Swing Memory: Sylvan Esso, Slayyyter, Bleachers

*This week: Sylvan Esso’s “Sledge”, Slayyyter’s “crank 2,” and Bleachers’ “Caught Myself Believing.”* Jana monologues about the funhouse mirror dangers trying to go back in time, illuminated by her trip to the New Mexico State Fair. Nostalgia is high on her list lately, but it’s not always a good thing to visit. Small doses, just like Blue Taki Pickle Pizza. (Alex misses V.1 Tamagotchis, which is very valid nostalgia). We get into a deep chat about the music industry news of the week: Jasmine Crockett/Chris Brown and Ed Sheeran/Macklemore. Alex leads us through a thorough fact-finding mission through the issue, through Macklemore’s career, and the NFL stadium owners response to his words. After all that current event discussion…we need a drink. ——— **SWING MEMORY** - .5oz bee pollen infused cognac - 1.5oz rye whiskey - 1tsp ginger liqueur (syrup totally fine) - 2tsp rooibos tea syrup - 2 dashes chocolate bitters - bee pollen garnish Infuse 3tbsp bee pollen into 4oz cognac for forty minutes, then strain through a paper towel. Meanwhile, in a small pot over medium heat, steep 5 rooibos teabags over a simmer for 10 minutes with equal parts water and sugar. Turn off stove, continue to steep for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Add finished ingredients to a mixing glass over ice. Stir until cold. Strain over a large ice cube into a rocks glass. Express an orange peel over the glass, then discard. Garnish ice with a few scarce granules of bee pollen. What to do with the extra bee pollen cognac: sidecar. It makes an excellent sidecar. It also makes a really lovely French 75. **B-side: Rooibos tonic** - .75oz lime juice - 1oz rooibos syrup - light tonic water - 2 dashes angostura bitters ——— We start with Sylvan Esso’s **“Sledge.”** It’s a bit of a departure from Sylvan Esso’s normally synth heavy sound; they’re adding sheets of distorted electric guitars and it’s working really well. The theme centers around late-stage capitalistic despair with a tinge of hope, packaged together with this re-emerging rock sound (Charli xcx is doing it too). There’s a lot of imagery about death and destruction, but in context of destroying to be able to create something new and better. The bubbling soft synths tamper the guitars and make it a true Sylvan Esso song. Check out the whole album, “Ow, ∞.” Slayyyter brings us **“crank 2,”** truly the hardest song we have ever talked about. Alex says Nine Inch Nails through the lens of Britney Spears. Industrial dance at its best, and Slayyyter has been doing it well for a long time, though starting to finally break through into mainstream pop. Jana tries to connect the Charli xcx / Sylvan Esso / Sofia Isella / Ethel Cain / Slayyyter trending that is women doing pop that shifts into rock that is not made for the male gaze…seems very significant. Alex takes us through the maximalist pop trend in the early aughts that backlashed to singer-songwriter quieter pop (Oliva, Gracie), and now women are pushing BACK to “weird, hard, and loud.” It’s cool to see. To be clear, there’s space for all of it, and women continue to lead the way in the pop space. Anyway…LISTEN TO SLAYYYTER. Bleachers give us a soundtrack contribution to Practical Magic 2, **“Caught Myself Believing.”** It’s a classic Jack Antonoff penned jam, and sounds a little more old school Bleachers versus the more recent Jersey-horns-guitars vibe they’ve been putting out. Lyrically it’s the sweet, self-aware introspection that Antonoff is known for. It’s got the classic Bleachers doubled vocals that are far back in the mix, the interesting mixture of instruments including an Alanis-inspired harmonica, mouth organ, and even some banjo. We re-iterate, it is perfect for this movie soundtrack. Stay tuned to the end to hear Alex thank our listeners in French, because we charted in France! Thanks to everyone for listening and spreading the word. \------ Episode edited by the effervescent Marin Wilts! Follow, subscribe, and rate us on your fave podcast platform. We have our own Instagram now! Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/mixomusicology \------- **Alex's links:** Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerboying TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowerboying Alex's Substack: https://alexanderdaoust.substack.com **Jana's links:** Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janapochop Website: http://www.janapochop.com Jana's Substack: https://janapochop.substack.com