First Listen: New Releases for 2 October
An odd week...
Artist: Bonnie Whitmore
Album: Last Will & Testament
Quick Description: Latest album from the country-adjacent folkie.
Why You Should Listen: Whitmore has a fairly unique approach.
Overall Thoughts: I liked Bonnie Whitmore's last album quite a bit, and this new album feels a little quieter, a little more introspective, maybe? The songwriting is strong and it's a pretty solid listen this week on a whole.
Recommendation: Give this a listen.
Artist: Anne Malin
Album: Waiting Song
Quick Description: Unique, fragile folk.
Why You Should Listen: In some ways, this feels like it comes from some distant forest dimension rather than from here.
Overall Thoughts: This is a band that isn't going to sound like anything else this week, this month, or at all lately. This surprised me from the very start, and I kept finding little bits that I enjoyed throughout. This will be a weird comparison, but I'm reading a gothic horror book right now, and this album sort of evokes the gloomy, ominous tone you get from some gothic-themed art. There's a lot to this, and it's one of my favorites this week.
Recommendation: Don't miss out.
Artist: Sa-Roc
Album: The Sharecropper's Daughter
Quick Description: New album from an underappreciated rapper.
Why You Should Listen: I'll take Sa-Roc over Cardi B or Nicki Minaj any day of the week.
Overall Thoughts: An old friend said that Sa-Roc was his favorite rapper a while back, and that's a bold claim no matter what. But I listened to some of her older stuff and thought it was pretty solid. The new album drops this week, and my goodness - this is really solid rap music from a unique voice that's worth a lot of your time. The way she smoothly transitions from something like "EmergencE" to a more party-like song like "Goddess Gang" to a more straightforward effort like "Gold Leaf" says a lot about her ability. It's been a while since she released new music, so this is a welcome return.
Recommendation: A must-listen this week as one of the great rap efforts of the year.
Artist: Deserta
Album: Black Aura My Sun
Quick Description: Gloomy, dark shoegazey post-rock.
Why You Should Listen: This has a real mood to it.
Overall Thoughts: We missed this one from the beginning of the year, and I'm glad I tripped up on it now. Deserta is a project from a musician with a long history, and this is a heavier, darker-toned album that I really enjoyed this week. As we hit the spooky season and with no end to the worldwide craziness in sight, it's kind of nice to listen to something that inadvertently reflects the feeling in the air.
Recommendation: Add to your rotation this week.
Of note:
* The Jaded Hearts Club - You've Always Been Here (Oddball supergroup doing covers of some 1960s-70s hits.)
* Jonsi - Shiver (Sigur Ros lead singer, this is an interesting listen.)
* Laura Jane Grace - Stay Alive
* six impala - WFLYTD NIGHTCORE
* Eelke Kleijn - Oscillations
* Elvis Perkins - Creation Myths
* Dirty Projectors - Earth Crisis
* Rakes - Rakes
* Hudson Mohawke - Airborne Lard
* Drive-By Truckers - The New OK
* Death Valley Girls - Under the Spell of Joy
* Dawes - Good Luck With Whatever
* Field Medic - Floral Prince
* The Nude Party - Midnight Manor
* Carmanah - Iris
EPs:
* Lemondrop - Shut Up Move On (Don't sleep on this.)
* Lazerbeak - Penelope
* mxmtoon - dusk
* recovery girl - recovery girl
* Ivy Hollivana - Loverdiamond
* Deerhoof - Love-Lore
* Tiffany Day - OVERDRAMATIC
* Gladie - Thank You Card
* Laura Marano - YOU
Also out:
* Groove Armada - Edge of the Horizon
* Dawn Landes - ROW
* Melanie C - Melanie C
* Kelsy Karter - Missing Person
* William Shatner - THe Blues
* Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Mettavolution Live
Artist: Bonnie Whitmore
Album: Last Will & Testament
Quick Description: Latest album from the country-adjacent folkie.
Why You Should Listen: Whitmore has a fairly unique approach.
Overall Thoughts: I liked Bonnie Whitmore's last album quite a bit, and this new album feels a little quieter, a little more introspective, maybe? The songwriting is strong and it's a pretty solid listen this week on a whole.
Recommendation: Give this a listen.
Artist: Anne Malin
Album: Waiting Song
Quick Description: Unique, fragile folk.
Why You Should Listen: In some ways, this feels like it comes from some distant forest dimension rather than from here.
Overall Thoughts: This is a band that isn't going to sound like anything else this week, this month, or at all lately. This surprised me from the very start, and I kept finding little bits that I enjoyed throughout. This will be a weird comparison, but I'm reading a gothic horror book right now, and this album sort of evokes the gloomy, ominous tone you get from some gothic-themed art. There's a lot to this, and it's one of my favorites this week.
Recommendation: Don't miss out.
Artist: Sa-Roc
Album: The Sharecropper's Daughter
Quick Description: New album from an underappreciated rapper.
Why You Should Listen: I'll take Sa-Roc over Cardi B or Nicki Minaj any day of the week.
Overall Thoughts: An old friend said that Sa-Roc was his favorite rapper a while back, and that's a bold claim no matter what. But I listened to some of her older stuff and thought it was pretty solid. The new album drops this week, and my goodness - this is really solid rap music from a unique voice that's worth a lot of your time. The way she smoothly transitions from something like "EmergencE" to a more party-like song like "Goddess Gang" to a more straightforward effort like "Gold Leaf" says a lot about her ability. It's been a while since she released new music, so this is a welcome return.
Recommendation: A must-listen this week as one of the great rap efforts of the year.
Artist: Deserta
Album: Black Aura My Sun
Quick Description: Gloomy, dark shoegazey post-rock.
Why You Should Listen: This has a real mood to it.
Overall Thoughts: We missed this one from the beginning of the year, and I'm glad I tripped up on it now. Deserta is a project from a musician with a long history, and this is a heavier, darker-toned album that I really enjoyed this week. As we hit the spooky season and with no end to the worldwide craziness in sight, it's kind of nice to listen to something that inadvertently reflects the feeling in the air.
Recommendation: Add to your rotation this week.
Of note:
* The Jaded Hearts Club - You've Always Been Here (Oddball supergroup doing covers of some 1960s-70s hits.)
* Jonsi - Shiver (Sigur Ros lead singer, this is an interesting listen.)
* Laura Jane Grace - Stay Alive
* six impala - WFLYTD NIGHTCORE
* Eelke Kleijn - Oscillations
* Elvis Perkins - Creation Myths
* Dirty Projectors - Earth Crisis
* Rakes - Rakes
* Hudson Mohawke - Airborne Lard
* Drive-By Truckers - The New OK
* Death Valley Girls - Under the Spell of Joy
* Dawes - Good Luck With Whatever
* Field Medic - Floral Prince
* The Nude Party - Midnight Manor
* Carmanah - Iris
EPs:
* Lemondrop - Shut Up Move On (Don't sleep on this.)
* Lazerbeak - Penelope
* mxmtoon - dusk
* recovery girl - recovery girl
* Ivy Hollivana - Loverdiamond
* Deerhoof - Love-Lore
* Tiffany Day - OVERDRAMATIC
* Gladie - Thank You Card
* Laura Marano - YOU
Also out:
* Groove Armada - Edge of the Horizon
* Dawn Landes - ROW
* Melanie C - Melanie C
* Kelsy Karter - Missing Person
* William Shatner - THe Blues
* Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Mettavolution Live
