Finds of the Week - November 20
Every week, I find myself coming across new artists and bands that really deserve some love! This week, it seems I was into songs that changed tempos, a local band, and an artist that I’m convinced is related to Jack White.
“The Coal Miner’s Daughter” - Kip Macklejar
Kip Macklejar is an artist I’m going to be watching. For one, he sounds just like Jack White. I’ve listened to every song he has out on Spotify, and I’m still not 100% convinced he isn’t Jack White or some sort of relative. (For example, the song “I’m Sorry” sounds even more like The White Stripes/Jack White and I don’t think I’ll believe Kip isn’t Jack until they’re in the same room together.) This song though, has some great guitar riffs, along with a sort of groovy sound. This song recently dropped in October, and I hope it gains some traction. Macklejar really has something going for him.
This song gives me a vibe that if punk was mainstream in the 50’s, we’d hear a lot of songs like “Jj.” I kind of wish more punk bands had woman fronts or overall, just ditched the cis-white man front. This trio really works well together, and I love hearing Katie Greer’s voice leading the group with the punk-esque style with the soulful sound of the blues backing it. This is the song with the most listens on Spotify and I think it’s one of their strongest songs. “Jesus’ Son,” which came out in 2019, has some solid riffs and it was a great way to open their 2019 album. When I was doing a little research on them, I found out they started their own label and are making music on their own terms! Absolutely love this song, their music, and their creativity!
What a feel-good song! I absolutely love a song about body positivity. I came across Lawrence a few years ago with “So Damn Fast,” but I sadly didn’t keep up with them as much as I should’ve. “Freckles,” which also came out in late October, came across my Discover Weekly, and while I was jamming out to it, a friend sent me a TikTok of Lawrence performing this song! I’m totally here for the bluesy, funky beat of this song, and Gracie Lawrence’s voice just completes it! Such a fun, cheerful song!
I will always give credit where credit is due, and I have to thank my roommate, Claire, for showing me this one. She has great music taste and she nailed it with this song. I’m a sucker for a local Wisconsin band, and I’m looking forward to listening to more Disq in the future. “Konichiwa Internet” is an interesting song that I recommend listening to with headphones, because halfway through the song, you’ll get some wild sampling in the background from different instruments that actually made me jump while listening to it. I’m a sucker for a tempo change mid-song and this song delivers it well! Extremely creative and I’m super pumped to have such a cool band from my home state!
This song threw me for a loop! The intro hooked me right away, but this song was full of twists and turns! I love a song that can surprise me halfway through and this one really nailed it! The mix of solid rock and pop elements is the genre-crossing music I need in my life! This song brings so many surprises to the table, I don’t want to give away its secrets. A big shout out to “Dream Rats,” which is also on No Joy’s 2020 album, “Motherhood.” I highly recommend checking both of these songs out ASAP - and I’ll be checking out the rest of No Joy’s discography.
If you’re looking for more new music, check out my playlist with Claire, called, “fuck! These are some funk fresh finds!” which we curate throughout the month! Some of the songs that didn’t make my top five finds of the week, but are still worth checking out, are on the playlist!