Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: Papercuts

March 2019: The Best Songs, Music Videos, and Full Streams

We’re more than a third of the way through 2019 and the editorial branch of this site has been far too dormant since 2018 received the Best Of recap treatment. Today will be dedicated to addressing that coverage gap with three look backs at the very best songs, music videos, and full streams that January, February, and March had to offer. Due to the sheer volume of highlighted material, these lists will (unfortunately) be static, presented on their own without any dedicated write-ups. Each of these releases is exceptional and may receive some more words further down the line but for now, simply revisit and enjoy: The Best of March 2019.

SONGS

Evening Standards – The Baron

Patio – New Reality + Vile Bodies

Trace Mountains – Where It Goes

Truth Club – Not An Exit

Kishi Bashi – Summer of ’42

Gurr – Fake News

Heartscape Landbreak – A Heart Full of Light

Empath – Hanging Out of Cars

Petite League – White Knuckle Wildflower

Babehoven – Icelake

Greys – These Things Happen

Blushh – All My Friends

Control Top – Covert Contracts

Adir L.C. – Reacting

Stef Chura – Method Man

PUP – Scorpion Hill

The Modern Times – Am I Losing Touch

J.R. – Be My Man

Pile – Bruxist Gin

Eluvium – Recital 

MUSIC VIDEOS

Beachtape – Fix It Up

Grim Streaker – Today New York

Fontaines D.C. – Roy’s Tune

Greys – Arc Light

Slothrust – Peach

Double Grave – Deadend

Charly Bliss – Chatroom

FULL STREAMS

Rosie Tucker – Never Not Never Not Never Not

La Fille – Alright Already 

Westkust – Westkust

Ronnie Rogers – Denim Jacket Weather 

Cult Film – Mona

Billy Woods – Hiding Places

Papercuts – Kathleen Says

Sasami – Sasami

Potty Mouth – SNAFU

Vertical Scratchers – Memory Shards (Stream)

And the hits just keep coming. After yesterday’s parade of content, today’s been just as ceaseless in terms of output. There were outstanding songs by Young Widows, The Wytches, A Million Billion Dying Suns, Papercuts, Anto Dust, Downliners Sekt (which is a near-definitive example of what ambient dubstep should aspire to be), and JPNGRLS. Then there were stunning clips from the likes of Mr. Dream, Hockeysmith, Yellow Ostrich, and Blouse, in addition to the insta-classic videos from Guided by Voices and The Notwist. In the largely dark and wiry post-punk onslaught that is the majority of that list, Vertical Scratchers managed to sneak in another near-perfect track leading up to the release of Daughter of Everything later this month.

With that song, Vertical Scratchers officially go two for two. It wasn’t too long ago that this site covered their excellent first offering, “These Plains”, and now the Merge duo’s back with an equally infectious piece of quick-moving powerpop. Incidentally, the band that “Memory Shards” most prominently recalls is Guided by Voices, who came close to being today’s feature by virtue of their Funny or Die music video for “Planet Score”. From the shared sense of melody to the paradoxical aesthetic (energetically lackadaisical), Vertical Scratchers and Guided by Voices share a lot more in common than expected at first glance. There’s an impossibly smooth falsetto, a perfect amount of crunch, and a whole ton of melody packed into an immensely enjoyable two minute burst- sound familiar? If all of Daughter of Anything is as good as the first two cuts suggest it is, Vertical Scratchers will be making one hell of an entrance. Here’s hoping they wind up with a career as storied as their predecessors. Listen to “Memory Shards” below and get ready to wear this record out over spring and summer.