Waschesalon: underscores, THAO & Neko Case, Rebecca Black

*This week: underscores, THAO & Neko Case, and Rebecca Black* Alex’s monologue starts us off strong with the juxtaposition of trying to be an artist in an age when people have 24/7 access to your online persona, but maybe don’t treat you like a human being. Loneliness, the desire to be desired, and the desire to not be perceived at all. All the songs this week tackle these themes in their own way. To get into it, we need a drink. ——— **Waschesalon** *Ingredients:* - 1oz 8-year rum - 1oz Chilean pisco - .75oz nectarine syrup - .75oz heavy cream - 1oz lemon juice - 1 egg white - 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters (Jana, ango okay for you) - barspoon almond extract - barspoon absinthe - 2.5oz soda water *For the nectarine garnish:* Soak 2 slices of nectarine in 4oz Amaro Montenegro for two days. Pull nectarine out of amaro and reserve liquid for another use (great in an M+M, for example.) Freeze nectarine until solid. Grate (peel side first) over top of cocktail once ready to serve. *For the nectarine syrup:* - 1 cup brown sugar - 1 cup water - 1.5 nectarines, sliced In a medium saucepan over medium heat, dissolve sugar in water, stirring until liquid is clear. Add nectarine slices and bring to a strong simmer, then reduce to low heat. Let simmer for 10 minutes or so. Remove from heat and steep for an additional 10 minutes. Strain the syrup to remove the fruit, then let cool completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2-3 weeks. *For the cocktail:* This recipe requires all ingredients to be very cold, so a few hours beforehand, place rum and a Collins glass in freezer. In a shaker without ice, combine rum, nectarine syrup, citrus, egg white, cream, absinthe, and almond extract. Take coil out of a Hawthorne strainer and add to shaker; give it the shake of your life for one minute. Take out the coil, and add four small 1x1 ice cubes (two large ice maker cubes will also work.) Shake until all the ice has melted completely (around three minutes.) Add part of the soda water into the collins glass. Pour the drink into the glass (no strainer needed.) Let chill for 10 minutes. Using a barspoon to gently create a gap through the center of the foam, top up with remaining soda water. After foam has formed on the top of the drink, grate frozen nectarine onto the drink and serve with a straw. This recipe takes some pointers (namely, that Hawthorne spring trick) from Jean-Félix of Truffles On The Rocks. ***BONUS!*** **MM’s M+M** A reward for prepping the ingredients for the hardest drink in our pantheon so far, the Mixomusicology M+M uses the leftover nectarine-infused amaro montenegro with a well paired smoky mezcal to elevate a modern classic. - 1.5oz nectarine-infused amaro montenegro - 1.5oz Del Maguey mezcal Add both to a mixing glass over ice. Stir hard. Strain over a large ice cube into a rocks glass. Grate frozen amaro-infused nectarine over ice. Source for recipe: https://youtu.be/U8jH5cP9kz8 ——— We start with **underscores’ “unlimited love.”** It starts off so atonal and grimy, and then we blossom into an early 2000’s pop sound. The lyrics are excellent, with callbacks to Britney, Skrillex, and Alex even mentions Wii Sports theme vibes. There is humor that works, which is hard to do. Every line is quotable, and underscores is eminently danceable. We discuss trying to write vague enough lyrics that still punch through enough…an art that works for AIM away messages (Jana dates herself). Next up is **THAO ft. Neko Case** and **“Catch As Catch Can.**” Thao (formerly Thao & The Get down) is back with a new solo album and brings Neko Case along for this track. This track is about a feral tryst in the ocean, essentially, and who doesn’t need that in their life? Again, lyrically this one stands out and is exceptionally intimate and sexy. Thao and Neko’s voices intertwine well. The bridge changes it up just enough to take us from a noir vibe to a mid-aughts Bahamas vibe in the chorus. Lastly, Rebecca Black is blowing our minds with **“Waschesalon”** (laundromat in German. We talked about “Speakerphone” when Rebecca put it out as a single a couple of months ago, and now with the whole album out, we stand ten toes down for this being a career-making project. We gush about how Rebecca overcame global ridicule as a 13-year-old (something she should not have had to endure), and to grow into an artist of this caliber…well, again. We love her. Once again, the lyrics are raunchy but then turn sentimental and sweet toward the end. We love a turn around. The track is forceful and banging, a plucked kind of sampled zither-like synth at the start launches us into the club-slash-laundromat. It builds and builds until it explodes, takes us to a breakdown, and then it doesn’t build us back up, we kind of float out of the waschesalon instead. It’s just excellent dance music. We love you, Rebecca Black. \------ Episode edited by the incredible 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