#n0v3l

[omegaremix]

Self-titled.

[adultalternative]

2021 best of. At least I beat my time last year and actually wrote?

Starcrossed- More of an All for You divorce album than a Butterfly, in a 'it stinks, but whatever. Now do you want the wedding china that I'm unloading?' kind of way. I didn't like it at first because of the tracklist making the songs feel too samey (Also, even this long into the new music model, I'm not used to songs being under 3 minutes). The movie and listening to the songs out of order helped a lot. The best songs are justified, simple times, and camera roll. An interesting example of the Glass Animals/Tame Impala sound.

If I can't have love, I want power- Halsey's first impressive album, to me. Really glad this body of work came out. Best songs are you asked for this, Girl with a gun, and One Eye closed.

Lately I feel Everything- Another fun project, another great side to Willow. I like the different types of alternative rock on it. Listen to Naive, Extra, and Gaslighter, as well as F**k You.

3:33- Did I lose interest in Tinashe now that she’s independent and there’s less of a bad guy or goal for her music career? Yes. Is this album still good? Yes. My favorite songs are Shy Guy and Pasadena.

No gods No Masters- Yes, I would say that their last three albums have been their most similar to each other (See all the Record Store Day songs included in the bonus disc) as songs that would play in a Deadly Class type of genre show about young adults, but that says more about alternative rock nowadays than Garbage. That said, I still enjoy the industrial vibes on this one. I like The Creeps, Anonymous XXX, and This City Will Kill You. It was interesting hearing the Eurythmics influence in songs like The Men Who Rule the World.

Texis- Hyperpop gone rock. Locust Laced is that song. I'm Not down’ is startlingly on point for this point in the pandemic, and Sweet75 is a great opener.

Play with the Changes- Rochelle Jordan is the closest that I liked to dance pop this year. A great combination of UK garage and alternative R&B.

New Long Leg- I guess this is usually when my list is what I’m in the mood for and I’m in the mood for post-punk. Scratchcard lanyard is cool, and if you haven’t yet, watch the music video! I don’t understand what Her Hippo is about but it makes me sad. I like the drums in More Big Birds.

Soberish- Casualties of my schedule change. Not as familiar as I could be. Spanish Doors is both sad and relatable. If you like Liz Phair’s character studies of men like Soap Star Joe and Uncle Alvarez, listen to Hey Lou. Meanwhile, In there is very new and trip hoppy for Liz. These songs are more like her EPs Juvenilia and comeandgetit, and whitechocolatespaceegg outtakes instead of, say, her Girly Sound songs.

Who am I?- Precursor for the Avril Lavigne album this year. It might just be 2000’s pop rock, but if the formula isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Listen to You Don’t Own Me and Fall to Pieces.

Unlimited Ammo- Fun hyperpop, that has both songs that are ethereal and wintry, like Steel, and great bangers like Finish Him.

Pinkpantheress- I enjoy the drum and bass sounds as well as the wistful 19.

Pink Noise- A different kind of going pop. It’s like if the group We Are King made more music. Very lush. I like Magical, Got Me, and Church Girl.

Screen violence- A great combination of alternative rock and synthpop. Lauren’s voice has a lot of urgency. I like Nightmares, How Not to Drown, and He Said She Said.

Pearl Charles- Good country and soft rock combination. Listen to Only for Tonight for disco, and Impostor and Slipping Away for soft rock.

Flux- Countlessth year-of best for me, but I have finally decided to let go of my various reservations and just enjoy. I like Lessen the Damage, On the Level, and As Strange as it Seems. For alternative rock music what Light Years is to disco.

Homegrown- I love the saxophone sample in Slow Down. I like Dysfunctional and Come Over. Good combination of contemporary and alternative R&B.

Death of a Cheerleader- Lux is THAT song. Kind of cheating because I like Popular, a cover of the Nada Surf song released January 2022, more than the album. Sort of how TIME has people on influential lists for potential influence in the future.

Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3- See Poppy’s review for umpteeneth great project. I like So Cold, Syrup, and Cashmere.

Non-fiction- great post punk. I like Violent & Paranoid.

[ifeellikeaporsche]

Best of 2021

What a freakishly dark year. Amidst our dystopian descent, one where D-beat and grindcore record covers seem particularly apt, independent record labels and artists keep providing and grinding, delays and inflation be damned. What the fuck else are ya gonna do? I wince reading headlines - the world is dying, tribalism reigns, someone just burned down the Planned Parenthood blocks from where I live - but music remains a constant source of elation, solace, rejuvenation and invigoration for me. It's helped me through a lot this year, and turned into a form of self-care in a way, given that increasingly rare free time was almost always accompanied by immersion into music. When I survey the past 12 months, these are the records that resonated. Grown man photographs his precious belongings, 2021. Take care of yourselves and each other, support the music venues and artists suffering through the pandemic's never-ending coda, and I hope this list can introduce you to something new even if I gave away the top dog months ago. Damn, what an amazing time for new music - happy digging.

