Release Radar: October 2023

The weather's finally getting cold again, when all drip freezes dry and I have to wear the same baggy jacket everyday... Good thing we got lots of great new music! This month we are seeing a few of really nice funk/jazz releases ranking towards the top, but we still have a good variety: electronica, indie, rock, R&B, etc.

But if you're looking for some good Hip Hop music, look no further than our album of the month:

Surprise released on Friday the Thirteenth with an old-school, horror poster styled album cover, Burning Desire sees MIKE recount the hauntings of trauma, the curse of relentless pursuits, and the alienation of life in New York City. On “U Think Maybe?”, MIKE raps, “Autumn remind me of horrors from the past lore / Trauma behind / I’m crawling with the mask torn / Faults that define me / Balling with your last born”. He watches himself become an uncanny outcast and a sinful zealot under life’s burdens, declaring himself to be “Michael Myers but with Dreads” on “What U Say U Are”.

Behind the strong horror concept is a bundle of consistently thrilling tracks. More so than any of his previous releases, Burning Desire can be said to be a “pure” rap album that showcases MIKE’s prowess on the mic beyond his skills as a boundary pushing producer. With his signature style of poetic lethargy, MIKE invites listeners to decipher his introspective verses but does not push away those who just need a soundtrack to zone out to. MIKE’s production is smooth and eclectic as always. On U Think Maybe, MIKE raps over some beautiful saxophone and neo-soul samples, while African Sex Freak Fantasy uses a brain-scratching, subtle industrial beat.

MIKE fully matured as a rapper on Burning Desire, sounding entirely comfortable on his own experimental beats and spoke from deep and personal places.   - J.L.

Notes -

• Genre: Abstract Hip Hop
• Recommend if you like: Earl Sweatshirt, Navy Blue, Maxo
• Favorite Track: U Think Maybe?, Let’s Have a Ball, African Sex Freak Fantasy

Rating: 8.5

Butcher Brown’s latest album, Solar Music, delivers a fresh funky jazz experience sure to prove that jazz is not a dead genre. From their Spotify bio, they define “Solar Music” as “forward-thinking, expansive hybrids of jazz and hip-hop-infused with elements of funk, soul, rock, and every other sound under the sun.” The variety of influences really comes through in their sound, as you can tell just how different something like “Espionage” is from “Around For A While”. The Hip Hop influence is pretty prominent as well, with features like Pink Siifu bringing a unique vocal performance to the tracks he’s featured on. Fans of jazz-rap and neo-soul will feel right at home, but with enough innovation to keep them interested.                                                                                                                                  - F.B.

Notes -

• Genre: Funk, Neo-Soul
• Recommend if you like: McKinley Dixon, DJ Harrison, BADBADNOTGOOD
• Favorite Tracks: Run It Up, MOVE (RIDE)

Rating: 8.5

While the title can be directly translated as Call Me Cat and I’m Yours, it would fail to capture the intentional play on gendered nouns in Portuguese of the masculine “gato” and the feminine “sua”. Brazilian artist Ana Frango Elétrico explores queer love on the album, and their emotions can be heard in the universal language of music. Ana reuses the tasteful sound palettes from the euphoric Little Electric Chicken Heart, their last album, but lean more heavily into funk and retires the orchestral brass sections. Consequently, Me Chama retains a lush and passionate essence, but it sounds lighter. As fans of the artist would expect, the album is supremely recorded and mixed, even just from a technical standpoint each instrument sounds incredible with headphones, every beat hits and every note can be cleanly discerned. Listening to the album is akin to sitting in the passenger seat, cruising along the coastline with your loved one at the wheel and the windows rolled down, letting in the fresh, sea air.   - J.L.

Notes -

• Genre: MPB, Jazz-Funk
• Recommend if you like: PLUMA, Taeko Ohnuki, Stereolab
• Favorite Tracks: Electric Fish, Insista em mim, Dr. Sabe Tudo

Rating: 8.5

Lowertown’s latest EP, "Skin of My Teeth", is a continuation of their typical sound. Despite comprising only four songs and lacking the overarching direction typical of a full album, each song holds up well against the rest of the Lowertown discography and the rest of the indie-rock/indie-folk sphere they find themselves in. The typical gritty/joyous sound that distinguishes Lowertown returns, and helps bring a unique vibe to the project. The only real gripe with the project is that the last two songs aren’t as good as the first two, but overall a very solid project and hopefully a precursor to a great next full length album. - F.B.

