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adultalternative · 14 days

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Rodeo Star by Cowgirl Clue- One of the weirdest albums of the year. Electropop with country samples and lyrics that are a bunch of mantras together. Don’t take my lack of description as a lack of praise. My favorite songs are Rodeo Star, Picket Fence, and Gold Switchblade.

Ooh I Rap Ya by George Clanton- George Clanton was a name I sometimes saw but never gave a chance until last year. This album is a perfect homage to 90’s alternative dance. My favorite songs are the epic Justify Your Life, the Savage Garden-esque I Been Young, the nihilistic but anthemic FUML, and the dreamy For You I Will.

10,000 gecs by 100 gecs- Very loud, irreverent, and most importantly fun. People keep wondering how long hyperpop can last, but 100 gecs was able to shift seamlessly into an alternative rock sound. My favorite songs include Doritos and Fritos (which I was surprised to see on the Warner Bros rock channel on my Roku), The Most Wanted Person in the United States, Billy Knows Jamie, Frog on the Floor, and Dumbest Girl Alive.

Moments of Clarity by Narrowhead- I don’t know what it takes for me to give two looks to ‘regular’ alternative rock bands now that I have a more diverse taste, but Narrowhead stuck out to me immediately. Loud and cathartic, I’ve seen them compared a lot to Deftones. My favorite songs are Breakup Song and Sunday, as well as the alternative dance inspired Soft to Touch.

BB/Ang3l- After the very broad 333, Tinashe went for mega concise. I liked Talk to Me Nice, Treason, and Gravity. I am looking forward to the sequel project this year, which should be sooner rather than later given the delayed release this list has.

World Hassle by Alan Palomo- Alan Palomo’s music was no stranger to inspiring daydreams for me. After an 8 year hiatus, this still holds. Palomo’s solo album sounds more like sophistipop and jazz-funk than synthpop, but is still perfect for soundtracking dead mall videos, Sims Youtube speedbuilds, and city planning videos. My favorite songs are "Is There Nightlife After Death?”, Nobody’s Woman, as well as Stay at Home DJ.

guts by Olivia Rodrigo- I never know how to rate the pop girls of the next generation. Usually there are dozens of discussions about them for who is the most planty, who is the most naturally talented, who is the most wise beyond their years, and who is the most annoying (AKA a normal under 23 year old with a public social media platform), but I just opt out of them instead of having dozens of opinions (unfortunately, I can't always restrain my thoughts on pop stars this easily). This either means an album like Melodrama will have the highs affect me less than they do other people, or an album like Happier Than Ever I wrongly write off too early because I'm not that interested in the meta discussions of Billie’s sophomore slump. But guts had no problem reeling me in. Olivia shows how eclectic Pop rock can be with a rap rock song like Get Him Back, a One of the Boys esque song like Love is Embarrassing, as well as the bubblegrunge inspired Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl.

Gag Order by Kesha- Usually, when people want a dark and personal album by a pop star, we imagine it to be a little confessional and a little experimental, but this album took me by surprise, from the album art to the songs themselves. Maybe it was just watching the visualizers for the videos, but you definitely get the alienation and stress Kesha was facing over the last decade with Something to Believe In and Eat the Acid. For a little more balance, listen to The Drama and Only Love Can Save Us.

Bully by Bully- Bully’s most immediate album since their debut, in my opinion. I like the anthemic Days Move Slow, the surprisingly moody A Love Profound, and the political All This Noise.

Leaving The Light by Genesis Owusu- Genesis Owusu came with an album with a little bit of everything. Post punk, drum and bass, and funk. I like Leaving The Light, The Roach, The Old Man, and That’s Life (A Swamp).

heaven knows by PinkPantheress- More of PinkPantheress’s trademark easily digestible and recognizable UK Garage and helium vocals. My favorite songs are Capable of Love and Internet Baby, as well as The Boy’s a Liar.

Good Luck by Debby Friday- Debby Friday came out of nowhere with this brash homage to industrial music. If you want to get adjusted to the soundscape with a moody bop, start with So Hard to Tell. If you are ready for the loudness, go to Pluto Baby.

Gizmo by Tanukichan- Going on the shoegaze subreddit is good for finding out how to classify ‘The Greats’ of shoegaze music for people whose names I always see but never actually commit to (Or in the case of Curve, are not on streaming), but not my favorite for finding new people. Seeing everything described as ‘Bad impressions of Loveless or just reverbed guitar music’ makes me turned off from giving people more chances. Tanukichan, however, has the right amount of vocals and right amount of guitars. My favorite songs are Don’t Give Up, Take Care, Thin Air, and Mr. Rain.

Chaos for the Fly by Grian Chatten- I’ve kept up with alternative rock enough to know that solo acoustic projects are usually optional for me. But calling Chaos for the Fly an acoustic folk solo album is not doing it any justice. This album has enough atmosphere to keep people who normally don’t like folk music interested, without taking away focus from the lyrics. This is a perfect album for rainy Sunday mornings. My favorite songs are Last Time Every Time Forever, Bob’s Casino, and Fairlilies.

Rabbit Rabbit by Speedy Ortiz- Speedy Ortiz returned with a better focus than their 2018 project, in my opinion. The production gives a lot of different textures time to shine. I like the songs Kim Catrall and Who’s Afraid of the Bath?

wallsocket by underscores - An album that might cast itself out based on how weird it is until the hooks sneak up on you. Other people have talked about how it’s a concept album better than I have, so I won’t talk about that, but Locals (Girls Like Us) is very ahead of the times party-rap revival, Shoot to Kill, Kill Your Darlings, is probably one of the cleverest political songs of the year, and Cops and Robbers is a pure adrenaline rush. Special mention goes to You Don’t Even Know Who I Am, which is haunting with a very unique sample.

