By David Lavrinovich, Alumni Editor
Few things are worth staying up until midnight for, but the release of the song “$$$ and My Girl” definitely was. The latest single from Buddha Trixie dropped on Friday, April 24, much to my excitement as an avid fan of the band. There was an unsurprising lack of promotion for the single, as they tend to randomly drop music with little to no fanfare. The only reason I knew to expect this new song was that it was briefly mentioned in the captions of one of their Instagram posts, just a few days before the release. “$$$ and My Girl” is set to become one of the classics amongst Buddha Trixie’s discography, furthering their unique style and musical career.
Losers Who Make Pop Music
Hailing from San Diego, California, Buddha Trixie is a genre-bending indie band that has been making music since 2017. However, they have only gained notoriety in the past couple of years, which is also when I happened to discover them. Their Spotify description reads as, “answering the age old question of ‘what if losers made pop music?’ southern california born and raised.” I say this with only affection in my heart, but that is a fairly accurate introduction to the band. Buddha Trixie is composed of the trio of childhood friends Daniel Cole (vocals, drummer), Andrew Harris (guitarist), and Dennis Moon (bassist), with the later addition of Kenzo Mann (guitarist, synthesizer). The band is greater than the sum of its parts, as all these artists combine their talents to form something truly special.
There is no way to describe Buddha Trixie’s musical style other than to call it quintessentially indie. They bear a strong resemblance to other indie and pop artists, while also pulling elements from different alternative genres like rock n’ roll and punk. They have a distinctive, almost psychedelic sound, blending high-energy intensity with chill vibes. That’s what makes Buddha Trixie a great addition to almost any playlist, because their music can match almost any feeling.
“Pitbull Goes To The Club” was my gateway drug to Buddha Trixie because of its infectiously good mood and catchy beat, and many fans felt the same way. For a while, it was Buddha Trixie’s most popular song, garnering over 2 million streams, which is ironic considering the pop song was originally written as a silly bonus track. Their most popular song is currently “Shmoopie,” which is more rock-forward while still retaining the dreamlike haze that much of their music is laced with. However, my personal favorite song by Buddha Trixie is “Worship Me” for its deeply soulful lyrics and teenage garage band sound. While I have unfortunately not had the privilege of seeing Buddha Trixie in concert, watching recordings of their live performances reveals just how talented these artists are, with “Worship Me” specifically becoming absolutely transcendent.
Very few artists have resonated with me as Buddha Trixie has. If you were to check my Spotify Wrapped (please don’t), then you would find that I have been within the top 1% of listeners for Buddha Trixie for the past two years in a row. That is to say, from the moment I discovered Buddha Trixie, they have claimed the number one spot in my top artists and haven’t left. As such, I am always excited for any new music, and their latest single definitely did not disappoint!
“$$$ and My Girl” Review
I listened to this single on loop for an embarrassingly long time, but that just goes to show how captivatingly ethereal it is. The intro to the song opens with robotic beeping noises, which is just a prelude to how synth-heavy the song is. Many of Buddha Trixie’s songs feature a lot of synthesizer, but this single particularly puts the instrument in the spotlight. This has the effect of creating an ambiance reminiscent of ‘90s synth-pop. Yet the sounds of rock can still be found beautifully layered into the song; Drums provide a grounded beat, and the strumming of a bass guitar can be found interspersed throughout the track. The song is tied together by the stunning vocals that I so profoundly adore, which also serve to passionately deliver the lyrics in true Buddha Trixie fashion.
While not quite a love song, the lyrics of “$$$ and My Girl” are very much about wistful yearning. The chorus sings “The only thing I care about is money and my girl,” which can be seen as repetitive, but in my opinion, it only enhances the sentimentality that the song aims to capture. The verses, however, add more to the story and utilize some pretty interesting imagery. My favorite line has to be “I never tie my laces / ‘Cause I’m just ready for the fall,” because of how it scratches an itch in my brain by evoking a very striking visual. A close second would be “I wish that you could see me now / That I’m a star” for how aesthetically the held notes were sung. All in all, I really liked the song, and it’s definitely some of Buddha Trixie’s best work.
Fan Engagement
While there was very little promotion leading up to the release of “$$$ and My Girl”, when the song dropped, it did coincide with a couple of key events. Most notably, announcing online sales of a vinyl record with all their greatest hits, which was previously only available for purchase in person on their tour. There was a limited stock of 200 copies, but of course I made sure that I was one of the first ones to order it (and I eagerly await its arrival!) The other occurrence worth mentioning was a short live stream that Daniel Cole hosted on Instagram, to listen to the new song and talk to fans about it.
The members of Buddha Trixie, especially Daniel Cole, are amazing at connecting with their fans in a really authentic way. On top of their Instagram, they also have a TikTok account. Both social media pages serve not only to promote their music, but also to repost memes and share silly content. That was actually how I found out one of their previous singles, “mouf!”, dropped. The song was released at random, and the news was broken to me in the caption of a meme post. Even beyond those social media accounts, Buddha Trixie is on Twitch to livestream gameplay, listening parties, Q&As, or even just general hanging out. They also have a Discord server called the Buddha Trixie Fan Club. Needless to say, despite being a smaller indie band, Buddha Trixie excels at engaging with their audience and showing appreciation for the support they receive.
Anyhoo, Go Stream Buddha Trixie
Even though I’m completely biased, I think Buddha Trixie deserves a lot more love. Their latest single, “$$$ and My Girl,” is another top-notch song that enhances an already excellent discography, which I hope the band continues to add on to for a long time. These losers who make pop music and only care about money and their girls create such a fun listening experience, while also having a lot of heart. Give “$$$ and My Girl” a shot, or even the rest of Buddha Trixie’s music. Who knows, you may just find your new favorite artist.