Notes -

• Genre: Indie Rock/Indie Folk
• Recommend if you like: Hotline TNT, Wednesday
• Favorite Tracks: Bline, Root Canal

Rating:8.5

Sampha’s new album Lehai is a fantastic release from the UK based artist. While he’s been featured in various blockbuster releases,  ALICIA and Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers to name a couple, this is his first full length release since. All the new listeners he’s gained from these spots should be pleased to hear a uniquely creative project with an outstanding vocal performance and inventive production. The production is what’s most impressive, featuring various influences and techniques without drawing attention away from the vocal performance. Lyrically the album is strong as well, containing lyrics that can operate on various surface levels depending on the listener. Holistically, there isn’t a single bad song on the project which will never cease to be an impressive feat on an LP. - C.S.

Notes -

• Genre: Alternative-R&B
• Recommend if you like: Jamie XX, SBTRKT
• Favorite Tracks: Can’t Go back, Suspended, Dancing Circles

Rating: 8

Sufjan Stevens, in his two decades of music career, has maintained a private stance regarding his personal life. Therefore, his choice to introduce the album with a deeply personal Instagram post, dedicating it to his late partner Evans Richardson –who was previously unknown to the public – highlights the immense personal significance of Javelin.

Sonically, Javelin plays with a mix of elements Stevens has worked with in the past: blending the folk and chamber elements of Illinois and Chicago with glitchy electronica of The Age of Adz, but mostly retaining a singer/songwriter core. Of course, in terms of a personal album written about the loss of a loved one, we can’t ignore the comparison to Carrie & Lowell. Like that album, Javelin’s feels similarly simple and subtle, focused on the emotions of Sufjan's serene vocals. Yet, Javelin stands out with its unexpected whimsy, playing bouncy notes over prominent percussion.

Within the tranquility, it’s a quiet distress. Amidst the grating tension, we find a glimpse of peace. Javelin's an album that balances the melancholy of loss with the beauty of memory.  For fans and newcomers alike, this is a touching, beautifully crafted ode to love and the human experience. Take the time to immerse yourself in this album, and afterwards, go spend some time with your loved ones while you still have time. -J.L.

Notes -

• Genre: Indie Folk
• Recommend if you like: Mount Eerie, Phoebe Bridgers, Iron & Wine
• Favorite Tracks: Will Anybody Ever Loves Me, Shit Talk, Goodbye Evergreen

Rating: 8

When it seems like the world is losing their attention, COBRAH carries the torch of the gay and raunchy slayhouse tradition as children of the late SOPHIE–you can’t get much better than this for Hip House in 2023. The percussions are punchy and the synths are dirty, but through all the layers of industrial distortion, we get to hear COBRAH’s iconic, nasally rapping guide us through every track. SUCCUBUS is unabashedly dance music meant for hedonistic partying and sinning, the kids can skip this one and stick to quirky post-ironic hyperpop. COBRAH’s vocals worship at the altar of pleasure to the cold bouncing metallic rhythms.  - J.L.

Notes -

• Genre: Hip House
• Recommend if you like: Charli XCX, Shygirl, Sophie, Kim Petras
• Favorite Tracks: Activate, Feminine Energy

Rating: 7.5

Jonny Pierce expands on the poppier sound he’s been culminating with The Drums in recent years. The project features styles and techniques from various genres ranging from surf rock to post-punk to electronica, creating a sonically sound melting pot of styles. Through it all however, Pierce finds the most success in tracks that can be best described as The Drums. Songs like Better, The Flowers, and I Want It All feature the elements which catapulted the project into stardom in the first place. This of course includes falsetto vocals, simplistic melodic riffs, and an infectiously jangly sound. Unfortunately, these songs make the slower, more melancholic tracks feel out of place and boring in comparison.                                                                                                                                   - C.S.

Notes -

• Genre: Indie Pop
• Recommend if you like: The Strokes, Boyscott, BRONCHO
• Favorite Tracks: Better, The Flowers, I Want It All

Rating:7

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s 25th LP continues the band’s sonic exploration in new and interesting ways, ditching all of the strings for a fully electronic album.  A departure from almost anything they’ve done before (although that can be said about many of their works), The Silver Cord is a Double LP made up of seven snappy, varied electronic tracks followed by seven expansive, experimental extended versions of all seven of those tracks.  In this way, it feels like the first King Gizz album meant to be listened to in whatever way you want – an interesting change of pace for a group almost singularly devoted to releasing discrete albums meant to be taken as a whole.  

There’s much to love in the track list itself, from the ethereality of Theia and the title track, to the track-long builds of Chang’e and Extinction and the outright danceability of Set and Swan Song. This is not to mention the extended versions that twist the tracks to their wills in new and interesting ways.  Admittedly, some of the extended versions can be a bit repetitive and off-putting to those not accustomed with the band’s style of jamming, and the band falls back on their usual songwriting tropes too often, but the album hits more than it misses.  For better and for worse, this is pretty close to what I think of when I imagine the concept of a King Gizz electronic album.  There are some new instruments and styles at play here, but The Silver Cord, like most of their other recent releases, seems to be primarily aimed at those that already enjoy the way King Gizz tackles different genres, and the album isn’t searching very hard for potential new King Gizz fans. -T.T.

