Roundup Rundown: 5 Standout Music Releases from June 2023
Trickle Down - baileyboy
[Single - Alternative Rock]
Amidst an expectedly hot and abnormally humid Oklahoma summer swelter, alternative rock band baileyboy has unleashed some heat of their own. Though the title of their latest song, “Trickle Down”, refers not to the plausible sweat on one’s back, but to the term attributed to the Reagan-era economic policies and propaganda which so contorted American life.
Indeed, the former president’s influence can be not only seen on the cover art but also heard via samples of his voice as the very first audible segment. The song then begins with a pumping but reserved red dirt rock groove, as frontwoman Bailey establishes lyrically the setting and stakes, as well as the emotional tone, in the verses.
Delivering a bitter indictment of capitalist America and its lapdogs, their brand of self-described “midwestern discontent” is on full display when the band bursts into the bombastic chorus. The guitars switch from muted chugs to open, twangy strumming; the drums lift from toms to cymbals; while the titular line is delivered with a condescension one could imagine that the policies’ originators also held for them — “It’ll trickle down / You just gotta lick it off the ground.”
“Trickle Down”’s bridge features a gritty, sliding guitar solo and intense emotional push during which whatever sense of decorum still remaining, if any, is eroded. As we learn that the hottest days on Earth in recorded history occurred not long after this song was released, baileyboy’s words in this climactic closing section become only more haunting: “You can have the world when they’re done with it / There’s still money to make.”
Fuck You - Bee & The Hive
[Single - Indie Rock]
Maybe you’re heated not from the sun, but from someone; in that case, this new song from Bee & The Hive might be what you (or they) need to hear. Pollinating the buzz from the release of their debut EP Flamingo Dancing back in spring, the latest track from the Oklahoma band has a fun tune and a simple message.
“Fuck You” continues the group’s energizing take on indie rock, featuring bright saxophone runs and relaxed verse passages slyly crescendoing to each chorus, where the sonic field expands to its zenith but the emotional dimension truncates to the point where the only words that can be uttered by the vocalist (Bee) are a repetition of “fuck you”s.
Any preliminary hints of irony or cheekiness to her statements seem to fade as the song stands in its sincerity, and with each repetition her tone feels slightly more sour, a bit more biting. Though through the gritting declarations can be glimpsed a hint of doubt, or maybe regret, as Bee admits in a vulnerable moment on the bridge, “I don’t mean what I say… but maybe I do.”
Yet the song does not become entangled in its animosity. Rather, the music - backdrop to this conflict both external and internal - provides a space for levity and clarity through the frustration, and brings Bee to a place where she can say what needs to be said, in order to move on. With a final chorus and a definitive round of “Fuck You”s, Bee & The Hive’s catharsis feels complete, and the clouds obscuring their usual sunny disposition have lifted.
Do U Mind? - Swim Fan
[EP - Pop]
If you’re looking to cool off, try blasting the new EP from one of the coolest bands in town - Swim Fan. Do U Mind?, the seven track long-form debut from Oklahoma dream pop playboys, is a breath of fresh air, a tall drink of water, a day at the beach, etc. Moreover, that is precisely the sort of imagery the group’s sound conjures: rolled down windows on a breezy drive, poolside splashing, and the intoxicating lights of the night scene.
The record commences with a brief prelude - setting a dreamy scene of walking to a car and igniting the engine - then embarks. Quickly diving into the alluring disco-funk of the opener (and first promotional single) “Cruise” through to the subtle swinging and glamorous melodies of “Doin’ Alright”, this project journeys through a range of moods as a bustling night out would — never caught up too long anywhere, as the night is young and there are places to be.
Velvety synths and bass meet retro, phasing guitars; slathered with layers of pillowy, slightly psychedelic vocals; amalgamating into luscious soundscapes that feel as spirited as they do serene.
“Hydro” hits right on time around the midway; its low-mid tempo and tropical timbres hypnotize like calm water, while the knocking drums create the waves. As its dance floor rhythms provide an intimate space, a bit of the facade fades when the chorus confesses “I can’t stop the feeling.”
If “Hydro” speaks of a physical desire that can’t be shaken, the subject of “Red Lips” could be the object of that desire. While almost certainly the most straightforward song on the project in terms of concept, its sonic presentation might be the most eclectic, incorporating elements of several genres including electronic, r&b, and indie.
The penultimate track “Tell Everybody” is a seductive and kinetic disco bop that shakes off its feelings and seems to revel in a reputation for drama - “I heard that you heard I’m crazy / That doesn’t mean I’m complainin’.”
