1. |
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Kris Schobert - New Juice
Kris has been writing and recording a lot lately, leaving us all wondering if perhaps we’ll finally get the follow up to the Sour Guy s/t EP in 2020? He’s also been super into song with odd time signatures lately, especially quintuplets. After a night spent teaching some friends how to lap drum in quintuplets, Kris gave up on us pleabs to write and record his own song in the odd mathmatetical time signature. And thus, I present to you another quirky Kris classic - New Juice!
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2. |
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Uh?? Walter? You good?
"There’s no use in lying to it
it already knows
no reason to set fire to it
it always regrows
it’s in the shade
it has no pattern
it has no name
its closer than you’d ever know
and if you stray too far from it
i promise I will let you know
it cant be proven
but I can tell that
These are good things
cause they move the marker higher
these are good things
cause they make the colors visible
and they miss the mark on purpose
there’s no underlying current
no narration or rhyme to it
nothing that floats
no story to be passed through
dizzy generations
forming confederations
fighting against the unknown
going mad to make anything make sense
ive already been where this is going
ive heard the music change
ive slow danced with the worst of it
you don’t need to be scared anymore
im now convinced that
These are good things
cause they move the marker higher
these are good things
cause they make the colors visible
and they miss the mark on purpose"
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3. |
Dry Goods - Montara
01:48
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Dry Goods - Montara
Russell Park is a GP veteran, always known for his sharp lyrics, but what is not always talked about is his percussion and instrumentation. I first appreciated it in Sloppy Sand Crab Blues but this song really drives it home. We are lucky to hear Russ tell his life stories through his folk sagas and cheers to another great addition to his GP cannon.
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4. |
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Milk Flud - Burning Brighter
Damn. Milk has really stepped it up this past year with his music production and lyrics. Anyone who heard his recent album “Supportive Nature” was blown away, and “Burning Brighter” seems to pick up right where the album left off, yet also, could have been the token pop hit of Supportive Nature. If this is a sign of things to come, I think everyone is stoked for more Milk Flud.
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5. |
Whirld - Boiling Sun
03:32
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Whirld - Boiling Sun
FKA on Group Picture as his real name, Ali Muhareb joins the comp this year bringing electronic (chip tune-y?) and early aughts indie rock vibes from Portland, OR. Ali chants “I’m drowning in loneliness” but in fact I’d venture to say that it’s not loneliness Ali is drowning in but actually a beautiful blend of electronic cacophony and melody. Fascinating production and catchy af, this track will be a repeat offender in this year’s catalogue for me and many others.
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6. |
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Banned From Japan - Love Song
Banned From Japan is a vibe. A San Fernando Valley, raw and sincere, vaguely feels like skate-boarding vibe. Here singer Matthew Earle sticks to his guns of brutally honest lyrics drenched in snarky catchy melodies, this time regaling us with a story of forbidden love found and lost. Appearing this year on Sunday Night Salad Season 4, Banned From Japan has become a fan favorite in MNE Land and we are proud to have them back on the comp another year.
"Somehow she came across my feed
And I thought she was really cute
I scrolled through all her pictures
Might have jerked off to a few
Because I never thought I'd meet her
I knew that wasn't true
She was dating my homie
He was in the pictures too
Us three went to Denny's
A stop on the ride home
She was flirting at the table
Like her boyfriend didn't notice
I was flirting back
He probably cared
Two double entendres shared
I dropped them off and
watched them walk up to the door
She turned around and stared
For one whole second
Now were hanging out and holding hands inside my truck
As we're just friends but damn I swear sometimes
It feels like we're in love
Because we cuddle and we talk about it
Sarcasm is key without it
No pretending we don't gotta
We don't gotta
We don't
This type of thing weighs heavy on your mind
When you can't stop singing and you can't stop crying
Cause it's over now
I lost two friends
If there's a lesson here I hope I've learned it
She said "let's not pretend"
I dropped her off at his house and we never spoke again."
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7. |
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Chase Hoyt - Ancient Garden
Ah yes, our yearly dose of classic rock from the Seattle homie Chase Hoyt. I’m getting a Grateful Dead vibe, from the constant dual harmonies, but with that fuzzy vocal effect and subdued calm delivery, I am reminded that this track is from Seattle, not sunny CA. But Chase Hoyt is not simply a songwriter- he is a guitarist! Perhaps even foremost. Listen to that final solo around 3:15. Woah!!!
