We Are Mirrors kicks off the spring season with another episode of its monthly radio show, Mirror Dimension Radio. Stream and show notes are below.
NOTES:
I missed posting in February since it was a really crazy month for me, and I won’t drag out those details here. It’s a synthesizer-themed episode this month. I’ve been really into British synthpop from the late 70s/early 80s. Bands like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Gary Numan, and Human League have been on significant rotation, but really none of that made it into this mix. I did, however, include a track from New Order’s Power, Corruption & Lies, which is a fantastic record all the way through.
Here are a few other noteworthy tracks:
“Change” by Cindy Wilson. The vocalist from the B-52’s put out a synthpop record on Kill Rock Stars (most famously Elliott Smith’s label) last year. I wouldn’t have expected her to release this style of record on that label, nor would I have necessarily expected the album to be very good. However, Wilson’s voice has aged very well, and her songwriting chops haven’t dulled a bit. I look forward to future releases from her.
“Daydream” by Youth Lagoon. Singer-songwriter Trevor Powers ended the Youth Lagoon project in 2016, but he has stated previously that he isn’t done with music yet. Here’s to hoping that Powers does return soon. As a reminder of his talent, I included a track from his debut, The Year of Hibernation.
“It’s a Situation” by Improvement Movement. Improvement Movement is the mysterious new multimedia art outing from Anthony Aparo, Tim Friesen, and Zach Pyles (all members of WAM favorite cultureculture). The project has only an Instagram account and a Bandcamp page to its name. They’ve released five singles to date since February, and their visual art pieces showcase cryptic mantras and glitchy, abstract animations. There are definite layers of irony and kitsch in their branding, but if Improvement Movement’s slick indie psych-pop is a hallmark of what it means to “#govertical” then I’m all for it.
Of course, there are 80s jams in this one. I’ll leave them as surprises.
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