The girls are girling as they say, and we have a lot to cover.
Before we jump into new music, some housekeeping:
I’m feeling better everyday and trying to take my extreme fatigue in - for lack of better wording - strides. Trying to walk more than a quarter of a mile makes me quite dizzy, and I’m trying to just be okay with the fact that I could feel much, much worse than I do. I’m continuing to bank music into my running playlist, which is starting to feel like something I’m saving for a rainy day. I’m dreaming of a day, soon, when I can feel the sweat and satisfaction of an early morning 5k.
After Hozier, we also missed Del Water Gap at the Stone Pony, who I was very much looking forward to seeing. The last time we saw Del Water Gap was at Austin City Limits, shortly after the release of his second studio album, I Miss You + I Haven’t Left Yet.
Girl with no job
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a math teacher who, when waiting for me to turn in work, would announce in a sing-songy voice “Any-day-nowww!” Years later and I find myself in stand-still lines, twiddling my thumbs, singing the same sentiment in my head. My post-grad job search has stretched further into the summer than I anticipated, and more often than not, I find myself singing that it really could be any-day-nowww. As a continuation of last week, I’ve received five automated rejections and zero invitations to interview.
I even got this, last night:
I’m a one-woman show here, and I am fully aware that I publish with spelling errors, missing words, I even accidentally wrote last week that I ran 9,000 kilometers (which is fixed if you open last week’s publication in the app, or web browser, but not email, FYI). However, if you are a corporation that employs over 10,000 people, and if you’re going to automate something, it may be helpful to spell check it. Just a thought.
I’ve been bouncing questions around like:
Why have I been ghosted by more talent acquisition coordinators than first dates?
Should I have tried harder in Accounting 200 sophomore year?
Are any of those LinkedIn influencers actually employed?
Why have we introduced influencing to LinkedIn?
When will this all feel like it was worth something?
I’m struggling with conveying both professionalism and personality. I want to stand out, but I don’t want to muddy my experience trying to win someone over. If the recruiter writes that she likes the Black Eyed Peas in her LinkedIn “About” section, I should be able to discuss the layered complexities of the song “Boom Boom Pow” while tying that back to my knowledge of sync licensing and distribution, right?
I can only compare this kind of desperation to being a Bachelor contestant on a group date. Like, Joey, I know there’s eight girls here, and there are only seven roses, but would you glance over the social media strategies under my experience section one more time?
Let’s talk music now
Brat by Charli XCX
Charli herself describes the vibe of the album as like, cigarettes and a strappy white tank. We’re in the Indie Sleaze Renaissance, with the final point on that triangle: unwashed hair. Perfect for me, because I haven’t left my house in a week. Without revealing too much, the album is reminiscent of the scene in the Barbie movie during the big dance break when Barbie thinks about her own mortality for the first time.
I can’t be alone when I say I would give up every Pitbull song if it meant I could hear “Talk Talk” and “Von Dutch” at the bar. Contrary to Charli on “Club Classics”, there’s actually nothing I would like to do less than dance to the sound of my own voice, nevertheless, my own voice reinforced over a subwoofer.
“Any Way” by L’Impératrice and Maggie Rogers, on Pulsar
This. Is. Groovy. Like, your dad’s Yacht Rock WISHES it was this slinky and cool. While I’ve never met a Maggie Rogers song I didn’t like, this track is so different from her punchy April release, Don’t Forget Me, and still equally as refreshing.
“Making Breakfast” by Samia
Samia puts her Sheryl Crow spin on this Twin Peaks track to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Grand Jury - an indie label that’s also home to Arcy Drive and Jordana.
“Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter
This song is so relatable because I, too, place myself into the company of men who are willing to and capable of embarrassing me - Tiffany Pollard style. “Please Please Please” is bulleted with flowery threats, evidential of the archive feature on Instagram. This single is her first working with Jack Antonoff, collabing to create angelic harmonies during the chorus. Her new album, Short N’ Sweet is out August 23rd, just in time to round out Hot Girl Summer.
Wrapping Up
More on the complexity of Boom Boom Pow, skip to 6:40
That’s all for now, and hopefully more soon.