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8. |
Jake Lee - Chill Hangs
01:27
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Jake Lee - Chill Hangs
Although he says it’s due to a lack of a drum set, it’s still really cool to hear one of Jake’s songs in a WMAHMO style. A quick sugar rush of melody and upbeat rhythms, Jake (aka Bleeding Gums Murphy) adds another infectious tune to the GP catalogue this year, giving us all a small glimpse into his personal life and leaving everyone scratching their head wondering why he doesn’t make a full album? He’s clearly one of the most accessible and experienced songwriters on here.
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9. |
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Isabel Zacharias - Big One
Appearing on Group Picture previously under the name Babytooth, Isabel is a very talented singer / songwriter that we are lucky to have in the group photo. This song makes me feel like I’m in a rainy Portland living room waiting for the coffee to be ready and my friends to arrive- which is a very warm feeling indeed. Isabel- when is the full length album???
"but in the other misty movie
she wants to fuck her old best friend
truth is the truth is pretty gooey
so I want the truth instead
hey hey hey
if this is the last night we can come here
then I wanna be with my best friend
good in the glow of what is unclear
I wanna go back to that
but which
way, way, way
maybe a big day in the distance
from the 1 I think I see it
so cute disguised as what we wanted
but what did we know?
and in another, better movie
I’d never get to be your friend
how do I think I’m so confusing
if you always understand
the way, way, way,
way, way,
way
see, there’s a big one in the distance
who told you this was a business?
and if everyone is different
then what do they know?"
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10. |
Pump Fake - Out the Bag
04:00
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Pump Fake - Out the Bag
Um???? No but for real this is actually impressive and refreshing amongst a bunch of sappy singer songwriters. Turn this up and let’s get to the gig!
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11. |
jer - High Horse
02:31
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Jer - High Horse
The Newfie / Portlander Jeremy Murphy (Riled, Chain) is joined by his wife Teal and friend Ethan Conroy on this year’s track. I always love Jeremy’s tracks because they remind me of a baroque Bob Dylan and always carry a charm that makes me nod and smile like “it must be right, boys”.
"i'm tryna find some other way to make some money without waisting away
i’ve spent the time waiting and waiting but nothing ever seems to be coming my way
but if that’s just how it goes
it must be right, boys, it must be right
don’t leave no stone unturned
ever since i was a young boy there’ve been some choices hard to except
i don’t know how anyone does it cuz once i'm ready there ain’t nothing left
but if that’s just how it goes
it must be right, boy, it must be right
don’t leave no stone unturned
cuz we could never ever be satisfied
no we could never be satisfied but that’s alright
no one ever tells you how they got their high horse and never done wrong, never done wrong
any other way you place it turn and face the fact that we ain’t dumb and your mind has never done wrong, never done wrong
well there goes my life careful not to wake me
been 30 years still going steady
and i’ll take my time waiting and waiting
even if i'm dead before i'm ready
but if that’s just how it goes
it must be right, boys, it must be right
don’t leave no stone unturned
cuz we could never ever be satisfied
no we could never be satisfied but that’s alright"
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12. |
Bidwell Park - Fomo
01:33
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Bidwell Park - Fomo
After a couple years off of the GP train, Sam Evans and Toast (FKA Menage A Sabre) are back with a track that immediately stood out to me as what could be the quintessential GP9 track. Catchy, home-recorded, and quirky, this song knows exactly what it’s here for: a bit of self-expression among friends for the sake of self-expression among friends. Lyrics like “My friends all live in different states” remind us that is is GP9 now, not GP2 anymore, and the fact that we are still unified by these sweet little songs across state lines only makes this whole tradition that much more special.
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13. |
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Emo Dreamboat - Stay Creative
Benny Ward (also the writer / singer behind Hemingway) has recently ditched Bandcamp for Soundcloud. His new emo rap persona Emo Dreamboat has taken some of us by surprise, but in reality, we shouldn’t be that shocked. Benny has always been changing it up- from pop punk, to writing zines, to making movies- Benny knows what it means to stay creative. Granted I think Benny might be excusing some poor behavior in the pursuit of creativity in this song, but the ethos remains! Also Benny- you can really rap! I dig it.
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14. |
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Walter X - Always Leaving
I am so happy that the WMAHMO / Walter Etc. cover project, Walter X, is becoming a GP staple. This year he slaps us with Always Leaving, traditionally a baroque folk song about traveling, is now a melodic hardcore and chip tune anthem that makes me want to thrash around at a punk show in a Denny’s. As if this project wasn’t nuanced enough, Walter X changed some of the lyrics of this song to namedrop some of the places he travelled this last year, making this part homage to Walter Etc. and part travel memoir of Walter X, which is incredibly niche and obscure, and here at MNE- we love niche and obscure!
