If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Natalia Vacheishvili Although I had heard Kenny Segal's before, I wasn't familiar with the producer's work until his amazing album with Benjamin Booker. This led to me falling down a Kenny Segal musical rabbit hole earlier this year, so when I saw that he had a new song with New York's billy woods, I was excited to check it out. "Misery" is a great song that highlights both artists. It's a stripped down track heavy on horn samples and a jazz beat that feels restrained and at no point follows a traditional beat. woods' has such a unique flow that recalls early 90's underground hip hop artists while sounding entirely modern. You're going to want to check this one out right away. billy woods says of his new single: "When I was nine years old I wrote a story about an evil golliwog. My mother read it and told me it was overly derivative and needed some work. Here we are." You can listen to "Misery" below. GOLLIWOG , bill...

I've been a huge fan of Benjamin Booker for over a decade now. His self-titled debut was my top album of 2014, and I've been impatiently waiting to hear what he would do after 2017's Witness. It was a long wait, but LOWER , released earlier this year is a strong contender for 2025's album of the year, and honestly gets better with each listen. Once I heard he was playing Crystal Ballroom, I knew I had to see what he would be like live in 2025. Booker took the stage with a drummer and Kenny Segal on roughly five different types of keyboards and DJ equipment. The trio formed a triangle on stage and started off with a sample about playing music for yourself, and to make sure you enjoy how it sounds. That was obviously a message to the audience, as Booker's current sound is virtually unlike anything he's played before... or really anyone else has done before. If anything, Booker has become an even more amazing performer since I last saw him at TT the Bear's back...

Artist : PJ Harvey Album : I Inside the Old Year Dying Quick Thoughts : PJ Harvey could rightfully claim an elder statesman status given her importance to the alternative rock landscape of the 1990s and 2000s, but instead, she keeps putting out albums that demonstrate her interest in creating compelling music instead of chasing any particular popularity. This latest album is a very artful effort, equal parts disquieting and attention-grabbing, and showcases a singer and songwriter comfortable in her place. I really loved this album - both as a musical endeavor and as a statement. A mandatory listen this week. Songs of Note : "Autumn Term," "Seem an I," "I Inside the Old I Dying" Artist : billy woods and Kenny Segal Album : Maps Quick Thoughts : Of some of the albums we missed from the first half of the year is this effort, which is a rap effort that isn't what you expect. The off-kilter start of "Kenwood Speakers" and "Soft Lan...