#carol wright
$10,000 Circle Oak Equine Jumper Classic 1.25m Friday night, July 24 2015
Leslie Wright, 2nd place and a great job!
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VOTD: The Regrettes — “What Am I Gonna Do Today?”
What am I gonna do today? It’s a question many people are probably asking themselves as stay-at-home orders lengthen and certain states slowly start to open back up. It is also the question punk rock band The Regrettes aim to answer in the video for their latest single, one that has already been deemed a quarantine anthem.
The song “What Am I Gonna Do Today?” was recorded remotely and mixed and mastered by Danny Nogueiras. The video was filmed in quarantine with band members Lydia Night, Genessa Gariano, Brooke Dickson, and Drew Thomsen each showing a day in their lives at home. Dreamy vocals wash over commonplace scenes of someone working out, walking their dog, gardening, juggling, or making matcha. It almost feels like being on FaceTime with a friend as they go about their daily routine. The video is intimate yet familiar, similar to the song lyrics. “Both of us are always waiting / For a time with nothing in our way / Both of us anticipating / For a day that can turn into tomorrow.”
Every moment in the video brings a sense of calm as you watch each band member do things that make them happy. Whether that’s playing the guitar or picking up a snail, there’s something comforting in watching those small joys. As the days in quarantine blend into a haze, allow Night’s voice to lull you into a quarantine day dream. “What am I gonna do today? / Is it gonna slip away? / I don’t want it to / Whatever we do / As long as it’s with you / As long as it’s with you / What am I gonna do?”
— Carol Wright
If there’s one thing that’s become crystal clear during quarantine it’s that people are clamoring for live music. The days of screaming out lyrics in a large crowd and being convinced your favorite artist made eye contact with you seem long behind us. Luckily platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook exist so we can get a taste of some of our favorite artists performing live. Recently, Banks has taken to YouTube to post stripped-down versions of her songs “Drowning”, “Contaminated”, “Stroke”, and “If We Were Made of Water” to accompany the release of her EP Live And Stripped.
When Banks released “Drowning” in 2014 it became a heartbreak anthem for Alternative R&B lovers. Although she wrote the song about her best friend who was having a hard time with someone, banks still managed for her voice to hold the weight and sadness of the situation. This is most notable when she sang the lines “From the girl who made you soup / And tied your shoes when you were hurting / You are not deserving, you are not deserving.”
The video for “Drowning” in 1 mic 1 take, breathes new life into the song. Similar to the EP title, the studio Banks is singing in is stripped back and nearly empty save for a few band members. As the video begins and Banks starts to bob back and forth you can’t help but nod along but once you hear the lyrics “Take it from the girl you claim to love / You’re gonna get some bad karma,” you remember that this is a Banks song and somehow she is getting you to dance while simultaneously breaking your heart. Not only is Banks reinventing her music, but she has also managed to release the perfect quarantine ballad.
–Carol Wright
NEW TRACKS: Phoebe Bridgers — “Garden Song”
Phoebe Bridgers has recently released her first solo work in three years. But between now and 2017, she has not left the public consciousness. Due to her multiple collaborations, Bridgers has released new music every year, either as one-half of Better Oblivion Community Center with Conor Oberst or as one-third of boygenius alongside Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. Now she has gone back to her roots — literally and figuratively — with “Garden Song,” a hauntingly beautiful reflection on the past and present.
Warped sounds of a finger-picked guitar playing on a loop and a bit of static are the background noises to Bridgers’ breathy vocals. “Someday I’m gonna live / In your house up on the hill,” Bridgers sings while imagining the life she’ll have after her skinhead neighbor goes missing. Bridgers’ most recent solo album, Stranger in the Alps, showcased her songwriting prowess, and “Garden Song” is no different. Although simple, Bridgers’ lyrics about growing up and recurring dreams allow the listener to ruminate on her past and briefly step into her shoes. “I don’t know when you got taller / See our reflection in the water / Off a bridge at the Huntington / I hopped the fence when I was seventeen” — each line brings a new wave of nostalgia and, as usual, Bridgers does not waste her words.
The accompanying music video, which is directed by Bridgers’ brother, Jackson, finds Bridgers alone in her bedroom getting high. Although she doesn’t smoke weed often, she specifically wanted to for the music video while her brother surprised her with people and figures coming in and out of the room. Throughout the video, two fuzzy creatures bump against her as she sings, people dance, and Tig Notaro dressed as the Grim Reaper sits silently on the bed. Although Bridgers has not officially announced that a second album is on the way, if her lyrics in “Garden Song” ring true — “I’m not afraid of hard work / I get everything I want” — then there’s sure to be more music soon.
Keep your eyes peeled for the next time Phoebe Bridgers performs in DC!
— Carol Wright
