50
ISSUE 111 / 2018
INDIE
The husky voice of Mikaela Straus,
is gaining deserved attention,
for reasons that go beyond
music. Being a queer artist in
music today, Straus has been
representing a community, that
has fallen short of representation
in the past.
In her music video for the single '1950', she sports a
drawn-on moustache, playing on gender in a blatant
and satirical way, mocking the concept itself. The
single expresses the unrequited love between queer
people in history and is based on the book The Price
of Salt by Patricia Highsmith (Film Adaptation: Carol,
2015).
The 19-year-old singer-songwriter released her first
album, Make My Bed in June. The album is magic -
her vulnerability and intense emotion evocative of
Lorde and Maggie Rogers.
GUESTLIST RECOMMENDS:
KING PRINCESS
ARTIST OF THE MONTH: ARCTIC
MONKEYS
In many ways, it's been one of the most anticipated albums of the year. The Arctic
Monkeys have kept us waiting five years for new music since the huge success of
AM, and then by only announcing this album a month in advance of its release, and
furthermore choosing not to release a pre-emptive single, they had given the fans
no clue of which direction their sound had taken.
Everyone was tense – from the AM generation hoping for more
slick riffs and sexy bangers, to the old hardcore fans wishing
for a reminiscent return to the gritty working-class roots of
the Sheffield boys' original sound – but come May 11th Arctic
Monkeys surprised everyone, with the pure weirdness of
Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino.
From the release of the track titles alone, we began to
guess it may not be a very conventional album. Firstly, what
was a Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino? 'American Sports'
– has their prolonged time in the States further influenced
their sound, a shift which disappointed many British indie
guitar-music fans back around AM's release? What is 'The
Ultracheese'? And 'The World's First Ever Monster Truck Front
Flip'? Really?!
We knew to expect something interesting and Tranquillity
Base has really given us all that and more.
More at Guestlist.net
PLAYLIST
ATW
All Them Witches
Holler
Amy Ray
Disease
Beartooth
The Window
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Here's the Indie on our playlist this month
