Playlist Find: Music We Are Autistic To

By Ryan G

Before I begin, I want to make one thing clear: TUNED UP DID NOT CURATE THIS LIST. WE ARE MERELY FEATURING A RAD NEW PLAYLIST WE FOUND ON TWITTER AND REACTING TO EACH OF THE ARTISTS THEREIN.

Now that we have that clear—hi there! I hope this post finds you well. A few years ago we got involved in a Twitter conversation with NPR Tiny Desk winner Gaelynn Lea about being more intentional about the disabled and neurodivergent marginalized groups in the music community that receive little, if any, press and representation. Then and there I decided this site would be a platform for such. In part, this is because I myself was born with a hearing impairment and have faced a number of challenges (social and otherwise) related to this.

Fast forward to today. I honestly haven’t done the best job at keeping up with this promise. Yet, as fate would have it, I came across a tweet because of a certain Hoity-Toity (a LA band to watch we featured in 2019). This band is killing in the DIY game and is setting the standard for how to be dialed into the underground. They had liked a tweet by an artist (I’ll expand on this artist a bit more later) who expressed an open invitation for neurodivergent artists (alternatively, folks who fall somewhere on the autism spectrum) to submit themselves to a playlist. You can follow the playlist here.

This is a bit different than most list features that we do, where we do all the curating ourselves. Originally, I had planned on using the list as a reference point for future blog posts, but the organizer (rightfully so I might add) suggested I just feature the whole thing. So, I decided to take things a step further and give my reaction to each artist and link their bandcamp—why not?

Here goes:

Downupright – Okay, honestly this is pretty lit. I would vibe to this in a festival setting for sure. The fact that one of the playlists this artist is featured on is a BROSTEP/DUBSTEP is honestly a compelling reason for you to listen. And two Video Game Remix playlists as well! That’s pretty versatile if you ask me.

Restless Mosaic – It doesn’t surprise me in the least that this music emerged from the Pacific Northwest, and I can’t really articulate why. It’s just a gut feeling. Fans of Tycho, Washed Out, and Slow Magic will be really into this.

Dractic – There’s a tone of resignation present in the vocals to this project, which back instrumentation that is meandering casually one second and bursting into chaos the next. It’s a compelling approach. And a whimsical, fun one at that.

Hotdog Water – Is this band named for a certain Limp Bizkit record? Does it matter? There’s an absurdist quality to the music that makes me want to see them live. I reached that conclusion almost instantly upon listening to “Have You Seen This Man?”

Meghan Pulles – This variety of indie is one that just simply pleasant to listen to. One might call it easy listening. An adjacent sound to folk pop.

Noera – This project has been referred to by their namesake as “flex pop.” An apt descriptor just based on this one song. I wish I knew more DIY bands in Philly. As the description here implies, the sound is “flexible” and yet feels cohesive. In one song you travel to and fro, yet none of it feels aimless.

Hoity-Toity – If you are at all active on DIY Twitter, you’ve seen this band. You’ll keep seeing this band because their music is that good. Come to Ohio already! This pop rock quartet is polished and ready for the big time.

Hopeful Mess – Minimalism is the name of the game, here. The overall vibe is kind of forlorn. That lone trumpet in “Missed Opportunities” is especially poignant.

Cinnamon Cigarettes – My experience with the twinkle subgenre of emo is pretty limited. So, I don’t have a lot to compare this group to; however, I appreciate the effect of angst and cheer colliding in their arrangements.

J Maya Garcia – My first impression here is “wow, this is weird and wonderful.” This sort of reminds me of Animal Collective. This type of music would work great as a soundtrack for Meow Wolf or Otherworld, or a similar immersive art installation.

Stefania Night – This is weird pop that sounds straight out of a fever dream. It seems to exist in the hyperpop world, but wouldn’t be that weird to hear on a playlist alongside acts like Purity Ring and Death Grips. Disclaimer: I am not a hyperpop connoisseur but like weird, glitchy catchy songs with an electronic bent in that direction!

Foxtails – Existing in some weirdo realm between Deafheaven, for your health, and many post-hardcore bands is Foxtails of Connecticut. It’s a compelling mix of sounds that is at once gorgeous and abrasive.

SLUG BAIT – SLUG BAIT is a sludge-y, psychedelic act that produces long compositions that are best suited for turning on in the dark and just sitting back and zoning out.

Ugly Perfection: Glitchy, chaotic music with heart and the feels. That’s my off-the-cuff thought on this sound. Get lost in the swirls. This noisy NY artist is one to watch for sure.

ルーシー LUCY – This artist is the organizer of this playlist. They compose ambient experimental music that fans of Tycho would enjoy. The aesthetic is definitely one that I can get behind—I love all things related to neon, sunsets, night drives, and vaporwave. This is also an extremely niche reference but this project reminds of another called Forenn. And the noisier parts make me recall earlier Mount Eerie.

The Blue Iris – What doesn’t this Aurora, CO-based creative do? Their project The Blue Iris is at once down to earth and noisy emo at the same time. And on top of that they find time to indulge in running a horror blog.

Pwrup – Would it be insulting to refer to this sound as goofy hardcore? I certainly don’t mean it as such. Any band with trumpets incorporated into their breakdowns is a winner in my book. I saw a band from Maryland do that at a house show once… I wish I could remember their name.

Kuiper – Mmm, I didn’t realize it, but my evening need more twinkly emo. I’m enjoying the album artwork for Twilight Cemetery. If the big ice storm comes through Ohio that they’re predicting, I’m going to be playing all the twinkly music in my house.

Hunter Remington – I never knew what tweemo was until today. Now I know. I’m a fan of how Hunter mixes some spoken word in there. This has a very organic, bedroom feel to it.

Megawave – Having “opened for Creed Bratton” on your resume should be enough for any band to lend credibility. But Megawave’s sound that mixes desperation with easy listening riffs is a winning combo too.

Hotel WiFi – Want some straightforward, unpretentious bedroom pop mixed with some emo? Here you go.

dark middle chapter – Would it be accurate to call this black metal-influenced screamo? There’s just something so guttural and primal here that goes beyond the normal screamo. The spoken word interlude is an interesting wrinkle in the track; I just finished watching Archive 81 on Netflix, and that section was really unsettling in that context.

Nate Funk – First off—I love the album art here. Very nerdy and vaguely reminiscent of vaporwave. Emphasis on vaguely reminiscent. Mostly, this is catchy quirky punk!

Kmoy – I love Kmoy’s bio. “I make weird music for weird people.” This variation on ska is down to earth, and the vocals remind me a little of The Rocket Summer. The falsetto effects are something that is entire Kmoy’s own, though.

La Croix Can Recycling Center – Did you know bedroom punk was a thing? I didn’t. I now feel guilty I didn’t know this obvious fact. I also have to give props to this awesome band name.

exciting!!excellent!! – The first thing I feel when listening to this artist is nostalgia. I feel like worlds are colliding. A portal has opened in my home office and I’m hearing music from my present day laptop speakers and that of early 2000s Ryan at the same time.

Riverby – This Philly based powerpop act harbors both punch and finesse in their delivery. This act’s placement on Take This To Heart Records alongside other Tuned Up favorites like Snarls and Palette Knife comes as no surprise. Come to Columbus, please!

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