☆ Cosas de brujas ☆ by Maria Escarmiento- An exciting and fun hyperpop album where the language barrier doesn't matter. It reminds me of Number 1 Angel era Charli. Mejores que ayer and Demasiado Callado are euphoric, Creo que hoy no me apetece quererme morir is a crunchy futuristic song

Past/present/future by Meet Me @ the Altar- over the past few years, I've had revisionism for the 2000s pop rock girlies. Not just ‘Breakaway is good’ or ‘One of the Boys has Really solid album tracks that get overlooked for obvious reasons’, but more deep-cut esoteric ones that can definitely merit their own post. Meet Me @ the Altar captures the era with their power pop influenced pop punk. Say It (to My Face) is purposely well, immature and energetic like most pop punk, and is the most famous song, per the Roku rock video channel I use, but they have other sounds, too. A Few Tomorrows is a catchy singalong midtempo which could have been the last stray American Idol alumni breakout single (I mean it in the best way possible) and Need Me reminds me of the power pop on One of the Boys.

The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We by Mitski- After too much meta narrative about Mitski’s career clouded her last two albums, Mitski came with a folk album that might be more sparse, but not at all too simple. There is the dreamy My Love All Mine All Mine, the wanderlust of Buffalo Replaced, and I Don't Like my Mind.

Flower of Life Taleen Kali- An interesting shoegaze album that reminds me of the Dum Dum Girls. My favorite songs are Only Lovers Left Alive and Flower of Life. I am curious for where her sound will develop from here.

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ryjelsum · 9 months

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every goddamn song on the dux content lifestyle album is gold. i hope there's one last dux content release before pc music ends for good bc i know ag cook and danny are doing their old thing but... this is still one of my favorite pc music releases after like 8 years and it was one of their first releases on the label. and sadly i feel like this sort of music kind of getting lost in the hyperpop hype except for ag cook's 7g

#Youtube

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coco-colada · 1 year

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Mes 32 albums préférés de 2022 classés selon leurs pochettes (2 sur 4)

23. Marie-Gold - Bienvenue à Baveuse City

(rap queb, hyperpop)

Définitivement un des albums que j'ai le plus écouté cette année. Excessivement l'fun, coloré et très catchy! ✨ Encore une fois, c'est assurément intentionnel que cette pochette soit laide. Ça se veut kitsch et cheapette, comme la star que personnifie Marie-Gold dans l'album, toutefois, le résultat n'est pas très attirant. Trop de trucs qui sont lancés mais pas grand chose qui collent...

Marie-Gold - La Presse (Baby Girl

22. Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems

(hip-hop, hardcore punk)

Difficile de trouver un album paru en 2022 qui aie attaqué la scène hardcore punk avec autant de mordant et de conviction que ''Diaspora Problems''. Cette pochette se marie bien à l'album, le visuel est trash et à priori pêle-mêle, à l'image de la musique chaotique de Soul Glo, mais étant donné que c'est difficile de repérer rapidement les éléments qui le compose, je pense qu'il manque de force et d'efficacité.

Soul Glo - Driponomics

21. Sloan Lucas - Oh shit sorry

(rap queb, féministe)

Pas loin de la découverte de l'année pour moi, Sloan Lucas offre un EP de hip-hop catchy sans faille. Elle livre des textes arrogants, intelligents et revendicateurs, mais elle le fait avec un style nonchalant et sarcastique, qui la rend immédiatement mémorable. La pochette de ''Oh shit sorry'' n'a rien d'extraordinaire, esthétiquement elle est même plutôt moche. Mais le collage de faces dégoutées complimente bien la vibe provocante-mais joueuse du projet.

Sloan Lucas - Party poop

20. Wet Leg - Wet Leg

(indie rock, post punk)

Solide première offrande de la part du duo indie rock anglais, cet album regorge de hits tout aussi catchy que quirky.

La pochette est assez simpliste, mais elle n'est pas mauvaise. Le simple fait que les filles soient de dos contribue à rendre le visuel plus intéressant, plus secret.

Wet Leg - Ur Mum

19. Zeal & Ardor - Zeal & Ardor

(black metal, blues)

Encore une fois, Zeal & Ardor arrive à habilement combiner black metal, blues et gospel afin de produire un album qui semble tout droit sortir d'un cauchemar western. Cependant, cette pochette laisse à désirer. Leurs autres covers étaient eux aussi minimalistes, mais soit ils utilisaient un symbolisme particulièrement clever et efficace, ou bien ils utilisaient une palette de couleur qui venait clasher avec les covers traditionnels du genre. Cette fois-ci, le cover manque d'impact.

Zeal & Ardor - Golden Liar

18. Brutus - Unison Life

(rock, post hardcore)

Le groupe belge livre ici un troisième opus aussi fort que les précédents. Évitant de tomber dans le piège de se ramollir avec le temps, le trio profite à nouveau des talents de Stefanie Mannaerts, leur drummeuse/chanteuse qui s’époumone sur chaque morceau, afin de livrer des tracks lourdes et énergiques. Le cover qui accompagne cet album fait bien sa job. Dynamique dans sa sobriété, il promet un projet habile et soigneusement composé. Toutefois, il ne passera sans doute pas à l'histoire.

Brutus - Dust

17. 070 Shake - You Can't Kill Me

(psychedelic hip-hop, r&b)

Comme l'album précédent de la chanteuse, ''You Can't Kill Me'' se traverse comme un voyage psychédélique, émotif et texturé.

