Obscurity Knocks #17: A Different Feeling (3/24/24)
The five best songs played on Obscurity Knocks on 89.9 WLCA this week.
Hey everyone! Gonna be a bit of a short entry today, as I’m a bit fried mentally as the words aren’t quite coming to me as they usually would unfortunately. But I’ll take this as an opportunity to provide some quick programming notes:
Next Sunday’s show will be my last on 89.9 WLCA for the foreseeable future, though that will not be the last show, as I have a good lead (hopefully) on a station willing to take on the show.
So likely the newsletter will be taking a brief hiatus after next week as I prepare for my move to Durham, NC, so if you wanna keep up with any new music recs from me, make sure to keep your eyes on my Matty Goodsongs (2024) playlist or join the Indieheads Podcast Discord via our Patreon, as I’m very active in our new music channel.
And speaking of the Patreon, this week’s full episode will be up there sometime tomorrow!
Alright with that being said, let’s get to the five best songs played on Obscurity Knocks on 89.9 WLCA this week:
Saturnalias - “jsuk”
RIYL: Truth Club, MOP, Sword II, Hotline TNT, They Are Gutting A Body of Water
As I get ready to move to The Triangle, it’s good to have bands in the area on my radar, the latest of which is Saturnalias, as this got a shout out from my good pals and Truth Club, and I’m really digging this track. Has a bit of that Truth Club-style jangle with nice mixes of the recent shoegaze wave that leans more towards the experimental style ala Sword II or TAGABOW.
Jlin - “Borealis” (feat. Björk)
RIYL: RP BOO, DJ Rashad, Heavee, Arca
Jlin is fucking awesome. Since I heard Dark Energy in 2015, I’ve been a fan of hers and this new record might be the best one she’s put out since then. Doesn’t hurt to have a banger of an intro track that features one of the GOATs, Björk, playing flute (?) over insane footwork beats.
Julien Chang - “Imago”
RIYL: Adrienne Lenker, Andy Shauf, TOLEDO, Thom Yorke/Radiohead
This one kinda just floored me? Not too familiar with Julien Chang aside from working some of his music over at my day job, but yeah I guess I gotta go back and check out their previous records, as this bit of indie folk is just so masterfully produced and composed.
Ladifa - “coping mechanisms”
RIYL: Shamir, Chappell Roan, Soccer Mommy, Samia
Shamir is insanely cool, as their last two records, Heterosexuality (produced by Obscurity Knocks friend and fave Hollow Comet aka Isaac Eiger) and Homo Anxietatem are both amazing slices of indie rock on opposite ends of the sound spectrum, with one being dark and industrial and the other being bright and joyous. They also have insanely good taste, as Ladifa, the most recent signing to Shamir’s Accidental Popstar label, is an artist that has a hell of a lot of promise based on this track. If you like your 90s/00s alternative/pop girlies (as discussed on the Indieheads Podcast’s White Girl Heaters episode, one of which we recorded with Shamir), you’re gonna dig this.
FACS - “North America Endless”
RIYL: Lifeguard, 90 Day Men, Unwound, Ganser, The Jesus Lizard
It’s only a matter of time before I do an even bigger dive into the Numero Group catalog (aside from Unwound), as one artist I know I’ll probably fall head over heels for is 90 Day Men, the former St. Louis outfit that counted Brian Case as a member. He’s been in a lot of bands over the years, including The Ponys and Acteurs, and turns out I need to be listening to more FACS, because this track owns. I’ve loved the work his son, Asher Case, has done in the band Lifeguard (debut LP this year please, Matador?), so it’s unsurprising I dig this. Like father, like son after all.
Honorable Mentions:
Dana Gavanski - “Song For Rachel”
You like Cate Le Bon? Listen to this.
Mister Goblin - “The Notary”
You like the various projects of Conor Oberst? Listen to this.
Hot Joy - “Folded Tongue”
You like Gladie? Listen to this. (Also, gotta shout out a good hometown/STL band when I see one!)
Nourished by Time - “Had Ya Called”
You like Dean Blunt and/or Prince? Listen to this.
Empress Of - “Fácil”
You like Rina Sawayama and/or Caroline Polachek? Listen to this.
Waxahatchee - “Ice Cold”
You like Waxahatchee’s last album Saint Cloud? Well listen to this, as it’s more of the same but that ain’t a bad thing.
Rosali - “Hopeless”
You like Waxahatchee? Listen to this.
This Week’s Playlist:
Hour 1:
Halo Maud - Celebrate (from Celebrate) [Heavenly/PIAS]
Dana Gavanski - Song For Rachel (from LATE SLAP) [Full Time Hobby]
Julia Holter - Materia (from Something in the Room She Moves) [Domino]
Lightning Bug - Opus (from No Paradise) [Self-Released]
Mister Goblin - The Notary (from Frog Poems) [Spartan]
Cloud Nothings - I'd Get Along (from Final Summer) [Pure Noise]
Metz - Light Your Way Home (from Up On Gravity Hill) [Sub Pop]
Tosser - Rinse (from Sheer Humanity) [Self-Released]
So Totally - Doz Roses (from Double Your Relaxation) [Tiny Engines]
Marbled Eye - Motion (from Read The Air) [Summer Shade/Digital Regress]
Saturnalias - jsuk (from Bugfest) [Candlepin]
Hot Joy - Folded Tongue (from Small Favor) [kind of a jerk]
Jade Hairpins - Unreliable (single) [Merge]
Man Man - Iguana (from Carrot On Strings) [Sub Pop]
Bad Bad Hats - My Heart Your Heart (from Bad Bad Hats) [Don Giovanni]
Hour 2:
Jlin, Björk - Borealis (from Akoma) [Planet Mu]
Logic1000 - Can't Let Go (from Mother) [Because Music]
Nourished by Time - Had Ya Called (from Catching Chickens) [XL]
Empress Of - Fácil (from For Your Consideration) [Major Arcana/Giant Music]
Ghostly Kisses - Crimson (from Darkroom) [Akira]
Julien Chang - Imago (from Home For The Moment) [Transgressive/PIAS]
Ladifa - coping mechanisms (single) [Accidental Popstar]
Waxahatchee - Ice Cold (from Tigers Blood) [Anti]
Rosali - Hopeless (from Bite Down) [Merge]
Adrianne Lenker - Vampire Empire (from Bright Future) [4AD]
Chanel Beads - Idea June (from Your Day Will Come) [Jagjaguwar]
FACS - North America Endless (single) [Sub Pop]
Storefront Church - The High Room (single) [Self-Released]
Hour 3 (Favorite Album/Deep Cuts from 2001 to 1997):
Radiohead - Like Spinning Plates
Aphex Twin - Taking Control
Björk - Pluto
The Microphones - Samurai Sword
Dismemberment Plan - Girl O' Clock
Q And Not U - Fever Sleeves
Third Eye Blind - London
Radiohead - In Limbo
Björk - An Echo a Stain
The Avalanches - A Different Feeling
Daft Punk - Short Circuit
Neutral Milk Hotel - Oh Comely
Obscurity Knocks Highlights for 2024:
Listen to Obscurity Knocks live on Sundays from 12 - 3 PM CT on wlcafm.com, the Radio FX app (Look for Lewis & Clark Community College), or the Radio Garden app (search for WLCA). Next week’s show will be the last show on WLCA.