The Relevance of Musical Genres

In the late 80s, a friend of my mother once asked me if I liked Depeche Mode. Depending on my answer, I could or could not be friends with her son. I do like Depeche Mode, so I was out of luck. I’ve never met her son, so this was a theoretical question to demonstrate that the kids were divided between rockers and poppers in his school. Those who like guitars and those who want synths.

Since then, this separation has blurred more and more. Depeche Mode themselves are an excellent example of this: they were a pioneer of synth-pop, but from the 90s on, it is hard to find a photo of mastermind Martin Gore without a guitar around his neck.

Today, musical genres have become an even more complicated and inaccurate thing. There are endless sub-categories and wholly made-up genres. Neither would direct you to the correct aisle in the record store anymore. Consequently, Apple Music or Spotify do not have a prominent genre browser in their apps. The latter does not even try to tag music with a genre.

It is more about the mood of the music than a predefined genre category, says Tiffany Ng for ZOBLOG (Why Mood Is The New Musical Genre). Particularly Spotify tries to categorize music by algorithms that take many signals into account, including the internet chatter around songs and artists. They hope that helps them to auto-create individual, engaging playlists.

Of course, glamglare is a 100% hand-curated music blog, so we have been struggling with genres all along. Theoretically, we are genre-agnostic, but in reality, our curation is limited because we simply are not into all music. If you asked, our selection would be something like “indie rock” and “indie electronic.”

But that is an awfully broad and fuzzy definition, so we don’t actually put it officially on the site. Also, our focus has changed over the years. For example, we are now more open to acoustic and folk music and do fewer rock bands and hard-hitting electronics. Taste and trends change all the time.

The best way to see what music to expect on glamglare is our daily updated playlist on Spotify and Apple Music. We are also working on more playlists that put our musical world into a bigger and longer-term context. More about this soon.

For now, please read on to learn about our latest seven new Song Picks of the Day. What genre would you put them in?

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to all our daily song picks on our playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.

Kimi Stär - Bodies

Electronic alt-pop duo Kimi Stär (pronounced Kee-mee Star) consists of indie house producer/vocalist ZOSIA and pop singer/songwriter Kaitlyn Kaerhart. The two artists had originally met in Los Angeles, CA, and soon thereafter moved both to Brooklyn, NY, where they decided to form a band. Their first single was "Wildfire," followed now by the bright and sparkly and quite mesmerizing "Bodies." At its core, "Bodies" deals with the aftermath of a broken relationship, about the magic that once was there and the strong pull it still holds. ZOSIA and Kaitlyn Kaerhart say:

We’ve all been with someone not right for us, yet we stay with them longer than we should because of this magic. When we finally try to leave, every little thing reminds us of the ex. When we close our eyes every memory haunts us. Bodies is about the thought of being doomed until one day the courage is found to move on and finally be able to breathe again.

Kimi Stär has an EP coming out in the fall, and we can't wait to hear more of the two! Listen to "Bodies," our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with Kimi Stär here.

Lexi Mariah - Queen of Broken Hearts

Lexi Mariah is not the "Queen of Broken Hearts" – she just does not want to be blamed for everything that goes wrong in her relationship. The Connecticut-based singer/songwriter packs her latest song with playful card game metaphors, and while the problems are real, she shows that humor can be the best way out.

Lexi explains:

"Lately I just feel like relationships and even friendships are a gamble and you truly never know exactly what you're getting yourself into. Sometimes people in your life will 'play fair' and sometimes they won't. They might try to avoid showing their true colors at first, but the truth eventually will always come through."

Listen to "Queen of Broken Hearts," our Song Pick of the Day, below:

Eliza Edens - I Needed You

Born and raised in rural Massachusetts and currently living in Brooklyn, NY⁠ —via Colorado and then Philadelphia— Eliza Edens delights with the delicate and enthralling "I Needed You." The single is the latest offering from Eliza's upcoming sophomore album, We'll Become the Flowers, out October 14th.

On her album, Eliza explores themes of "what happens after the end," and "I Needed You" explores the implications of a breakup. Not sure what this says about me, but lately, I seem to gravitate a lot to songs that deal with the ending of a relationship or the feeling of being in a relationship that's no longer fulfilling and the likes. As human beings we have all sorts of relationships, and in a broader non-romantic sense, the special appeal of these songs becomes clear.

But let's hear what Eliza actually says about her new song and lovely video:

“I Needed You” explores the liminal space that exists near the end of a relationship – when you’re vacillating between “I need them” and “I don’t need them.” It’s about trying to discover and center your own needs when sometimes it’s easier to lie to yourself and ignore them. It’s about perhaps not even knowing what you need and being okay with that. I initially wrote this song as a sad little breakup waltz, but when I showed it to my collaborators, they elevated it into a slow burn rocker that had me laughing by the end.

