SWEEP FREQUENCY #411: Fighter's Stance
New tunes from Destroyer, Pebbledash, Caymande, Prima Queen, JJULIUS, and more...
OPENING RIFF: "You can't train for a sport unless you believe you have control over your own destiny. The point of training is to change the outcome of the future. You train to change something you otherwise would have lost." -- Rita Bullwinkel, Headshot
SMALL TALK: When you're fully devoting yourself to any kind of discipline, your world can become very narrow despite feeling bigger than ever. This is one of the ideas at the heart of Headshot, Rita Bullwinkel's debut novel. The premise itself is clever, focusing on eight teenage women competing in a boxing tournament, the best of the best at something even if most of the outside world doesn't care about their achievements. There can only be one winner, and even then, Bullwinkel smartly highlights the lives that all of these characters will go on to lead, how even the best of them will not go on to do this thing professionally or even as a hobby when they become adults. Instead, like a lot of things you train for, the habits you develop burrow themselves in unique ways in your psyche, and more often than not, they lend themselves well to all sorts of careers. I think a lot about the idea of "arrival fallacy," especially as I'm getting ready for another marathon, and this is a great meditation on how hard we work for things and how quickly we forget about them. Another chunk of my holiday was spent catching up on a lot of music that slipped through the cracks for me in 2024, though I'll give my own top 100 another shout if you missed it. I always love finding new electronic jams in Tim Sweeney's annual two part best-of mix, and the same goes for Moxie's best of the year set on NTS. Speaking of NTS, the other Breakfast Show host, cool mom Louise Chen, threw down two incredible and nostalgic sets recently, one highlighting all classic house bangers and the other as a dedication to the impossible-to-define era known as indie sleaze from someone who was in the trenches herself. Let's get to this week's new music.
Nearly Every Song From Every 2025 Newsletter Will Be Available in Playlist Form: SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
1. DESTROYER FEAT. FIVER - "BOLOGNA": It's always a good day when Dan Bejar puts new music out into the world, and the lead single from Destroyer's next album feels like it's coming at just the right time. With an assist from Simone Schmidt of Fiver, "Bologna" finds Bejar creating a sound that is as soothing as it is foreboding, and its intricate arrangements feel like a bit of a new direction for Bejar.
2. PEBBLEDASH - "SLOWLY SLOWLY": I was just reading a cool feature about Ireland's next wave of bands, and Pebbledash was one of the ones that caught my eye, so it was convenient that they dropped a new track from their upcoming debut EP this week. "Slowly Slowly" is a perfect way to describe the buildup of this track, one that starts off melancholy before getting into a distortion-fueled, desperate kind of longing from a band that has ambition to spare.
3. CYMANDE FEAT. JAZZIE B - "HOW WE ROLL": Cymande are downright legends across the pond, and their latest tune feels like a balm as this very young year is already marked by a stunning amount of disasters. Linking up with also-legendary Jazzie B, "How We Roll" is an Afrobeat-inflected shot of positivity and a call to arms to boot, a plea to stay good to one another as the world burns.
4. PRIMA QUEEN - "THE PRIZE": It feels appropriate given the discussion of Headshot that I highlight Prima Queen, whose singles have had some delightfully sporty accompanying videos. With figure skating taking center stage in the video, "The Prize" is another masterfully crafted slice of poppy indie rock, and it has a message that'll resonate with anyone who's left a partner who made them feel lesser.
5. JJULIUS - "BRINNA UT": I've highlighted the delightfully odd tunes of Julius Pierstorff in the past, and "Brinna ut" is my favorite thing he's done so far. With really lovely strings and backing vocals, this tune might be the dreamiest thing that DFA Records has ever put out, and it definitely makes me look forward to what JJULIUS's third record has in store.
PARTING SHOTS: New Orleans has been in the spotlight for all of the wrong reasons lately, and my neighbors in this city deserve better than what they're getting in so many ways. Today in Tabs is finally back, after a half-year hiatus, and you should subscribe if you still want to learn about all the annoying discourse after you quit social media. Tom Scocca has a new regular column for Defector which is predictably awesome. While we wait for The Millions to post their annual book preview, this smaller one from Vulture is another way to make your "to read" pile even bigger.
ENCORE: "I WANT YOUR LOVE"