take a bite of the apple

Beach Baby  – Ladybird

“Ladybird” by London’s Beach Baby has a golden haze that perfectly captures the late-summer ennui of our youth. The sunshine and freedom still make the days better than most, but there’s still that nagging sense that something’s lacking nipping at your heels. The Virgin Suicides homage of the video works well here, giving it the right hint of sadness without actually tipping into the drama our teenage selves often imagined surrounded us.

a highrise dusted gray

Desperate Journalist – Happening

Everything about this song and video from Desperate Journalist is so delightfully 90s that I can’t tell if it’s due to meticulous crafting or pleasant coincidence. There’s no wink and nod or parody about it, so I’m inclined to think it’s the latter. Either way, I want to lace up some combat boots and sit in a basement rec room, hoping to see “Happening” play on 120 Minutes.

tell me what it is you want

Years & Years – Real

Never underestimate the power of dance – and dancing is precisely what you’ll be doing after hearing the latest single from Years & Years. Be sure to bring your best moves; if you get kicked off the dance floor you might not get to come back. If singer Olly Alexander and his dancing adversary Ben Whishaw look familiar to you, don’t be confused – you may have seen them in Skins, Skyfall, or together as brothers in Bright Star.