Leading the charge this week is Indie darling St. Vincent, French Electronic pioneers Justice, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, and New Wave legends Pet Shop Boys.
St. Vincent – Flea
Some of the musicians I’m looking forward to checking out include Anitta, Iron & Wine, The Zutons, and Thalia.
Anitta – Double Team
My BandCamp Wishlist is brimming with eleven titles awaiting release. I’m curious about the new release from Austin, Texas duo Hovvdy. The newest album is self-titled, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of it.
How do you do? I do just fine, myself, thanks for asking. I hope you’re feeling all right, and you’re ready to absorb a whole mess of New Music.
I’ve found thirteen titles to introduce you to, so let’s not waste any more time with pleasantries!
UK group The Go! Team has a knack for catchy earworms filled with energy. They’ve released a new single, and We Won’t Be Defeated (CV Vision Remix) is a sample-heavy bop that will get your feet moving.
A Punk group from Germany that I recommended back in January has already returned with a new single. Hailing from Schleswig, KLINT is a self-described “Egg Punk” band. Their new single, Somebody Cut Out My Brain, is an epic five-minute mosh with stops and starts and squishy distortion. The b-side, Anonymous, continues the band’s mission to blow your speakers.
Something that caught my ear during the holiday weekend is a Punk band from Düsseldorf. OIRO is a stripped-down three-piece that features guitar, synth drums and vocals. They’ve been active for over fifteen years and their new album, Ratatatatais brimming with raw energy and angular beats.
London duo Bob Vylan is a Punk/Hip-Hop project with a conscious focus. Active since 2017, their influences are on full display on their new album, Humble As The Sun. Rage Against The Machine meets Gorillaz, without being derivative.
A band from the North of England is tickling my fancy. Leeds-based Art-Rockers Drahla is a five-piece with driving guitars and punctuating saxophone. Their sophomore album, angeltape, is ear-grabbing and buoyant.
An Experimental Artist from France is bending my mind. I know nothing about Groupe Froid, but I’ve been won over by their album, Preuves De La Vie Avant La Mort. Glitchy beats and inspired production, incorporating tape loops and synths are brought together in service of intriguing French vocals.
Chicago is the home of a lot of great Artists, of all kinds. I’m happy to have found an Alternative Hip-Hop Musician from the Windy City. Carlo Banez has released his debut album and Revenge of The Broken is a head nodder, incorporating R&B and Soul, Rap and Deep Bass. Banez is a talented vocalist with a confident flow.
A Record Label from Uganda is one of the most reliable in terms of vibrant and creative Dance Music. Nyege Nyege Tapes is back again with Durban-based dancefloor fillers Phelimuncasi. This time they have teamed up with Producer Metal Preyers to get you moving with Izingqinamba. Twisted beats, heavy bass and driving ear worms.
Another collaboration, this time from the other side of the planet. Los Angeles Electronic Producer Salami Rose Joe Louis (Lindsay Olsen) has teamed up with Flanifi (Simon Martinez) to create the groove-heavy sarah. House beats, Drum & Bass and more adventurous beats permeate the record, topped with disjointed vocals.
Another Artist from LA has new Music this week, though of a different stripe. Caleb Landry Jones is a Psychedelic/Prog Musician, and has released Hey Gary, Hey Dawn. Incorporatingelements of Punk, New Wave, and Orchestral Rock, it’s one of the more ambitious releases you’ll find.
I have a trio of female musicians with terrific music released this week to end my findings. From Paris, I found an uplifting release by a wonderful vocalist and Producer. Bonnie Banane has been active for nearly fifteen years and her newest album, Nini, is smooth and lovely, with dark and ominous edges.
Soul singer Alice Russell is continuing the tradition of talented British vocalists that bear their souls in their Music. If you enjoy Amy Winehouse, or even Adele, I implore you to check out Russell’s latest album, I Am. Lush production canvasses her throaty, emotional voice.
My Feature Pick this week also comes from the UK. Liverpool’s Jane Weaver is an Experimental Singer-Songwriter with a whimsical voice. Her latest album, Love In Constant Spectacle, incorporates intriguing synths and charming countermelodies.
