With this being the inaugural entry of my new column Infinite Playlist, I thought I would run down the basic idea. For months now, I’ve contemplated ways to discuss music in a more digestible way. There’s a lot that I’m listening to that rarely makes it onto The Memory Tourist either from being irrelevant or just not sustainable for a whole article. What I want to do here is highlight the various albums/songs I’ve been enjoying at any given time in hopes of creating a better sense of what I like. The general goal of this website is to explore the impact that media has on my life, and there’s a never-ending abundance of music that has gotten me through every week. I hope that this intermittent series will only highlight music that I really like from that moment in hopes of giving a better sense of who I am. I should note that there’s no rhyme or reason behind any of this. It’s just what I like at any given time. Enjoy.
MF Doom – “MM.. FOOD” (2004)
Over the past year, there have been few regrets I’ve had as much as wishing I had gotten into MF Doom at a younger age. This is actually the fourth album of his I’ve listened to, but there was something about “The Mouse and the Mask” and “Take Me to Your Leader” that didn’t really connect with me. It wasn’t until I listened to the brilliant “Madvillainy” that it suddenly made sense. The sampling finally felt in tune with the rapping and the soundscape exploded from the headphones. It was a mythmaking masterpiece where MF Doom placed a Saturday Morning Cartoon supervillain accompanying a choir of Hannah Barbera-style cartoons creating this rhythmic punchline. I was hypnotized, desiring more.
While I didn’t love “MM.. FOOD” on the first listen, I loved MF Doom for committing to the album’s novelty. This was a record centered around the subject of food in various facets of society. Read any review now and there’s an argument that it’s a soporific record where it’s an excuse to hear him drop some rib-tickling punchlines (even the samples have a vaudeville approach). While that’s a large part of its charm, I think the record makes sense as a greater concept. Throughout the course of things, he manages to explore everything from economic disparity to homeless veterans and even sex workers. The subject of food unites everyone, needing that sustenance for survival and creativity. The approach alleviates some of the darkness found in the passages, at times showing what a comic book would look like through audio.
What ultimately emerges is a miracle record that has become a go to whenever I need something a little cheeky. It isn’t just that I love the use of samples and how they build a whole ecosystem. Some of the musicianship is downright catchy, finding songs like “Hoe Cakes” using a grooving bass line running over the wettest lips spitting a drum beat. It shouldn’t work together, and yet the producers sell every second. This is a record that I think succeeds as more than infectious puns. It’s a wholly immersive atmosphere that I haven’t heard elsewhere. I don’t know that it’s as timeless as “Madvillainy,” but it’s still a great runner-up for those who need a dignified evolution of Weird Al’s food-centric ditties of yesteryear.
Various Artists – “Kimberly Akimbo (Original Broadway Cast Recording)” (2023)
If I’m being honest, you may as well put a metal triangle on my porch for every time a new Broadway album drops. There’s nothing more exciting than opening up Spotify and pressing play on a show I know next to nothing about. While nothing has matched the bliss of A Strange Loop yet, there is something rewarding about Kimberly Akimbo. From the team that brought us the thought-provoking Soft Power comes a new show that has actually gotten a lot of positive buzz and makes me eager to see what this looks like. While I think there’s some detriment to not knowing anything about the shows early on, it does allow for every moment to feel new and surprising, making me more likely to be invested in the emotions.
What I love is how well this mixes humor with sincere emotions. The opening number “Skater Planet” perfectly establishes the themes by having the characters discuss the pitfalls of small-town New Jersey before diving into more personal woes. This includes writing to Make-A-Wish in what ends up being a touching I Want Song. There’s so much vulnerability early on that makes these characters feel grounded. One of the more noteworthy songs, “Anagram,” finds the characters bonding over a love of language and a sense of being outsiders. Rarely has listening to someone ramble different word combinations been so effectively used. Given that this show also features a song about money laundering (“How to Wash a Check”), I consider myself very curious to see how things go.
In a time where most musicals feel adapted from existing work, Kimberly Akimbo”feels fresh and new. Even if I find some of the tracks messy, I still find tracks like “Before I Go” to hold so much emotional weight. It’s a record that makes me laugh and cry. While I’m not entirely sure what the actual plot is, it’s one of the most vivid and alive stories I’ve heard in a while. The singers add so much to every moment, creating a family drama that may feel inspired by shows like Next to Normal or Dear Evan Hansen but brings its own heart to the table. I’m sure as time goes on and a national tour inevitably emerges that I’ll love this show more. For now, it’s great to have a new OBCR that offers so much to mull over and appreciate. It’s everything that I would want out of live theater and can only hope more shows can hit this stride.
Portishead – “Dummy” (1994)
One of the trends I’ve been enjoying lately is revisiting the 90s. As someone who was born in 1989, I am just the right age to have lived through it without having a formative memory. While certain genres lingered longer in the public’s consciousness, I’ve enjoyed digging into ones that had passed me by. It’s the ones that may seem more dated, or at least rooted in an attitude that has Gen-X nihilism written all over it. That’s what’s so alluring about trip-hop to me: a genre that feels like it slowly faded away, becoming something akin to that random swing revival from around the same time. Even in an era where European dance artists were churning out hits so effortlessly, a genre as groovy as trip-hop feels like the moody cousin that the family just chose to forget at some point.
