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John Talabot's new single, Elliott Smith remembered and Jeff Carvalho's Europop #PrivateJam in this week's music recap

Elliott Smith: Waltz #2 (XO) 10 years ago this past week, the world lost Elliott Smith: Songwriter, musician and vocalist whose masterful catalogue of brooding alternative folk inspired legions of fans and acts that followed. A centerpiece to his emotional potency, “Waltz #2 (XO)” might very well be Smith’s best track ever. Moreover, it’s a secret autobiography. Chronicling the tumult of relationships with his family …

Ace of Base: Living in Danger

John Talabot's new single, Elliott Smith remembered and Jeff Carvalho's Europop #PrivateJam in this week's music recap

Sweden’s musical output to the world is a colored one, from the bleak and dark to the boisterously Eurovision-victorious and cheesy. This week’s #PrivateJam comes from Selectism and HighSnobiety’s Jeff Carvalho, who looks to the land of the midnight sun for his musical vice. Opting for ’90s Europop icons Ace of Base’s “Living in Danger,” Carvahlo describes the song in its larger, influential role in …

Beach Fossils: Generational Synthetic

John Talabot's new single, Elliott Smith remembered and Jeff Carvalho's Europop #PrivateJam in this week's music recap

Brooklyn’s own Beach Fossils are keeping the lo-fi spirit alive with their latest release: A video for their February hit “Generational Synthetic.” The final product is downright reminiscent of a Beach Fossils concert experience. The classic atmospheric vocals are paired with warped effects, color-tinted strobes, and the most VHS-level graininess we’ve seen in a while—but that’s the charm. It’s essentially the result of the boys …