THE REPORT: 8/4/23

GRAHAM HUNT WROTE THE POP ROCK SONG OF THE YEAR

Graham Hunt “Emergency Contact”

It’s hard to say how many times I’ve listened to "Emergency Contact." When I first heard it live, at The Mercury Lounge, I knew it was a hit. I got goosebumps like I was 13 and I was witnessing Alkaline Trio play "Radio" at the Maybe I’ll Catch Fire album release show. A lot of references here, but: What if, in 1998, Paul Westerberg stepped up and wrote a song with a chorus good enough to knock fellow Minnesotans Semisonic off the charts? He never stepped up, but my man Graham sure did. I love hyping songs on my music blog. I feel like I’m a fuckin’ NME writer. “Driving down 94/The power grid’s on fire/Don’t get out of the car until the song is over."

Myaap “Let’s Talk About”

More "Wisco" madness... From a distance, I’m in awe of the Milwaukee rap scene. If you would’ve sat me down on a Riverwest porch in 2005 and told me that someday the city would break out with a signature sound, I would’ve spat the cheese curd right out of my mouth. This Myaap song is produced by So Drove, though—he’s from Los Angeles, by way of Baltimore, by way of St. Louis. Midwest express. "Let’s Talk About" and "Outside" ("What the fuck is a home/Outside all summer") are my two picks from her new EP.

Remble “Where’s Remble”

Nobody raps quite like Remble. He places his bars on a golden banquet table and then politely implores you to dig in. He’s got that ill tsk tsk flow. Here is his first single in what seems like years, but my brain’s warped by internet time. Where’s Remble? Fear not YouTubers, he’s right here. Note: Remble doesn’t actually appear in the video.

Steve Marino “Comedown”

Back on that pop rock tip, we got another first name last name coming through with a cheeky bit of summertime jangle. Music for cruising around an empty college town in August in a barely-functioning minivan. Wouldn’t mind catching a Hunt/Marino double bill.

Soup Activists “Jeffrey Jarvis (Live In Oklahoma City, OK)”

We are really hitting you with the pop rock this week on John’s Music Blog. Soup Activists are a snotty six-piece power pop band featuring, I believe, the brain behind Midwest punk legends Lumpy and the Dumpers. I like the close-up style of this live video. It puts the band outside of time—outside of egg punk time, at least. There’s a scalability to their tuneful semi-shamble.

MIX OF THE WEEK: DJ Swisha “NTS 28th July 2023”

I could imagine DJ Khaled saying something like, “DJ Swisha plays the kind of dance music that we all love.” And it’s true: DJ Swisha does play the kind of dance music that we all love. This set is the perfect blend of tracky and funky. It’s neither overbearing nor boring. Just right. I could also imagine Khaled, frenzied during the mix’s hi-BPM conclusion, taking off his shirt and jumping into an infinity pool.