wow, very slow news week right guys? oh well, at least it was a pretty eventful week for new music! i kid, i'm exhausted on both fronts. there were plenty of great tracks released this week and plenty of new projects announced that i'm incredibly excited about. here are my thoughts on some of the most noteworthy tracks that dropped this week!!!
to see last week's post, click here!!! also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter <3
"Le Risque" - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
◇ released: July 9, 2024 ◇ featured on Flight b741 (not yet released) ◇ genres: boogie rock, glam rock
Eclectic and busy rockers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have returned with a new single that sees them diving back into their boogie shoes. It's fun and it has a silliness to it that makes it hard to hate. This groovy instrumentation paired with the misanthropic lyricism is pretty cool too. This song also features the band's drummer, Michael Cavenaugh, on vocal duties for the most part and he holds his own very well. Adds a bit of a different flavor to it. I'm still playing catch-up with this band - I still need to listen to their stuff from the last few years - but I'm looking forward to take a flight on Flight b741!!!
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"The Answers to the Questions" - Chrystabell & David Lynch
◇ released: July 9, 2024 ◇ featured on Cellophane Memories (not yet released) ◇ genres: dream pop, trip hop, ambient pop
Chrystabell & David Lynch have returned with a new single leading up to their collab album coming in a few weeks. "The Answers to the Question" has that same atmospheric quality as the previous track, but it's a lot less desolate sounding. There's a bit of a trip hop flavor to it that freshens things up a lot. Chrystabell's layered vocals are haunting, they're as chilling as they are beautiful. The subtle lulls in the instrumentation are pretty signature in both Lynch and the late Angelo Badalamenti's style and I'm glad it's present here. I'm curious to see how this album will sound on the whole. I'm a massive David Lynch fan so obviously I'm excited, but I'm also hoping the pair aren't afraid to implement new sounds throughout the record. I don't want this to be a complete retread of the musical tropes Lynch and crew have played around with for decades. I'll probably still enjoy it, but I'll be a little disappointed.
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"Fortnight (Acoustic Version)" - Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
◇ released: July 9, 2024 ◇ genre: folk pop
The day after Billie Eilish overtook Taylor Swift as the 2nd most listened to artist on Spotify, God Queen Swift conveniently dumped one of the many exclusive alternate versions of a song from her most recent record onto streaming services everywhere. This has been a controversial marketing gimmick behind The Tortured Poets Department where Swift will release exclusive alternate editions of the album with an extra iPhone demo or acoustic version tacked on at the end. This has allowed her to game the charts ever since the album dropped. I'm not denying it's an incredibly successful record, it just feels scummy. Perhaps the most egregious example had to be when Charli xcx's album BRAT was geared to debut at number one in the UK, but before that could happen Swift released an exclusive version of her album for UK fans only. It all feels targeted. It's clear Swift and her team care about metrics and accolades, they'll do anything they can to get them even if it means obstructing the success of those around her.
Which, longwindedly, leads me back to this acoustic version of "Fortnight" which leaves me without much to say about the actual music. It's only here to boost her streaming numbers, because being 3rd most listened to artist in the world seemingly isn't enough! I wasn't a big fan of this song anyway and this acoustic version doesn't change that. It's hard not to be extremely cynical about this whole thing. This is music that feigns having a genuine heart, but it's really only a ploy for record-breaking chart success by any means necessary.
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"Key103" - Floating Points
◇ released: July 9, 2024 ◇ featured on Cascade (not yet released) ◇ genre: progressive house
Sam Shepherd, Floating Points, has announced a new album coming later this year as well as this new single "Key103." This week I finally got around to listening to his album Crush from 2019 and I loved it. That blend of IDM with real instrumentation is just a match made in heaven. These new songs, however, see him leaning more into the dance and house side of things to very great effect. This is an absolute jam. It's punchy as hell and has a groove that just gets you. That glitchy bridge that segues into the synth switch-up is exhilarating as hell. I'm beginning to notice that nearly everything Shepherd touches is impeccably crafted and this track is no different. I'm super excited for Cascade.
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"Gold Coast" - Moses Sumney
◇ released: July 9, 2024 ◇ featured on Sophcore (not yet released) ◇ genres: neo-soul, alternative r&b, alté
Moses Sumney is coming back with a new EP on the way in a few weeks and "Gold Coast" was released alongside that announcement. Sumney's work always has impeccable production and that's on display here as well. His vocals are heavenly, but I sometimes wish they had a bit more weight to them - luckily "Gold Coast" balances the heavy and light very well. He sounds fully in control here. I also love the little Latin guitar flourishes throughout, it really adds some nice depth to the track. Looking forward to see what else he has in store on this Sophcore EP.
