Welcome to The Pep Music Board’s first monthly round-up! We hope to introduce you to artists and music you may have not heard before. We decided to each pick two of our most-listened-to albums this year, pick a song from each, and put them into a playlist (linked below!) for your listening pleasure. 

Jude

This month for me has been pretty slow and somber, so I decided to pick two albums that give me those same types of feelings. My first pick from the past month is Car Seat Headrest’s 2016 album Teens Of Denial, which was featured on Jimmy Fallon upon its release for some reason. Will Toledo, the band’s lead singer and most popular member, wrote the album to be a much easier style of music to perform live as opposed to the band’s previous big release album Teens of Style. The album went on to place very highly on many music publications ‘Best of 2016’ lists with it placing number four on Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2016. My favorite track off the album would probably be “1937 State Park”.

My second pick for the month would have to be Panchiko’s D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L released in 2000. The album was originally a CD release with only around 30 copies ever printed but during the summer of 2016 a user on the online forum ‘4Chan’ uploaded a few tracks from the album and asked others to help them find the original. This led to users finding some of the band members’ Facebook pages, giving the band members inspiration to continue to create music. The album was rerecorded/remastered and uploaded on music platforms in early 2020. My favorite track off the album would have to be “Stabilizers For Big Boys”.

“Stabilizers For Big Boys” – Panchiko [D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L]

“1937 Skate Park” – Car Seat Headrest [Teens Of Denial]

Leo

Alright, so this month I’ve been really infatuated with the albums Siamese Dream and the MTV Unplugged album by Nirvana. These are two albums that I can just lay down and vibe out to in my room. Every single song on these albums is literally close to perfect, especially on Siamese Dream. My #1 song from that album would probably be “Mayonaise”. This song makes me feel like I’m floating through space. Also, whenever I listen to this song everything just stops mattering. It’s just me and the song and nothing else. That is what a song should be, something that completely takes your breath away and puts you in a mindset where nothing else matters. Another song that has a similar vibe to it is “Oh, Me” from the Unplugged album by Nirvana. This song is a perfect example of a timeless cover. It’s a shame how not many cover songs have the same vibe as this one. Anyway, this is my opinion on these albums and songs, thank you. 

“Mayonaise” – Smashing Pumpkins [Siamese Dream]

“Oh, Me” – Nirvana [MTV Unplugged In New York]

Dallas

Okay, so my favorite albums this month are Channel Orange by Frank Ocean and People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm by A Tribe Called Quest. R&B and Hip-Hop have always been two of my favorite genres, when it comes to Channel Orange there is a mix of sounds and a very diverse combination of instruments. Frank Ocean floats on these spacey beats with his singing and the features are incredible. They match well and add a spice to Channel Orange with one of my favorite songs from the album “Super Rich Kids” featuring Earl Sweatshirt.  A Tribe Called Quest has that New York sound and style and they give off a vibe like no other New York artist. I like how happy the melodies are and how upbeat the songs on People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm are.  One of my favorite songs from this album is “I Left My Wallet In El Segundo”, in this song Q-tip tells us a story about how he left his wallet in El Segundo. This song is one of my favorites because it is so catchy and I can get along with it pretty easily.

“Super Rich Kids” (feat. Earl Sweatshirt) – Frank Ocean [Channel Orange]

“I Left My Wallet In El Segundo” – A Tribe Called Quest [People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm]

Noah

In the same way that Joseph Mitchell holds his camera, the guitar serves both a practical and artistic purpose for singer-songwriters Mac Demarco and Willie Wright. Demarco’s 2019 effort Here Comes The Cowboy takes a major departure from his earlier, more synthesized pop-focused work, and instead finds him playing the character of a secluded cowboy through largely acoustic and muted instrumentals. Demarco’s lyrical insight into the life of a man surfing through young adulthood for the first time is as evident as it’s ever been, and as he finds himself entering his 30s, looks to back the instrument that helped launch his career. Similarly to Demarco’s search for self, only four decades beforehand, Willie Wright released Telling The Truth as an acoustic expression to himself and the people whom he loved the most. Released through the trunk of his car after moving to the tiny island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Telling The Truth tells the story of a man whose music is the main language of his emotions. Somber and reflective in tone, the stripped-back and minimal instrumentals provide just enough space for Wright and his guitar to shine.

“Nobody” – Mac DeMarco [Here Comes The Cowboy]

“Son, Don’t Let Life Pass You By” – Willie Wright [Telling The Truth]

The Junior

This month jazz takes over. COWBOY BEBOP (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by SEATBELTS is the first of my top two albums from the past month. “Tank!”, was featured as the opening song on Cowboy Bebop. The album was composed and performed by musicians with cigarettes that never go out. This song swings. Next up – Whiplash! Hank Levy constructs a musical epic inside a Starbucks for the 2014 film of the same name. Close your eyes and pick a song on this album. You will feel like you just discovered fire, while J.K. Simmons looks at you the same way you look at Noah Flores when he talks about his favorite song. Disgust. 

“Tank!” – SEATBELTS [COWBOY BEBOP (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)]

“Whiplash” – Hank Levy [Whiplash (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)]