Portland – New Music Jason’s Picks

The New Music I’m Listening To In Copious Amounts This Week, April 13 – 19, 2024:

Good day to one and all! I hope everyone is feeling fine, and in the mood for some grand New Music.

I’ve found nine titles to share with you this week, so let’s dive in!

One of my favourite musicians around these days is Melbourne’s Billiam. I’ve been with the “Autism-core” Artist through a string of EPs and also his debut full-length back in September. He’s back with a new single. Where is Jackson Reid Briggs? opens with riffing guitars and fiery drums leading into Billy’s frenetic vocals. The B-side is a raucous cover of Shove’s Shane.

*Billiam – Where Is Jackson Reid Briggs?*

A musician and producer from Antwerp called Youniss has just released a new EP. Do We Try Beyond The Edge? is noisy Hip-Hop with skittish beats, aggressive sampling and anxious rhymes.

Kiran Leonard is an esoteric Singer-Songwriter from England with a whimsical kitchen-sink approach to his sound. His new album, Real Home, includes thirteen musicians and vocalists to create a Chamber Pop atmosphere. Leonard’s voice is captivating and strong.

I am an unabashed Beatles nerd. They were my introduction to mind-expanding sounds, and I know that they continue to inspire new Artists, even some fifty or so years later. Case in point is the new compilation record from Ohio label Burnt-Up Records. Featuring twenty-two DJs and Producers including Chill da God, Chef Mike and Busfoot, Strawberry Phillies Forever-The $4.20 Tape Vol III takes sneaky samples of the Fab Four, chopping them up, and reimagining them as Hip-Hop.

*v/a – Strawberry Phillies Forever-The $4.20 Tape Vol III*

Dust Raps The Blues is an MC from Portland, Oregon who released an album last April that I recommended. He’s back again, this time in collaboration with Producer Sxlxmxn. The Dust And Sxlxmxn Album is eleven tracks of laid back Hip-Hop with a Blues soul.

*Dust Raps The Blues – The Dust and Sxlxmxn Album*

You would think, with it being the home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame that Cleveland would be a hotbed for great new bands. Sadly, that isn’t the case, but I have found one band that is picking up the slack. Cloud Nothings are a three-piece that have been active for fifteen years or so. Their latest album, Final Summer, employs post-Grunge distortion with a carefully-crafted Pop aesthetic.

Somewhere that never disappoints with a plethora of exciting new bands is Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Sure’s Unusual Practice is a Synth Punk quintet, and their latest record is Total Reality. With a full sound that includes horns and percussion, the album is replete with intriguing twists and catchy riffs.

*Dr. Sure’s Unusual Practice – Total Reality*

A band from Greece has gotten my attention with their debut album. Tiffany is a snappy Punk ensemble, and i – EYE has the mosh pit cooking. Major adrenaline injection, with an oddball inflection.

Defiance in the face of prejudice in the pursuit of joy is such a rich and powerful stance in Music. Queer Experimental Punk Band Ekko Astral has released one of the finest albums of the year thus far, and it contains this ethos in full effect. The DC quintet’s debut full-length pink balloons comes for the throat. Led by founder and vocalist Jael Holzman, the group has created an album to experience in full. Smart and endearing lyrics, and sharp instrumentation that embraces odd leaps. And rocks. My Feature Pick for this week.

Here’s hoping you found something that brought some joy to your life. I hope I was able to help!

Take care of yourself!

The New Music I’m Listening To Extraneously This Week, March 16 – 22, 2024:

Greetings and smellutations, cats and kittens! Hoo boy, we gots ourselves a humdinger of a New Release week, and I have twelve titles to dazzle your senses. Do it to it!

I’ve got a dancefloor filler from Brazil to start the week. A single released in conjunction with London’s Jazz Room Records features a terrific band performing Brazilian Funk. The two tracks on Goma Laca EP are performed by Afrobrasilidades. They are led by the amazing Juçara Marçal on vocals, who released my favourite album of 2021, Delta Estácio Blues. You gotta get up to get down!

And then, as if on cue, there’s a new remix album for Juçara Marçal’s Delta Estácio Blues. Fifteen tracks, taken from the original album and the follow-up EPDEB are included on DEBRMX. Remixes from the likes of Chrisman, Moor Mother, and VHOOR are giving the dancefloor a workout.