Je ne crois pas que la pochette rende justice aux couleurs intergalactiques que la production suggère , toutefois, le rendu gâché de la peinture se prêtre bien au thème d'autodestruction abordé par l'artiste et le tout est assez efficace.

070 Shake- Cocoon

16. SeinsSucrer - Pushe le whipe

(rap queb)

J'étais réticent en écoutant ce projet là pour la première fois, je trouvais que la voix et les tics de langage de SeinsSucrer étaient un peu trop inspirés du rappeur américan Westside Gunn. Toutefois, SeinsSucrer a du charisme et ses textes crus et imagés ont finit par me charmer.

Du côté de la pochette, on est à mi-chemin de ma liste et on commence tranquillement à arriver à des œuvres qui me plaisent. Celle-ci ne présente pas de caractéristiques tant iconiques, mais le style illustratif aux proportions cartoonesques colle bien avec ce style de rap.

SeinsSucrer - Le finest piff

🥰 Lien vers la page suivante de la liste >>>>>>

#album cover #marie-gold #soul glo #sloan lucas #zeal & ardor #brutus #wet leg #070 shake #seinssucrer #rap queb

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onestowatch · 2 years

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The 25 Artists to Watch in 2022

2021 was no one’s year... well, except maybe Pete Davidson’s. Whatever the case, if there was one silver lining, it was the deluge of new music and artists that scored every unpredictable twist and turn. And looking ahead, 2022 has no shortage of artists looking to leave their mark on the music scene at large. Ranging from pop stars in the making, genre-eschewing kids of tomorrow, to nostalgic throwbacks, these are the top 25 artists you need to be watching in 2022.

BoyWithUke

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With his face hidden behind an LED faceplate, we may not know who BoyWithUke is, but one thing we know for certain is that he’s poised to be the next big thing. The enigmatic pop icon creates in stark opposition to his anonymous persona, wearing his heart on his sleeve on albums Melatonin Dreams and Fever Dreams — both released in 2021. It’s this confessional approaching to songwriting paired with nostalgic indie pop that has earned the rapidly rising artist over 12 million monthly listeners on Spotify and a devoted, rapidly growing fanbase. Who Is BoyWithUke? He’s up next.

ericdoa

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Digicore, hyperpop, or whatever microgenre you might call it, ericdoa is an artist more than capable of carrying the torch forward. The byproduct of a flurry of internet communities and collaborations, this kid out of a small town in Connecticut delivers a pixelated vision for pop’s iridescent future. 2021 saw the artist release then i’ll be happy, a collaborative EP with fellow hyperpop breakthrough artist glaive, and a series of singles, including “fantasize,” a summer smash that has been on repeat since its initial drop. As ericdoa continues to build on the foundation of an already impressive discography that speaks for itself, 2022 is starting to feel more and more like his year.

Wallice

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There are few artists who can craft a beguiling song quite like Wallice. The Los Angeles singer-songwriter and self-professed jazz school dropout whisks into existence coming-of-age stories from the mundanity of leaving a Hydro Flask in the back of an emotionally unavailable ex’s car to the foolhardy ambition of having life figured out by the time you turn 23. These lessons learned and those she’s still trying to figure out build the emotional crux of her acclaimed debut EP, Off the Rails, a succinct collection of sprawling confessionals. And as we enter 2022, it certainly seems like there will be no shortage of stories, both deeply personal and universal, for Wallice to transpose into stirring indie rock.

midwxst

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The culmination of 2021 saw the release of midwxst’s Back in Action. The project arrived as a sonic victory lap for the Indiana rapper and artist, delivering an intoxicating composite of pop, digicore, early childhood nostalgia, and emo-rap. But the road to Back in Action wasn’t paved in gold. Feeling like an outsider for most of his childhood, it wasn’t until midwxst found a home amongst a group of like-minded kids on SoundCloud that he matured into the artist he is today — one coupling all the unpredictable chaos of young adulthood with the honed maturity of a seasoned veteran.

PinkPantheress

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Even if you don’t know PinkPantheress by name quite yet, if you’ve spent any time on TikTok in the last year, chances are you’ve heard her music. The UK artist and producer blends hushed, diary-style musings with ethereal drum & bass. It’s an intoxicating cocktail of wistful inspirations that has earned PinkPantheress a particular level of online fame, with snippets of her singles often going viral long before their release. And with the release of her debut mixtape last year, to hell with it, showcasing the range of the inevitable UK star, 2022 is shaping up to be one hell of a year for PinkPantheress.

Bella Poarch

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In the world of social media, Bella Poarch is a household name, and it seems like the next step in her inevitable world domination is music. While initial detractors may have been overly skeptical of the TikTok star’s pivot to cutthroat pop, any misplaced doubt was quickly put to rest with her debut single, “Build a Bitch.” Playing out as equal parts biting social commentary and twisted, carnival-esque pop smash, the single introduced the world to Poarch, social media icon and budding pop star. And with the release of the equally enthralling follow-up “Inferno,” it seems like there’s simply no stopping Poarch in the year to come.

Wet Leg

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“Chaise Lounge” may have just been the best song of 2021, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Formed atop a Ferris wheel on an island off the south coast of England, Wet Leg, comprised of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, is built around a shared love of French disco, The Ronettes, Björk, and their lively imaginations. The result is a band that strays the line between talkative art-punk on the innuendo-heavy breakout hit “Chaise Lounge” and anthemic indie rock on songs like “Wet Dream.” Wet Leg is a laissez-faire indie rocker’s dream come true.