Well, hello there, everybody! It’s a wonderful day and we have a healthy dose of New Music to dig into together. Eight titles for your Sound Holes. Are you ready?
Back in 2020, when I first started to write about New Music, one of my very first discoveries was a duo from Chicago that were called Ohmme. Their album Fantasize Your Ghost would have certainly have been given the New Music Jason Prize for that year, if such a thing had been thought of. I’m thrilled that the band, who are now known as Finom has a new album coming out in May. It’s been co-produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, and the leadoff single Haircut is bouncy, infectious and satisfying.
Finom – Haircut
There’s a genre of Electronic Music that exists somewhere between the heavy beats of Dance, or House, and the calming atmospherics of Ambient. Let’s call it “Head Music.” French Producer Édouard Ribouillault, aka c_c, has released a new full-length to tantalize the imagination. Six Crossings is six lengthy tracks, all recorded in one take, in one day. It is warm and dreamy.
Rhys Edwards is a British ex-patriate living in Stockholm and is a Singer-Songwriter. astrel k is the pen-name for his Music. His second album, The Foreign Department, is lush and twee, with piano and strings intertwined with Electronic flourishes.
A band I showcased on Tuesday from Baltimore has come through with a terrific debut album. Tomato Flower is a four-piece that has spent a good time touring with Animal Collective and amassing a fanbase with a handful of EPs. No has a raw, earthy feel, with jangly, jagged guitars and inspired vocals from Austyn Wohlers.
Some exciting cross-cultural sounds have emerged this week from Senegal, via Australia. Ausecuma Beats is a nine-piece ensemble led by Djembe player Boubacar Gaye. Their latest album, Dakar Bamakois a culmination of post-Lockdown reunions that took place in Senegal and Mali for members of the band. Joyous and celebratory, it’s the sound of a grand global party.
Hani Mojtahedi is an Iranian-born Kurdish singer residing in Berlin. As HJirok, she creates entrancing Music that incorporates traditional instruments with Electronics. But on Hjirokit is Hani’s voice that will capture your heart.
Moor Mother is back with another album, fresh off her 2023 release Jazz Codes. The Philadelphia MC and Producer has created a meditation on modern culture with The Great Bailout. Straddles the lines between Hip-Hop and Jazz, with more Music for The Head. Guests include Lonnie Holley and Sistazz of the Nitty Gritty.
Kim Gordon has always felt like the cool older sister I never had (I have an older sister. She loves Def Leppard.). As member of the first ‘Alternative’ Band I fell in love with, Sonic Youth, Kim oozed a quiet confidence that rode a wave of exuberant guitar noise. Since the dissolution of the band (and her divorce from fellow SY member Thurston Moore), Gordon has written a memoir and is releasing her own Music. Her second album, The Collective, delves into harsh electronics that offer Gordon a rough canvas for her unsettling poetics. At seventy, Kim Gordon continues to be the height of cool. My Feature Pick this week.
Good day to you and yours on this fine day! I hope you have some joy in your heart, and that you’re filled with love for yourself.
I have twelve new titles to share with you, so sit tight, and let’s get down!
A new split single from Sub Pop’s Singles Club comes from LA MC and Producer clipping. and Experimental Artist Cooling Prongs. Tipsy b/w Midnight are each inspired by classic Hip-Hop, they are far from your conventional cover versions. Drenched in Noise, clipping.’s boom-bap version of J.Kwon’s Tipsy has all the squares running to the Dancefloor. The B-side is an Avant-Garde pastiche of sound that will have them fleeing for their lives, in a panic that something is going very wrong and the cops are here.
A Producer from London has released an EP that is pumping up the energy in My Imaginary Nightclub. Lil Flip, by aya, is four uptempo Techno tracks with wobbly bass and some noisy ear candy.