Eagle-eyed readers will note that the Juçara Marçal remix album actually came out last week. It is literally impossible to find everything that comes out in a given week, so I’ve given myself parameters within which to search for New Music. One such parameter is that once I have entered a new Release Week, I don’t include titles that came out previously in my search. Seeing as I’ve already broken that rule this week, I’ve decided to double down on it.

Another title that came out last week comes from Portugal. Ana Lua Caiano is a multi-instrumentalist and Electronic Producer. Her debut album, Vou Ficar Neste Quadrado sees the Artist incorporating traditional Folk elements with ambitious Björk-inspired Production. Charming harmonies, and yet another reason for me to continue my Portuguese lessons.

*Ana Lua Caiano – Vou Ficar Neste Quadrado*

Glass Beams is a trio from Melbourne, Australia that was founded by Rajan Silva, who immigrated to Australia with his family as a child. Ninja Tune Records has just released their second album, Mahal. Steeped in Psychedelia, it incorporates traditional instrumentation with soulful grooves.

An Artist I’ve grown fond of over these past few years exploring New Music is London Percussionist and Composer Valentina Magaletti. Between her various collaborations (Vanishing Twin, Holy Tongue, and more) and her solo work, she transcends norms on the regular. Her latest is LUCHA LIBRE; a four-song EP that takes a disorienting journey of Field Recordings and loops, before closing with the upbeat and groovy DRUM JUMP.

A noisy Punk band representing the Wyoming Hardcore scene released a “sneeze-and-you-miss-it” EP. AWFUL’s 4 SONGS clocks in at less than four minutes. It’s a sharp jolt of energy, with urgent vocals and ripping bass play.

At twelve minutes, this next release is practically luxurious in its scope by comparison. Portland’s THE CELEBRITIES is a collaboration between Joe Sussman and Kel Mason. On the seven-song Redd Karpet they channel 60’s Bubblegum with gritty garage production.

A duo from the Washington, DC area got my attention this week with their latest release. model home utilizes samplers, tape and voice to create a deliciously lo-fi atmosphere. The six tracks on NECROLYF were recorded on March 5 of this year and elicit a rudimentary Hip-Hop vibe, seeped in distortion.

Scott Harren is an eclectic and innovative Electronic Producer from Miami. As Prefuse 73, he has collaborated with the likes of Mos Def and Aesop Rock. His new album, New Strategies For Modern Crime Vol. 1 is a strictly solo effort with an evocative Cool Jazz feel for the After Party.

*Prefuse 73 – New Strategies For Modern Crime Vol. 1*

An Electronic band from Sweden released their fourth album since their 2014 debut. Les Big Byrd is led by Jocke Åhlund, and Diamonds, Rhinestones and Hard Rain contains six tracks, including two extended jams. Entrancing and absorbing.

*Les Big Byrd – Diamonds, Rhinestones and Hard Rain*

I discovered Julia Holter via the pre-release single Sun Girl for her new album. Turns out that Something In The Room She Moves is her sixth album for the LA native, and I just haven’t been paying attention. I’ve been captivated by her sweeping vocals and captivating Production.

*Julia Holter – Something In The Room She Moves*

If you’ve seen recent photos or video taken in Gary, Indiana, you’d be forgiven if you got the impression that it is a Ghost Town. Abandoned factories and houses dot the landscape. However, there is still life emanating from that particular slice of America. Jerrilynn Patton performs as Jlin, and is a Composer and Electronic Producer (and former steel factory worker). Her latest album is Akoma. Intriguing rhythm-play is at work here, with Deep Bass and many twists and turns. Guests include Björk, Philip Glass, and Kronos Quartet. It’s my Feature Pick for this week.

If you made it this far, look under your chair, you’ve won a prize! I’m only joking, but if you looked, I have to say that I worry about you sometimes.

Take care of yourself!

The New Music I’m Listening To Expeditiously This Week, February 10 – 16, 2024:

Good day to you and yours. I hope your sky is bright and sunny, and the winds are quiet enough to enjoy some New Music with me. It truly is a big week in releases, and I have twelve titles to recommend. Hopefully you can find something that clicks with you!

If you had “Beyoncé releases a Country Album” on your 2024 Bingo Card, congratulations. It comes out at the end of March. She released two teaser singles this week, and I’d like to draw your attention to 16 CARRIAGES. It’s a track that begins tenderly, giving Bey a chance to demonstrate her perfect vocal control, as it grows in intensity. It piques my interest for an Artist who is still showing all her tricks.

