Ponytail Picks #39 - Cats
Find a spot by the window sill and get cozy. Your favourite newsletter has a list of picks that keep you purring all weekend long.
LISTEN
Thundercat: an Introduction
Thundercat is one of those artists that’s very important to the people who know him but invisible to those who don’t. To avoid the condescension from our music-snob friends (“You don’t know who Thundercat is?!”), here’s the cliffnotes to get you started. Who knows? Maybe by the end of the playlist you’ll want to join the in-crowd of Thundercat fans!
Bass players don’t often get the kind of spotlight-time that Thundercat enjoys. And for the first few years of his music career, he wasn’t much different. Born Stephen Lee Bruner, the Compton-born musician played in thrash band Suicidal Tendencies before joining live bands for artists like Snoop Dog, Erykah Badu, and Kamasi Washington and then striking out on his own.
Bruner’s talent didn’t come out of thin air. His dad played drums for legendary acts like The Temptations, The Supremes, and Gladys Knight. But even with that level of inherited industry connections, the jump to a solo career took some convincing.
That’s where fellow pedigreed artist and friend Flying Lotus came in. The nephew of John and Alice Coltrane(!) pushed Stephen to put out his own records and helped get the process started by featuring him, new pseudonym and all, on this track from the 2010 record Cosmogramma.
Even after all that encouragement and positive momentum, Thundercat’s debut album, The Golden Age of Apocolypse, seems a little timid. Largely instrumental, it wears the psychedelic production style of its producer, Flying Lotus, on its sleeve.
But Thundercat’s voice makes appearances here and there, and by “Is It Love?” (track four), he’s giving us real songs, lyrics and all. Don’t worry though: the man’s insane bass skills are also on full display.
Golden Age introduced Thundercat’s mix of jazz fusion, hip hop, and R&B to the world, but it wasn’t until his sophomore full-length, 2013’s Apocolypse, that we got the real thing—the falsetto voice, neurotic lyrics, spooky themes, and sense of black-magic dread that defined the artist’s sound for the following decade.
There’s still plenty of instrumental music to go around, but Thundercat’s voice finally takes centre stage here. And while much of the record sounds like Thundercat stirring a cauldron, this track shows he can write a bangin’ groove, too—even if it is about the drunken self-doubt one feels while dancing at a party.
Even though 2015’s The Beyond/Where the Giants Are is only an EP, it marks an important year for Thundercat. His presence on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly pushed him into a new level of limelight, and the six tracks on this record showed him tightening his songwriting skills at just the right time to take advantage of the added attention.
“Them Changes” remains a staple in his catalogue, in part because it made a second appearance on the following LP, but also because it’s a perfect example of Thundercat’s legendary combo of head-swaying groove and existential dread.
When The Beyond/Where the Giants arrived, it felt like a stand-alone release. After 2017’s Drunk joined the party, it became clear that the EP was merely an introduction the proceeding album’s world of hang-over regret, stoned self-reflection, and ‘70s harmonies.
I admit that I love this whole record. The only reason I chose to share “Captain Stupido” is its presentation of one of my favourite elements of Thundercat’s music: his sense of humour. From the quick tempo to the snoring and fart sounds, the song perfectly presents that sense of anxiety and loss of control you feel after a crazy night.
I would be remiss if, in this cat-themed newsletter, I didn’t include this track. Another great example of Thundercat’s funny side, it takes the pseudonym as literally as possible.
Thundercat filled the three years between Drunk and It Is What It Is by supporting other artists. He made an appearance on most of Flying Lotus’ records this past decade, but he also shows up on releases from Canadians like Kehlani and Kaytranada, as well as indie favourites HAIM and R&B supergroup Silk & Sonic.
On 2020’s It Is What It Is, his latest album, he shifts from worrying about the end of the world to pondering the mysteries of the galaxy while keeping that self-depricating modern angst in the mix. “Black Qualls” brings other black artists of the moment Steve Lacey and Childish Gambino (aka. Atlanta creator Donald Glover) on board while tapping legendary keyboardist Steve Arrington to bring the funk.
Over the last three years, the master bassist has continued to collaborate with other artists and make guest appearances on great records. Here’s to hoping another LP of his own is in the works!
-AK
WATCH
The Cat Returns
“It’s tough to survive in this world.”
It’s been a week, if you know what I mean, so I’m feeling this quote more than usual right now. All of a sudden summer is over and the barrage of extra routine and responsibility that comes with fall has hit me like a giant bag of grade 3 school supplies and church bulletins. If it’s been a similar week for you, I recommend you get all cuddly and snuggly and put on this quirky and cozy cat-filled Studio Ghibli offering. As long as you’re a cat person, I guess. If you’re more into dogs, maybe One Hundred and One Dalmations? But I digress. This is a cat post, so let’s scratch at The Cat Returns a bit more.
I should clarify, it’s more an eccentric escapist fantasy for cat-lovers than a cuddly down-to-earth drama that happens to feature felines. It can get pretty bizarre:
But it’s very fun and that aforementioned line from kitten to kid stands out and foreshadows a unique undercurrent of poignant coming-of-age fare (“Where do I belong?”) that comes to an excellent resolve (“It doesn't matter anymore”) over the course of the adventure plot.
It should also be noted that the Baron is a total babe and the general consensus (just read the top Letterboxd review) seems to place him on the level of fox Robin Hood when it comes to handsome animated animals (me-ow, amirite?):
Let me know who tickles your fancy more in the comments.
-JB
READ
A story about a cat that shows Hemingway’s soft side
Ernest Hemingway has a reputation. The lack of waste in his style can make you feel like you’re reading a story written by your grumpy grandfather. But the guy wasn’t as macho as people make him out to be.
For proof, read “Cat In the Rain.” A perfect example of his style, the 1140-word snippet of life pokes at the dull masculinity we associate with the writer while doing everything it can to make you empathize with that wet cat and the woman who sees her. “Cute” is not a word often used to describe Hemingway, but I guarantee that’s how you’ll feel about this story.
It’s time to curl up for a nap. When we wake up in two weeks time we’ll pawse and bat around the subject of
TC is one of those artists that I wanted to like, and I can hear that he's talented, and he's associated with several artists I *do* really like, but... I just can't get into more than 1-2 songs... for reasons.
This is something I've noticed quite a bit over the last 20 years, with the rise of artists self-publishing online: actual prodigies and/or highly-trained musicians who try to take the focus off that by being goofy in some way (which is a direct result of the 90s pushing a "rags to riches" narrative where people who come from privilege aren't seen as "authentic" — being a highly-trained musician has long been one of the hallmarks of privilege).
There's a certain dissonance for me when I hear his music, but then his words and aesthetic are unserious, and downright stupid sometimes. Same with MonoNeon — it just feels like he's trying too hard, even though he's a great musician. I mean, I get it.. it just doesn't do anything for me — and kinda feels like I'm purposefully being distracted from the fact that it's all pretty traditional and there's not really anything new happening... b-b-b-but it's... "funny". There's also the issue of reliance on widely-known IP (his name) that kinda rubs me the wrong way, too.
All that said, I do respect him as an artist even though I don't usually choose to listen to his music.
That I know who Thundercat is, is my only claim to being cultured.