Turn On the Bright Lights

I've mentioned before that we missed the gilded age of NYC music early this century, even though we lived in its epicenter. That is why my first contact with Interpol was their second album, "Antics," whose iconic minimalistic cover was in pretty much every record store window in town. But, of course, this was 2004, so record stores were still abundant in the city.

Interpol's debut, "Turn On the Bright Lights," was released in 2002, so it just turned 20. You can read the whole story in Chris Deville's Stereogum article here.

Elke and I were never the biggest Interpol fans, but when we listened to the album again yesterday, it was easy to hear why it is so beloved. Yes, Interpol did not invent this sound. While many point out Joy Division as a reference, the German post-punk bands of the 80s come to mind, particularly Berlin band Fehlfarben and their debut, "Monarch and Altar."

We saw Interpol live once at Madison Square Garden. For some reason, we got tickets for the GA pit, which are usually impossible to get on the primary market. That was a fantastic experience, and I don't enjoy big venue shows from the bleachers anymore since then.

The Interpol song "NYC" is also on our New York playlist that we put on every time we return to the city from a road trip. It features the line, "Subway, she is a porno," which we could never really decipher.

In any case, "Turn On the Bright Lights" manages to be both - rooted in a specific time and place and timeless in its own way. Congratulations, Interpol, for a great piece of music!

Song Picks of the Day

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

The Stargazer Lilies – Bending The Lines

“Bending the Lines” is a song you can let yourself fall into for a four-and-a-half-minute daydream. Carried on a lush soundscape, Kim Field’s dreamy vocals lead to a psyched-out guitar solo by bandmate John Cep. After that, you want to rewind and experience it again.

“Bending the Lines” is the first single from the fifth album “Cosmic Tidal Wave” by The Stargazer Lilies, out October 14 on Floravinyl Records. Listen to our Song Pick of the Day below:

MVRE x Ida Tosh – Emotions

Swedish producer MVRE (née Anton Josefsson) released the catchy cozy “Emotions” featuring Swedish singer and novelist. Ida Tosh. MVRE is gearing up to release the EP Hyperfuture through Tone Space Records. Asked about the new single, Anton says:

I wanted to make something 100% for myself without thinking about what genre it could fit in or if it “would work”. The results of this was my upcoming EP ‘Hyperfuture’, including ‘Emotions’. This song felt special to me and I wanted the vocals to mirror the emotion that i put into the sounds. I contacted Ida cause I really liked what she was doing w her music and when she came back with these vocals I instantly felt that it brought the whole thing together, it was perfect! This song holds a special place for me, it’s one of my favorite songs I’ve made.

Since I don’t know MVRE’s entire body of work (yet!), it’s impossible to know whether “Emotions” would be MVRE’s best song to date, but I fully dig it, its sparkling warmth, the bright vocals, and the crisp production.

Ida Tosh adds her perspective:

The instrumental inspired me a lot to get some feelings out that I still had about the relationship with my ex. I went from having the biggest crush on them to realising that I wasn’t happy and how much I had to put up with just because I was a coward around them.

Listen to “Emotions,” our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with MVRE here and Ida Tosh here.

Janna Pelle – Ever

“Ever” is a big word. Singer and producer Janna Pelle, who made her way from Miami to the woods in Upstate New York, feels ready to tackle “Ever” from two very personal angles.

First, Janna takes you back to the past. Asked about the background of the song, she explains:

“This song is an exploration of the meaning of ‘forever.’ In the first verse/chorus, I am talking to my Dad – and how I’ve realized through his death that love really does last forever – it hasn’t diminished, and like a phantom limb, I still do feel his love every day despite the fact that he is not here in the physical form. It is this realization that makes me believe in the “forever” kind of love for a partner, which I was previously skeptical of. His death also has completely altered my view of whether or not ‘everything happens for a reason’ / my constant desire to assign meaning to everything; sometimes shit just happens, and since his death, I’ve felt his constant attempts to reassure me not to try to look for an explanation for everything; sometimes things just are.”

Indeed, one has to often take things as they are, even if they don’t make sense. But you can always believe in the future as Janna does in the other part of the song.

