Normally in this space we’d point to some new releases we were excited about for this week, but we’re going to change it up a bit. Rather than speculating about what records we think you should listen to, this week we’re going to highlight some records (both new and old) that we’ve been playing this week. Some are being released today, but others will be older favorites or discoveries.
Going forward we’re going to use this format, so we’ll only write about records we’ve heard at least once in this space.
THE FREELANCER’S BLUES | DOUGIE POOLE About a month ago in our Bandcamp roundup we told you to smash the pre-order button on this soon to be modern country classic. The time has finally come to hear the album in full. Now backed by a full band, Poole mixes classic country sounds with a DIY spirit to stunning results. “Vaping on the Job”, the first single, is a clear highlight, but there isn’t a clunker to be found on the album.
YALC NITSUA MAILLIW | YALC123 William Austin Clay has put out albums on some of our favorite labels over the years (OSR Tapes and Feeding Tube come to mind), but he quietly self-released an album this week under the name Yalc123 on Bandcamp. The album is full of woozy synths and distorted vocals; the end result is experimental pop bliss. Clay writes that the lyrics on the album are the most personal he’s written to date; I’m still digesting it, but I can already tell it’s an album I’ll be spinning for weeks to come.
ROOM FOR THE MOON | KATE NV Kate NV recorded Room For The Moon during the loneliest period of her life, but you’d hardly know it when listening to the downright joyful music on her third album (and second for RVNG). As indebted to playfully idiosyncratic Japanese pop classics as it is to the lusher side of ambient, tracks like “Plans” have been stuck in my head since first hearing them. Expect much more from us about this album next week!
PARALLELISME | MIHARU KOSHI Speaking of idiosyncratic Japanese pop, listening to Room for the Moon this week put me in the mood to throw on this 1984 classic by Miharu Koshi. Produced by Haruomi Hosono (who has been a part of many classic albums as a member of Happy End and Yellow Magic Orchestra as well as on his own) this album is a quirky techno-pop odyssey. “Capricious Salad” is a personal favorite, but the whole album is endlessly listenable.
TEARDROPS | SCRAAATCH While listening to a show on Real Deep Radio last week, I heard “Don’t Talk To Me” by SCRAAATCH. The track was instantly memorable. Vocalist Mhysa (who has amazing solo recordings also worth checking out) repeatedly asserts “Don’t talk to me / I’m here to dance” over a percussive, driving beat. It’s a perfect club anthem for the antisocial among us. The rest of the EP doesn’t disappoint, mixing pop instincts with electronic experimentation. Here’s hoping for a full length soon!