Discover Hidden Gems: Summer Recap
Welcome back to school! Or if you're new here at UMD, hope you've been enjoying your first month on campus! For our first meeting of the semester, music team came together to produce a PLAYLIST of all of our favorite tracks from the summer and May. During our meetings, we picked some of our favorites to listen together and review, and you can read our thoughts below.
If you're interested in more detailed album reviews, watch out for our Release Radar in two weeks. And if you want to participate in a music team meeting, we meet every Monday in the station lobby at 7pm, come on out!
INFINITUDE // UROBOROS - lostrushi
lostrushi of the soundcloud ground dropped his debut album SISTERHOOD this june. "INFINITUDE // UROBOROS", a single off the album, displays the artist's cutting-edge experimentation with sounds that seem like they come from the Nintendo DS era. The track seamlessly melds ethereal, Whitearmor inspired, Ghibli-like beats with digital jangles and crunchy vocals. While INFINITUDE as well as the transition may feel prolonged for some, it offers an ambient build-up perfectly described as "Music for life's waiting room" by a team member. UROBOROS sees lostrushi changing his vocal deliveries to a far more energetic style, providing a satisfying and hard-hitting conclusion. - J.L.
Notes -
- Not FCC safe
- Genre: HexD
Rating: 8
Justify Your Life - George Clanton
"This sounds like lostwave that people would lose their minds over for like 15 years"
George Clanton's "Justify Your Life" from his latest LP Ooh Rap I Ya is a magnetic fusion of sounds that transports listeners straight into a digital reimagination of 80s alternative dance scene while intertwining elements of shoegaze and psychedelia. The track unfolds with deep, sampled drums that serve as a powerful undercurrent that carries Clanton's trippy vocals, which is reminiscent of Kurt Cobain with tinges of XTC in the chorus. In comparison to his more experimental peers in Vaporwave such as Oneohtrix Point Never, Clanton crafts a soundscape that's imminently accessible. "Justify Your Life" captures nostalgia in a refreshingly original way. - J.L.
Notes -
- FCC safe
- Genre: Chillwave, Baggy
Rating: 8
U R THE REASON - Current Joys
Moving away from their slacker indie sound, Current Joys takes a bold step in a new direction with "U R THE REASON". Clocking in at a sprawling 8 minutes, this track might be simple in its construction, but it never for a moment feels tedious. Instead, its jangly loops are downright hypnotic, keeping listeners ensnared. The song proves why the 909 is a popular choice for house, utilizing the drum machine's bright hats & cymbals to perfection. To prove their ability to experiment if they wanted to, the song closes with a curveball with a glitchy breakdown. For those who remember Current Joys’ "sitcom edit music" phase (a member told me this, I don't get the reference but maybe you do), this is an exhilarating evolution, showcasing their versatility and growth as artists. - J.L.
Notes -
- FCC safe
- Genre: Indietronica, House
Rating: 8
Jeans Soaked - Lil Shine
“Jeans Soaked” off of Lil Shine’s sophomore album “Lovesick” is a bombastic song that almost seems like a parody of its own genre, due to the very over the top production and goofy lyrics. As many of the team noticed, the song opens with a very orchestral theme, building up to what might be described as a “joker laugh”. The rest of the song is rife with little sampling quips, from the camera flash to the “bitch” interjection. The rest of the production plays like a PluggnB song on steroids, taking the typical instrumentation but supplementing them with other over-the-top sounds. Lil Shine doesn’t slack with the lyrics either – he provides a very braggadocious set of lines filled with funny phrases like “cray-cray” or “we turn him to a pop-tart”. All of this combined gives us potentially one of the best Pluggnb songs of the year, leaving a satisfying aftertaste to fans of the genre.
- F.B.
Notes -
- Not FCC safe
- Genre: PluggnB
Rating: 7.5
spearmint trance - phosphorrgirl
"what plays in comp sci majors heads"
After Purity Filter, we are now seeing another rising trance artist UMD alun. Listening to "spearmint trance" is like taking a trip back to the video games of our childhood–Geometry Dash, Megaman Battle Network, and, of course as you would expect from the cover, Pokémon. It's classic Soundcloud formula by now, reviving old-school PlayStation beep boop sound design through the sparkly contemporary breakcore movement. While this is by no means at all a new sound for the genre, phosphorrgirl displays incredible potential from dropping this very well executed track in their first year of releasing music. - J.L.
Notes -
- FCC safe
- Genre: Trance
Rating: 7
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Porcelain Spine - Polarview
Polarview, an up-and-coming rock band originating from Baltimore and playing at venues like the Ottobar, had recently released their EP over the summer showing a high potential as artists. The song reviewed Porcelain Spine, helps set the tone for the entire album: a very ethereal experience with entrancing sounds all over that make you want to move in both an active, but calm manner. The song introduces a short, but addicting string of songs right after that continue and even heighten that experience. With first impressions to be made about their music, they were able to show their capabilities on full display! - I.C.
Notes -
- FCC safe
- Genre: Indie Punk
Rating: 7
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Eyes Adjust - Twitching Tongues
Twitching Toungues continues to expand upon their genre bending take on hardcore punk. Colin Young’s smooth yet angsty vocals demand attention over Alec Faber’s fuzz soaked riffs on their track Eyes Adjust. If you’ve been looking for a track with all the energy of hardcore minus the screaming, look no further.
- C.S.
Notes -
- FCC safe
- Genre: Hardcore Punk, Metal
Rating: 7
Gila Monster - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
"Gila Monster," the only track short enough to be reviewed from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's second metal-centric album PetroDraconic Apocalypse, and it's an audacious testament to the band's talent for constant self-reinvention. While the mosh pit energy of the track is palpable, the team thinks it tends to drag, lacking the dynamic build-up seen in other songs from the album. "Gila Monster" will not resonate with every fan out there, but isn't that what King Gizzard has always been about? - J.L.
Notes -
- FCC safe
- Genre: Heavy Metal