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"She Rained Down" - This Is The Glasshouse
◇ released: July 9, 2024 ◇ genres: indie rock, noise rock
To commemorate the one-year anniversary of As Small As Ants, This Is The Glasshouse has released this stripped-back noisy version of his song "She Rained Down." That record was one of my favorites from last year and even though at times it wore its influences on its sleeve, there was enough heart and craft behind it to outweigh that. His songwriting was also a big highlight and that shines through on this track in particular no matter if it's the album version or this one. The demo is very different, but I kinda love it. It's noisy and at times it reminds me of a lo-fi version of a Strokes song. Really, really digging this one and I'm anticipating whatever comes next from him.
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"Forever Young (Live at Seattle Centre Coliseum, Seattle, WA - February 9, 1974 (Afternoon))" - Bob Dylan & The Band
◇ released: July 9, 2024 ◇ featured on The 1974 Live Recordings (not yet released) ◇ genres: folk rock, singer-songwriter
Bob Dylan is releasing a 27-disc box set containing "every single surviving soundboard recording" of his and The Band's prolific early 1974 tour. This was the same tour that made up the Before the Flood album, one of my personal favorite Dylan live albums. This rendition of "Forever Young" from the tail-end of the tour is fine. I love Dylan, but I can't say I'm so much a Dylan nut that this kind of box set appeals to me. For archival purposes it's pretty cool and it's always a treat to hear Dylan and The Band make magic together - I just don't see myself sifting through over 29 hours of material looking for hidden gems.
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"Patterns" - Laura Marling
◇ released: July 10, 2024 ◇ featured on Patterns in Repeat (not yet released) ◇ genres: singer-songwriter, contemporary folk
Laura Marling has returned with this gorgeous new track and a new album on the way. "Patterns" is a simple, clean, and very pretty folk cut that just surrounds you. She says she wrote a lot of this album while adjusting to becoming a new parent and you can absolutely hear it. There's this serene existentialism to it all, like a reflection on not just your own life but also the new life that you have brought into the world. This track is simply gorgeous. Marling stated that each of her albums have acted as "time-stamped chapter[s] of [her] life" and also that she's approaching this new album with an entirely new perspective. I really loved her last album, Song for Our Daughter, and after hearing this new single I can't wait for Patterns in Repeat.
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"Image" - Magdalena Bay
◇ released: July 10, 2024 ◇ featured on Imaginal Disk (not yet released) ◇ genres: synthpop, dance-pop, chillwave, nu-disco
I had a feeling we were on the cusp of a new Magdalena Bay album and here we are!!! Imaginal Disk drops next month, but we're getting our second taste of the album in the form of "Image," an expectedly incredible synthpop cut that shows a pop duo at the top of their game. This has everything you want in a synthpop song. Arresting production, addictive hooks, and a palpable rhythm. The two verses are opposite each other and it adds to the song - and seemingly the album's unique concepts. There's this anxious feeling underneath it all that only reveals itself on repeat listens. This is without a doubt one of my most anticipated albums of the year now. I came to the realization, and hopefully it doesn't age like milk, that Magdalena Bay are the best pop act of the decade thus far. Nothing has disproven that for me yet!
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"Call It Love" - Nilüfer Yanya
◇ released: July 10, 2024 ◇ featured on My Method Actor (not yet released) ◇ genres: indie folk, singer-songwriter
I somehow missed a whole single and album announcement last month from Nilüfer Yanya, but I'm here now for this new single! "Call It Love" has her scaling things back while not sacrificing a good groove. It's a song Yanya says is about being able to "fully trust your instincts" - you can hear it. There's a conviction to every word she delivers here. The instrumentation is light, bar the hazy synth riffs, but Yanya is a very commanding presence. Can't wait to listen to this album in full.
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"Snl" - Mustafa
◇ released: July 11, 2024 ◇ featured on Dunya (not yet released) ◇ genres: folk pop, singer-songwriter
I really enjoyed Mustafa's debut album When Smoke Rises from a few years ago, but ever since then he's regrettably flew under my radar ... not anymore though. He has a new album on the way along with this new sinlge "Snl" which is just incredible. One of the prettiest songs I've heard all month, the acoustic guitar and subtle percussion are just beautiful. His vocals and lyrics all feel so seamlessly confessional. Like catching up with an old friend. Absolutely loving this track and I need to listen to his other recent singles sooner rather than later.