Finally, closer “Cryin’”, with its auto-tuned vocals and slow-grinding, soulful instrumental, is a sobering moment of clarity: abandoned on the dance floor, shut at the doorstep, left to wonder where things might have went wrong (“Ain’t even gonna fight it / Cause you’re already gone”).
Though the ride of Swim Fan’s Do U Mind? closes on a melancholic note, it is not a hopeless one, because there is still one thing left to do: wake up and do it all over again.
Too Much - Branjae
[Single - Pop]
The latest single from Tulsa-based, genre-fluid, multi-faceted artist Branjae has all the makings of a summertime hit. “Too Much” is an unapologetic pop song featuring springy synths zipping over funky basslines, all anchored by crisp and steady house kicks and claps.
The energetic and engaging production sets the stage excellently for Branjae’s vocals, which steal the show, sounding snug but voluminous with tasteful harmonies. Catchy melodic lines and tight word phrasing play off the instrumentation well, accentuated especially during drum and bass pre-chorus sections.
The opening lines “I can be who I wanna be / You can be who you wanna be” immediately outline Branjae’s lyrical perspective, which she elaborates on succinctly — saying this intensity in being who she is “comes natural” to her (verse one), and she is “clear on these boundaries” that “what you see is what you get” (pre-chorus).
A sharp drop in the music punctuates the chorus line “If you think I’m too much, maybe go find less,” followed by four-on-the-floor kicks and layered vocals driving the point home in an all out release of negative energy; not aggressive, but empowered. She’s “wishing you all success,” but no matter what, she “won’t shrink down.”
Turn up the heat with the warm electric grooves of “Too Much”, and more importantly, be yourself and don’t shrink down; because that way, according to Branjae, “we can be who we are.”
SECRET ALBUM - S. Reidy
[Album - Rap]
S. Reidy, who has become a staple in Oklahoma hip-hop over the past few years, recently released his 4th studio record. SECRET ALBUM has rolled out fairly quietly in the early summer; which, though true to its namesake, feels noteworthy for Reidy who is no stranger to self-promotion and DIY marketing.
Akin to its singular, sullen star on the white wall depicted on the cover art, the project feels like it’s been casually tucked away — though not necessarily hidden. Almost like a geocache, providing something for those who know how and where to search for it.
Beginning in an almost meditative state on “SECRET FORM”, Reidy’s delivery of the opening lines feels like a recitation of daily affirmations: “Ask for courage, work for strength.” Then leaping into the frantic and wobbly “ODE TO MY REGRET”, he leads with bold lines such as, “I think I never been scared / I ain’t broke, I ain’t need to be repaired.”
When compared to his previous works, S. Reidy’s lyrical output on this project reads similarly idiosyncratic but perhaps less concentrated — existing further on either ends of the spectrums of relevance and abstractedness.
The two features on the project, by Fat Tony and Myles Bullen, compliment their respective tracks in an equally stream-of-consciousness manner. The beats (produced entirely by SunnyMac of Newport, Wales) furnish a fitting foundation, being just strange enough to intrigue but not alienate, transporting the listener into their own head as much as Reidy’s.
S. Reidy’s juxtaposition of minimalist aesthetics and cerebral subject matter reflects a deeper philosophical tug-of-war between the profound and the mundane; a concept oft-confronted in his music, but perhaps most distilled here on this album. Many of its musical elements lend to a fragmented style - short song lengths, heavy use of non-sequitur lyrics and lo-fi timbres - yet the transient and casual nature is clearly intentionally crafted.
This struggle between present awareness and grand reflection culminates in the second half of the song “OH..CAPTAIN…”, as Reidy veers into a tangent describing an event where he witnesses a man get hit by a bus, and summarizes: “Was it profound or was it dumb? I think a little bit of both.”
SECRET ALBUM is an 18 minute slice of life that holds both parallel and diverging lines at equal value, and strikes a balance on those lines between marching and meandering — wondering if what is being said is not as crucial as the act of saying it. Well S. Reidy has said what he needs to for now, as his words on the closer “BARTEES STRANGER THINGS” epitomize: “Not much to say / But you’ll never say enough.”
Roundup Rundown features standout singles, EP’s, or albums from the latest edition of Release Roundup - CLM’s monthly catalogue covering music in and around Oklahoma. Selections and writing by Roundup curator David Joachims.Go here for the full list of releases from June 2023.