Beyoncé – 16 CARRIAGES

If you’re a regular reader of my words, you may know that I’m a big fan of Brooklyn MC Homeboy Sandman. His flow tickles my neuroreceptors, and I’m down for anything he releases. On the weekend he put out a new single. How is it? Real Good.

This next single blew my tiny little mind. Fatboi Sharif is an MC from New Jersey, and there are bars on Something About Shirley. Solid bars. But it is the production work of Roper Williams on this ten-minute track that verges on Avant Garde audio collage. At time’s unsettling, others exhilarating. Smoke a bowl and immerse yourself.

*Fatboi Sharif & Roper Williams – Something About Shirley*

Portland, Oregon has long been a Sanctuary City for artistic misfits. It is, not coincidentally, the home of Electronic Producer and Vocalist abbymachines. Her latest EP, AB, is SynthPop and Dance, with Spanish and English vocals. Do you wanna ride with me is filling the dancefloor in My Imaginary Nightclub.

The dancefloor is full and it is getting sweaty for a DJ and Producer from Buenos Aires, Colombia. Carlos Quebrada performs as Genosidra. His latest album, Haxan Tek, is seven instrumental tracks of unique beats and turnarounds, keeping your ears flexing and your body moving.

Mohammad Syfkhan is a Kurdish/Syrian Singer and Bouzouki player who lives in Ireland. His new album, I Am Kurdish is uptempo and joyful, and designed for dancing and celebration. Masterful musicianship.

Nathalie Joachim is a Brooklyn-born Haitian-American and is also a flutist, composer and vocalist. On Ki moun ou ye her vibrant voice is joined by drums and electronics, along with strings to create a rich tapestry.

Irish Producer Jacknife Lee has a knack for choosing interesting Artists to work with. This week finds him at the helm of a new record from a female quartet from Mali called Les Amazones d’Afrique. The two entities combine the traditional vocals with Electronic beats on Musow Dance. Exhilarating.

A bizarro Country singer from Montreal got my attention back in November, and he’s already returned with a new collaboration. On Tandoori Knights, Bloodshot Bill is joined by fellow Underground legend King Khan. Classic Rock & Roll and Rockabilly with universal themes such as the love of bacon and soiling one’s pants. Does humor belong in Music? Only if it’s funny.

*Bloodshot Bill & King Khan – Tandoori Knights*

Detroit, Michigan is thriving, with multiple Music Scenes creating a vibrant Arts community. One band that is bubbling up and due their flowers is the three-piece Shadow Show. Their second album, Fantasy Now!, is a shiny self-produced collection of Garage Pop, bright harmonies and bubblegum hooks.

I’ve mentioned before that there is a genre of Music out of the UK that’s like to call “Lad Rock.” It features a frontman that talk-sings the woes of living in Post-Brexit England. It’s quite catchy if done well, but it’s a little One Note. One such band is Bristol’s IDLES, and on their new album TANGK, there is notable growth from the tired old tropes. Perhaps co-production from Nigel Godrich helped broaden the aural tapestry. Vocalist Joe Talbot has definitely grown nuance and depth to his delivery; less geezer, more singer. Solid.

Deep Search Collective is an assemblage of Artists in San Francisco, California. Among them is Poet and MC Jun Dax aka Quiet. She’s released her debut album, The Ten Doors Of February, and it is a gem of a release. Throughout the ten tracks Dax drops confident and thoughtful rhymes, with brilliant downtempo production from JusOneOh. Recommended if you like A Tribe Called Quest or Digable Planets. It hits the heart hard, and is my Feature Pick this week.

I should mention that I have been posting New Music as I find it throughout the week on BlueSky, and now that it’s open to all, you can find me at New Music Jason. Maybe I’ll see you there. Say hi!

The 2023 New Music Jason Prize Presentation

The time has come when I reveal my favourite album of 2023; the winner of the prestidigitatious 2023 New Music Prize!

Truth be told, the panel of judges had a difficult time deciding who would come out victorious for the Prize.

Did I give in to my Music snobbery and choose Stephanie Lamprea’s Modern Classical Epic 14 Récitations? Did Sampha’s Lahai sweep in late for the victory? Is Justice Cow’s meditation on death, my dad died, the teary-eyed winner, or did Rahill’s Flowers At Your Feet charm the Prize right out of me?

Ultimately, the answer to all of the above is “No.”

