Tag: Elena Tonra

Bandcamp Friday Picks – August 2025

On By Amy Lordan-TrippIn MusicLeave a comment

Bandcamp Friday returns on August 1, from midnight to midnight (Pacific Time). That means Bandcamp waives their revenue share and more of your money goes directly to musicians! So Friday is the day to support artists by buying music and merch on Bandcamp! Here are some of my picks.

Goddess – Goddess This impactful collaboration between Savages’ drummer Fay Milton and ten feminine/non-binary artists is quickly becoming one of my favorites of this year. It’s got a haunting song from Elena Tonra (Ex:Re/Daughter), a dreamy one from Izzy Bee Philips (Black Honey), and commanding tracks from Salvia and Harriet Rock.

Anika – Abyss Driving rock with a hints of grunge mix well with Anika’s English/German accented vocals. Recommended for fans of Flood-produced PJ Harvey.

Deep Sea Diver – Billboard Heart This indie rock opus swirls. I’m obsessed with the tracks “Let Me Go,” which features Grammy award winner Madison Cunningham, and “What Do I Know.”

Pulp – More Pulp is back with their first album in 24 years and they’re still frisky! Jarvis Cocker and co. have created another brilliant album with a Britpop heart. Make sure you get your tickets to see them on tour this fall. In Boston, they are hitting The Stage at Suffolk Downs on Saturday, September 13.

Lambrini Girls – Who Let the Dogs Out Thrumming punk rock from Brighton, England. How can I not love a band with a song called “Cuntology 101”?

Julian Baker & TORRES – Send a Prayer My Way Tunes that tug at the heartstrings with a dash of twang.

Favorite Music of 2019

On By Amy Lordan-TrippIn Music

In no particular order, I present my favorite albums of 2019! For a mix of my favorite tracks, check out my playlist over at Spotify.

  • SPC ECO – Fifteen Dean Garcia of Curve’s current electro/gloom pop outfit. Spooky, ethereal stuff.
  • Melanie Sandford – Wonderland If you’re nostalgic for the heyday of ’90s Boston girl power, this album is for you.
  • Ladytron – Ladytron It took me a while to enjoy this album after the clusterfuck that was PledgeMusic. I lost money. Ladytron lost money. Ken Andrews lost money. Once I got past that sting, I found myself reveling in another synth-pop masterpiece from these Liverpudlians.
  • Wallows – Nothing Happens Sunny alt-rock from California. The best band with actors in it since Phantom Planet.

  • Piroshka – Brickbat Piroshka is a ’90s dream come true: Miki Berenyi (Lush), Justin Welch (Elastica), KJ McKillop (Moose), and Mick Conroy (Modern English) make up this supergroup.

  • Billie Eilish – When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? I’m dumbfounded by how much I love this album. My musical taste doesn’t usually stray so far into the mainstream. She’s worth all of the hype.
  • Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen Another glorious, haunting release from The Bad Seeds.
  • Ex:Re – Ex:Re Ex:Re (pronounced ex-ray) is Elena Tonra of Daughter. I cannot express how much I love this album. It reaches every part of my being in a way I haven’t felt since Lisa Germano’s Happiness. This was the album I played the most this past year.

  • Sleater-Kinney – The Center Won’t Hold It received mixed reviews, but I dug this album. The Center Won’t Hold feels like the trio was into Nine Inch Nails’ The Fragile when they created it. Conversely, Ex Hex’s It’s Real was the best Sleater-Kinney album of the year that wasn’t by Sleater-Kinney.
  • Letters to Cleo – OK Christmas A truly excellent EP of Christmas tunes! (Disclaimer: I moonlight as their hometown merch girl.)

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    Greg Hawkes of The Cars, Diane Dupuis, Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz, and Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo in November 2019. Photo by Amy Lordan
  • Harry Styles – Fine Line Go listen to “She” and tell me that you don’t like it.
  • Morrissey – California Son I feel so much conflict in my soul over Morrissey! Up until 2019, he’d been my church; my untouchable favorite! But then he wore that For Britain badge on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and he crushed my spirit. I’d love to chalk it up to Moz being contrary and “Morrissey being Morrissey,” but I just don’t know if I can. Can one separate an artist from the artist’s politics in order to still love their music? California Son, a slightly uneven covers album, didn’t help settle this quandary.
  • Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Watchmen (Music from the HBO Series) Ah, sweet score work from this Oscar-winning duo. Thanks for making me forget about my Morrissey heartbreak. Initially, I felt weird about watching Watchmen because I interviewed Alan Moore in 2016 and he was an absolute delight. But once I heard these two were on board, I was all in.
  • The Darkness – Easter Is Cancelled Riffs! Glorious riffs!

  • White Lies – Five Interpol, if they were British. There’s no hiding that White Lies was heavily influenced by Joy Division, but I am still a sucker for their brooding yet poppy tunes.
  • The Chemical Brothers – No Geography My dance party album of the year.
  • Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow Both Barack Obama and I approve.