Smooth Ass Vibes - Music Discovery Diary #8

Checking out new artists from Italy, Japan, Chicago.

Hi, this is another rendition of my Music Discovery Diary - where I listen to a song by an artist I’ve never listened before every day and write at you about it. I keep saying I’m gonna stop sending these, but then I don’t. Maybe now I’ll say I’m not gonna stop sending them, and then I will. We’ll see. In the meantime, check out this photo of an anarchist area in Ljubljana, Slovenia called Metelkova that will come up later in this post.

I’m finally working more on my book about “Midwest Emo” (a term I don’t necessarily like), and this week I got a little more curious about what the people on the internet consider “Midwest Emo.” It led me to some cool bands, like Bulgarelli, from Italy. I also detoured to South Africa and Japan and back to Illinois. There’s so much good music in the world, man. I love it.

2.21.25

Bulgarelli - Dallas (A Wave)

Bulgarelli describes themselves as “Chill emo-math from Italy inspired by American Football, Braid, Mineral and Rainer Maria.” So they pretty much exactly fit the definition of a newer “Midwest Emo” band who is directly influenced by the artists I’m writing about. Although I tend to think artists who are just trying to recreate sounds they’ve heard in the past aren’t necessarily original, I do think in a lot of cases “Midwest Emo” artists are just paying homage to the music that they love and they’re naturally doing something unique with it, too.

I definitely think that’s the case with Bulgarelli. This whole album, Fat Animals, from June 2024, is well worth a listen.

2.22.25

Friend/Enemy - “Totally Totalitarianism”

I decided to listen to Friend/Enemy because I’d never actually listened to them. It’s a Tim Kinsella project along with Todd Matei and Jim Becker. According to Discogs they put out one album in 2002 and one in 2020. I’m assuming Bulgarelli has listened to them a bunch and loves them.

2.23.25

Art Ensemble of Chicago - “Thème De Yoyo”

I can’t remember how this song was tangentially related to my “Midwest Emo” research, but maybe it’s as simple as Art Ensemble of Chicago is from Chicago. They’re an awesome avant-garde jazz band with a ton of performers and history that you should look into because I’m too lazy to tell you about it here.

I sent the link to this song to my music group chat, and a friend responded back: “Nice. I've had this song bookmarked ever since we heard it at that anarchist club in Slovenia.”

So I guess I have heard this song before, but I was probably a little tipsy. That anarchist club in Ljubljana was awesome, though. I recommend everyone visit that amazing country and find that collection of abandoned buildings where young people throw shows and dance parties all night. Good times.

2.24.25

Miriam Makeba - “Pata Pata”

A friend went to see Four Tet perform at some big venue in LA, and apparently he closed with this track. I could see it going nuts in that context. It is fairly amazing in any context, to be honest. I don’t have anything insightful to say about Miriam Makeba’s art because she’s from South Africa and a different era and I lack the proper context, but it is smooth and pleasant and I recommend listening to it.

2.25.25

Eleventh Dream Day - “Since Grazed”

Eleventh Dream Day is another band that fits into the endless genealogy of “Midwest Emo.” Nick Macri, who played in C-Clamp in Champaign, among other great groups, has also played with this band in their newer incarnation (I think, he’s not listed on Wikipedia but I saw that somewhere else). The band formed in 1983 but put out their latest album, Since Grazed, in 2021.

Their older music, like “After this Time is Gone,” has a great vibe and I also listened to it on this day, but I figured I’d include the newer song because it is more directly related in tone to a lot of the music I’m interested in right now. Fascinating composition.

2.26.25

【ハク。Cover企画】MONO NO AWARE "かむかもしかもにどもかも！"

This was a recommendation from a friend who lives in Japan & knows I’m doing this project. I believe it’s a cover song of the band MONO NO AWARE. According to a quick search, “Mono No Aware” is a Japanese idiom about the awareness of the sad reality of impermanence. That’s definitely something I struggle with, but it’s fun to appreciate the little documented moments like this, watching the band crush it while staring down the camera, nicely packed into vertical frame. The band is called Haku., I believe. They have some original songs online that are also really special. A little Cranberries esque, even.

I also listened to the original MONO NO AWARE song, which I can’t find on Youtube because I’m bad at Japanese, but it is on the Spotify playlist at the bottom of this post, along with another Haku. song.

2.27.25

Shrimp Boat - “I’ll Name It Sue”

Shrimp Boat is another band tangentially related to the artists I’m writing about for my book. They were a precursor to Sea and the Cake. Spotify suggests they may be “proto-post-rock,” whatever that means. I ended up listening to their whole 1993 album Cavale and suggest you do the same. It’s a unique kinda indie rock that was more chill and subdued compared to a lot of other stuff happening at the time. I liked the song “I’ll Name It Sue,” but several others are also worth checking out. They also have a song called “Smooth Ass,” which you know I like.

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