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15. |
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Within You Without You - Elbows
Jacob from New Hampshire’s Perspective, a Lovely Hand to Hold is an underrated song-writer and musician. Usually spouting out mathy-indie-emo jams, this acoustic track shows us that yes the guy really can sing! Add some strings, the whistling, and a cold winter night and I’d cozy into this song anytime. Welcome to the comp Jacob.
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16. |
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Alex Maddox - Devil’s in the Details
GP veteran Alex Maddox- usually known for his luscious pop acoustic songs- has returned to San Francisco and started a band called Sure, Man which leans a lot closer to pop-punk and garage rock than his previous “meet you by the pier” precedent. In this track, I feel like Alex (consciously or not) is blending his new and old styles- the new post-Demarco indie guitar tones and slightly slacker sentiment, mixed with a basic “just chords and lyrics” songwriting approach which has always been the backbone of his craft. The two styles fuse effortlessly, leaving us with another classic Group Picture track.
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17. |
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Jimmy Montague - Love is the only thing that matters
Described on Twitter one time as “oldies for DIY kids” (I think that’s what it was??) Brooklyn’s James Palko aka Jimmy Montague joins the comp for the first time this year bringing us this beautiful ballad that shows he is ready to rival any of the sappy songwriters of the MNE clan. Jimmy’s songs boast an impressive collection of brass sections, string arrangements, and strange chords that only a true virtuoso could pull off. We are lucky to know the guy!
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18. |
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Dakota Loesch - Hematodipsia
The weirdo actor / musician from LA / Chicago is back another year with perhaps his strangest track to date. The chill Casio sounding beat? Classic Dakota. The odd subject matter? Classic Dakota. The mix of geographic references amongst the defining of big words? Not even gunna ask. Dakota’s wit and creativity is always a few steps ahead of the rest of us, and that is why he is always a source of inspiration and pride for the MNE clan.
"schadenfreude’s when they get off on your pain
happenstance is how all good luck gets explained
louiston is not a harbor town in maine
but hematodipsia
is folx who get off on blood
and anyone that’s kissed ya
knows you get off on blood
mishegoss is lots of shit thrown in your way
nouveau riche is why the coke is always great
waco, texas was a harbor town in maine
and hematodipsia
is folx who get off on blood
and anyone that’s kissed ya
knows you get off on blood
and renfield’s disease is, uh
when you drink your own blood
and yeah, you know me, like, uh
i’d like to drink your own blood
hematodipsia is when you and blood fall in love
so give me a kiss my love and you can suck all my blood
so hartford, virginia? it ain’t in virginia
so heartache might kill ya, so might mild dyspepsia...
mesopotamia means, “don’t be afraid, my love!”
mesopotamia means, “don’t let me stay, my love!”
mesopotamia? that’s a harbor town in maine, my love
and hematodipsia, hematodipsia"
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19. |
Queentide - Sticky Salty
04:10
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Queentide - Sticky Salty
Queentide are a relatively new "porch rock" band from Santa Barbara, CA who are making quite the splash (no pun intended!) on the local scene. This track to me is a perfect blend of 90s alt rock and the sentiment known by millenials as "chill". Check out their EP "Sticky Salty" on Spotify and welcome Queentide to the comp!
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20. |
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Bloodchugger - Cry Cry Cry
Uhh this is legitimately as scary as sounds can get. Ian Farmer is a weird dude, and when left alone in his own studio, The Metal Shop, for too long, this is what you’ll get- a spooky and anxious sound collage for Christmas. It’s honestly refreshing when this comes on, even if it scares me to listen to while alone…. Ian, you should score a horror film!
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21. |
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Humphrey, Stone, and Toast - Leave Me Alone
The millennial CSN? The rambling madman Humphrey Orlando has been blessing the comp since day one, and Toast has been accompanying both him and Sam Evans on most the tracks since then. This year they’ve combined forces with Stone, and bring us another laid-back banger than sort of reminds me of Dave Matthews in the best way possible. Welcome back, boys, and let’s get a full length HST album in 2020!?
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22. |
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Lil Sticc - Gidgy, the Moth, and Me
Ummm???? This is the first song ever written and recorded by the mysterious Lil Sticc and it leaves me both raising my eyebrows in polite amusement and thirsty for more of this cute and catchy cheese-pop. Will Lil Sticc become an MNE staple in years to come or is this another Group Picture One Hit Wonder? Only time will tell...
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