Some cool and froody Post Punk from Germany has the denizens of The Mosh Room pogoing to and fro. From the looks of their blurry bio photo, Kostenfalle is a duo. And from the sound of their debut DemoEP, they utilize synths, bass, and electronic drums to create jittery Sci-Fi hooks, with shout-sung distorted vocals.
Melbourne’s Phil & The Tiles is a group of five musicians, none of which are named Phil. I strongly suspect that none of them are tiles. Nevertheless, their debut full-length album, Double Happinessis energetic and driving guitar-and-synth PopPunk, led by the poetics of Reef Williams. Hook-filled and catchy.
Force Model is a Power trio from LA that has just released their debut full-length. Found Camera is thundering Post-Hardcore with intense drumming and attention-grabbing vocals.
From London, there’s a noisy five-piece called Thee Alcoholics that’s only been recording and performing since 2020, and have already released their third album. Feedback is riffy, with big angry drums and, yes, squealing feedback.
Tokyo Producer and Japanese Hip-Hop legend DJ KRUSH has never stopped making groundbreaking Turntablism since his first album Krush thirty years ago. The 61 year-old Artist is back with a new album. Seiseiis mainly downtempo, cinematic in scope, with lush production.
I found, via BandCamp, a sextet from Indonesia that is creating a party atmosphere. LAIR (pronounced “lah-eer”) is a Psych-Soul band, and their sophomore albumNgélar is filled with hypnotic grooves and distorted guitar for your next shindig.
A Singer-Songwriter and Sound Artist from Paris has made an intriguing collection of uniquely produced tracks. The Bloom Of Performancehas a minimalist approach to its soundscape, placing Mark Trecka’s evocative voice front and centre.
Church Chords is an Experimental Rock group from Los Angeles that is working in collaboration with many excellent vocalists on their new album. elvis, he was Schlager is upbeat and poppy, and utilizes the skills of Genevieve Artadi, Thalma de Freitas, Macie Stewart, Sima Cunningham and others.
Stereolab was a UK band in the 90’s that had an excellent following, and sold consistently well. I never glommed on to them back in the day, but former member Læticia Sadier has released a new album that has definitely caught my ear. Rooting For Love is EuroPop, sung in French and English, with lush production.
It’s not often that you find new Artists who can wear their influences on their sleeves without feeling like a copycat. Thymme Jones is a Singer-Songwriter and Trumpet Player from DC who performs with an undying love for Herb Alpert and Burt Bacharach. On CHEER-ACCIDENT’s latest album, Vacate, Jones uses his influences as launching pads for his clever melodies. Recorded by Steve Albini, and my Feature Pick for the week.
It’s been a fantastic week in New Music! I’m so pleased that we live in a time that music is so accessible. We just have to remember to pay the musicians that we love!
I have nine titles to recommend for your pretty faces, so let’s get it!
I’ve been a big fan of Bristol-based band Portishead since their debut thirty years ago. In that time, they have only released three albums and a handful of singles, but I’m still waiting against all hope for more. In the meantime, lead singer Beth Gibbons is on the verge of releasing her second solo album. Lives Outgrown comes out in May, and she’s released the first teaser, Floating On A Moment. With sparse instrumentation, Beth’s evocative voice is as strong as ever. She’s supported by a young child on background vocals, which gives the track an ethereal glow.
Beth Gibbons – Floating On A Moment
Kate Stables is based in Paris, France and has been recording and performing as This Is The Kit for over a decade. Her latest single, Sensations In The Dark. showcases her lovely voice, delicately double-tracked backed by acoustic guitar, percussion and recorder. Pretty melody.
A split-EP from a Punk label out of Italy has Billiam sharing wax with fellow Aussie REVV. Billie continues his frenetic weirdo pace on Split whilst REVV serves up a one-two punch of confident riff-Rock.
Sensei Bonus is a duo based in Los Angeles that has just released their debut album. One Punch Eraser combines Modern Rock sonics with Prog Jazz sensibilities. Microtonal harmonies make this a special journey through challenging Time Signatures and Production mastery.