ENNY

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ENNY is set to become a fixture in the UK’s thriving rap scene. The South London rapper saw her first instance of viral success following a remix of her single “Peng Black Girls,” which featured none other than Jorja Smith. Yet, even in its original form, “Peng Black Girls” is a shining illustration of what makes ENNY an act worth championing in 2022. Over a chilled-out beat, she muses on diversity and inclusion, and not just shallow portrayals of it that seek to appease passing trends of social consciousness but on the importance of seeing the inclusion of black women on your teams and the inherent diversity that exists amongst black women as a whole. ENNY is an artist with a poignant message and the sonic skill to carry it to a global stage.

Laufey

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Taking up the cello and piano at an early age, partially inspired her mother, a classical violinist, it was in her father’s record collection that Laufey truly found a kindred spirit, losing herself in the timeless sounds of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. The result is a modern-day reimagining of the classics, bridging the worlds of classical music, jazz, and modern pop to paint a lush sonic portrait that is nothing short of mesmerizing. Even though Laufey may only have one EP to her name, Typical of Me, her timeworn sound and spellbinding vocals have all the trappings of a timeless success story.

Weston Estate

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Self-described as “ya aunty’s favorite boyband,” I have to say… damn, ya aunty’s got amazing taste. Comprised of longtime best friends, Srikar Nanduri, Manas Panchavati, Tanmay Joshi, Abhi Manhass, and Marco Luka, Weston Estate may have penned a deal with Arista Records and be racking up streams in the millions, but the North Carolina-based band hasn’t forgotten their homegrown roots. Insisting on doing the majority of their production and songwriting in-house, listening to Weston Estate feels like accidentally stumbling onto your favorite band’s impromptu jam session. Laid-back yet well-hone, dreamlike yet firmly planted in their vision, Weston Estate is shaping up to make major strides in the year to come.

Slush Puppy

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To say Slush Puppy’s music is explosive would be a severe understatement. On his Royal & the Serpent-assisted breakout hit “EAT SPIT!,” the San Diego-bred artist delivers his lines with the menacing snarl of a rabid junkyard dog, launching into earth-shattering bouts of catharsis against volatile, blown-out production. Yet, on “Juliette,” Slush perfectly plays the role of lovelorn slacker, evoking all the latent appeal of early ‘00s indie rock. It’s clear that whether you put a spike or plush velvet collar on this Puppy, his bite sinks his teeth into you never quite lets go.

redveil

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17-year-old Maryland rapper redveil is a Prince George county kid just trying to make it, and he’s well on his way. With a deep, raspy voice that evokes Earl Sweatshirt and an effortless bravado that pays heed to the greats without feeling stuck in the past, redveil feels poised for a breakthrough moment. Spending the better part of his teenage years releasing relentless cut after cut, from the hypnotic “04” to the timeworn “Weight,” redveil has set himself up for a massive 2022.

Montell Fish

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There is a spiritual quality to Montell Fish’s music. The New York-based artist’s sonic place of worship is adorned modestly by sparse, lofi instrumentals and his striking falsetto that often seems like it’s floating in a world of its own. Listening to Fish often feels like bearing witness to the creation of a new age of gospel music, one that seeks out the innate spirituality birthed in traditionally Black spaces of worship from the comfort of an unassuming New York apartment. And while fans will likely draw comparisons to the transcendent R&B of Frank Ocean or the gospel-inspired ruminations of early Kanye West, Fish’s vision is uniquely his own.

Nessa Barrett

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Chances are you may know Nessa Barrett from TikTok, where she regularly commands an audience in the millions, but that was never the original plan. Before finding a home on the social media platform, the New Jersey artist had dreams of metamorphosing into an ominous pop queen. And following the release of not one but two breakout hit singles, the pop-punk leaning, jxdn-assisted “la di die” and undeniable earworm “i hope ur miserable until ur dead,” Barret is well on her way to making those dreams a reality. Let 2022 be the year of Barrett’s reign.

Gabriels

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Gabriels make timeless, haunting music. The Los Angeles three-piece outfit, comprised of lead singer Jacob Lusk and producers Ari Balouzian and Ryan Hope, eschew generations to deliver a uniquely modern vision that draws inspiration from the time-honored traditions of blues, soul, and R&B. This is music whose passion and pain you can feel from the very opening note to the last lyric sung, each heaven-sent falsetto carrying with it the full force of Lusk’s impressive vocal talent. Gabriels is set to leave their mark on 2022 and far, far beyond.

Amelia Moore

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With her debut single, “sweet and sour” Amelia Moore perfectly shifted us from hot girl summer to spooky girl fall. Teasing the single for far too long with a series of viral TikTok videos, Moore finally revealed her debut single as a fully-formed blur of transfixing R&B, sinister pop, and rippling electronic textures. An emerging star was born. Currently working on her highly-anticipated debut project and set to join FLETCHER on tour this spring, 2022 is set to be the year Moore brings her enthralling pop vision to the world at large.

454

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454 has a lot more going for him than a Frank Ocean co-sign (although that most certainly doesn’t hurt). On his debut album, 4 Real, the Florida rapper creates his own woozy vision of psych-rap that feels like stumbling through a Euphoria-themed house party at 4 a.m. That’s not to say 454 is all aesthetics, no substance. In between intoxicating bars and otherworldly beats and breakdowns, the Florida rapper touches upon deeply personal themes, ranging from losing family and friends to chasing fading highs. 454 is the next wave, and we’re here for the ride.

Luna Li

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Luna Li holds a special place on this list as both one of our top artists to watch in the year to come and one of the most proficient beatmakers of recent memory. The Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist has found a fanbase through both her homemade beats, racking up views in the millions and serving as the foundation for her stellar jams EP, as well as her ethereal brand of pop that pours out like the sonic equivalent of floating on cloud nine. These two sides of Li merge beautifully on Flower (In Bloom), which saw her nourishing the succinct beats of jams into flourishing, fully-formed works of their own. We cannot wait to see what Li blooms into existence next.

