Music Mondays | Girl power playlist

International Women’s Day is coming up on Sunday, March 8, and Music Mondays is celebrating by highlighting women in music. Here are five new tracks stretching across punk, pop and indie rock genres to add to your spring break playlists.

100 gecs featuring Charli XCX, Rico Nasty and Kero Kero Bonito - “ringtone (Remix)”

I absolutely can’t stop listening to this remix! The original, from 100 gecs’s experimental 2019 album “1000 gecs,” is worth listening to as well, but come on. It’s Charli, baby! It’s nearly impossible not to dance along to every second of this track. Each of the features bring something special to this remix, whether it’s Charli’s bouncy pop chorus, the glitchy indie pop and fun sound effects of Kero Kero Bonito, or Rico Nasty’s anthemic, guitar-backed “I think I might be addicted to your kisses” before she dives into the track’s longest verse. Laura Les of 100 gecs has a line too, reminding listeners that she sings the chorus on the original. If you want a fun track to play on the aux, queue up the “ringtone” remix.

Tricot - “混ぜるな危険”

This track (which translates in English to “Danger, Do Not Mix,” according to a helpful message board user) starts off Tricot’s new album, “真っ黒 (Pitch Black),” with a bang. Known for their math rock sensibilities, Tricot begins the track with a whirlwind of guitar and immaculate percussion before Ikkyu Nakajima’s smooth vocals invite you into the album. Playful vocal harmonies in the background clash with the speedy drums and hard rock guitar that follow, setting the tone for what’s to come. Tricot plays with themes of dark and light throughout the album, but I still can’t get over the special way that Nakajima’s vocals on “混ぜるな危険” float over the track’s treacherous instrumentation. “真っ黒” is my favorite album of the year so far, and I think that “混ぜるな危険,” no matter how short, is a great representation of what Tricot has to offer this year.

Frances Quinlan - “Detroit Lake”

Speaking of new albums in 2020, Frances Quinlan of the popular indie folk/emo band Hop Along recently released her first solo album, “Likewise,” which features “Detroit Lake.” Quinlan takes the storytelling that makes so many Hop Along songs special and applies it in a more personal manner. Her poetic lyrics in “Detroit Lake” twinkle in the crevices between airy strings, sparse piano and synths that evoke the beloved Lake Theme from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. The song is intimate, as if Quinlan reached out to take your hand and share her thoughts with you on the lakefront. You may not be dancing to this one, but it’s perfect for a relaxing moment with a cup of coffee and a good view.

Beach Bunny - “Colorblind”

My favorite track off of indie pop rockers Beach Bunny’s eagerly anticipated album “Honeymoon,” “Colorblind” doesn’t hesitate to get to the point. It begins with a fun disco beat before the beautiful guitar-heavy chorus plays 15 seconds into the track. Lead singer Lili Trifilio has lyrical fun with the imagery of a TV screen, creating a colorful nostalgic aesthetic that meshes with those disco influences. Once you have the lyrics down, it’s hard not to sing along to Trifilio’s emotional “I’m sorry too, for wanting you.” The song’s sad, no doubt, but roll your windows down and get lost in the way that the drums drive the track along, or how the simple guitar plays with the overall mood of “Colorblind.”

Destroy Boys - “Fences”

With “Fences,” Oakland punk band Destroy Boys give us a song that would be perfect for Rock Band. Surfy vocal harmonies add depth to this DIY track that throws things back to 2000s alt rock radio favorites like Green Day and The Killers. Alexia Roditis’s vocal effect embodies the punk sneer perfectly, like when she snarls out “This is all I’ve ever known” in the chorus. The guitar is an attention-grabber, especially the awesome solo before the song’s bridge that I have to see live. Destroy Boys are great at making fun punk that doesn’t sacrifice any bite. If you have a lot of energy, put “Fences” on and jump it out.

Contact contributor Gabby Kiser at gabby.kiser@richmond.edu.