🎧 y2k on the Rise - ISSUE 03 - 11/4

Welcome to Stereo Field, the music newsletter dedicated to helping you discover new music.

In this issue we're covering:

• The 31st anniversary of my bloody valentine's Loveless, and what makes the album still sound fresh today.

• The return of a y2k listening trend.

• The new releases we're the most excited about this week.

• Our weekly playlist with the music we've had on repeat.

Let's dive in.

September and October brought us an almost overwhelming amount of great new music to listen to, so we're honestly a little thankful for a slower start to November. But even without as many highly anticipated albums dropping this week, a lot of great new music was still released. Here are a few of the new albums and singles we'll be checking out this week:

Albums

• Horse Lords: Comradely Objects

• Daniel Avery - Ultra Truth

• R.A.P. Ferreira: 5 to the Eye With Stars

• Mount Kimbie: MK 3.5: Die Cuts

• MorMor: Semblance

• h. pruz - again, there

• Fleshwater: We’re Not Here to Be Loved

• Okay Kaya: Sap

Singles

• Geotic - Men, Melting

• Brockhampton - Big P***y

• MIKE - What Do I Do?

• Sabiyha - Afterparty

• Molly Payton - Do It All the Same

• Piglet - to you tonight

• Acre Memos - Another Bird Song

• Hello Mary - Spiral

Check Out Our Playlist With This Week's Releases Here

Loveless Turns 31

Today marks the 31st anniversary of one of our all-time favorite albums: my bloody valentine's Loveless.

There isn't much to say about this album that hasn't already been said. It's widely regarded as one of the most important albums of all time, birthed a new genre of fuzzy, woozy shoegaze, and its innovative guitar and recording techniques and deep focus on the texture of sound have inspired three decades of music across all genres. And the story of its creation (2 years, 19 studios, bizarre recording techniques, and hundreds of thousands of dollars that eventually bankrupted their UK label, Creation) and the 22 years it took the band to release a follow-up has given it an almost mythological status.

But even after listening to it hundreds of times, and reading many of the countless think pieces that have been written on it, Loveless still sounds incredibly fresh and unique. There still really isn't anything that sounds like it. The band did have peers in the early shoegaze scene that were making reverb-soaked hazy pop, and countless bands have imitated the combination of heavy, fuzzy guitars and dreamy vocals found on 'When You Sleep' or 'Only Shallow'. But those sounds are just a piece of what makes Loveless so timeless.

Yes, there are dreamy vocals juxtaposed with heavy, fuzz, and reverb-soaked guitars and hazy instrumentals here. But there are also hip-hop-inspired drums, patchwork-style samples, and tight, simple pop songs under all of it. There are times on the album that I hear more of what influenced bands like Stereolab, Animal Collective, or Boards of Canada than I do modern shoegaze bands like Nothing or Whirr. In the wake of the album's legend and the genre it created, it's sometimes easy to forget what it actually sounds like.

If you haven't heard this album before, you should absolutely listen to it this week. And if you've heard it hundred times, you should absolutely listen to it this week. There aren't many albums that can give you the same goosebumps you had on the first listen, on your hundredth listen. Loveless is one of them.

Move over Airpods, there's a new trend in fashionable headphones, and its wired, over-the-ear, and chonky.

Apple's AirPods burst onto the headphone scene in 2016, and it didn't take long for the slick and stylish wireless earphones to become a status symbol, and the go-to listening method of celebrities, influencers, and business tech-bros alike. This sealed the deal not just for AirPods, but all wireless earbuds, causing wired and over-ear headphones to take a backseat for many casual listeners. And while they were initially a celebrity status symbol, wireless headphones have become way more common, and at this point, almost everyone has a pair of Airpods or a similar wireless headphone.

But as the “Y2K Style” has become popularized in fashion and design, we are seeing a new wave of bulky over-the-ear, and wired headphones returning to style. This trend is being driven by images of celebrities ditching Bluetooth and bringing back the wires. You can see fashion icon Bella Hadid, wearing her wired Apple headphones with her designer coat. Or Zoë Kravitz rocking her vintage Tupac t-shirt and Porta pros on the street.