And yet Portishead has resonated with audiences enough to come up now and then. Despite just listening to the record for the first time in recent weeks, I have seen “Dummy” featured on several Best Of lists alongside Massive Attack and DJ Shadow. I think what ultimately attracted me to them was the fact that “Sour Times” and “Glory Box” made the rounds on KROQ 106.7 in my middle school and high school years. I won’t say that I loved it then, but coming to it in my 30s manages to make the ennui hit harder. I’m in love with the instrumentation that finds the creeping bass and echoing drums creating this immersive groove. The logic adds up given that Geoff Barrow would go on to do some great film scores with Ben Salisbury. It’s so much fun and yet singer Beth Gibbons is singing about the most depressing topics imaginable.
Of what little I’ve heard, “Dummy” is one of the most accessible trip-hop records that I’ve listened to. There’s something about putting it on that makes you want to turn off the lights and close your eyes, imagining that you’re flying through your mind. Songs like “It’s a Fire” consume me with the way the instruments take their time building to a greater point. By the end, there’s a mellowness to everything that makes one feel more in tune with their emotions. What surprises me is that for a band whose work is so influential, there’s only three records to choose from. While that means the likelihood of running through their catalog would be achievable, it also makes me wish I had more “Dummy” to spend time with. For what it is, I’m grateful for every minute that’s available because of how all-consuming the experience is.
Snail Mail – “Valentine” (2021)
Since 2022, I have been moving more towards enjoying bedroom pop. There’s something about the candid lyrics and gentle instrumentation that really resonates with me. With that said, digging into the massive catalog of performers thinking that they’re Phoebe Bridgers results sometimes with underwhelming choices. It’s not often that you find some inspiring breakthroughs like Lizzy McAlpine or Clairo. It’s often something that makes me admire the value of being young and naively in love, but it’s nothing new to this jaded 30-something. I’m happy that it connects with someone, but I’m looking for something that feels earnest and real.
Snail Mail feels like one of the most earnest artists that I’ve come across so far. While I wasn’t a big fan of “Lush,” I found myself immediately surprised with how “Valentine” became a favorite record. Maybe it’s that the overall production just feels richer, whereas her harmonies are more purposeful. I love how bashful her voice sometimes gets, able to show this push and pull that comes with emotional confusion. I especially love the final song “Mia” which manages to break down a relationship into a journey that is at times beautiful and at other points bittersweet. You believe that Snail Mail has a lot of investment in everything she sings. She even makes topics like “Ben Franklin” and “Madonna” interesting.
With only two records, she has quickly become an artist that I’m looking forward to watching evolve. “Valentine” is a massive improvement that finds her more in control of her craft while crafting music that is so creatively rich. It could be that it’s such a comforting warm hug of a record, but it goes down smoothly and makes the most of its half hour running time. There’s never a dull moment as she captures the highs and lows of being young and in love. I can only hope her insight continues to blossom into something interesting. For now, the way she builds towards the chorus like in the opener “Valentine” is enough to fill me with euphoria. It may not seem like much, but it’s such a catchy little record that does the trick every time.
Caroline Polachek – “Desire, I Want to Turn Into You” (2023)
To some extent, this record was a long time coming. When I first joined Spotify, I quickly became aware of the work of Caroline Polachek. Along with “Pang” being such a fun record, I noticed that “Bunny Is a Rider” was one of her most played tracks. Every few months it seemed that she released a new song to the point that I felt like I’ve played half of this record to death before December even rolled around. She has a gift for these large, atmospheric pop songs that allow her bleating singing style to resonate against a desolate backdrop. I love what she goes for and I’m happy to report that “Desire, I Want to Turn Into You” is maybe the first pop record this year that I would rate above really good.
Maybe it helps that I feel like I’ve heard “Billions” a billion times, but the record has an immediate familiarity to me. That’s not a bad thing, as the new songs have a powerful hold on me whenever they start. The opener “Welcome to My Island” has a bouncy melody that sticks with you, allowing this introduction to fill you with curiosity. Given that the record later features a collaboration by the reliable Dido (welcome back!) on “Fly to You,” I’m left with several moments to be excited about. “Blood and Butter” is an infectious little gem that I look forward to playing on repeat and “Hopedrunk Everlasting” feels like an ascension into the heavens that provides a breathtaking view on the way up.
It helps that even in a world of pop tunes, Polachek is doing something grandiose and complicated. She challenges the listener vocally, constantly finding ways to shift her voice and harmonize at just the right moments. While the record is less than a week old at the time of publication, it’s one that I believe will keep me entertained for months to come. It’s somehow one of the most upbeat and rejuvenating records as it is a chance to feel something on a deeper, more intimate level. It’s a record whose mysteries I don’t believe I’m anywhere near fully unlocking. It’s exciting to think of something having that potential. I hope it continues to reveal itself as the year goes on.
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