magnetic may
silence is loud
this month, i’ve had to adjust my expectations more than once and remind myself when to be easy. but how are we continually expected to go on about business as usual when living in consistently unprecedented times. how?1
in true dualistic gemini fashion, there have been some high highs and some low lows. i experienced quite a few days throughout the month where music couldn’t provide the solace and soothing i was seeking.2 there have been some new albums that i’ve attempted to hit play on more than once to no avail. there were so many moments where i just wanted to listen to Silence is Loud by Nia Archives on repeat instead and i have no shame about it.
yet, i listened to enough variety to share it with you here. fwiw, this is my 200th newsletter!! so whether you’re new to this or true to this, let’s dive in with some of the music and moments that have sustained me since the last go-round. i’m also introducing some new sections within this monthly newsletter that’ll reappear in the future as necessary.
new releases
Nia Archives — Silence is Loud
Sinead Harnett — BOUNDARIES
AG Club — BRODIE WORLD
pigbaby — I Don’t Care If Anyone Listens to This Shit Once You Do
Flwr Chyld & GRIMM LYNN — Café Noir
See You Next Year — Pigeons & Planes presents: See You Next Year 2
S. Raekwon — Steven
Fabiana Palladino — Fabiana Palladino
Kamasi Washington — Fearless Movement
Charlotte Day Wilson — Cyan Blue
Rachel Chinouriri — What A Devastating Turn of Events
Bien et Toi — London Safari II
WILLOW — empathogen
Dizzy Fae — Are We There Yet?
Jordan Rakei — The Loop
Yaya Bey — Ten Fold
Flamingosis — Better Will Come
The Lemon Twigs — A Dream Is All We Know
Clarissa Connelly — World of Folk
Crumb — AMAMA
Kitty Ca$h — Handle With Care
Vanilla is Black — U.Aint.Neva.Lied!
La Luz — News of the Universe
Vince Staples — Dark Times
The Marias — Submarine
required listening to know me
Quadron — Quadron
— i heard the song “Herfra Hvor Vi Står” (and subsequently this whole album) in my adolescence via Tumblr and never looked back. it signaled an evolution of R&B that i was compelled to experience.3
Foxygen — We are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
— whenever this plays, i’m instantly transported back to being 18/19 listening to it on the bus or train while headed to work. back then, i think i was subconsciously hoping to transport back to a time when music like this sounded brand new.
albums to look forward to
KAYTRANADA — TIMELESS (6/7)
Deem Spencer — all these crying birds (6/14)
Raveena — Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain (6/14)
Fana Hues — MOTH (6/14)
Omar Apollo — God Said No (6/28)
BLK ODYSSY — 1-800-Fantasy (7/19)
Crack Cloud — Red Mile (7/26)
Ravyn Lenae — Bird’s Eye (8/9)
let’s run that back
writing this piece gave me a greater appreciation for this album (and restructured my idea of which songs on it were my favorites).
Sea Moya — “New Past”
— whenever i hear this song, i’m recalled back to seeing this band perform live in my neighborhood, telling them how i’d previously missed their show when i was in New York, and them kindly taking whatever cash i had on hand in exchange for a cassette (so i wouldn’t have to travel alone at night to the bank ATM across the street).
Sampha — Lahai
— i’m already back here in less than a year, which bodes well for how this album will rank when i look back on music from the 2020s overall.
James Blake — “Modern Soul”
— when a fellow college radio DJ graduated years ago, they dedicated this song to me during their final set because we bonded over it. that’s a memory i’ll cherish forever.
Radiant Children — There’s Only Being Yourself
— i always feel a little more empowered after giving this album a spin.
sights to see
goodbye and good riddance to grown-ish and the -ish televisual universe (hopefully). if you ever watched this show, you *might* be curious to at least see how it all ends. the show concluding as i depart my 20s also signals a subtle change in media consumption for me.4 while i’ll be tuning into the second season of the Pretty Little Liars reboot this summer, i’m feeling curious about storylines that don’t involve an endless sea of easily debunked hijinks.5 or, how about 20 and 30-year olds playing within their age ranges for once? currently in search of shows/media i can relate to.6
Intelexual Media: if you like well-researched video essays on world history, pop culture, and/or sexuality, then this account is for you. the creator is currently doing her series “Lexual Does The 90s” and she’s been putting out consistently robust work for years.
musician Dianna Lopez channels healing energy with her guitar in this meditative series that i’ve revisited a few times this month.
F*ck That’s Delicious: i’ll never get over this show as it was one of my favorite things to experience on TV in recent years. so i’m glad Action Bronson has kept it going via YouTube. his commentary is always so candid, multifaceted, and comically absurd (like his raps). and his taste is refined, diverse, and exquisite.
Palm Royale: now that the first season is over, i’m reflecting on what a wild fever dream this show is. it’s a campy period piece for sure and it’s even campier if you occasionally watch it at 1.25x speed. also, Kristen Wiig’s character is so self-righteous and annoying, you actually begin to pity her! the actors really committed to the bit.
i’m going through another random phase of watching theme park compilation videos and i don’t even like rollercoasters or thrill rides. what’s up with that?
magnetic may: the playlist
the notes: quilts, texture, video games, the smell of play-doh, clairgustance, myrrh, asking the questions that need answers, childlike wonder.
(magnetic may on apple music)
at first, i wanted to comment on the use of AI imagery within digital advocacy work here, but i think plenty of scholars are already beginning to address the topic in a more nuanced way elsewhere.
this is a bit unprecedented for me on a personal level!
it’s the same way i felt when i heard Little Dragon for the first time. also, this footnote is just an excuse to mention Yukimi Nagano’s announcement via IG that she’ll be releasing solo music (!!!)
somebody on Twitter said grown-ish is one of those shows that once you stop watching, you’ll never come back to it. this could also be applied to another show that aired on the same network during this era: the only reason i kept watching Good Trouble until the end is because i had already invested so much time into The Fosters universe.
but also, who am i kidding? most TV for any age range is all about buying into the hijinks. that’s what often helps us suspend our disbelief and further invest our energy in TV land.
i’ll take suggestions, but there are plenty of shows where you just had to be there for the spectacle of the original airing (*coughs* Insecure — i’ve tried to watch it like 3x and i think i missed my window of interest).