Beauty in the Unknown
Being curious is the first step in finding new music. Join the exploration of our curiosity over the past months.
Brandon Fields - This year I learned there’s beauty in the unknown. Before the pandemic, I used to view the unknown and the future as some sort of thing to conquer. I would find myself stressing about making the perfect decisions and having the right answers. This mindset trickled down to how I consumed music the first few months of the pandemic.
I felt lost trying to find new music to latch on to during a time where artists slowed down releasing new content. However, I realized the beauty of music is its fluidity and how it can suit any vibe. I found myself going back into my music library and re-immersing myself in songs/artists that I may have overlooked previously because the world was moving so fast before the pandemic.
Something is refreshing about re-discovering a song you love, or finally listening to that album you saved but never had the chance to get to. I was able to get back into music that made me feel and music that felt in tune with who I am.
My music tastes and preferences have become more open and diverse and this playlist is a reflection of that variety. Whether I wanted to feel like a bad b*** or be in my bag I could always find the perfect song to suit my mood. As artists begin getting back into their normal production patterns and concerts open up again, I hope to bring this new love of music anywhere I go.
Marissa McCall - The word that sticks in my mind about both the current state of New York City and my own life is, transition. A transition into a new post-pandemic world, a new living situation, a new job, and more time to myself. Transitions aren't always easy. The existence of change can form uneasy knots of being uncomfortable or feeling anxious about the future, but music helps me feel grounded knowing I can move through the uncomfortable phases of my life with a sense of ease. Getting uncomfortable is the only way to grow and move in the direction you want your life to move in. Music always and will continue to add a bit of lightness or effortlessness to the everyday effort that is life.
The music I've been listening to has this underlying duality to it that reflects the spectrum of emotions I've been recently experiencing. On one hand, I feel very hopeful and energetic about the city starting to open back up on the cusp of summer and the new opportunities presented to me, but there's also part of me that feels like all these transitions are ripping through my chest, scratching and clawing their way out in the form of fear, anger, and anxiety.
St. Vincent is one of my favorite artists, and I always look to her creative eye and mastery of her craft for inspiration. She has this way of bringing an album alive by enveloping herself in her inspiration for the album. She creates this walk, this talk, this persona that embodies what she is trying to say or sound. Watching her transform her sound and look for Daddy's Home gives me so much hope for the current and future state of unique indie music.
Greentea Peng - I first discovered Greentea Peng on COLORS, a YouTube series that features live performances. She has such a realness to her. Like she's telling you like it is but she's going to do it in her own time and her fashion. Her sound is like a psychedelic war cry to uplift and empower. She has something to say and her songs are a form of protest coming alive through art and poetry. Her new album, MAN MADE, comes out June 4th.
Bruiser Wolf - He is a very interesting find, such a new sound that almost sounds as if he's reciting poetry and yelling at his subconscious in his head. The lyrics are smart, witty, real but fun, and sonically his patterns remind me of scatting in Jazz, improvising with each turn or change of the beat.
These are only a few of the artists I've been loving, but I'm always in search of new music that better expresses how I feel and experience the world around me.