Across the pond in London there is a quartet of Artists that have come together to get their groove on. Champagne Dub is Betamax on drums and percussion, Ruth Goller on bass, Mr. Noodles taking the vocals and Ed Briggs on “DIY Electronics and Lazer Bagpipes.” Their latest is Rainbow Ambience and Soulful Dub beats offer a trance-inducing experience.
In Leeds, in the north of England, there is a trio of musicians who toil in Ethiopian-inspired Jazz. The Sorcerers third album, I Too Am A Stranger has a funky, 70s Blaxploitation feel to it through its nine tracks. Dancefloor ready!
Brittany Howard has been on steady rotation at my house since she came up with the R&B combo Alabama Shakes. Her debut solo album Jaime was a glorious departure that combined Electronic and Dance elements. It’s been nearly four years, but Howard has finally followed it up. What Now has Brittany bringing her powerful voice to Motown grooves, Drum & Bass, and beyond. Skewed harmonies and warm production make this a confident and winning sophomore effort.
Jason Butler hails from Austin, Texas and records and performs as Thee Conductor. He often collaborates with Bonnie Prince Billy, and on his new album Ennoia, Billy is tasked with lead vocals on the eight tracks. Folky and captivating, with tasteful production.
My Feature Pick for this week comes from an Ecuadorian-American based in Brooklyn. Helado Negro sings in both English and Spanish on PHASOR. Sneaky Pop aesthetics combine with wobbly bass and Latin rhythms. Plenty of ear candy.
A good and great day to all of you, I’m happy you’ve chosen to land on this patch of the Internet. If we haven’t met before, I’m Jason, and I’m on a lifelong mission to find and subsequently recommend the finest, most interesting and audacious New Music from around the world. This is the part that I miss from my former life as a Music Store manager, and now it’s just my hobby. Although I would venture that it also does wonders for my mental health.
If you find something that catches you, and touches you in some way, I would love to hear from you!
As it stands , I’ve found eight titles that have been released this week. Three singles, and five Full-Lengths, so let’s get right to it!
Producer and Poet doseone is from Santa Fe, New Mexico. As A7PHA, he’s released a banger of a single in Many Headed. The title of the track is appropriate, as it features four guests, including legendary MCs Aesop Rock and Canada’s Buck 65. There are two versions of the song, the second being nearly a minute longer, but don’t sleep on the flip side, King Me, which demonstrates doseone spitting with fire.
A single from an Italian label is warming up the pretend crowd in My Imaginary Nightclub. From Uluru Records comes the debut from Rome Producer DJ Dibba. Big Time Driller/Stay Stoned (ULURU 012) is a combustible combination of Ska/Reggae and Hip-Hop. Props to the anonymous MC on the a-side, she is the star of the show. The flip side is a Rocksteady bop.
A label from France called Broc Recordz has released two tracks that are the result of a fascinating collaboration. German guitarist J.J. Whitefield and Russian drummer Igor Zhukovsky have joined forces for Two Tales For The Mind vol. 2. The two instrumental tracks start off with the groovy PsychRock of One hand clap, while the B-Side, Munich bells showcases Zhukovsky’s percussive prowess with funky effect.
Vacationer is the name for Philadelphia Singer/Songwriter Ken Vasoli’s recording and performing projects. On his second albumCherishhe’s amassed a terrific ensemble to create a lush atmosphere. I’m a sucker for vibraphone, and there’s that in abundance. And there’s flute. Everyone loves flute. Vasoli’s voice is expressive and lovely, particularly on DIALOGUE. Recommended if your everyday Singer/Songwriters have gotten stale.
A Ten-piece ensemble from São Paulo, Brazil has created an instant party at mi casa. Bixiga 70 has been performing and recording for over a decade. Their latest album, Vapor, is horn-infused and funky fun, capturing the spirit of live performance in front of an audience that cannot help but dance.
A band from Atlanta that I recommended last year has returned with another blistering Punk record. Bite The Hand That Feeds is thirteen varied tracks that stretch from sludgy to frantic to Pixies-inspired. KT, on vocals, embodies the Punk-or-die spirit. Produced by my new friend Ty Segall.
