It’s been a wonderful week for New Music to end the month. Though none will be bothering Taylor Swift in terms of sales, those with more discerning tastes have much on which to feed.
I, myself, have come up with a whopping thirteen titles that I’ve added to my life this week. I shall lay them out before you as follows, for your enjoyment.
In lack of a Single to start the week, let’s begin in Ecuador for some joyous and hopeful sounds. Mala Fama is an Indigenous Sound Artist from the northern Andean region. Jichushka is his debut album, and through its eleven tracks, he explores multiple styles, both traditional and modern. Guest vocalists dot the beautiful landscape.
Trevor Dunn is a bassist for many different projects, based in Brooklyn, NY. His latest release is by Trevor Dunn’s Trio-Convulsant avec Folie à Quatre. It features Mary Halvorson on guitar, and Ches Smith on Drums and percussion. The are joined by a string quartet, and the resultant Sèances is seven sublime tracks filled with unexpected turns.
avec Folie à Quatre – Sèances
Hakeem Lapointe is an artist and musician based in Montreal. As Amselysen, they have released their second album, Organe Solare. It is a solo affair, wherein Lapointe performs poetry to Electronic production. Varying styles and ear-prickling Aural Candy make it a compelling listen.
Brazil’s The Church Of Noisy Goat is a Music Label that has been releasing albums to BandCamp on a daily basis, by a number of artists that span the globe. While I can’t endorse every album they release, one of the artists that released an album on this label just last month is already back with another scintillating set of satisfying soundplay. Frank Is A Dadaist is the latest full-length release from Brazil’s Antoine Trauma. Three tracks, spanning over thirty minutes, of Electronic Noise, samples, music boxes, cuckoo clocks, and Fantasy.
HASAMI Group is an Electronic band, who’s career spans over 30 years. I know nothing about them, other than their country of origin (Japan), and that the title of their 21st album, パルコの消滅, translates as “The Disappearance of PARCO.” Tricky synth parts and lush production make this a fun and intriguing listen.
Mello Music Group, the fantastic Rap label and collective, has put out a new album by producer L’Orange and MC Solemn Brigham. It is their third collaboration as Marlowe, and Marlowe 3 is Hip Hop at its finest. North Carolina represent!
After an absence of a few weeks, Australia makes its return to my consciousness in the only way it seems to know how; by rocking my world. A solo artist from Sydney named Angus Lewis records lo-fi DIY Punk with trippy production elements, as Daughter Bat and the Lip Stings. His four-song ep, Down bad, is fire (as the kids say), and quite unlike what I’ve heard before.
Lest the Colonizing homeland be left out, I came upon a quartet from London who’ve released their debut album. Ghost Car’s eleven-track Truly Trash is curious synth punk, filled with smart singalong lyrics that make a stand.
Also from London, but riding a very different wave, is solo Artist Will Dorey. As Skinshape, Dorey has been making and releasing dreamy Electronic Music with a Trip Hop bent since 2014. His new album, Nostalgia, is a beautifully orchestral Production, with dynamic leaps and falls.
Wrapping up our visit to London, we have an artist that I’ve seen previous work from, and was hoping that I would enjoy what he has to offer for himself. Fred Again… is multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Fred Gibson. I enjoyed his remix that he did for Britney Howard last year. He’s just released another in his Actual Life series, titled Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022). Destination: Dance Floor.
A strange band from Amsterdam also crossed my path this week. A Family Band, calling themselves The Mauskovic Dance Band, has released their second album. Bukaroo Bank is twelve tracks of high-energy party music, with exceptional bass work and percussion.
An artist that I teased on Tuesday came through with a fantastic album this week. Nosaj Thing is LA’s Jason Chung. His fifth album, Continua, is Electronic Music, both pensive and head-nodding. It features guest appearances from Juliana Barwick, serpentwithfeet, and Pink Siifu. Thoughtful mood music.
I’m sticking around the American West Coast for my Feature Pick this week. Katy Davidson is a singer and songwriter from Joshua Tree, California. Her band, Dear Nora, has been active since 1999, and their newest album, human futures, is filled with beautiful and unique melodies. The production is the tasty delicate touch of a sure and steady hand. And I have a whole career’s worth of music to look back at!
Do I discern that you made it this far? I couldn’t be happier. We’ve got some great stuff here to sink our incisors into, with complete aural satisfaction guaranteed!
Don’t forget this Sunday (10/30), for Jason’s New Music Heroes, Chapter Eight – Thelonious Monk.
Take good care of yourself, and make sure to be kind to others!
New Music Jason’s Picks 
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