Behold: a sampling of the music we’re listening to right now at Mercury HQ!
Blair Stenvick, News Reporter
This week I’ve been revisiting Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville, mostly because the first day of spring made me think of that line in “Dance of the Seven Veils” where she sings, “I only ask because/I’m a real cunt in spring.” Rock on, Liz!
Wm. Steven Humphrey, Editor-in-Chief
I’m not going to apologize for my undying love of Ariana Grande. In fact, I’m going to get remarkably defensive for no apparent reason! ARIANA GRANDE HAS HAD A TOUGH-AS-FUCK YEAR, GUYS. (Google it if you don’t believe me.) And yet her thank u, next album is an amazing, poised, and shockingly witty release that makes me want to dance, sing along, and live my life just like her. In fact, if there were a radio station devoted solely to Ariana Grande, I’d yank out all the other buttons on my radio. In fact, I love her so much, I’m going to buy an Ariana Grande T-shirt, like RIGHT NOW, and I just *wish* any of you would try to stop me! Good day, I SAID GOOD DAY SIR!
Ciara Dolan, Senior Editor & Music Editor
Weyes Blood/Natalie Mering’s new album Titanic Rising comes out next week, and I haven’t been this excited for a record release in a long time. The doomsday folk of her last LP, 2016’s Front Row Seat to Earth, made the phrase “YOLO” sound like a sacred mantra and commented on how technology and social media can sever (or at least complicate) our connection to reality. By extension, the focus of Titanic Rising—which she has described as “the Kinks meet WWII or Bob Seger meets Enya”—seems to be the struggle to find love and deeper meaning in this bizarre day and age. I’ve been replaying this video of her performing the track “Something to Believe” nonstop for weeks. Although Mering perfectly illustrates all of the big, lost feelings that can surface when drinking too much coffee sends you into a full-on existential spiral, something about the song still feels bright and hopeful. Her voice sounds more powerful than ever, and her lyrics continue to hit me right in the heart: “Give me something I can see/Something bigger and louder than the voices in me.” If you see me crying on the bus, it’s probably because I’m listening to this (also, don’t look at me!!!!).
Ned Lannamann, Senior Editor
The Animals, “The Story of Bo Diddley”: This thing is 55 years old and it’s so, so weird. It’s basically a spoken song-story where Eric Burdon recites the thumbnail details of Bo Diddley’s biography, before the group—atop a shave-and-a-haircut Bo Diddley beat—drops in musical references to Johnny Otis, Bobby Vee, the Beatles, the Stones, and Bob Dylan. There’s also an uncomfortable moment in which Burdon recounts the time Diddley wandered into a Newcastle nightclub while the Animals were covering one of his songs. Diddley wasn’t impressed, apparently.
Bri Brey, Social Media Director
Lizzo and Missy Elliot, “Tempo”: This is thicc lady heaven.
Suzette Smith, Arts Editor
The first time I saw the music video for T.O.P’s track “Doom Dada,” I was pretty stoned, eating BBQ with friends at Nak Won in Beaverton. Nak Won has huge flat-screen TVs on almost every wall, so I found myself unable to tear my gaze from the 2001: A Space Odyssey-inspired visuals, which also include T.O.P driving a giant baby around in a motorcycle sidecar. The track’s flow in and out of Korean is surprisingly satisfying; listen for words like “sommelier,” “shower,” and “hakuna matata.” I know I started thinking about this single again because various members of T.O.P’s popular K-pop boy band Big Bang are going through scandals in the news, but the worst thing T.O.P has ever been accused of is smoking pot (and he got in a lot of trouble! Poor T.O.P!).
Jenni Moore, Copy Chief
Outkast’s Speakerboxx/The Love Below has been in my car for several months, and somehow I’m still not tired of it. At first I was just letting the CDs (mainly The Love Below) keep spinning because it saved me from having to decide what to stream. Why not stay with one of the most tried and true albums? From all the jazzy instrumentation and cinematic skits that string together tracks like “Lovehater” and “Happy Valentine’s Day,” The Love Below‘s 21 songs are seamlessly arranged. The only one I skip (when I remember to) is “Pink and Blue,” which was co-written with R. Kelly. My boyfriend and I didn’t even change when it played through twice on a long car ride home from the beach. Call me boring, but I think I’m cool (“ICE COLD!“).
Bobby Roberts, Calendar Editor
I know she just dropped “Tempo” with Missy (and I love the hell out of it, it feels like the best track Lizzobangers never had), but for whatever reason, I’ve been playing “Worship” by Lizzo a lot lately. Well, not whatever reason, the reason is that goddamn kick drum + that soaring vocal in the pre-chorus + the James Brown horns kicking in—WHOOOOOO! Also, I’m writing this on the release day of Jenny Lewis’ new album On the Line and I’ve looped it twice now. People are comparing it to both Acid Tongue and Rabbit Fur Coat and I 100 percent get why. They’re not wrong to do so, but it’s also very much not like those two (great) albums. She’s older and has gone through some shit since then, and musically, everything is so much warmer and… tactile, I guess? It’s as close as she’s gotten to translating the welcoming immediacy of her live shows to record, even when the subject matter itself isn’t particularly “welcoming.” Which makes it all the more poignant, I guess. It just sounds really good.