Luckily, the "breakup waltz" is still noticeable in this gorgeous slow burner, complete with wistful steel guitar sprinkles. Listen to "I Needed You," our Song Pick of the Day, and enjoy the charming video too:

Connect with Eliza Edens here.

Synth Lovers Cafe - On my Own (ft. Emily Zuzik)

Synth Lovers Cafe is actually a playlist of synth-based music which is not the same as electronic music. It is also the moniker of a London-based producer who released a handful of songs this year. If this sounds all very geeky, add singer/songwriter Emily Zuzik of Woves and her soulful vocals to the mix and get a dark synth-pop song of classic beauty.

Listen to our Song Pick of the Day, "On My Own," below:

Eddie Chacon - Holy Hell

LA-based musician, creative director, and photographer Eddie Chacon released an instant classic with his new single "Holy Hell." The luxuriously groovy track is produced by John Carroll Kirby and accompanied by a vibrant video directed by Sissy Chacon and edited by Brandon Bloom.

While, admittedly, the name Eddie Chacon didn't ring a bell, I very well remember the global #1 hit "Would I Lie To You," released exactly thirty years ago by the duo Charles and Eddie, of which Chacon was part of.

Dubbed "low-key R&B legend" by The FADER, Chacon says about his new beautifully soothing and refreshingly nostalgic song:

In "Holy Hell" I’m talking about how we forget that our happiness is determined by our headspace and how it’s up to us whether we want to live our brief time here on Earth in heaven or hell.

This sentiment couldn't be any more meaningful or true and comes wrapped in gorgeous music and delivered by velvety vocals. Chacon adds:

After so many years without an outlet for my music I’m so grateful to be back doing what I have loved the most throughout my life. The Success of Pleasure, Joy and Happiness was such a surprise because it was a record about closure for me. I expected it to be a final goodbye to music as a way of letting go and moving on. Being invited to join the Stones Throw family is an opportunity I never thought I’d have in my life.

Watch the groovy video and enjoy "Holy Hell," our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with Eddie Chacon here.

It Was All A Dream - Red Roses

Amy Maskell and Sophie Lowe make music together under the name It Was All A Dream. They both sing and play several instruments, so there is much to discover over the almost six minutes of the song. But mostly, "Red Roses" gives you a feeling for the eternal love around us, even when we believe it is lost.

The band says about the song:

"'Red Roses' is a song that comes with a deep recognition that love exists within us. Wherever the love is directed, its home is where the heart is. We can give and receive love to others, and we can also enjoy the love we create for ourselves.This is a song dedicated to those who are healing from heartbreak, and a reminder that the more you nurture your red roses the more they will bloom.

"It Was All A Dream will release their debut EP, "Never Forget You Are Free," on October 14 via Some Other Planet. Listen to our Song Pick of the Day, "Red Roses," here:

emie nathan - good thing

Relationships are as important and beautiful as they are -at times- complicated and not necessarily meant to last. We have this idealist notion about forever & always, but that is just an illusion because, ultimately, nothing lasts for an eternity. Well, almost nothing. London-based singer/songwriter emie nathan doesn't go quite as dark in her new single "good thing," but she muses about the waning days of a dying relationship that used to be glorious and meaningful. Emie explains:

good thing depicts the breaking point of a very good friendship and the agonizing moment where we decided to call it a day. and I moved home-truthfully it felt like a breakup. What it came down to, was a difference in perspective over what we both needed from that space. We were at cross-purposes, trying to be as respectful as possible but hurting each other in the process looking for comfort in a stressful and confined string of winter months during Covid living together. Simply put, it wasn’t how I think either of us wanted it to be. I’d like to think that good thing encapsulates the maturity behind the decision to leave the apartment & the support we had for one another in our next steps, but to me it also speaks to the sadder undertones of losing an element of friendship and things feeling forever changed.

With its magnificent chorus, maybe we should let a good thing die when it’s hard to find the pulse, "good thing" is the perfect anthem to face the excruciating difficulties of this type of heartbreak.

"good thing" is a cut from emie’s upcoming sophomore EP titled deep down out later this year via Platoon. Listen to "good thing," our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with emie nathan here.

This Video should have a million views: Alexia Charoud - Silver Lines

French singer and producer Alexia Charoud is caught in a science fiction nightmare in the video for “Silver Lines.” It is a dark story where music, narrative and visuals perfectly intertwine.