The San Francisco DJ and producer Avalon Emerson was a big deal in the dance-music world before she branched out into something resembling indie-pop. In 2023, she got inspired by Jeff Tweedy's book about songwriting and started a project called Avalon Emerson & The Charm. They made a self-titled record that bridges the gap between twee synthpop and sleek club music. It's fucking awesome, and it's the reason that Emerson & The Charm were once a Stereogum Band To Watch. Now, Emerson is rolling out another project without the Charm but with plenty of charm.
Jesus Christ. What have I done? That might be the worst wordplay of my entire career. "Without the Charm but with plenty of charm"? That's a new low. That's just terrible. This post isn't published yet. I could just go and delete that part right now. But it would feel irresponsible, somehow. I wrote that. I thought of it and typed it out. I need to hold myself accountable.
Anyway. What was I saying? Right. Avalon Emerson. She's got this thing called Perpetual Emotion Machine -- I'm not the only person out here doing terrible wordplay -- and it's all tracks that Emerson made specifically for her DJ sets. She's putting that stuff out one song at a time, and we already posted her version of "Don't Be Seen With Me," the '80s synthpop nugget from Oppenheimer Analysis. Today, she's shared another song, the swirling original jam "Treat Mode." Check it out.
"Treat Mode" is out now on Dead Oceans. "Without the Charm but with plenty of charm." Good lord. I'm better than that. This can't happen again.