Riovaz

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Riovaz exists at the hazy intersection of woozy rap cuts and bittersweet splice of bedroom pop and hip-hop. The result is a sound that blearily drifts between the lovesick indie pop of “Prom Night,” the pulsating thrall of “I Feel Fantastic,” and the atypical club meditation that is “Leaving You.” Yet, whatever newfound sound Riovaz glides toward, the end result is the same — an infectious earworm that begs to be played on repeat. With a handful of singles that have gained streams in the millions in the past year, 2022 is set to be a breakthrough year for the genre-blurring wunderkind.

Warren Hue

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Indonesian rapper, singer, and producer Warren Hue is unpredictable in the best way possible. Whether it be the racing production and acrobatic flow of “omomo punk” or the genre-shifting twists and turns that build the kaleidoscopic world of the Chasu-assisted Sugartown, the sonic chameleon approaches music with a flexibility that is nothing short of infectious. Sending off 2021 with a series of standout singles and leaving his mark on Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings: The Album, the 88rising multi-hyphenate is poised for an even bigger 2022.

Teezo Touchdown

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Teezo Touchdown has racked up co-signs from the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Madonna, and Givenchy’s Matthew M Williams. Decked in his trademark hair entombed in nails, The Texas-based artist, multi-instrumentalist, and creative tour de force makes the very idea of genre feel like an archaic misnomer. Demonstrating a unique sonic vernacular that can stand toe to toe with Tyler on the celebratory “RUNITUP” one moment and delve into the genuinely introspective on “I’m Just a Fan” the next, there simply seems to be no limit to Touchdown’s creative depth. If there was any time to believe the hype, this is it.

Hojean

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Hojean makes the sort of music perfectly apt for listless summer days and carefree joyrides. It’s a testament to the Georgia-based singer, songwriter, and producer’s hypnotic blend of alternative R&B and modern pop. The cherry on top is Hojean’s charismatic and soothing vocals, which serve as a vehicle for lyrics that are ripped straight from the life of the Georgia artist and those closest to him. If there’s one fault to be found with Hojean, it’s that he’s teased us with numerous standout singles without ever releasing a full-length project. Maybe 2022 will be both Hojean’s and our year?

tsubi club

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tsubi club may have released his one and only single last year, but it left an explosive enough first impression to firmly cement his place on the list. The solo project of soren, he describes the project as a "composite of music and visuals that combine everything I think is cool." It’s this omnivorous hunger that begins to explain the infectious appeal of “burbank house;” tsubi club’s debut single that stitches together emo-rap, alternative, hyperpop, outright euphoria, and a thrilling reckless abandon to leave us with an insatiable appetite for what’s to come.

marinelli

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marinelli, the singer, songwriter, producer, and former Billie Eilish drummer, can seemingly do it all. When it comes to his solo work, the Los Angeles-based multi-hyphenate crafts cinematic pop that pairs all the intimacy of a bedroom pop confessional and the precision of his impressive musical pedigree. For proof, look no further than his FINNEAS co-sign or debut EP, Funny Bone, a concise yet impactful six-song collection that sees marinelli wearing his still bleeding heart on his sleeve over meticulously constructed soundscapes. If 2022 has any taste, it’ll be the year marinelli makes his mark.

Seori

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Long before making her official debut, Seori was already amassing a legion of fans with a series of covers, ranging from Khalid to Rachael Yamagata, that earned her views in the millions. Not content to simply rest on her laurels, the South Korean artist released her debut EP ?depacse ohw to widespread acclaim. Tackling themes of isolation and loneliness and taking inspiration from Avril Lavigne, Paramore, and G-Dragon, Seori’s music is a transcendent fusion of emotional pathos and infectious pop-R&B.

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luuurien · 2 years

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dynastic - I Know There’s Something Left for You

(Hyperpop, Emo Pop, Noise Pop)

Brandon Akin's debut album under the dynastic name places them as a pioneer for the sound of hyperpop and modern electropop as a whole, mixing colors of lovesick emo, in-your-face pop punk, saccharine dubstep, and crass noise pop that makes I Know There's Something Left for You an unparalleled, incredible achievement. Taking hold of the boundless world of electronica they inhabit, Akin makes every song a world in itself.