LP

Nusidm, Hatred of Pain (self-released)

Cube, Drug of Choice (Alter)

Monokultur, Ormens Väg (ever/never / Mammas Mysteriska Jukebox)

Nightshift, Zöe (Trouble In Mind)

Quarantine, Agony (Damage United 82 / La Vida Es Un Mus)

Heimat, Zwei (Teenage Menopause)

Mortiferum, Preserved In Torment (Profound Lore)

Lea Bertucci, A Visible Length of Light (Cibachrome Editions)

The Body, I've Seen All I Need To See (Thrill Jockey)

N0V3L, NON-FICTION (Flemish Eye)

Six more:

Cerebral Rot, Excretion of Mortality (20 Buck Spin)

CIA Debutante, Dust (Siltbreeze)

Jean-Luc Guionnet & Will Guthrie, Electric Rag (Ali Buh Baeh / Editions Memoire)

Maraudeur, Puissance 4 (self-released)

Emily Robb, How To Moonwalk (Petty Bunco)

Waste Man, One Day It'll All Be You (Feel It)

12" / 7" / cassette

CIA Debutante, Music For Small Rooms 12" (ever/never)

CIA Debutante, Pier 7" (SDZ)

Earwig Deluxe, It's An Emergency To Them CS (Striped Light)

The Fulmars, The Lost Ones 7" (Hüüpnootsche Platen Un Kassetten)

Horrendous 3D, The Gov. and Corps. Are Using Psycho​-​Electronic Weaponry To Manipulate You and Me​... 7" (Whisper In Darkness)

Sial, Zaman Edan 7" (La Vida Es Un Mus)

Suffocating Madness, s/t 7" (Active-8 / Roachleg)

Stomachache, Good Machine CS (self-released)

Taphos, Blood Plethora 7" (Night Shroud)

Treasury of Puppies, Lollos Dagbok 7" (I Dischi Del Barone)

Rap

Separate category because I'm a tourist at best. Here's what I was listening to that hit a nerve.

Armand Hammer feat. Earl Sweatshirt, "Falling Out the Sky"

Bigmutha AKA BbyMutha, Muthalificent 2 and Bastard Tapes Vol. 3 (self-released)

Boldy James & the Alchemist, Bo Jackson (ALC)

Flint & Detroit Rap 2021 mix by the best @thehotboxsocial

MIKE, "Disco!" (10K)

Pooh Sheisty feat. Lil Durk, "Back In Blood"

R.A.P. Ferreira, the Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures (self-released)

Starlito, Funerals & Court Dates and Insomnia Addict (Grind Hard) Not new, but it's never a bad time to revisit my favorite rapper's discography. The two albums I listened to most this year in any genre or form.

Young Nudy, Rich Shooter (RCA)

Young Slo-Be, Red Mamba and Slo-Be Bryant 3 (KoldGreedy / Thizzler on the Roof) - thx @raygarraty

[omegaplus]

# 3,904

Omega Radio for December 4, 2021; #290.

Marissa Nadler: “Moon / Stars” + “Turned Into Air”

Chelsea Wolfe & Emma Ruth Rundle: “Anhedonia”

Emma Ruth Rundle: “Return”

Halsey: “You Asked For This”

Sault: “9″

Angel Olsen: “Safety Dance”

Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen: “Like I Used To”

Iceage: “Shelter Song”

Squid: “Paddling”

Maxband: “Case Of Dust”

N0V3L: “Status”

Shame: “Alphabet”

Spirit Of The Beehive: “Give Up Your Life”

Dry Cleaning: “Scratchcard Lanyard”

Yard Act: “Dark Days" + “Fixer Upper”

Laundromat: “Milky”

Floatie: “Voyage Out”

Hooveriii: "Erasure”

Water From Your Eyes: “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”

Palberta: “Never To Go” + “Before I Got Here”

Lily Konigsberg: “True”

Maxshh: “500 Miles High”

Sweeping Promises: “Pain Without A Touch”

First show of Year Ten; first of two Best of 2021 broadcasts.

[omegaradiowusb]

DECEMBER 4, 2021 (#290)

Marissa Nadler: “Moon / Stars” + "Turned Into Air" (Instead Of Dreaming + The Path Of The Clouds) Chelsea Wolfe & Emma Ruth Rundle: "Anhedonia" (single) Emma Ruth Rundle: “Return” (Engine Of Hell) Halsey: “You Asked For This” (If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power) Sault: “9″ (Nine) Angel Olsen: “Safety Dance” (Aisles) Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen: "Like I Used To" (single) Iceage: “Shelter Song” (Seek Shelter) Squid: “Paddling” (Bright Green Field) Maxband: "Case Of Dust" (Top Of The Stairs) N0V3L: “Status” (Non-Fiction) Shame: "Alphabet" (Drunk Tank Pink) Spirit Of The Beehive: “Give Up Your Life” (Entertainment, Death) Dry Cleaning: “Scratchcard Lanyard” (New Long Leg) Yard Act: “Dark Days" + "Fixer Upper” (Dark Days) Laundromat: “Milky” (Red e.p.) Floatie: “Voyage Out” (Voyage Out) Hooveriii: "Erasure" (Water For The Frogs) Water From Your Eyes: “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Somebody Else’s Songs) Palberta: “Never To Go” + “Before I Got Here” (Palberta5000) Lily Konigsberg: "True" (Lily We Need To Talk Now) Maxshh: "500 Miles High" (As A Treat) Sweeping Promises: "Pain Without A Touch" (single)

Welcome to Omega Radio, WUSB’s most diverse show on its roster. This month we start our tenth year in operation, a major new milestone for us. We want to thank all of our followers, listeners, and supporters of both our show and WUSB for supporting diversity and non-corporate independent radio.

We start Year Ten like we do every December with our end-of-the-year ‘Winners Of...’ broadcasts. In our first of two shows, we feature two hours worth of 2021′s most notable, talked-about, and best music in indie, post-punk and d.i.y. (Some selections played on previous shows.)

Join us again in two weeks for our second ‘Winners Of...’ broadcast as we say goodbye forever to 2021 and celebrate more victories in other deluxe genres. See you soon.

December 18, 2021 (10PM New York City):  Winners of 2021 Pt. 2.

December 29, 2021 (10PM New York City): bonus Omega. 

[brokenightlight]

[bandsonfilm]

N0V3L // The Old Blue Last // 13.08.2019

[sawdustandgin]

The red- and black-clad young punks of N0V3L are here to preach us about our finite existence, all with optimism! 

“Time is a resource To use and to treasure”