The Winner of the 2023 New Music Jason Prize is Big Blood’s First Aid Kit.

The family band Big Blood began in Portland, Maine, in the ashes of Caleb Mulkerin and Colleen Kinsella’s band Cerberus Shoal.

Cerberus Shoal – The Long Word of Disbelief

The two have been recording under the Big Blood banner for nearly twenty years, and in this time they’ve also grown a little human together. Their daughter Quinnissa has featured in their previous recordings, but First Aid Kit is the first as an equal member of the band.

Big Blood – Moo-Hoo, from 2010’s Dark Country Magic

Growing up in a musical household has done wonderful things for this young woman’s confidence, not to mention her innate talent.

First Aid Kit opens with In My Head’s stomping bass line, before Quinnissa’s bell-chime of a voice takes all your attention and she describes her teenage existential crisis.

Big Blood – In My Head

Colleen shares lead vocal duties throughout the album and they are a tremendous combination of sound. A highlight of the album is when Colleen takes the lead on one of the darker tracks, in which they eulogize a young Black girl who was killed by Police. Makes Me Wonder (for Ma’Khia Bryant) creates a stately tempo, awash with bass and synth. Kinsella then takes the lead with her despairing, “she should be alive today.” Modern Kate Bush mood.

Big Blood – Makes Me Wonder (for Ma’Khia Bryant)

Production on the album was completed on a home 1”, 8-track Tape Recorder which gives it a warm and authentic glow. Recordings of birds and other found sounds punctuate the record to give it an earthy feel. The hooks are plentiful and the earworms are your new best friend. When Quinnissa sings her charming woes of becoming tongue-tied around her beloved on 1000 Times, you’ll be singing along with empathy.

Big Blood – 1000 Times

For the hip kids ‘in the know’, the BandCamp release of First Aid Kit has two bonus tracks, including a terrific cover of Devo’s Gates Of Steel. You won’t find it on YouTube, so here’s the original.

Devo – Gates Of Steel

Big Blood’s First Aid Kit has gorgeous Production, terrific band arrangements and vocal harmonies. Subject matter is engaging and thought-provoking, and it is also a load of fun. Ladies and gentlemen (and others), your 2023 New Music Jason Prize winner.

I’ve already sent congratulations to Big Blood for their victory, and requisite apologies for the lack of cash award, and I received word back from Caleb Mulkerin:

“Hey Jason, Well this is super nice… I’ll share it with the family!!! we read the article (in june) when it first came out… thank you… I hope this finds you well in Canada….”

Here’s to another fantastic year in Music! I can’t wait to hear what 2024 will have to offer. Thanks for joining me on the trip!

The 2023 New Music Jason Prize Longlist can be found here.

The Shortlist is here.

The 2022 New Music Jason Prize Presentation can be found here.

2023 New Music Jason Prize Shortlist

*2023 New Music Jason Prize* – not sponsored by SmokeCartel.com

As we reach the conclusion of another year, it’s time to take stock of all we’ve gained and lost. Moreover, it’s a time to anticipate all that the New Year promises. Will there be an orderly US Election in 2024, or will they dive headlong into Civil War? More importantly, what is Taylor Swift going to do next? Enquiring minds want to know.

2023 in New Music was a grand exploration of many different moods and mindsets. What touched my soul most vividly are the following five albums. These are my five favourite albums of 2023, in contention for the highly-coveted New Music Jason Prize. Once again they will be listed in chronological order, based on their Release Dates.

Stephanie Lamprea – 14 Récitations

Released: February 10, 2023

My Shortlist begins with the most unorthodox album among all my favourites of the year. Stephanie Lamprea is a Colombian-American Soprano vocalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. Composed in 1977-78 by Greek composer Georges Aperghis, 14 Récitations is series of pieces written for solo voice. Imagining the Sheet Music for these works, while Lamprea inhabits the Music, is a giddy pleasure of the listening experience. If someone wants to gift me a copy, I’d be ever so pleased. She performs as though her voice is not doing what she wants it to do. She halts and stutters while the realization overcomes her, and with it you can hear the fear, the anger, the sadness, and ultimately the despair and madness. Some of the most challenging passages (mostly wordless, but for some broken French) I’ve ever heard are performed with confident bravura. Touches me as a person who lives with Multiple Sclerosis, having experienced the frustration of my body not working properly.