☆☆☆☆½

Something like I Know There's Something Left for You was bound to happen at some point these past few years, but it's a good thing Brandon Akin was the one to achieve it. Hyperpop, as always-morphing and inscrutable a term it may be, went from the 2020's next big thing in music to another oddly rigid, static sound where most everyone was trying to copy what the scene's early originators had already achieved. Getting sick of this notion, artists both in and adjacent to the hyperpop world began to push the genre's "pop" part to expand into other genres, be it dltzk's incorporation of glitch, digicore and bitpop, underscores' hints of R&B and alternative rock, or Rural Internet's hip hop/hyperpop blends. It's not until now, with Akin's debut under the dynastic moniker I Know There's Something Left for You, that all those pieces have come together along with Akin's own influences that make the album not only a milestone for Akin's own artistry, but for the sound of hyperpop and modern electropop as a whole, and just how nebulous a concept those both can be. Depending on where you drop into I Know There's Something Left for You from, you might think the album is one of a hundred different things. Put it on shuffle, and you might first come up on the rainbow-chugging dance jam sway, whose amen break and pitched vocals are so joyfully reminiscent of Porter Robinson's Nurture that I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if that album helped direct more than a few parts of I Know There's Something...'s sound. Run into album single clout dracula, and you've got yourself an emo noise rock jam with grungy guitars, a heartbroken vocal performance, and the confidence from Akin to tie it all together. There's an unfathomable amount of both musical prowess and emotional intelligence throughout I Know There's Something..., which helps the intensity of some songs from being just that. The lightning-fast, sometimes incomprehensible verses on drum-and-bass/indie rock crossover caldecott tackles an insecure relationship and this unshakeable commitment to someone Akin isn't sure will be reciprocated. gold medal's tense, dissonant synth arpeggios and the shuffling drum pattern it's always catching up to settle things down as Akin explores their internal battles with dysphoria and how that changes the ways they express themselves to the world (the massive scream of "DOES MY OUTFIT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION!? / WHAT DID YOU WANT TO KNOW IN THE FIRST PLACE!?" is easily one of the album's brightest-shining highlights). They're also all incredibly catchy too, from the scuzzy pop rap heavy-hitter no romance that refuses to be played at any volume less than 100 decibels to glitchy house centerpiece lake city quiet pills whose fluorescent outside reveals to be a front for Akin's addiction to another person to featherbrain's non-vocoded, raw and powerful emo-pop where their storytelling couldn't be described as anything less than heartbreaking and the instrumentation no less impactful. But back in the early parts of 2020, would we have categorized a song from I Know There's Something Left for You like autotuned pop-punk dream on tape as "hyperpop"? or no romance, or the bassy trap crossover all good people are asleep, or caldecott from before with its heavier rock influences? There's no way to prove it for sure, but I'm almost certain that if this album had come up a few years back that comment sections and music forums would be rife with the discussion of where I Know There's Something... fits in our understanding of the constantly-developing online music scene. But I think that's part of the statement Akin and their dynastic project is making now, though: there's no one thing dynastic has to be. Now, a project as musically varied as this might not work as well if Akin's weren't such a capable musician, but there's no reason no romance shouldn't be able to exist on the same album as emo grunge tearjerker jaqueline, as long as all the emotions are genuinely felt by Akin (and there's no doubt they are). Throughout I Know There's Something..., Akin argues for pop more as a framework rather than the end goal; I'm reminded of the way the aforementioned dltzk did this for digicore on their 2021 release frailty, how the sugary choruses of a good pop song were weaved around electronic ambience and heavy modulation, and Akin does the same here with stronger influences from pop punk and rock music to the same mind-opening effect. It's pop music just as much as it is electronic music, or emo, or punk, or rock, and Akin never treats any of these as totally disconnected from one another. In turn, I Know There's Something... legitimately sounds like nothing else that's happened in the music world for years now. I Know There's Something Left for You will remain a landmark for forward-thinking musicians far into the future, a blueprint for how to incorporate all sorts of genres and ideas without sacrificing the full power any of them can hold. Akin turns them all up to 150% on every song, and delivers that intensity with so much charisma and a surprising level of accessibility that never lets up on their incredible musicianship. Akin proves themselves to be not only a paradigm shifting artist, but one who can create entirely new paradigms from how dissimilar their music is to anything anyone else is making right now. I wouldn't be surprised to hear more than a few copycats of dynastic's sound in the future, but that only goes to show how exciting and inspiring I Know There's Something... is. But what's most important is the quality of what's in front of us, and it's clear across all 47 minutes of music that Brandon Akin and their dynastic project are a force to be reckoned with from this point forward. I can't underestimate how much ecstasy I Know There's Something Left for You pulls out of me, and with a heart this honest I can't even imagine a way Akin's music couldn't have that effect. When they're also making music with this level of majesty behind it, how could it be anything less than revolutionary?

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kiilonova · 3 years

Text

monthly faves: april 🌷🌱🌤

ok so @antigojos was posting about this and i love sharing my opinions so im participating <3 (below cut bc its long)

📺🎞💻media

💫kamen rider ooo. its 10 years old and frustratingly good and its changed me as a person forever. im a kazari apologist except for when im an uva apologist.

💫overwatch archives event. its over now but i came back to play it a bunch bc im unfortunately still invested in the lore and i like pve story games

💫jerma stream highlights. -v- you all really made me watch this insane man thinking he was some kind of clown and not a local freak psychologically terrorizing me forever.

💫kamen rider saber. i keep going back and forth on whether i love it or hate it but in the second most recent episode two main characters had gay sex so im willing to forgive some crimes.

💫ASLRochelle. this woman is an angel she has taught me language better than i have been taught anything before and her videos are in the perfect length to learn per day.

🔊🎶🎧music

💫SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama (album). GOD what a good album its so fun to listen to. its definitely got songs id love to dance to when partying is an option again. fave track: XS

💫 That Kid (artist). one of the artists that really got me into hyperpop and adjacent genres. he's a pop star for sure and all his songs are so fun to listen to. fave tracks: kiss & tell, mind your business, boost mobile

💫Misc. songs ive had on repeat: Confess to Me by Disclosure, Hot Pink by Let's Eat Grandma, Rotten Tomatoes by Dubloadz, Slap on the Face by Alice Gas, Plug Me In by Lil Soda Boi

🥧🥤🍓food & drink

💫kitkat duo mint/dark chocolate. i hate to shill for any nestle owned product but i fucking love these green kitkats i grab em by the handful at cvs. its good balance between sweet/rich chocolate and light mint that i can eat the whole thing but still feel like im eating candy

💫homemade iced matcha latte. yes another green food. i make it with cinnamon sugar, perfect drink to overcaffeinate on 😌

💫chobani vanilla yogurt with honey. self explanatory. yogurt with honey is one of the foods that makes me feel like any time in history. i know thats not historically accurate but maybe you should try some with me and understand.

