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SONGS OF OURSELVES: VOLUME 2 PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Cambridge International Examinations | 234 pages | 30 Nov 2014 | CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS | 9781107447790 | English | Cambridge, United Kingdom Songs of Ourselves: Volume 2 PDF Book The track and this gripping group are dying to pierce your speakers as if you're a teenager tracing your hometown highways once again. She knows someone has to stand up for her girls and strangers on the train, so that person might as well be her. Through their dance-infused punk music, the four women of the Japanese band CHAI set out to redefine the concept of "kawaii," or Japan's perception of cuteness. Reclaiming what it means to be a Texan and taking ownership of the explicit, the artist was thrust into the mainstream for her debut record Fever -- and her empowerment of the "hot girl" is something everybody can get behind. Frontman Matty Healy is vocal about being frustrated like the rest of us to live across the pond with the threat of Boris Johnson, while Donald Trump gaslights the US, and climate change turns everything to shit. It may seem as if Lana Del Rey , plagued by loneliness, feels like no one understands her besides the literary icons she prays to, but in reality, the songwriter knows she mirrors the timeless experience of the melancholic modern woman. You may have started not knowing who Billie Eilish is. Tyler, the Creator has steadily risen from alt-rap collective Odd Future's elusive leader to a bona fide, game-changing creative. My Account. Trading guitars for piano and bongos, one could imagine the track lighting up the dance floor on a singles' cruise, but its disco intonations are a true joy to surrender yourself to. That's a testament to Jepsen herself, who's become pop's finest emotional translator. But as somber as the self- referential piano ballad is, she has hope that this apathy isn't everlasting, and as desperate as she sounds, you believe her. It was all an extremely confusing move from one of the most divisive pop stars -- but even non-Swifties must remember that she is also one of the best pop songwriters of our time. She captures the way love is both personally immediate but deeply alien to us, something visceral but hard to understand. It's a masterpiece, and what feels like a star stepping into her spotlight. As an ugly trudges on, music continues to figure out how to exist in absolutely uncharted territory. It could be a hymn in a Southern church, or just as likely blow out speakers from cars passing by with the windows down; the track is an extremely hot celebration. Yanya, who grew up a classically trained musician and was fervently pursued by the industry following several buzzy Soundcloud releases, kicks off her semi-concept album by introducing it as a hotline for the fictional "WWAY HEALTH," where she will be on the other line, caring for your deepest concerns. But does it make you feel sexually empowered as hell? There's simply nothing like it on the radio. There's a reason bedroom pop artist Clairo 's lo-fi music went viral thanks, TikTok and became the subject of major label bids before she committed to staying independent. The superlative for the sweetest song of goes to Dehd , a surf rock trio from Chicago made up of scene natives who previously lent their talents to bands like NE-HI and Lala Lala. By no means is their music universal; it sounds like they went into the studio and just smashed on their keyboards until random sounds popped out, then decided the absurdist result was just deranged enough to work. Every once in a while, country produces a supergroup that transcends the big star, arena-rock ethos that dominates the genre. Saweetie is extravagant and forward if nothing else -- which is exactly why the LA rapper-to-watch is already a boss. The British singer wanted to be a pop star, moved to London as a teenager, and… became one, record deal, Diplo-collaborations, and all. Their sound is just so lovely. Club Night may be composed of seasoned musicians from the Oakland DIY scene, but they arguably sound like a group of kindergarteners bashing on a set of classroom instruments -- in a good way. You may not know her name until now, but you've probably heard Caroline Polachek 's music before. The indie folk darlings released two major albums, both to great acclaim -- which checks out, as the Brooklyn-based band consistently creates an organic, earthy world in all that they release. This year she dropped "Only Child," which is just as interesting and continues to classify her as a bold name in music; on the track, she stresses she has no time for people with only child syndrome, smartly sing-song rapping about the inherit coldness of those who "think about nobody but yourself. SASAMI finds her power in gentleness, in sonic moments that could be overlooked, but instead strike like lightning, and in the softness of her voice singing of brokenness. Time Out Worldwide. Nothing has ever sounded so good and representative of their buoyant scene than this year's "Disco," though. Songs of Ourselves: Volume 2 Writer It's on "Bad Guy," one of the biggest songs this year, that she solidifies her innovative, somewhat bonkers but mostly genius status. Big Thief had a big year. The song at first listen sounds resonant of "Brown Eyed Girl" and holds the same acoustic levity of a Van Morrison song, though it dances with duality: the kind of baroque tune you'd expect from Vampire Weekend while exploring the unfortunate simplicity of a relationship running its course… and life doing just the same. Rarely does she fail to take her greater aesthetic into consideration: For instance, her debut album Whack World , was a minute visual album odyssey inviting others into her obscure world. The J. He embraces this debauchery on "Dirty Laundry," chronicling a series of ridiculous sexcapades delivered in a snarky, comical tone over '90s-bumping production from A Tribe Called Quest's Q- Tip. The song has the kind of beat that you might expect to hear on a mainstream EDM producer's radio single that called for a female vocalist, but instead its decadent drum machines and head-over-heels exhilaration about finding "the one" is the energy only beholden to Jepsen. Protecting Yourself Against Chemicals in Clothing. It sounds blissful and nostalgic, and you can hear in her voice that Normani is motivated to be the next big pop star. The indie noise band sounds especially pure and entrancing when meshed with the frantic. You'd be lying to yourself if you weren't slightly breath-taken by Harry Styles. She may be singing about the cruelty one can spew at themselves, but in her poeticism you recognize that hopefully love will one day convince that feeling to subside. It's maddening, but in a dynamic way that feels all too familiar. Maybe Douglas Sirk could have made something profound out of the pseudo-ennobling horsepucky. Over majestic synths and piano, he wavers between boastful prayers regarding his own success, and the future of humanity. Alt-pop prodigy Billie Eilish quietly became one of the biggest pop stars in the world because of her depressingly dark music -- her vulnerable and frank lyrics are exactly what her young audience connects to. Clairo In spring , LA-based indie rock band Wallows blew up after sharing their first-ever single "Pleaser. Who needs balance? It's pop at its finest: a weird, dark calico infused with trap and spookily produced like it could play in your nightmares. Our favorite sister act came back in a big way this year and blew us all away with this breezy number. Just let the seductive production and deep bass inevitably turn your hips into a swivel -- you won't be able to resist. Just do it, just step into the light -- Styles is an icon in the making. Share Tweet. It's like an amalgamation of his frantic, genre-pushing sound, and you can't help but think those sounds of glass breaking on the track echo how he's shattering the expectations of what music can sound like. On her latest album, All Mirrors , indie icon Angel Olsen sounds like she wants to want to become a full-blown, stadium-sized pop star. Their "Chatroom" is an example of this exuberance: a youthful track of loud drums and guitars that climax at a moment of anger turned into no-fucks-left- to-give, a reflection of what Hendricks said she personally felt following a toxic relationship and experience of sexual assault. Empath, who have quickly become a staple in the percolating Philly noise-rock scene, envelops you in loud, fuzzed out sounds before they fade out to fill space with strange, cinematic production. She tweets about music at mssadiebell. At the very least, you're intrigued by whatever it is about the former One Direction member that makes him so freaking charismatic. It's freeing and tastefully p optimistic, the Happiness Begins lead single "Sucker" one of the most fun on the Hot this year. He sings that he thinks he's found love, and there's nothing in the song to lead you to believe otherwise. Like you would any newborn, we must love and nurture DaBaby. Instead of a guitar-focused funk song the LA-based sister trio is known for, the single that arrived in late July is hushed and simmering, like the afternoon sun beaming on your shoulders.

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