Science Man - "Crawling Out"

Buffalo, NY's Science Man doesn't make pleasant music. His newest single, "Crawling Out," is a bizarre, intense burst of noise crammed into the confines of a traditional strong, but spilling out quite regularly. It's screeching and grumbled vocals, clanging percussion, and driving guitars that are nearly industrial. Sometimes these elements all seem to be existing in harmony with each others, and sometimes they seem to be trying to escape from each other. But it still falls into a traditional song structure, although possibly against its will.

You can watch the video for "Crawling Out" below. Science Man II, the upcoming album from Science Man, will be out November 6 on Big Neck Records. For more on Science Man, check out the artist's Bandcamp.

Homeboy Sandman - "Extinction"

For his upcoming album, Homeboy Sandman paired with Quelle Chris for production. The second single released from the album proves this is even more of a dream pairing than we could have even hoped. "Extinction" isn't meant to be a top 40 hip hop hit. The new song is perfectly awkward. The production has an awkward and uncomfortable feel to it that you rarely get in modern hip hop. It's quite minimal, but in an almost hypnotic way. It's a mellow song, but this production keeps the tension up. For a genre that has been far too repetitive over the past two decades, "Extinction" is the rare song that breathes a freshness into it without trying to reinvent from scratch.

You can listen to "Extinction" below. Don't Feed the Monster, the upcoming album from Homeboy Sandman, will be out October 9 on Mello Music Group. You can pre-order the album via Bandcamp. For more on Homeboy Sandman, check out his Facebook.

Monday Mix: Jeff's Y-Not Quarantine Radio Takeover

If you missed Jeff's Quarantine DJ session on Friday, it's now on demand! Enjoy this hour long mix of new and recent indie music.

Liz Bills - "Wi-Hi"

The latest from Liz Bills is a deceptively cheerful, dance friendly song that is not-so secretly masking a dark subject. "Wi-Hi" is a funk filled soul/roots jam about being addicted to your phone and social media. It comes out at a time when everyone seems to be talking about the Netflix series The Social Dilemma, and perfectly mimics the high you can get on your apps. "Wi-Hi" is an incredibly catchy, upbeat song that makes you feel good and cheerful until you actually pay attention to it. This is mainly due to the power of Bill's voice, both stunningly beautiful and captivating. Even if you don't care about social media or don't care about how addictive it is, you're going to love this song.

You can listen to "Wi-Hi" below. Liz Bills's sophomore album is due out this winter. For more on Liz Bills, check out her website.

Allison & Moon - "27"

Allison & Moon are one of our favorite Boston bands led by "... a happy person who writes sad songs." They just released a new single, "27," that, according to their Bandcamp, "... is about how young people feel the crushing weight of a society that doesn’t work for them." It's a decidedly pop punk/emo style song, but in the best, most glorious way. This is one of those songs that demands I admit to my secret love of (some) emo/pop punk, no matter how much I may try to ignore it. Most bands in that genre don't have lyrics like "What did the world look like when you were twenty seven? / 'Cause all of my friends have depression. / And I'm still listening to my favorite band in the basement / trying to figure out how much time I've spent..." Maybe it's just me, but I'm well past twenty seven and can relate to this song far more than I should probably admit to.

You can listen to "27" below. The song is available via Allison & Moon's Bandcamp with all proceeds "... donated to key senate races needed to flip it blue." For more on Allison & Moon, check them out on Facebook.

Brass Against Cover Rage Against the Machine Again

We first discovered Brass Against through their Rage Against the Machine covers. While we love all of their 90's rock classic covers, there's always something particularly great when they bust out a brass band cover of a Rage classic. This time they're taking on the 1991 classic "Take the Power Back." They brought in Sofia Urista (my personal favorite of their vocalists) for this one, and as always their cover keeps all the power of the original. A brass band version of a rap rock political anthem could easily come across as a pure novelty, and that is some of the initial appeal. But by the time Brass Against are finished with "Take the Power Back," you're completely devoted to their cause.

You can watch the video for Brass Against's version of "Take the Power Back" below. For more on Brass Against, be sure to check out their website.

Jeff is YNot's Quarantine DJ Today

A programming note - Jeff is on Philadelphia's YNotRadio today at 2pm and again at 10pm to spin some tunes as this week's "Quarantine DJ." It's streaming online at http://www.ynotradio.net, so check it out! I had a blast putting this together.

If you're here because you heard me on the radio, welcome! Hope you find some music to enjoy!

Izzy Heltai - "Father"

Photo by Joanna Chattman

I've been referring to Northampton, MA based Izzy Heltai's music as mainstream modern folk with just enough of a unique spin to keep it appealing to music snobs, too. His latest single, "Father," might be the perfect example of that. It's a quiet, deeply personal song that starts off painfully sparse but ever so slowly builds and builds as it goes on. It walks that line between accessible/mainstream and indie expertly. 

You can watch the video for "Father" below. Father, the upcoming debut album from Izzy Heltai, will be out October 9. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Izzy Heltai, check out the artist's website.

Natalie Sweet - "Lip Service"

Natalie Sweet has spent some time in bands, serving as the singer of The Shanghais and guitarist and singer of Control Freaks. Now she's going out on her own with a new single, "Lip Service." "Lip Service" is a sugary sweet pop garage rock song. It has all the sweetness and pop you'd find in a song like "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies, but fuzzed out garage rock guitars. For many of us, that combination is an absolute dream, all wrapped up in a two minute package. 

You can listen to "Lip Service" below. Oh, By the Way... It's, the new album from Natalie Sweet, will be out October 23 on Rum Bar Records. You can pre-order it via the label's Bandcamp. For more on Natalie Sweet, check out her Bandcamp.

Opin - "Ezprt"

Hailing from Richmond, VA, Opin have a truly unique sound on their latest single. "Ezprt" sounds fairly familiar, as it mixes a lot of familiar elements. It's almost even mainstream, but takes a bizarre swerve to the left before hitting the world of pop. "Ezprt" can best be described as dark funk. It also has this swirling, dreamlike feel in virtually all instruments. It feels very synth heavy, but not New Wave or 80's in any way. It's a laid back song that inspires you to move, at the very least in your chair. "Ezprt" is the kind of song that worms its way into you the more you listen.

You can watch the video for "Ezprt" below. Media & Memory, the upcoming song from Opin, will be out October 23 on WarHen Records. You can pre-order a copy on the label's Bandcamp. For more on Opin, check them out on Facebook.