Hello, my friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful week. Not only is it Good Friday, it is a great Friday, with some excellent Music to share. I found eleven titles that fit the bill, so let’s dive in!
Bristol, England is bursting with so many talented Artists. Not content with just being the birthplace of Trip-Hop, it also hosts a burgeoning Rock scene. Cosmit is a five-piece from Bristol that has just released their third EP. Still Cosmit begins with an upbeat bass groove and a wash of guitars. Lead singer Jerry Tadros oozes personality and is backed perfectly by Erica Freas and Kay Stanley on vocals.
A trio from Iran released an exciting four-song EP this week that’s exploding with energy. The group consists of Arif Mirbaghi on bass, guitar and keys, Farhad Asadi on percussion, and, on divine flute, Artashesh Grigorian. Tantalize your earbuds with Saba Biar Nasimi Ze Khak-e Shiraz’m.
An EP of a completely different sort has me pogoing through the kitchen while I make Jambalaya. Molbo is a four-piece Punk combo from Oslo. Crunchy guitar, insistent drumming and guttural vocals are prominent and satisfying on Rettferdighetens Ridder.
It really is the best time in human history to be a Music Fan. The easy access to Music from every studio, bedroom and garage is unprecedented. For instance, a Split EP from Philadelphia would never have made it beyond a few handmade cassettes, and I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of recommending it. Siltbreeze Records has put out a three-song EP, featuring three anonymous bands, called Sub Verse, Petticoats and Sole Sister. Scaling Triangles LP is “Name Your Price” on BandCamp and will twist your wee little mind with a ten-minute journey through Post Punk and Synthwave.
An Artist from London that I recommended last May has come back with a follow-up EP. Saya Gray’s QWERTY II is a captivating combination of Indie Pop and R&B, with tasty production and charming vocals.
Guitar-based Music is still well and safe in the arms of the next generation of Artists. A Country Western is a band from Philadelphia, PA that inhabits the soul of early REM and slacker rockers like Pavement. Life on the Lawn is their most recent album and it is alive with vibrant guitars and marvellous twists.
I found a few Hip-Hop records to tantalize the senses. UK MC Matt Herbert has long been known in Underground Rap circles as Junior Disprol. His newest album, Def Cult, is self-produced, and includes features from DJ Jaffa and Roughneck Jihad. Skrewed beats and trippy samples make this a fun ride.
Shabazz Palaces is an Experimental Hip-Hop Artist based in Seattle. Active for nearly fifteen years, his new album, Exotic Birds of Prey, is my first experience with him. Awash in Bass, it is filled with heady flights of fancy that hit you in the gut. Released by the legendary Sub Pop Records.
A duo from LA has assembled a great group of players to create their new album. Shabaka Hutchings, Billy Woods, and Portishead’s Adrian Utley guest on Real Bad Man & Lukah’s Temple Needs Water, Village Needs Peace. Downtempo and chill, it conjures West Coast Hip-Hop and Trip-Hop with winning effect.
Also from Los Angeles, but of a completely different musical ilk, is a Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist named Fabiola Reyna. With her band Reyna Tropical she has released an expansive, twenty-track debut album. Malegria. Upbeat and charming Latin Pop and Electronic beats will have you on your feet.
My Feature Pick is tearing the walls down at My Imaginary Sweaty Rock Club. Sahra Halgan is a political refugee from Somalia who has been in Europe for over thirty years. Her latest album HIDDO DHAWR is steeped in desert guitar, traditional unison vocals, and swirling organ. Euphoric.
If you have some extra days off this week, I hope you are able to relax and enjoy yourself. And you know that you need to take great care of yourself. We’ll talk again soon!
New Music Jason’s Picks 