She continues:

“In the second verse/chorus, I am talking to my fiance – where I kind of describe the nature of our understanding of ‘forever’ – we feel confident in our desire to be together forever in a no-pressure kind of way; whether we’re legally married, have a traditional wedding or not, we’re in no hurry, and love the go-with-the-flow approach to life we both share. What’s the rush when you’re going to be together your whole lives?”

“Ever” has an undeniably nostalgic feeling to it and reflects the desire to find time to think about the big things in life. The song will be on Janna Pelle’s fourth album, where she plays drums, guitar, and keyboards. It is also the first record she entirely self-produced.

We are excited to premiere this beautiful Song Pick of the Day from such a talented and multi-faceted musician. Listen to “Ever” below:

Joe Turner – Borders ft. Julia Church

London-based producer, multi-instrumentalist, and DJ Joe Turner teamed up with Julia Church, and together they released the instantly alluring and utterly gorgeous “Borders.” Usually, we are getting introduced to a vocalist via the producer, but with South Africa-native and London-based Julia Church, it’s the other way around, as we’ve featured the singer, songwriter, and producer already with her 2019 single “Crawl.”

Joe and Julia combine their distinct and individual talent for the carefully crafted melodies of Borders, and tell a story of a love that ebbs and flows, like a cinematic journey into the stars. Joe describes the track’s message as follows:

A love for something or someone that hasn’t quite faded, contrasting the verses sonically, to help portray the emotions of Julia’s vocals. The verses are calm and almost romantic, whilst the choruses are much more frantic and explosive.

Julia adds her take:

A nostalgic look at a past love that never truly concluded and still feels magnetic…I liked how the idea of wanting to know somebody’s borders feels all-encompassing and vast.

And I simply enjoy the warm and sparkling tones paired with powerful vocals that feel like a silky-soft blanket on sun-tanned summer skin. Glorious! Listen to “Borders,” our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with Joe Turner here and Julia Church here.

Night Swimming – Freight Train

Night Swimming is an indie rock five-piece from Bath, England. Our Song Pick of the Day, “Freight Train,” is the “introductory piece” of their debut double single, which leads over seamlessly into “A Wall.” Both songs feature Meg Jones’ airy vocals over melodic guitars to create an irresistible melancholic atmosphere – like a walk at night next to a slow-moving train.

Meg is joined by Sam Allen and Jesse Roache on guitar, Josh Nottle on bass, and Torin Moore on drums. Listen to “Freight Train” below:

Ben Edgar – Cornerstones

“Cornerstones” starts with the most beautiful guitar work, flageolets, and fingerpicking – maybe the guitar equivalent of versatile falsetto vocals. Technicalities or humble ways to describe this beauty aside, Ben Edgar‘s new single is gorgeous and announces the singer/songwriter’s upcoming debut EP. At home in Sydney, Australia, Ben Edgar had his origins in percussive music, and his love of folk led him to fuse the two styles, forging his unique sound as a singer and percussive guitarist. Ben says about the new single:

It takes listeners on a journey of self-reflection, contemplating themes of meaning and mortality. The song culminates in a truly inspiring outro, providing space for introspection, whilst leaving listeners infused with hope they will find what they’re looking.

I can’t wait for the EP to drop in September because this is magnificent!  Listen to “Cornerstones,” our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with Ben Edgar here.

eeevee & sweep – the one

They must have got a kick out of this: seven ‘e’ out of 11 letters in their combined name. At glamglare, we get a kick out of presenting one of the rare all-female collaborations: eevee and sweeep are both electronic musicians who go all out on their first track, “the one.” The song hovers between experimental ambient and catchy pop, and you never know where it goes next. Fortunately, the two reveal that they are working on an album:

“We met on tour five years ago and have since then been playing back to back in different countries like Poland, Germany etc. But this is the first time we collaborate on productions together. ‘The one’ is the first single of our upcoming album vandalism and selfcare.”

Listen to “the one,” our Song Pick of the Day below:

New albums we listen to this week

• Dawn Cadence - overexposed
• Gordi - inhuman
• Nyxen - Pxnk
• O-SHiN - II / ∞
• Xades - Shaded