Notes -

• Genre: Progressive Electronic, Electropop
• Recommend if you like: Yellow Magic Orchestra, Death’s Dynamic Shroud, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
• Favorite Tracks: Set, Gilgamesh, The Silver Cord – Extended Mix

Rating: 7

Departing from his traditional, twangy folk sound, Tim Hill takes a more mellow approach to cosmic folk with Shades of Green. The EP is atmospheric, representative of greenery, topiary, earth, life. A cowboy with a vine as his lasso, Hill enters a synaesthetic realm of hollow, stripped down soundscapes almost like a modern Arthur Russell on this release. It begins with “Emerald Shine,” an apt name for a track that seemingly levitates a few inches off the ground with a lilting synth by Sébastian Bui sitting beneath Hill’s slow croons.

While his 2019 release, Payador, will forever live on as a poster child for 21st century folk, the choice to trade harmonica for synthesizers on Shades of Green was a bold one, but one that ultimately paid off.   - M.S.

Notes -

• Genre: Psychedelic Folk
• Recommend if you like: Dougie Poole, Richard Swift, Waxahatchee
• Favorite Track: Shades of Green

Rating: 6.5

Geese have bolstered themselves as the second coming of Ween in their new EP "4D Country". The EP operates as a short B-side to their June release 3D Country. Drawing influence from country, soul, blues, and indie alike, the band refuses to conform to a single style. Lead singer Cameron Winter shares this sentiment as his timbre ranges from Elvis one second to John Mayer the next. While the songs themselves float from genre to genre, they’re unified within this looseness creating a coherently flowing EP. Much like a Ween project however, this is not meant to be a universally enjoyed release. The track 4D Country comes to mind with it’s 3 minute long descent into madness filled with diminished chords, joker-esque laughing, and shrill violin tremolos. While the project may not be for everyone, it is certainly worth finding out if it’s for you. - C.S.

Notes -

• Genre: Art Punk, Indie Rock
• Recommend if you like: Ween, Courting
• Favorite tracks: Jesse, Space Race

Rating: 6.5

L’Rain delivers an ethereal mix of dream pop and neo-soul in her latest release I Killed Your Dog. Effortlessly gliding between natural and synthetic sounds, this album provides listeners with fantastic soundscapes that are sure to tickle their brain. While most tracks slowly build to a chaotic climax, this trope never feels overused or tired. Songs like the title track “I Killed Your Dog” or “r(EMOTE)” are what stick out the most, starting with smooth and mellow before erupting into a symphony of distress. The project is muddied however by the seven different interludes it holds. While they do a good job of tying together songs, some of them feel pandering and overstay their welcome. - C.S.

Notes -

• Genre: Neo-Psych
• Recommend if you like: Crumb, SPELLING
• Favorite Tracks: I Killed Your Dog, r(EMOTE)

Rating: 6.5

1989 (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift: Swift’s second re-recording of the year appears rushed, but it polishes upon an album that was a classic for good reasons.  - J.L.

A Great Chaos - Ken Carson: Pretty decent release from the Opium label. Nothing too innovative but if you know you like the Opium sound then you’ll definitely enjoy this album. - F.B.

Census Designated - Jane Remover: A stunning evolution from the formerly hyperpop artist Jane Remover. It seems that she makes waves in every direction she goes, which makes me all the more excited to see how she shakes up any genres she decides to make in the future. - F. B.

EXCELSIOR - Slauson Malone 1: A lot of the songs sound fine, but it really does feel like there’s something to this album that’s just slightly out of comprehension, but not in a mysterious or elusive way but more in a pretentious way. - F.B.

Happyyy - Blue Smiley: Happyyy is a vaulted EP from 2014 which showcases a barebones version of Blue Smiley’s sound. While it’s interesting in its own right, it is hard to compare to their later masterpieces like return and ok. - C.S.

No Love Lost - Year of the Knife: The addition of Madi Watkin’s vocals on this project seems to be what was missing from their previous releases. The band commits to deathcore in this release which produces some of the most ignorant, knuckledragging riffs you’ve ever heard (that’s a good thing). - C.S.

SAVED! - Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter: It’s difficult to rate a piece of work this personal, emotional, and experimental. Retiring the pseudonym of Lingua Ignota, Hayter uses Christian hymns to hint at the deep disturbance within herself and to genuinely seek salvation and healing in religious means. - J.L.

SHRAPNEL FLUX: ENDPOINT MINIMUM - purity://filter: Short & sweet, victory lap from a UMD alum trance musician before their indefinite retirement. - J.L.

This newsletter produced by Justin Li (Music Director), Chris Savani (Ass. Music Director), Freddie Briden (Ass. Music Director), with additional contributions from Molly Szymanski and Twist Talley