Kevin recommends “Tisched Off” by Bartees Strange
I stumbled across this phenomenal artist in 2020 not long into the pandemic, and I honestly don't know how I managed to exist the 30-some-odd years before the first time I heard "Mustang," one of the singles off his first album "Live Forever." Not long after that, I found out he made an EP full of covers of songs by The National -- one of my favorite bands. There was no turning back.
Strange's songs are full of surging indie rock riffs and heartfelt ballads, startlingly fresh hip hop-inspired moments and sleek R&B veneer. He pulls from all around the spectrum to create work that is like and unlike anything I had listened to before.
This newer song, “Tisched Off,” is an in-your-face jam that propels you immediately. It's a tongue-in-cheek bit of song-writing that involves a fair amount of yelling and calling out of various artists and influencers, people who are successful but had a ton of money and resources already at their disposal to get to that point: “using black cards for your box wine.” These people are “forty / going on fifteen” and their “festivals are FYRE.”
I have it on my marathon training mix, and I simply have to hit repeat multiple times. The only downside is its two-minute length, not enough Bartees time for me — but it gives you an idea of his rock-forward palate and how he has a lot of fun with his songwriting and playing. Don’t let that fool you, though. Many of his songs can tug at heartstrings ("Hold the Line"); his talent far-reaching and expansive across genres. Check out his other albums, and you’ll be sure to find something you love.
Kevin A. Risner is a product of Ohio. He is the author of Do Us a Favor (Variant Literature, 2021); You Thought This Was Just Gonna Be About Cleveland, Didn't You (Ghost City Press, 2022); and There's No Future Where We Don't Have Fire (ELJ Editions, 2025). He has work published recently or forthcoming in Gordon Square Review, Great Lakes Review, Major 7th Magazine, Moist Poetry Journal, and The Ocean State Review.
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