OOPS! 50 of 2024 / #45-41: Coffee, Gum and an Apple

We keep going through the songs I missed with some really big names on this post, along with a hit song from the summer. Some of these just missed the top 50 and some I just plain forgot…plus an Aussie punk band. All I can say is…OOPS!

45. Sabrina Carpenter: Espresso

I wrote a review of this song and still forgot it on the top 50. This is pure cotton candy pop, in that you love its sugary goodness when you hear it, but it completely evaporates when you’re done. It’s like breathing sugary air. I really enjoy the pure pop vocals and the catchy hook of this pop sensation, but it just didn’t stick with me. Having said that, this is a great ride and some fantastic pop candy.

44. Tierra Whack: Mood Swing

Known for her shorter tracks, Tierra Whack’s Mood Swing clocks in a little over a minute and is the essence of hip hop. Tight beats and bars about success, flexing and identify hit with surgical precision. Tierra has been around for a while now and her tracks remain short and sharp, but have evolved into complex and expansive stories about life and hip hop mastery.

43. Amyl and the Sniffers: Chewing Gum

With Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, the Chats and Amyl and the Sniffers, Aussie punk is in a really strong position. A bit more on the “adult” side, Amyl follows the 80s throwback punk style of the Chats with expert precision. Like all great punk bands, Amyl’s tracks swing between fun and social statements. Like all of Amyl’s songs, Chewing Gum has great play on words, celebrates the freedom of youth and is unbridled raw emotion. Amy Taylor’s vocals cut through all the guitar haze with a raw passion reminiscent of Bikini Kill. This band is taking Australia by storm and it really should have made the top 50. I’ll do better next time.

42. Kim Gordon: Bye Bye

A mix between Death Grips and Brigitte Bardot, Kim Gordon nonchalantly plays capitalist gender word association against the backdrop of screeching trip hop beats and searing guitar. Gordon’s vocals seem above it all and at odds with the non stop sonic assault going on in the background. This track is what the OOPS! is all about. Finding performance art pieces that have something to say and make you take notice. Gordon’s take on modern commercial society does not hit you over the head, but paints a bleak picture nonetheless.

41. Iron & Wine ft. Fiona Apple: All In Good Time

It has been a long time in between drinks for Iron & Wine…about 7 years in between studio records. So long, in fact, that I completely forgot looking for new music from him, which was a mistake. OOPS! His track with fellow indie pioneer Fiona Apple moves beyond the “beard rock” he made famous and is a lush folk track about life, regret and building yourself back up. The piano, acoustic guitar and strings give the track a lush warmth that draws you in. This lush opulence is in stark contrast to Sam’s classic folk twang and Apple’s caustic, yet intoxicating, rock star snarl. For me, it is this contrast within the track that makes it so interesting. This is an excellent duet with two giants in the genre.