🧥👗👢fashion

💫mismatched earrings from hot topic. ok before you judge me, i didnt pay for them. i have a rose gold hello kitty set for my right ear and a green/gunmetal cybergoth-inspired set for my left ear. my brand.

💫pink athletic shorts from walmart. idk the brand or anything but theyre very comfortable and they could work as swim shorts if i ever get the chance to swim again lol

💫velvet scrunchies. my sister got a big pack of them from target and gave me some, my favorite are pink, neon green, dark teal, and royal blue.

#cro zone #monthly faves #im gonna be real with you guys i wrote most of this while high so if its incomprehensible im sorry

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1albumaday · 3 years

Text

2020

The Chats - The Clap

Easy-peasy punk rock album

Loving - If I am only my thoughts

Charming sun-dappled folk-pop, clean, gentle melodies

Steve Spacek - Houses

iPhone/iPad recorded, latino and jazz accented dance/house beats

Ghali - DNA

Total Flop and failed expectations. Mishmash of bland and frivolous lyrics and arrangements.

King Krule - Man Alive!

Alienating, violent, romantic, anguishing, doomed, noir / jazz, post-punk, soul, dubstep, electronic, garage rock, hip-hop

Justin Bieber - Changes

Disappointing comeback - boring r&b with zero sex appeal and cheesy lyrics and all-the-same songs

Guided by voices - Surrender your poppy field

Unusual time signatures, song lengths, and baroque-prog structures - mature rock and sometimes pixie / 80s dreamy

Corrections - Simply Activities

80s new wave and post punk nostalgia - cheesy vocals at times - first half more solid than second

Swim Mountain- If

A lovely mix of indie and funktronica, synth pop, r&b

Caribou - Suddenly

Sly and sofishticated sound design flits between uk garage disco and more - some tracks way less strong than others

Grimes - Miss Anthropocene

Mix “Ethereal nu metal”, ambient, dance, electronic, drum’n’bass, country - is violent and dark but sexy, delicate and dreamy

Porridge Radio - Every Bad

A dissonant lush indie rock sometimes dreamy sometimes dark and ironic with mantra-litany dusky lyrics from peaceful to desperate

Four Tet - Sixteen oceans

Wind instruments, synths and drum patterns gradually fade to calming ambient sounds, intense and meditative but also danceable and powerful

Kamaiyah - Got it made

Short, stripped-down, bubbling keyboards and drum-machine handclaps. NO current rap trends. windows-down bass-rattle record of one person’s confidence in her own sound and charisma

Poolside - Low season

Funk percussions, retro synths, pop and disco influences + indie vocals

Morioh Sonder - Is this psychedelia?

Surf pop and psych rock, dreamy post punk influences, danceable and whimsical

KEYAH/BLU - Sorry, I forgot you were coming

Perfect blend of rap, rnb, experimental pop, dark rhythms textured electronics, intimate tales

TOPS - I feel alive

Pop, radiant and 80s romantic with a contemporary experimental palette

The Chats - High risk behaviour

Classic old-school pure punk / cheerily undemanding fun

NIN - Ghosts V: Together

Buzzy ambient, melodic hooks, emotional palette of sounds

NIN - Ghosts VI: Locusts

Together’s opposite, anxiety-inducing, despairing horns, breathing and devouring sounds.

Roger and Brian Eno - Mixing Colours

Feels like a balm for these anxious times

Fiona Apple - Fetch the bolt cutters

Handclaps, chants, makeshift percussion, echoes, whispers, screams, breathing, jokes, dog barks, rattling blues. Contains no conventional pop forms. freeing and powerful.

The Weeknd - After Hours

Satisfying collision of new wave, dream pop, R&B, synth-pop nostalgia

BC Camplight - Shortly After Takeoff

Jazzy eighties rock with some icy funk and electronic pop, painfully personal and uneasy but so self-deprecating it speaks like your best friend

Rone - Room with a view

Deft splicing of beats-based electronics and dance music with classical influences. 21st century baroque chords, snatches of conversations, speeches, children’s voices

Other Lives - For their love

Bluesy acid-rock, dreamy meditation sounds, eerie string-crescendos, music for the afterlife

Lil Uzi Vert - Eternal Atake

Drill-influenced rapping, melodic crooning, trends-aware hip-hop beats, untouchable pop sound production

Squarepusher - Be up a hello

Frantic breakbeats littered with echoes of classic jungle, hardcore, and drum’n’bass, ’90s drill’n’bass, glitchy 8-bit chaos

The Orielles - Disco Volador

Cosmic, playful, funky dreamy indie pop, shuffling organs, woozy guitar, shimmy-shimmy hand percussion

Portico Quartet - We welcome tomorrow

Perfect dreamy sequel of ‘Memory streams’

Charlie XCX - how i’m feeling now

Quarantine creation / 2020 romance manifesto of club-pop, trap, k-pop, video game sounds, fuzzy synths and crackling bass

Holy Fuck - Deleter

Trippy, psychedelic tapestry of euphoric escapism, ‘90s dance, glitchy beats, airy vocals, experimental electronics

Luge - Luge

Energetic and playful avant-garde and quirky math rock, zolo?

