In this weekly feature, a different LEO staff member will share 7–10 of the songs they've got on repeat right now. (Songs by Louisville artists are marked with an asterisk.) Got a track that you think we'd like? Let us know at [email protected] or at the author's email below.
MGMT — "Bubblegum Dog"
Last November, the psychedelic synth-pop duo of Andrew VanWyngarden and Benjamin Goldwasser released the second single from what would become the first MGMT album in six years. A mid-tempo, glam-infused anthem with glimmers of David Bowie, T. Rex, and Big Star, "Bubblegum Dog" layers fuzzy guitars, harpsichord, and church organ with VanWyngarden's hypnotic drawl. And like all the most memorable MGMT songs, something haunts the listener from just beneath the super tuneful surface. Loss Of Life arrived Feb. 23 from Mom + Pop Records.
The video was directed by real-life couple Julia Vickerman, creator of the animated series "Twelve Forever," and Tom Scharpling, host of "The Best Show," who lovingly juxtapose the surrealist DIY aesthetic of 2000s television like "Yo Gabba Gabba!" and "The Mighty Boosh" with the self-serious grunge videos they grew up watching. Among the dizzying pastiche of Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," the Smashing Pumpkins' "Today," Stone Temple Pilots' "Interstate Love Song," and Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" is an lesser-known homage to 1990s Louisville post-rock innovators Slint.
Vyva Melinkolya — "Spiders" *
There's a tree growing on the rooftop of an unoccupied factory building in Smoketown, and the music of Vyva Melinkolya reminds me of that tree. Vyva Melinkolya is the name of the solo songwriting work of Angel Diaz, a transgender musician and photographer from Louisville. Vyva Melinkolya reminds listeners of the beauty in decrepitude, as her languid rhythms and guitars strummed through slightly blown speakers guide us on dreamlike explorations of conflicting feelings.
A patina of 1990s shoegaze and slowcore seems to peel away from a structure of dream pop underneath, and the soft melodies linger long after the songs fade out. Her full length released in November blooms—and decays—with beautiful songs like "Spider."
Chelsea Wolfe — "Dusk"
The last song on Chelsea Wolfe's recently released album She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She is volcanic. The lyrical theme of the entire album is severing relationships, especially in the interest of healing, and each song presents Wolfe's darkly folkloric interpretation of the way the emotional healing process can be nonlinear and winding. "Dusk" is a perfect example of that theme. Wolfe's storytelling lyrics are delivered in a vocal style that is both witchlike and seductive. Especially in songs like this one, she embellishes her amalgam of goth rock and electronica with elements of doom metal, and when the guitars finally erupt, it all flows like lava.
Routine Caffeine — "In The End Now" *
If you listen for it, you might hear the influence of Cocteau Twins and Mazzy Star, but Routine Caffeine's affection for 1990s dream pop never overpowers their own presence as an inventive band. Released on the decidedly romantic date of New Year's Eve, their song "In The End Now" is crystalline in its loveliness. The seductive yet gentle interplay of Katie Kelley's guitar and Madison Case's bass and keyboards, lovingly supported by the Emma Treganowan's formidable drumming leave a lot of open space for Kelly’s mesmerizing vocal style. If this single is emblematic of the trio's forthcoming EP, Louisville has something special to look forward to very soon.
Warpaint — "Common Blue"
It might seem like releasing a new single on Valentine's Day was a love letter for everyone who has cherished Warpaint since their debut in 2004. But the band really was formed in a small studio on Fairfax Boulevard in Los Angeles on Valentine's Day exactly 20 years ago. Informed as much by soul as by psych-rock with a post-punk sensibility and occasional hip hop production flourishes, Warpaint continues to captivate with a song as dreamy as it is highly attuned to a spiritual experience.
"Common Blue" recalls the insouciant bliss of their debut album, The Fool (2010), yet could have been a B-side for a single from their most recent album Radiate Like This (2022). There's something gilded about this composition and recording, the same golden filigree that characterizes so much of Warpaint's songwriting. Drawing on their past as a way of anticipating their future feels like a new direction for the band, an aesthetic mellowing, yet also a rebirth: "Maybe, baby, we only have one life to live/Maybe, baby, we can be a butterfly."
Whistleface — “Snakes” *
Whistleface is an electronic music producer, DJ, and streamer based in Louisville. One of his many passion points is deep house, so listeners who are passionate about house music—especially the deep house subgenre—will want to follow Whistleface on the socials: Instagram, Spotify, and Soundcloud, but also on Discord, where he hosts virtual dance parties, and especially on YouTube, where he spins live every Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. and every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 p.m. His luxuriant mixes of muted basslines, soft keyboards, and soulful vocal samples are a serve. Check out his recently released track "Snakes" with Mack Gray and his Relaxing Basement House Music Mix (under black light) on YouTube.
LI YILEI — "Yip, Yip, Yip"
Li Yilei is a sound artist and composer born in Shanghai, where she studied fine art, who now lives, performs, and records in London. Although her work negotiates the liminal spaces between performance art, text, sculpture, and multimedia installation, her ambient electronic music is a highlight. Li is a Buddhist practitioner, a gender activist, and the founder of the art collective NON DUAL. Her sparse compositions reflect those spiritual interests. In her most recent piece, "Yip, Yip, Yip," she incorporates elements from traditional Chinese music with ambient electronica that loops a melodic figure back onto itself in a way that persuades the listener, almost as if from another plane of existence, to play it on repeat. Follow her on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Soundcloud for updates on her truly unique approach to sound.