Direct from the BandCamp Wishlist, and (more accurately) from the terrific Trouble In Mind Records, and (even more accurately) from Leipzig, Germany is ONYON. This Post-Punk band incorporates jangly guitars with angular fits and starts on their full-length debut, Last Days On Earth. Sci-Fi synths and aggressive vocals from Ilka Kellner make this a winner.
I don’t know how to describe this week’s Feature Pick. I can tell you that L’Rain is the Performing name for Brooklyn Multi-Instrumentalist and Producer Taja Cheek. She has returned after her widely acclaimed 2021 album Fatigue with the wonderfully-named I Killed Your Dog. The cheeky title masks the emotions portrayed within, and categorization is nigh on impossible. File it in the Not-Quite-Jazz-With-Shades-Of-R&B-And-Moody-ElectroFunk Section. It is a mood.
Greetings and smellutations, Lords and Lasses (and everyone in between)! Who else is excited to listen to some New Music?
Let’s turn off the outside world for awhile and check out these eight titles!
A single to start my findings this week came from a stone’s throw away. Guelph, Ontario’s Andrew McPherson, as Eccodek, has been making some of the finest Globally-inspired Electronic Music for over twenty years. He’s back again with Malian Artist Mansa Sissoko with Second Bird Calling. Sissoko’s kora leads into downtempo beats and deep bass, before he begins to sing, with a shining tenor. Local Legend Lewis Melville joins on atmospheric slide guitar. McPherson’s production, and Sissoko’s voice make me smile.
After I went to press last Friday (so to speak), an album came out from the great Czech Label, Korobushka Records. Oswaldovi is a band from Prague that seamlessly connects Guitar Rock with the droning essence of Tuareg, and Eastern rhythms. They released their fourth album, their first for Korobushka, Across The Borders We Build. Don’t call it Dad Rock. This this ‘The Guy Your Mom Slept With’ Rock.
I generally have a rule when exploring New Music to avoid remixes for previously released music. I’d rather hear the original first. However, I came upon an EP, featuring four remixes of Singles from a Psychedelic Garage Project from Guadalajara. Lorelle Meets The Obsolete is a duo of Lorena Quintanilla on vocals and bass, and Alberto González on guitar and drums. Remezclaincludes a remix from Montreal band SUUNS, among this release that combines droning bass with atmospheric synths. Lorena’s dreamy voice and scattered beats have me firmly on-board.
Bombino is a guitar hero from Niger who is a proponent of a hypnotic style of Desert Rock called Tuareg. I’ve often found and enjoyed this style, and Sahelis a showcase of many moods. Impassioned vocals make it a thrilling listen.
I discovered a collaboration between two New York Artists. Ingrid Laubrock is a saxophonist and Composer, and a contemporary of John Zorn’s. Cecilia Lopez is a Electronic Composer and Multimedia Artist. They’ve come together to create MAROMAS; a ten-track album that explores the parameters of Sound. It sounds like a conversation between sentient saxophone and rudimentary technology, morphing into a grand duet that moves beyond Music.
Speaking of saxophone, Steve Lehman plays the saxophone. The Composer and Musician from New York has worked with Anthony Braxton and Jason Moran as a sideman, but on Ex Machinahe is leading France’s fifteen-piece Orchestre National de Jazz. Lehman’s ambitious compositions benefit from the depth of texture that the Big Band offers, and gives his saxophone a luscious playground. Shoutout to Jonathon Finlayson on Trumpet.
I feel like I’m not doing “my job” properly if I don’t, at least once in a while, discover something that makes my wife insist that I turn it down. This week we have a winner. Justin K. Broadrick is a UK Industrial and sometime-collaborator with Kevin Martin (The Bug). As JK FLESH he creates “heavy/mutant techno/electronica”, as shown in impressive fashion on NO EXITS. My Imaginary Nightclub is getting noise complaints for the throbbing beats, harsh loops and aggressive tempos that are getting the late night crowd ready to riot. And there are no exits!