Rahill – Flowers At Your Feet

Released May 12, 2023

This album is the Dark Horse, among all my favourites. Iranian-American Singer/Songwriter Rahill Jamalifard’s debut album Flowers At Your Feet has quietly endeared me to its lyrical charms, having missed it on my Mid-year List. A mostly Downtempo affair, Rahill paints a vivid picture of a young woman trying to make sense of life on her own terms. Family is important to Jamalifard, and she gives reverence, particularly on Ode To Dad. But the album is not without its hooks, from the bouncy “doo-doo” singalong of I Smile For E, to the call-and-response (featuring Beck, inexplicably) of Fables. Not a bad one in the bunch.

Big Blood – First Aid Kit

Released June 9, 2023

South Portland, Maine’s Big Blood is a Family Band, which already feels like it has a weird smell to it. Historically, Family Bands have been created by domineering parents in search of Fame and Glory. I can’t say for certain that Caleb Mulkerin isn’t forcing his life partner Colleen Kinsella, or his daughter Quinnissa to write and sing their latest album, First Aid Kit. My assumption is that it’s a happy arrangement with well-adjusted humans. And the star of the show is thirteen year-old Quinnissa. The voice chimes with ringing clarity right from the start of In My Head. There’s a Ronnie Spector precociousness to her sound as she sings of the teenage frustration of being unable to talk to her crush on 1000 Times. There’s a tonal purity when Quinnissa and Colleen harmonize. When the elder takes the lead, such as with the haunting Makes Me Wonder (for Ma’Khia Bryant) the emotion is just as pure.

Justice Cow – my dad died

Released September 5, 2023

Families are a funny thing. They can be the backbone of who you are as a person. Sometimes in spite of themselves. Jessica Kion’s father taught her how to play piano. As Justice Cow, she has gone on to create the most tear-inducing album of the year. my dad died celebrates the life, and mourns the premature death of her father, due to alcoholism. I don’t know what it would be like to be raised by a parent with such a crippling disease, but I imagine the emotions are mixed, and deep. Kion lays her emotions out in full view right from the start of the record. Waiting For A Haunting imagines a ghostly conversation with her father. Unrelenting lays bare the hardships endured because of her father’s illness, before gloriously dissolving. On Read The Room she regrets the time she lashed out at her father when he was beyond control. On Just Like You, she lists the many things that her father gave her. Despite his downfalls, she endears to be like her old man. Jessica’s voice cuts right to the heart. Devastating.

Sampha – Lahai

Released October 20, 2023:

I referred to the Rahill album as the “Dark Horse” of the year, but what’s great about 2023 is how many of my favourites are of the “creeper” variety, in that it took some time to realize the hidden greatness within. Take Sampha’s Lahai: it was released in late October, but it wasn’t until quite recently (after seeing his NPR Tiny Desk Concert six weeks later) that my ears truly opened. Lahai is a delicate masterpiece, with multiple moving parts that work in consort with each other. Nothing overwhelms Sampha’s warm-toned voice, and the vocal arrangements are rich and nuanced. Glorious.

Who will take the Prize? Check back next week, Sunday, December 31 for the presentation of the 2023 New Music Jason Prize at 9 am EST.

The New Music I’m Listening To In Spite Of It All This Week, July 22 – 28, 2023:

It has been a challenging week, dear friends. I took a tumble down the stairs on Tuesday and landed hard on my back. Unfortunately we had to cancel our trip to Niagara Falls, because I can’t bounce back the way I used to, and have had to rest. I’ll be good to go for this weekend’s Hillside Festival, even if I have to crawl.

I’ve been able to find eight titles to share with all of you. Dig it!

I have two singles to start the week’s recommendations. The first comes courtesy of Brainfeeder Records, the label headed up by Flying Lotus (Steven Ellison). Hakushi Hasegawa is a Singer/Songwriter and Musician based in Tokyo. Her sound on Mouth Flash (Kuchinohanabi) is based comfortably beyond the boundaries of genre, toiling outside of Dance idioms, incorporating dissonant Noise at a frenetic pace.

Hakushi Hasagawa – Mouth Flash (Kuchinohanabi)

The next single comes from a Producer, also from Tokyo, that goes by ILLGENIC RECORDS. Their latest, Sanctuary, is a leftfield House track with skittish beats and hearty bass.

