunbeams, shadows, breezes, laughter, clouds. A pensive, beautiful listen with plenty of texture and emotion. 

Yaeji – “Happy (feat. Nourished By Time)” [XL]
Believe it or not, I don’t think I actually ever pressed play on Yaeji’s 2023 album Like A Hammer. Maybe it’s because I didn’t like the singles? Either way, this track came up on my iPod shuffling adventure and it’s really lovely. Very glitchy, minimal electronic that reminds me of the early 00s, and the feature from Nourished By Time is a great example of Yaeji being tapped in and getting the names before they pop off. Maybe I’ll revisit the rest of the album soon.