My Feature Pick for this week comes directly from my BandCamp Wishlist. Fieh’s second album, In The Sun, In The Rainintroduced me to this fun and fabulous band from Oslo. I’m thrilled to see they’ve returned, full-force, with III. Lead singer and writer Sofie Tollefsbøl has a versatile voice that is capable to exude confidence and energy. Overall, this eight-piece occupies a similar spot in my mind as Jamiroquai, for its throwback vibe with modern aesthetics. Party Funk!
Happy Friday to every one of you, my loved ones! The clouds bring a bit of a sense of gloom to the surroundings, but we can chase them away with the healing power of New Music.
I’ve got eight titles for you to chew on, so let’s get right down to it!
After a single back in May, Atlanta duo Revival Season is back with another banger. Everybodystarts with a memorable refrain that I dare you to not join in on. Deep bass drives the song, which comes with a BandCamp exclusive remix.
A new EP arrived from Aussie One-Piece Billiam. I discovered Billy “Gotta Go Fast” Twyford and his itchy brand of Pop-Punk last year, via a split EP with VOVOS. Now, a new three-track EP, Out On Medication!, has Billiam alone with three more catchy and fun songs to get your Pogo on.
Australia is always coming strong with energetic and exciting Rock & Roll; both of the sophisticated and the primitive sort. The Belair Lip Bombs are a quartet from Melbourne that marry the raw energy of Garage Rock with clever Pop hooks. Their most recent album, Lush Lifeis a rush of adrenaline.
A duo direct from my BandCamp Wishlist have released their debut collaboration. Chicago’s Sense is on the mic, and Kenautis Smith takes care of production on Wonderful Ones. There are no Features to pull focus away from this engaging MC (Master of Ceremonies? Mister Clean? Money Collector? Maxell Cassette?), with Smith dropping samples on the wheels of steel. 9 tracks, 17 minutes, no fat.
Zenzile is an Artist from France that has been creating House, Dub and Trip-Hop for over twenty years. His latest project is the four-track Dub Promozione, which gives us three new songs, and an alternate take of Amor y coning. The aforementioned song is a lazy Dub track, and the following doesn’t stray far from that tempo, but it is a mood to immerse yourself in.
Mello Music Group is an American Hip-Hop label that’s home to a number of quality Conscious Hip-Hop Artists. They’ve released a compilation album this week. Omakase showcases many on the label’s roster, including Marlowe, YUNGMORPHEUS and Apollo Brown on downtempo beats and heavy bass.
Stand-Up Comedian and MC Open Mike Eagle made an album in 2020 that caught my attention, and I’m pleased to see him return with another full-length. another triumph of ghetto engineeringis a multi-Producer album, featuring the talents of Quelle Chris, Illingsworth, Kenny Segal and others. Eagle comes with bars both thoughtful and playful, with the deepest of depths.
The Unicorns were a Cult favourite band out of Montreal that saw modest success in the early 2000’s. After their breakup, members Nicholas Thorburn and Jamie Thompson formed Islands and have gone on to release nine albums. Their latest, And That’s Why Dolphins Lost Their Legs is adventurous Indie Pop with glimmering Synth flourishes and glossy production. It’s my Feature Pick for the week.
Doesn’t that feel better? I hope all this got your endorphins racing and put a big old stupid smile on your face. Have a great weekend, and be kind to yourself!
We finally received some much-needed rain in our neighborhood, and hopefully that has extended to the areas of the country affected by forest fires. The only affect we have had here is a smoky aroma, not unlike incense in the air.
The week that was, in New Music, was more fruitful than I had anticipated. I was left with twelve new titles to recommend to all my friendly friends.
My single to start the week comes from a great artist from El Paso, Texas whom I featured last August. Teri Gender-Bender is releasing a full-length album next month, and the teaser single, We Won The Manis infectious and groovy.
A quirky and interesting band from Chicago got my attention early this week. The Miami Dolphins are a four-piece that claim no affiliation to the American Football team, though they have just as many Super Bowl wins in the ten years they’ve been recording. Their new album (their fourth) Melon Baller is ten tracks of Indie Pop with melodic vocals traded between male and female singers.
