If It's Too Loud...: First Listen: New Releases and Missed Music for 17 November 2023

Artist: Blockhead
Album: The Aux
Quick Thoughts: Hip-hop instrumentalist and oftentime Aesop Rock collaborator is back with an awesome listen with beats as good as the raps that go along with them. "Mississippi" is legitimately a song of the fall contender, and the whole thing works incredibly well, all things considered. This would be worth the time in a busy week, and is mandatory as we approach the winter slowdown.
Songs of Note: "Mississippi," "Ponzu Sauce," "Sad Vampire," "Gargamel"

Artist: The Polyphonic Spree
Album: Salvage Enterprise
Quick Thoughts: I remember when there was a time where The Polyphonic Spree was a force of nature with a million members and soaring, anthemic songs. They didn't do anything significant for a while, came back with an album that I quickly forgot about in 2021, and now it's 2023 and Salvage Enterprise is perhaps the return to form we've been waiting a decade-plus for. It's not going to make you get up and dance in most cases, but it is an album that lends itself incredibly well to the specific sound Tim DeLaughter and company have refined over the years. Definitely check this one out, especially if you've been detached from their work for a time.
Songs of Note: "Section 44 (Galloping Seas)," "Section 47 (Got Down to the Soul)," "Section 48 (Shadows on the Hillside)," "Section 49 (Hop Off the Fence)"

Artist: Jiddo
Album: They Can't Keep Getting Away With This
Quick Thoughts: Jiddo is not the type of music I normally reach for, and this is an abrasive and noisy record that nevertheless has an arresting presence. I kept being surprised by how much I liked each song as it came through, and it's definitely the sort of angular post-punk that probably has broader appeal. Give this some time.
Songs of Note: "Intro/Industrial Complex," "Milkovich Family Therapy," "New Mombasa Orbital Elevator"

Artist: Jaakko Eino Kalevi
Album: Chaos Magic
Quick Thoughts: I don't know the first thing about this artist, but in as much as it's a weird combination of psych folk and electronic stuff that it sets itself apart in a really interesting way. I don't have a ton to say except that it's a fairly compelling listen that deserves your time.
Songs of Note: "Hell & Heaven," "Palace in My Head," "I Forget," "L'horizon"

Of note:

* Vyva Melinkolya - Unbecoming (Big Marissa Nadler energy here.)
* Techno Mage - Hexproof (Synthwave goodness.)
* Dolly Parton - Rockstar (Dolly has earned the right to do what she wants, and this is definitely something.)
* Andre 3000 - New Blue Sun (Needs to be heard. Will be the most divisive release by a major artist in years.)
* The American Analog Set - For Forever * Marta Del Grandi - Selva * Malummi - The Universe is Black * Material Girl - Izumi Hazuki End of Days * Jon Rauhouse and Blaine Long - One Day Will Never Come Back * DijahSB - The Flower That Knew * Lucidvox - That's What Remained * DETECTS - SECONDS * Juliana Hatfield - Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO * Matt Berry - Simplicity * Orbiting Human Circus - Quartet Plus Two * Ashley Ray - Animal * Slikback - N E T A R I H I L A S * Madge - BOXJAR * Danny Brown - Quaranta * Spearmint - This Candle is For You * Large Plants - The Thorn * SKEMER - Toasts & Sentiments * AURAGRAPH - New Standard * Loveshadow - II * death's dynamic shroud - Transcendence Bot * Frost Children - Hearth Room * Abigail Lapell - Lullabies * Chrome - Blue Exposure * Jeremiah Chiu - In Electric Time * Quade - Nacre EPs: