The last week of February, including the bonus Leap Day, is brimming with New Music. If your eyes can see past the uncommitted ‘Mar’ titles that aren’t quite nailed down yet, you will find a plethora of releases due for your ears.
Leading the charge this week are New Releases from UK’s Yard Act, ScHoolboy Q, Faye Webster, and Squarepusher.
Yard Act – When The Laughter Stops ft. Katy J. Pearson
We have loads of notable Artists with new sounds to absorb. I’m delighted to hear music from Jacob Collier, Ministry, Liam Gallagher with John Squire, Midlife, Fontaines DC x Massive Attack x Young Fathers, Bruce Dickinson, and Kaiser Chiefs.
Liam Gallagher & John Squire – Just Another Rainbow
My BandCamp Wishlist is crammed with fourteen titles being released by Friday, so it looks to be another exemplary week in New Music for this guy. I’d like to profile an Artist whose preview releases have got me excited. I saw Daniel Romano at last Summer’s Hillside Festival, and the man knows how to rock. The Singer-Songwriter and Producer from Welland, Ontario’s new album, Too Hot To Sleep comes out March 1.
It’s shaping up to be a pretty terrific week in New Music, and it pleases me to find new sounds and pass them on to any and all. Check back on Friday, and we’ll open our gifts together!
Ok, so fun fact about marmots (groundhogs, woodchucks); they are largely blamed for the spread of both The Black Plague and The Bubonic Plague. I’m not saying that after I christened a new mascot for my blog that I “rescued” a marmot, and we’ve been sharing intimate meals together. I didn’t. We haven’t. I don’t want to talk about NuMu.
The Face of Death
A busy week in New Music, despite being in bed for most of the midweek. And BandCamp Friday came out of nowhere! I’ve been able to find twelve titles to pass on to you. And not my cooties.
The week began at full stride, with a couple of interesting releases that came out on Saturday and Sunday. To start, The Church of Noisy Goat, the great Experimental Label from Brazil released a new EP by Serbian solo artist Lezet. Curds 18is the latest in his Curds series of tracks that were not used in earlier projects. The five Electronic pieces feature skittish beats and plundering synth-bass, in an air of exploration to parts unknown.
Sunday saw the release of a debut EP from a confident and strong new band. Gas Kunst are a trio from Northwich, England. Among the four tracks of this self-titled statement of intent, the band draws inspiration from 60’s Psychedelic Bubblegum, Post Punk and synthy New Wave to create a shining gem.
The Go! Team have released their follow-up to the 2020 album that was my introduction to the Brighton band. Get Up Sequences Part Two picks up from its predecessor with more high-energy danceable fun.
The Psychotic Monks are a quartet from Paris that have been releasing music since 2016. This week they’ve put out their third full-length, Pink Colour Surgery. Angular and concise, until it falls into madness. Yep, madness.
Japan factors into my New Music findings this week, though I haven’t found much in the way of Japanese Hip-Hop that tickled my fancy as of late. What I have found, first-off, is a unique collective of musicians , creating fascinating and original New Sounds. GEZAN is a noted Psych Rock band that has received the endorsement of Japanese legends Acid Mother Temple. They’ve been around since 2010 and their most recent album is 「あのち」(Anochi). It’s billed with A Million Wish Collective, who I assume are a group of like-minded friends and lovers. Brilliant and beautiful chord progressions clash with screamy vocals and trombone, is one of my favourite moments. Tis merely a glimpse into the delicious weirdness.
Also coming from Tokyo is a group of a very different sort to their neighbours. of Tropique are a Dance Jazz Band, led by the exciting clarinet of Teppei Kondo. Their debut album, Buster Goes West, is an eclectic mix of styles, tempos and templates that has me sipping daiquiris at My Imaginary Oceanside Nightclub.
Perhaps that was a little too “Jazzy” for your tastes, so we’ll just have to head south to Australia to see what Rock’s been cookin’. From Melbourne we find a nameless Musician who has released a new EP. Synthetic Soupis the five-track product of the very nerdilly-named Rhizome and the Flavinoids. Freak Out Post-Punk with Synth Effects and quirky melodies got Zappa rocking with David Byrne to dangerous consequences. Probably.
My Rock-dar found a large deposit of the mineral in Dublin, Ireland. A five-piece with the unwieldy name M(h)aol has released a terrific album. Attachment Styles features creaky electric guitars and plain-spoken vocals to full effect.
My BandCamp Wishlist paid off in buckets this BandCamp Friday, with most of the eleven titles sitting there making the grade. On Tuesday I spotlightedYoung Fathers without even being aware that they are past winner of UK’s Mercury Prize (in 2018). Will Heavy Heavy win the 2023 New Music Jason Prize? Too soon to say, but I’m loving the energy, the production, and the whole Future Soul feel.
Gavsborg is from Kingston, Jamaica, but he is based in Berlin. He is a Producer, multi-instrumentalist and label head. His One Hour Service is the first in a new Cassette series featuring different Producers, with the boss leading the way. Gavsborg’s ear for odd rhythms and catchy glitch is yummy.
And we return now to London, because I forgot my driving gloves. Also, I forgot that trumpeter, composer and bandleader Nick Walters has released a beautiful new album. Padmãsanais seven lovely tracks featuring Walters’ trumpet and synth, and grand flute from Tenderlonious. Chill beats with a nod to The East.
Lest The United States of Hysteria thought I had enacted a boycott of their country, I did in fact find something of note for which to wave your flags. Representing Brooklyn, A.M. Frisson is a singer and multi-instrumentalist who records and performs as Coultrain. Active since 2008, he has just released the self-produced MUNDUS. Taking tips from Stevie Wonder, Coultrain looks within, with eccentric musical leaps. The lowkey banger THE UNKNWBLS is my jam for the moment, and the album is my Feature Pick for this week.
Well, that was a journey. I’m a little winded, yet enervated by all this musical bounty. I’ll be over here doing bellyflops off the diving board into all the beauty.
I hope you are finding joy in your life. It’s too short to miss out.
Did you know that the Groundhog is also a Woodchuck? And they are both actually Marmots? I’m almost fifty, and I did not know these very basic facts,
The humble Groundhog graduates to Marmot, poses for Grad Photo.
Marmots are not known as great prognosticators for how many New Releases there will be this week, as much as they are for predicting the arrival of Spring. But I believe, now that I’ve been writing about New Music for one year now on WordPress, I’ve earned an official mascot. Meet Numu, The New Music Marmot!
Any drawing I would make would equal Animal Cruelty. I’m taking Reader input!
In terms of New Music due for arrival this week, we have an eclectic mix of new and old artists, with no huge stars taking all the limelight. Topping the bill is Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante with a pair of albums, and a big star from twenty years ago, Shania Twain.
Shania Twain – Giddy Up!
Some very interesting titles I’m curious to put my ears on this week are coming from The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Go! Team, Blonde Revolver, Babytron, and 2024 U.S. Presidential CandidateAfroman.
Afroman – I Made It
My BandCamp Wishlist is flush with titles on deck before Friday. Among the ten on the bench is a new album being released viaNinja Tune Records. Young Fathers is a trio from Edinburgh and their fourth album, Heavy Heavy, is out on Friday.
Young Fathers – Rice
All in all, it looks to be a very fine Release Week indeed. Numu The New Music Marmot predicts that we will blessed with many weeks of abundant New Music. But what do they know? They’re just a stupid rodent I made up.
New Music Jason’s Picks 