I’m excited to introduce an Artist from Macedonia for the first time. NOT_MDK is a DJ and Producer who works with Classical instrumentation and Breakbeats. Hi-Tech Soul is a perfect four-track EP for “Back To Mine” after a night out at My Imaginary Nightclub.

An Electronic Producer from Portland, Oregon is currently spinning midtempo electro-soul in the Pre-Party Room at My Imaginary Nightclub. While listening to devonwho’s Amalgama I we shall do several rails of Imaginary Cocaine and talk about shit that we’ve never done, before heading to the Main Room to show off our newly-discovered dancing skills.

A DJ and Producer from Cairo has just released her debut album. El Kontessa الكونتيسة has high-energy bops on her seven-track Nos Habet Caramel | نص حبة كراميل that are burning up the dancefloor in the Main Room.

*El Kontessa* الكونتيسة *– Nos Habet Caramel |* نص حبة كراميل

An Artist from Bristol known simply as Carnivorous Plants, who I have written about previously, has returned to my life. And From That Moment Hell Entered My Heart is a thirteen-track album of Ambient Noise and Cut-Ups. Droning guitars and White Noise create a mental tapestry that is engaging and surprising.

*Carnivorous Plants – And From That Moment Hell Entered My Heart*

A Hip-Hop group from Melbourne that has been recording since 2016 has released a new album. Too Birds is made up of two MC’s known as Teether and Realname, and Producer Mr. Society. SOUL OF TOO BIRDS has excellent Production, always interesting, with varied dynamics and clever stops and starts. The rappers have engaging voices and snazzy wordplay.

My Feature Pick for this week comes from a seventy eight year-old Canadian transplant. Beverly Glenn-Copeland was born in Pennsylvania, but has spent most of his life in Canada, and currently resides in New Brunswick. Canadians of a certain age may remember him back when he used to appear on the CBC Children’s TV Show Mr. Dressup. He has just released his first album in over twenty years. The Ones Ahead is a life-affirming testament to bravery in the face of hardship.

*Beverly Glenn-Copeland – The Ones Ahead*

Thanks for checking in! Hope you found something that gives you joy. I’ll talk to you again soon. Take care of yourself!

The New Music To Which I’m Listening With Perfect Grammar This Week, April 22 – 28, 2023:

Perfect Grammar is, of course, the name of My Imaginary Parakeet.

A lovely Friday to you and yours, friends! We’ve got a whole basketful of New Releases to wade through. I’ve got ten titles to share with you for your listening pleasure. Dig it!

A single to start the week came in the wake of the passing of Barry Humphries, who was better known as the Original Queen of Drag, Dame Edna Everage. Australian One-Man Band Alien Nosejob has lovingly recreated the Dame’s 1978 attempt at a hit Punk single, S&M Lady, adding a couple of “Possums” in for good measure.

I discovered a group from Iceland a few years ago called Pascal Pinon that had some great songs. They are no longer active, but their singer and songwriter Jófriour Ákadóttir is still recording, now as JFDR. Her latest album, Museum is dark and dreamy.

An Experimental Electronic project based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam grabbed my attention this week. Rắn Cạp Đuôi Collective is led by Zach Sch, and their second album, *1 is nine tracks of glitchy beats and curious samples, with synthy meanderings.

Just over a year ago I called Spanish quartet La Culpa’s self-titled debut album a “winner.” They have returned this week with their sophomore effort. Cuando Amanece continues to explore the parameters of driving rhythm guitar-based Rock. Taking the lead of innovative bands like The Pixies and U2, they are putting their unique and exciting stamp on Modern Rock.

Cosmo Sheldrake is a multi-instrumentalist and composer from London that I mentioned on Tuesday as having made one of my favourite albums of 2020. His new EP, Wild Wet World, incorporates the sounds of aquatic life in the seven compositions. I wish it featured more of Sheldrake’s vocals, like the first track, Bathed In Sound, but it is beautiful all the same.

A couple of Hip-Hop albums improved my mid-week. The first came from Portland MC and Producer who calls himself Dust Raps The Blues. His second album Problems is couched in classic Blues samples and sharp production. Dust truly raps The Blues.

The second one that came out on Wednesday was recorded “deep in the swamps of South Carolina.” Kill Bill: The Rapper has released his eighth album, and FULLMETAL KAIJU is a showcase for Bill’s lyrical flow. Featuring a slew of Producers, it is adventurous downtempo gold.