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"Woman's World" - Katy Perry
◇ released: July 11, 2024 ◇ featured on 143 (not yet released) ◇ genres: dance-pop, electropop
Katy Perry is lost. She's had nowhere to go for the longest time so she's retreating back to the formula that people knew her most fondly. She freshens things up here and there, making a song that at least sounds like it could've been made in 2021 or so. She's never ahead of the curve, she's simply standing there. "Woman's World" has the flair of one of her early pop hits, but it feels so hollow. The ironic neoliberal feminist aesthetics seeping over the music video and the song's sentiment - all the while being written and produced predominantly by men, most notoriously her old collaborator and alleged sexual abuser Dr. Luke. An attempt at irony that turns into something even more sinister and gross. Certainly is a "Woman's World" to one Katy Perry isn't it? This is empty slop and I feel sorry for anyone dumb enough to eat it up uncritically.
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"American Fever" - JOBA
◇ released: July 12, 2024 ◇ featured on unnamed JOBA album (not yet released) ◇ genres: progressive pop, art rock, glam rock
2024 seems to be the year every former BROCKHAMPTON member starts pumping out their solo material. I can't say I've been crazy about all of their solo efforts as of late - despite me being a massive fan of the group when I was a teenager - but this new single from JOBA is a real treat. Totally unexpected sound, it feels almost like a glammed up Billy Joel piano rock track. He carries himself with so much swagger and confidence that really elevates "American Fever" to the next level. Both Kevin Abstract and Matt Champion have taken unexpected turns in their solo sound, but none match the sheer energy JOBA displays on this track. If this is a sign of where he goes from here, this upcoming project of his might be one you can't miss.
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"Pray For Me" - Mustard
◇ released: July 12, 2024 ◇ featured on Faith of a Mustard Seed (not yet released) ◇ genres: drumless, spoken word, gospel
Mustard has been thrown properly into the limelight recently following the use of his beat on Kendrick Lamar's proverbial dancing over Drake's grave track, "Not Like Us." He also was featured at Lamar's Pop-Out Concert on Juneteenth and made a big impression there as well. He's gearing up for his own solo album soon and this new single "Pray For Me" isn't what you would expect from him at all. A 10-minute drumless track that has him reflecting on how far he's come. Mustard hasn't been an "unknown" by any means, but this really feels like a turning point for his career and he seems to recognize that too.
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"Death Valley High" - Orville Peck & Beck
◇ released: July 12, 2024 ◇ featured on Stampede (not yet released) ◇ genres: alternative rock, country rock, rap rock
I was left disappointed by the first volume of Orville Peck's Stampede project and it's looking like I'm gonna be disappointed by the rest of it too. This new duet with Beck is a style clash in the worst way. It's like they're fighting for your attention, it's like mixing oil and water. It sounds like they're not trying to match each other's freak and instead trying to snuff each other's respective freaks out. This is a mess. I've been disappointed by Beck's new stuff for years now, but I don't want Peck to be dragged down by this any longer than he has to. Get Stampede over with ASAP.
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"Still What I'm Looking For" - Mac DeMarco & Ryan Paris
◇ released: July 12, 2024 ◇ genre: soft rock
When I was in high school, like a lot of weird indie kids, I became transfixed with Mac DeMarco. Having grown up a bit, I mostly look back at his stuff in a bit of a novel sense. His disappointing Here Comes the Cowboy album made me lose track of him a bit and his recent work hasn't wowed me that much at all when I have heard it. This new track, a collab with Ryan Paris, is a pleasant little number though. Sweet and to the point. It feels like DeMarco isn't too concerned with evolving his sound, he likes being a weird reclusive guy who pops up every now and then for a vibe. This doesn't make me excited for his new material, but hearing his guitar licks activated a very specific part of my brain that hasn't been activated in so long. I'm like a sleeper cell agent and my mission now is to re-listen to Salad Days and This Old Dog and become an insufferable indie guy once more.
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"고통없이 (Painless)" - Parannoul
◇ released: July 12, 2024 ◇ genres: shoegaze, noise pop
Korean shoegaze artist Parannoul has dropped yet another incredible single in the form of "Painless." "Gold River" from a few months ago was one of his strongest tracks to date and this song also deserves that distinction. He seems to be on the verge of something incredible. He's become an even more excellent songwriter, crafting melodies that stick out even under the waves of noise overtop it. His songs leap over any language barriers and just hit as close to home as possible. He's had an incredibly fruitful few years and he doesn't seem to be losing steam anytime soon. I adore this song and if there's a whole album full of songs like "Painless" and "Gold River," it could very well be his strongest album to date. Potentially one of the best of the decade so far, I'm serious. If you're not on the Parannoul train at this point, what are you waiting for?
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psssst. i made a discord server called COSMIACORD ... if u wanna join and have fun, talk about music, play fortnite, or whatever here's the invite :3 https://discord.gg/rsHMenTU