An Experimental Label from France called Falt has started to grab my attention. They have released a new full-length from an anonymous artist called Concrete Colored Paint, who is a Producer of Ambient Sound Pictures. Grey Orchidis twelve tracks featuring mesmerizing loops and swelling waves of Noise.
Afrobeat is an infectious rhythmic sound that moves your body instantaneously. Unfortunately, it becomes old quickly without transitions and switches to the beat. Kabza De Small is a producer from Johannesburg, South Africa who is conscious of this pitfall. On his seven-track EP, ZIWANGALE he utilizes stops and starts, and the talents of many feature artists to round out his sound. It has brought all the imaginary patrons of My Imaginary Nightclub to their feet.
This Is The Kit is the performing name for Singer-Songwriter Kate Stables. Her new album, Careful Of Your Keepers, is produced by Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals. Stables’ voice is soft and inviting, and her writing is excellent.
A quartet from Philadelphia caught my attention this week with their second full-length. feeble little horse comes through my BandCamp Wishlist with an enthralling eleven tracks, fronted by confident vocalist Lydia Slocum. Check out Girl With Fish.
A humorous band from Philadelphia that I know and love has never been accused of being thoughtful. The Dead Milkmen, in the forty year of existence, has always been smart, sharp, and hilarious. After a nine-year hiatus, they are back with Quaker City Quiet Pills. Starting off with Grandpa’s Not A Racist (He Just Voted For One), Rodney Anonymous, Joe Joe Talcum, and Dean Clean announce their triumphant return.
Public Body is a quintet from Brighton, UK that has released a wry and humorous new record. Big Mess is an excellent party record with synth drums and snide observations.
A strange collaboration was released this week. Israeli singer, musician and producer Dudu Tassa, and Radiohead guitarist and composer Jonny Greenwood have come together to create Jarak Qaribak. Throughout its nine tracks, tabla plays with various strings of the bowed and strummed variety. Vocals dance with each other to this exotic-flavoured gift.
The collaboration I was expecting to talk about today has indeed come through. Decisive Pink is made up of Russian Synth-Pop greatKate NV, and former member of The Dirty Projectors, and LA singer-songwriter Angel Deradoorian. Their debut, Ticket To Fame, is catchy and hypnotic enough to actually be their ticket to fame, and if I were king, it would be so.
It’s nice to see something unique and interesting that comes from the land in which I hail. A septet from Montréal, just up the St. Lawrence River from us (about a day’s trip by canoe), has just released their sophomore album. TEKE::TEKE utilizes Japanese Folk Music, Brazilian Surf-Rock and many other touchstones on Hagata.
I’ve chosen my Feature Pick for this week was chosen for its unique origins. Big Blood is a band formed by Caleb Mulkerin and Colleen Kinsella in the wake of the dissolution of their previous band. When looking for vocalists, they looked no further than their thirteen year-old daughter, Quinnissa. The result is First Aid Kit, a ten-track debut (plus two bonus tracks). Quinnissa’s vocals are passionate and honest about her life experiences, and the recordings are reminiscent of old Ronnie Spector records from the early 1960’s.
An excellent Friday to you and yours! I hope you’ve had some time to relax, and that you’re not working too hard. Myself, beyond the shovelling and snowy walk to and from my daughter’s school, my week has been relaxing and calm.
Not a recent photo, but the walk to Abby’s school is nice.
This week brought another load of wonderful New Music. I found ten New Releases this week; some that seek to modernize and/or manipulate old recordings in fascinating ways, some that help to soothe the soul, and some to move and/or manipulate your booty.
Pop Quiz: Who was the first artist to sell over a million copies of a record? If your first guess is Bing Crosby and White Christmas, you are like me, and about forty years late. The answer is the legendary Italian tenor Enrico Caruso, and his recording of Vesti la Giubba, from the Leoncavallo opera I Pagliacci, from 1902. Caruso was not only an amazing Opera singer, he was a Star, the same way that Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson were, but without the benefit of radio or television to help his career. An anonymous Artist from Florida called Chapman Pond Music has taken nine Caruso recordings, now over a hundred years old, and paired them with delicate Electronic Music, utilizing analog synths. Electric Caruso is hauntingly breathtaking.