It is funny to think of headphones as a style and not just a device to listen to music, but it is true. People are willing to sacrifice audio quality or wireless convenience for fashionable wired headphones. Or spend the big bucks for high-quality noise-canceling bulky headphones like the Sony WH1000X or the Apple AirPod Max to get both the looks and good sound.

But if you're not looking to spend the big bucks on a trend, try the Koss Porta Pros. I picked a pair up brand new for $25, and they've become my go-to pair of headphones if I go on a walk and want to listen to music. They are honestly super uncomfortable and don’t sound great compared to other pairs I have, but they look so sick that it's worth it.

Headphone fashion is adjacently music related, but it is interesting how headphones have infiltrated the fashion world and many other spaces around us. Let us know what you think of the new trend and if you’re on the wired or vintage headphone train. Or if you think it is super dumb. Are the Apple AirPods Max worth the hype? Are wired Apple headphones considered vintage? Yikes.

Every week we curate a playlist of the new releases, old favorites, and newly discovered classics that we're listening to, and share our thoughts on a few of the tracks. Check out the whole playlist on Spotify, and find our thoughts below:

Check Out The Whole Playlist Here

Bad Dream - Indigo De Souza

The first time I saw Indigo De Souza and her band was in late 2021 when they opened for Lucy Dacus. Don’t get me wrong, I love Lucy, but Indigo stole the show. Their set is one of my favorites I have ever seen, and ‘Bad Dream’ stays in the front of my mind when I think about the show. Indigo’s vocal performance is authoritative and gritty, but also she can switch to an airy and angelic tone at the drop of a hat. It is ridiculously impressive and is shown in full force on ‘Bad Dream.’ I cannot recommend this track and album enough to you.

Sheets of Grey By Ducks Ltd.

Ducks Ltd.'s jangle pop sensibilities bring a fresh perspective to a well-established genre. Sheets of Grey is instantly recognizable with its easy melody that has kept this song on repeat for me.

Accessory by Breakup Shoes

The second you hear the chord progression in this record, you can't help but nod your head. Breakup Shoes is not reinventing the wheel with Accessory but honestly, they don't need to. Put this record on, and just let the good vibes roll.

Sorry By Hey, Ily

On 'Sorry', Hey, ILY takes the sound of lofi hyperpop and mashes it into a rock song. This is something I've been waiting on a band to do for a long time, and, in my opinion, nothing really sounds quite like it. I'm excited to hear more from Hey, Ily.

Mr. November by the National

We don’t know who Mr. November is but it’s okay. This song is awesome. Happy November.

Check Out The Whole Playlist Here

• 🎥 Hell(a) Yes! Earlier in the year, legendary math/noise rock band Hella hinted at some new content to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 2002 debut album "Hold Your Horse Is". This week we got the first taste of that, with drummer Zach hill sharing a few clips of the band rehearsing on Instagram. Hella hasn't released new music since 2011's Tripper and hasn't toured since 2007, so new music or a string of reunion dates would both be a welcome surprise from the band.

• 📻 Frank Ocean is back!.... with a new radio show 😮‍💨 Frank Ocean has announced a new weekly radio show every Thursday on Apple Music, tied to his luxury jewelry brand Homer. Many fans seemed more frustrated than excited about this announcement as it's been 6 years since Blonde, and Frank seems determined to do anything but release new music. Frank is scheduled to headline Coachella in April of 2023, so there might still be hope for new music from the now-legendary musician in the near future.

• 👀 I do want the world to see me... Phoebe Bridgers and Maggie Rogers have re-released their 2020 cover of the Goo Goo Dolls Iris on Bandcamp. Its available for 24 hours only, and all proceeds go to the Brigid Alliance

Today's meme of the week comes from @music.shitposting on IG

Thanks for reading, if you liked this issue let us know below. And hit reply on this email to let us know what songs you liked, or if there's a great song, album, or artist we need to hear.