Life Is Beautiful Though Surreal At Times

Onuma Singsiri “Mae Kha Som Tum (Papaya Salad Merchant)” – The title translation of this track from Sublime Frequencies’ new Thai Pop Spectacular compilation may be one of the less amusing/interesting — how could it not when compared to the likes of “You Should Die By Bullets,” “Look Whose Underwear Is Showing,” “We Both Think We’re The Best!,” and “Drinking Whiskey Til I’m Blurred”? — but the song itself is probably the best, and most certainly the selection that exemplifies the sort of dark, dank, humid grooves that dominate the record. “Mae Kha Som Tum” feels a bit eerie and detached, but entirely present in the moment, at least in a physical sense. The mind…well, that seems distracted, hypnotized, staring off into the middle distance. (Click here to buy it from Sublime Frequencies.)

Tiny Vipers “Shipwreck” – Jesy Fortino’s voice occasionally recalls the pained quaver of Sunny Day Real Estate’s Jeremy Enigk, but she’s not nearly as unhinged or bombastic. Like much of her debut album as Tiny Vipers, the music of “Shipwreck” is so sparse and subtle that it does not fully register on the first listen, but close attention reveals a brittle, heartbreaking tune that struggles to make sense of random tragedy, and to rationalize the desire to carry on and survive. (Click here to buy it from Sub Pop.)

Elsewhere: Nate Patrin rewrote the entirety of the Clash’s London Calling as a series of limericks!