A six-track EP from Brazilian Experimental Label The Church of Noisy Goat serves, tangentially, as a companion piece to my previous recommendation. Serbian Electronic Artist Lezet (who I recommended just over a month ago), recording as ØÜð, is also taking ages-old recordings ashis starting point. Taking loops, both forwards and backwards, and soaking them in glitchy beats, Mold 2is deliciously weird and satisfying ear candy.
An audacious DJ and Producer from Toronto comes with a more traditional record crate, and then proceeds to transform the samples in magical ways. I’m able to ascertain that 26 year-old celinee has the skills and to sample classic Hip-Hop and R&B tracks, and couch them in deep bass beats, with spacey synths to snack on, on their new full length, tay. That’s all I know about about celinee. #NoSampleSnitching
An Antwerp-based multi-instrumentalist and singer has made one of the more intriguing clashes of sound I’ve heard in a while, to tremendous affect. Youniss Ahamad’s second album White Spaceis a daringly dark and adventurous ride through Harsh Noise and EDM. Emotionally soulful vocals gives me ‘Moses Sumney-meets-Nine Inch Nails’ vibes.
A.A. Khan is a multi-instrumentalist and Producer based in Berlin. For nearly a decade now he has been releasing Music as King Khan, and I’m happy to have found his new album, The Nature Of Things. Not only is it named after that great Canadian television show (hosted by David Suzuki), the album has its own organic feel to the instrumentation. Breakneck drums drive Brontez Booty Beat, with garage electric guitar, but dig the flutes and horns! Jazz/Rock with a higher consciousness.
Are there any Fever Ray fans out there? I’ve known of this Swedish solo project, led by Karin Dreijer for nearly fifteen years, at the suggestion of a fellow Music Store employee. I never gave them a proper chance. I prejudged them for their fashion and visual aesthetics. I like to think that I’ve grown since that time, and their new album (only their third) Radical Romantics has won my heart. Electro Pop with intriguing melodies, led by Dreiser’s emotionally powerful voice, inflected with Scandinavian punctuation. Sorry Tiffaney, I was an idiot.
I was specifically in search of some new music to dance to. I expect to have the floor filled at My Imaginary Nightclub with this new EP by French DJ and Producer Kyrian Nicolas-Kritter, aka Ekorce. Four tracks of respectable BPMs and foot-grabbing bass synth grooves are found on Puzzled. Get your booty on the floor tonight. Make my day.
If that got your dancing feet warmed up, it’s time to kick them into high gear. Nia Archives is a singer/songwriter, DJ and Producer from the North of England. Last year, her album Forbidden Feelingz achieved great popular and critical acclaim. This week she has released a six-track EP. Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall begins with the high-energy Drum & Bass banger Baianá, before utilizing frenetic beats to accentuate her warm vocals in a Trip Hop-meets-Garage way.
An Artist that shows himself to also be ‘Trip-Hop-adjacent’ (amongst other things) is London’s Drummer, Rapper and Producer Ricco Komolafe. He comes from the London Jazz scene, and Rarelyalways, he makes his full-length debut this week. WORKis fourteen tracks that showcase his verbal skills upon bassy rhythms and polyrhythms. Mad production.
You can’t dance, exactly, to my Feature Pick for this week. Lia Kohl is a cellist, sound artist and composer who lives in Chicago. What I humbly offer is the notion to to sit quietly for the 35 minutes it takes to unravel The Ceiling Reposes. The seven ambient tracks wash over you, and cello stabs and radio samples bring shivers to the spine in the most delightful way.
An excellent wind down to an excellent week of excellent New Music. So, in conclusion, have a great weekend, and in the wise words of William S. Preston, “Be excellent to each other.”
New Music Jason’s Picks 