The Midweekly is our column from Mike Jeffers; lead singer of Chicago punk stalwarts SCRAM, music junkie and all around righteous dude.
As smooth as butter, and as creaky as a porch swing, the soul coming out of this record hits all the right notes. It’s the latest, and fourth solo LP from Son Little, originating out of Philadelphia. This one is called Like Neptune, and like that sea god controlling the tides, this impressive singer ebbs and flows with steady downbeat rhythms. Production wise it’s subtle with sparse instrumentation, blending acoustic with electric, but also takes more electronic turns that actual became the best highlights of the album. He touches on different moods as well, from sensual R&B to painful blues, delivering certain lyrics that will occasionally break you from the trance of his terrific voice. The love of the genre is really felt on this one, by a truly talented artist.
Well our week got off to a late and rough start but we’re fully back into the groove today. Yay us. One of the things helping us find our funky footing again is this banger from Baltimore singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ, and producer, Abby T. Why did we list so much of her resume’ on our notoriously short and sweet blog? Well, because all of those skills are on display in “Want It All” and each one is done with complete mastery. Switching from singing to rapping effortlessly and stylishly over one of those beats that is so simple yet so flawless that it instantly has you bobbing your head. Production flourishes making each section of the song distinct while still feeling natural is the icing on the cake. This is, as they used to say, that good shit.
Friday 5×5 is our segment where we give you five new tracks to check out and give ourselves the challenge of describing said tracks in only five words.
Oh look it’s Friday once again and we’re almost out of our weekly word data plan! Must conserve words! Lucky for us and you these songs are so good they don’t need much from us to hype them up. Check out the self-hyping songs from Alffa, Girl As Wave, Oliver Marson, YUNGMORPHEUS and Ricky Gourmet. . .
The Midweekly is our column from Mike Jeffers; lead singer of Chicago punk stalwarts SCRAM, music junkie and all around righteous dude.
The title makes a good suggestion especially after this topsy turvy record gets your head spinning. Please Have A Seat is the fifth and latest release from Chicago based NNAMDÏ. Just when you think you might have the sound of this multi-instrumentalist singer pinned down, he flips the table. Starting off with bright but mournful guitar, which leads to techno beats, and eventually somehow prog riffs, these tracks of avant pop are masterfully crafted. Yes, as mentioned earlier, multi-instrumentalist, he’s playing everything, and handling the programming aspects which mix in nicely with the guitars and acoustic drums. There’s vulnerability in lyrics dealing with remorse and fear, playfulness about superficiality and greed, and just down right quirkiness about life. The vocals are layered, filtered, and auto tuned to the nth degree, but never lose the beauty of the melody, or the flow of the rap. Please stay seated, you’re going to wanna concentrate on this one.
While we realize all music is technically music to the ears, “High 99” by Udoka Malachi is music to our ears both literally and figuratively. This song is, as they used to say, a whole ass vibe. Slinky, smooth and chill it’s a smoked out night drive when everything feels alright and everyone feels just a bit more alive. A dirty fuzzed out guitar solo and occasional vocal moments bring to mind Awaken, My Love! era Childish Gambino but Malachi makes this one his own.
The Omega to the Week Starter Alpha, Week Ender is the song we want to send you into the weekend with.
Typically with the Week Ender column we give you a big energy rock n’ roll or hip-hop number to get the weekend started, or maybe some sexy R&B to make that weekend spicy, or occasionally as we did last week a “keep your head up, we can get through this” style anthem. Today we want to mix it up and send you into the weekend thinking about empathy. How we can all get to a better place by doing our best to understand and respect others journeys. I Used To Be Sam is the latest project from Annie Goodchild and is her most personal date, unpacking her search for identity as a transracial adoptee. Goodchild’s voice is a powerhouse, no doubt, but the real power is in it’s control and subtlety, the emotional resonance. On “Mountains” it weaves in and out and rides atop a slinky and inventive R&B track that brings to mind Solange’s masterpiece A Seat At The Table. Similarly to that album, Goodchild incorporates clips of interviews into the track, but in this case with other transracial adoptees sharing their stories. It’s a lush and lovely song that flourishes in the ears but opens the eyes and ultimately rests in the heart – if you let it.
Friday 5×5 is our segment where we give you five new tracks to check out and give ourselves the challenge of describing said tracks in only five words.
Today we micro reviews of songs with macro vibes. Check out the latest from TombSnakes, The Deepest Shade, LocalBlac with Hina Kawago, Onyda and Adam Yas after the jump. . .
Friday 5×5 is our segment where we give you five new tracks to check out and give ourselves the challenge of describing said tracks in only five words.
No foolin’ we got five great songs that need little help from us to sell them, because they’re that good. Check out the latest from Andrew Vogt, a-tota-so, Monokino, Declan McNulty and Wrong Eagle after the jump. . .
Friday 5×5 is our segment where we give you five new tracks to check out and give ourselves the challenge of describing said tracks in only five words.
Brevity is next to levity and we keep it frothy with these brief write ups on new music from Jimmy Beach, Alex Hellcat, Retrograde Conversations, Marmalade Mountain and Sound Science after the jump. . .
Friday 5×5 is our segment where we give you five new tracks to check out and give ourselves the challenge of describing said tracks in only five words.
Today we got five on it with new songs from Justin Lacy, The Oozes, Nemo Lakes, Cam Be with Peter Jericho and Max Bien Kahn after the jump. . .