*Kill Bill: The Rapper – FULLMETAL KAIJU*

The Hip-Hop continued with the release of YUNGMORPHEUS’ new album, From Whence It Came. Nineteen tracks with multiple producers, including Raphy and Ohbliv. Featured guests include Fly Anakin and Jimetta Rose.

Brazil features predominantly in my findings this week. The progeny of a Samba songwriter, Domenico Lancellotti is a musician from Rio de Janeiro. His latest album sramba showcases his skillful guitar work and synth prowess.

My Feature Pick this week is from eighty year-old Jards Macalé. Macalé made a name for himself in the sixties as a songwriter, before venturing on his own and adding to the Brazilian Tropicalia movement. His latest album Coração Bifurcado spotlights his droll and refined delivery, to glorious backup vocals, shimmering synths and tasty guitar.

I love all of you, and I hope you are finding your joy. Don’t forget to try to spread it to others. Take care!

The New Music I’m Listening To This Satisfying Spring Week, March 25 – 31, 2023:

As the rain washes away what is left of our snow, a kind of peace has permeated the atmosphere. Try not to smile when the flowers blossom from the ground, and you’re surrounded with only the finest in New Music.

It’s been a grand week in New Music, and I’ve been lucky to find thirteen titles to share. It’s a Baker’s Dozen of sonic delights!

A single to start the week’s findings, and to get you primed for the musical celebration ahead. I recommended Maral’s most recent album back in October. The LA Producer and DJ is back with a new single. Wondering Dub is captivating Downtempo Instrumental Hip-Hop, with pounding bass and garbled samples.

All three of the Mainstream Indie Artists that I noted on Tuesday came through with winners this week, each in their own way. Singer-songwriter trio boygenius is comprised of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker. Their second album, the record establishes the group as a fully-functional unit, joined by the love to create beautiful melodies with sumptuous harmonies.

The San Francisco Rock quartet Deerhoof was involved in a collaboration that I am still enjoying called Congotronics International, so I was curious to hear how they sound on their own. Their new release, Miracle Level is a bit of an oddball, in that all the lyrics are sung in Japanese, set to an adventurous Rock sound. It’s easy to get lost in their otherworldly surroundings.

Twenty years before boygenius were the ‘Supergroup du jour’, Solo Artist Neko Case, AC Newman of Superconductor, Dan Bejar of Destroyer, and several others formed The New Pornographers. Throughout the last two decades they’ve gone through lineup changes, but have now made ten albums together. Continue as a Guest is their latest, and Newman’s gift for writing a hook is no less diminished over time, and Neko’s voice is sublime. Favourite lyric, from track two Pontius Pilate’s Home Movies: “Now you’re clearing the room just like Pontius Pilate, when he showed all of his home movies, all of his friends yelling, ‘Pilate, too soon!’”

*The New Pornographers – Continue as a Guest*

OK Party People, My Imaginary Nightclub is the place to be. Setting the mood is my literal House DJ, Vitamin D. The turntablist and Producer from Seattle has been on the ones and twos since ‘89, and has worked with Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent, among others. On his latest, Ultimate Broken Beats, D has a master’s touch. He cuts up samples, both unknown and easily identifiable, taking them beyond their original paradigm, across 16 tracks.

I’m happy to be hearing from one of Danny Brown’s Bruiser Brigade. This crew of Detroit MC’s has been mostly quiet as of late, and I’m eager to hear more from a couple of these guys. One who hasn’t been quiet is Zelooperz. After a single back in January, he’s back with a new full-length. Microphone Fiend showcases the unique wordsmith’s original sing-song delivery, and steady flow of clever rhymes. Most of the sixteen tracks are produced by Dilip.

A collaboration that I have been enjoying between London Experimental Percussionist Valentina Magaletti and multi-instrumentalist Al Wootton, known as Holy Tongue, has turned into a trio with the addition of bassist Susumu Makai. Their first full-length, Deliverance And Spiritual Warfare, is ten tracks of Dubby exploration.

*Holy Tongue – Deliverance And Spiritual Warfare*

Louis VI is an acolyte of the London Jazz scene, a rapper, drummer and singer. His debut, Earthling, is fourteen sparkling tracks that showcase the artist’s considerable vocal skill and thoughtful lyrics.

If you need a rest, why not pop over to the Imaginary Chillout Room? Smoke the hookah and dig NY’s Avant Garde Jazz Drummer Bob Moses (Ra Kalam). He has been recording and performing since the late 1960’s, and performed with Roland Kirk as a teenager. He’s still out there, aged 75 and pushing boundaries. His latest project is a collaboration with Dutch Composer and Performance Artist Jaap Blonk and American Bassist Damon Smith. Rune Kitchen is four long-form tracks of exploratory Music, devoid of form, and full of surprises.

*Jaap Blonk/Damon Smith/Ra Kalam Bob Moses – Rune Kitchen*

Another album that I plugged on Tuesday that I was excited to hear also came through for me. Trip-Hop legend Tricky has found a new ingénue. Polish vocalist Marta Złakowska has taken the reins in performing Tricky’s lyrics, and When It’s Going Wrong is among the best production work of his career.

*Marta and Tricky – When It’s Going Wrong*

Another album that I gave an anticipatory shoutout to on Tuesday has exceeded my expectations. London Brew is the collaborative effort of many of the mainstays in UK Jazz. The self-titled debut album is made in reverence of Miles Davis, and his musical explorations. It’s a deep dive!

Another debut comes to us from North and East Africa, via Geneva, Switzerland. Yalla Miku is a fusion of European Electronic Music and Moroccan and Algerian string instruments. The self-titled album will get your feet moving and your senses soaring.

Katie Gately is a Producer and Songwriter from Pasadena, California. In her time she has worked with Serpentwithfeet and Björk while eking out a career of her own. Her fourth album, Fawn/Brute, was created during her first pregnancy, and delves into the emotions she experienced, both beautiful and ugly. Experimental Pop of a higher level, this is my Feature Pick for the week.

Great googily-moogily, what a week it has been! I hope you were able to find something to tickle your short ‘n’ curlies.

Take care of yourself!

The New Music I’m Listening To On The Cusp Of A New Year This Week, December 24 – 30, 2022:

As José Feliciano sang; “Próspero año y felicidad!” The new year is upon us and if you were to give your attention to global news and events it may be hard to be positive about what may come. Let me give you another encouraging lyric to tell you my New Year’s Resolution:

It’s mostly quiet on the New Music Front this week, and I only have four releases, all from the U. S. of A. and 75% Hip-Hop.

My brother from another mother Homeboy Sandman just doesn’t stop. After a prolific year of three full-length projects and an ep, Sand released a single every day for the 12 Days of Christmas. I’d like to spotlight Second Day Of Christmas, a banger of a track that features no Yuletide sentiments. It does feature the production of the legendary Peanut Butter Wolf. Two minutes to get your adrenaline flowing.

Homeboy Sandman – Second Day of Christmas

Peanut Butter Wolf isn’t the only founding father of the great Stone’s Throw Records label (a trendsetting and audacious label that started in the late 90’s) to have New Music this Holiday Week. Before that label was founded, DJ and Producer The Architect helped produce the multi-million selling album, It Takes A Thief by Coolio. Since then he has taken his skills to more adventurous ground, and produces at a steady clip. His latest project is a collaboration with MC Planet Asia, as King Medallions and Arch Angel. The album, Black Majik is smart, with thrilling samples and sharp rhymes.

*King Medallion vs. Arch Angel – Black Majik*

A Split-ep of high intensity, but the lowest fidelity came out on Tuesday (12/27). A pair of US Punk stalwarts share a release titled FREE VIOLENCE. Portland’s Feral lead off with four tracks of short, sharp Punk, made to be played at full volume (because it’s recorded so quietly). Judy And The Jerks are from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and they grab your attention immediately as you flail towards the volume control (points deducted for the mastering job on this album). Crisp distorted guitars and high energy drums and vocals make Side Two the stronger of the split.

*Feral/Judy And The Jerks – FREE VIOLENCE*

A rapper from Philadelphia got my attention this year with an album that was followed up by a loving tribute to Queen Elizabeth. Ghais Guevara is back with a new ep. Job’s Not Finished Yet is four tracks of bangers and head-nodders, and is my Feature Pick this week. Self-produced by Guevara, who calls himself, “the reason your fourteen year-old won’t shut up about Malcolm X.”

*Ghais Guevara – job’s Not Finished Yet*

The Music Industry at large won’t be back to 100% until the second week of January, but I will be posting the Upcoming Releases for next week on Tuesday. Also, I will be celebrating New Year’s Eve at midnight by announcing the recipient of the 2022 New Music Jason Prize. Isn’t that exciting?

All good things for the new year! Spread kindness!