Good With Parents, Triple Stephens - Comments & Reflection

Playful indietronica synth pop + classical instruments

Wishing - None of this was your fault

Lo-fi indie, ambient, slowcore w/ fragile lyrics

Bibio - Sleep on the wing

Indie folk treated like ambient / a gorgeous soundscape of strings, guitars and flutes, feelings of loss, hope and escape. Perfect picture of tranquil countryside memories

Piotr Kurek - A Sacrifice Shall Be Made / All The Wicked Scenes

Electroacoustic experimental, meditative-ritualistic atmospheric music / conceived for theatrical performances

Military Genius - Deep Web

Meditative ambient, retro-futurist soundscapes / hypnagogic pop, dark, abstract and mysterious / early ‘70s folk interjecting jazz-brass sections

Jockstrap - Wicked City

Melancholy waltz and winsome ballads, fluttering strings, soft piano glissandi mixed with gnarly and distorted hip-hop beats, buzzing guitars and synths / cherubic vocals, pcmusic-style manipulated at times

Georgia - String Token

Experimental ambient electronic, minimal, melodic, futuristic, hypnotic and grim

EVOL - Madball Manners

Lingering experimental rave electronic, hardcore, techno

Upsammy - Zoom

Playful, sampling, abstract IDM, ambient techno, melodic and rhythmic, surreal, futuristic, sparkling synths and billowing pads

Tomasz Kunicki - Muzyka dla Świątyń

Playful and abstract IDM, glittering synths, obscure pads, glitchy and bleepy

Tomasz Kunicki - The sound is gone, where did it go, I have no idea

Very bassy and very dubby IDM, atmospheric ambient and loopy electronics

Kate NV - Room for the moon

80s new wave, progressive electronic, synth pop, cornucopia of melodies and genres. Wriggling synths, chirping flutes, warm baselines, jazzy sax, woodwinds, marimba. Russian girly vocals cartoon theme-song-like.

Khruangbin - Mordechai

Psychedelic / funk rock with some soul, dub, lounge, poolside disco - exotic and atmospheric

Dalai Lama - Inner world

Chanted mantras rhythmically woven into wafting new-age flutes, chimes, strings and free-form guitar picking.

K-Lone - Cape Cira

Tropical ambient house, warm, lush, soft. Zen yet bouncy rhythms. Digital and analogue recordings, at times feels like you’re underwater.

Arca - KiCk i

Experimental industrial club rhythms with reggaeton and folk influences

The Beths - Jump Rope Gazers

Sleek and personal indie rock, romantic ballads, more sentimental and slow than the previous album

J Lloyd - Kosmos

Tasteful soul and funk pop in 25 tiny tracks, charming low-key, rich textures, good vibes

Julek Polsk - Tesco

Dissonant, ominous, dense, post industrial ambient, noise, sound collage, deconstructed club music

Taylor Swift - folklore

Folk/chamber pop, indie folk, bittersweet, mellow, melancholic ballads

Bill Callahan - Gold Record

Contemporary folk, warm and deep vocals, pastoral, peaceful and melancholic

Mura Masa - R.Y.C.

Indietronica, post-punk revival, catchy indie/synth pop, early 2000 EMO, lots of hip collabs

Fontaines D.C. - A Hero's Death

Post-punk, indie rock, art punk, gothic rock, raw deadpan male vocals, darkish and melodic

RAMzi - cocon

Tribal House, ambient dub, balearic beats, downtempo, hypnotic and tropical

Auguste - Indust

Experimental ambient electronic + field recordings, glistening and splintered sounds

Paul Blackford - Betamax

Dreamy and hypnotic trip hop, downtempo, synth wave

A.G.Cook - 7G

49-track archival collection of sketches, cover versions, volatile lab experiments, divided into 7 discs. a glimpse at the whirring cogs beneath hyperpop’s pristine casing.

Clap clap - Liquid Portraits

Experimental musical tapestry and collage / high-energy concoction of unpredictable and wavy rhythms, exotic vocals and heavy, relentless bass and drums / UK Bass, ambient dub, footwork + far-flung field recordings

E.M.M.A. - Indigo Dream

Progressive electronic, ambient house / 80s melodic atmospheres, goosebump-inducing synths, whimsical melodies and classical leanings

Leif - Music for screen tests

Performed live @ Barbican as a 54min session ambient / drone film soundtrack (Andy Warhol's Screen Tests)

Crack Cloud - Pain Olympics

Post/art/dance punk, experimental rock - energetic, anxious, apocalyptic, dark, male vocals

Document - A Camera Wanders All Night

Post-punk, noise rock, past-hardcore, distorted and raw male vocals

Keisuke Matsuda - Clumsily Back Up

Experimental electronic with playful hummed vocals, lo-fi beats, melodic, youthful, dreamlike

Coi Leray - Now or Never

Gen-Z superstar, melodic flows, bouncy trap, energetic killer lyrics

The Ophelias - For Luck

Artful, string-laden indie-pop EP, grungy dream-pop, a quarantine remake and a Joni Mitchell cover

Romare - Home

Deep house, UK Bass, groovy and detailed sonic palette + soul and funk influences - dancefloor highs and after party wind-downs

Mulatu Astatke, Black Jesus Experience - To Know Without Knowing

Ethio-Jazz, Cuban, funk, reggae workout + rapid-fire rap or Afrobeat drums

Good Doom - Spider Temple Valley

Experimental psych-wave, gentle and peaceful lo-fi, dreamy and oozy with flute, sax and field recordings

Ralph Kinsella - Abstraction

Dark ambient experimental / instrumental electronic

IDLES - Ultra Mono

Post-punk, garage punk, hardcore, noise rock, raw male vocals, dense, energetic, angry, political

Mild Orange - Mild Orange

Alternative, Indie rock, dream pop,

Skinshape - Umoja

Experimental psychedelic rock - afro beats - afroswinig - funky - world music

Vulfpeck - The Joy of Music, The Job of Real Estate

Mixed bag of funk, jazz, soul, self-indulgent? classical reworks, progressive electronic, melodic and uplifting, groovy drums and bass lines

OPN - Magic OPN

Manipulated and sequenced archive radio and sounds collages as interludes, uncanny processed voices, poppish trope ballads, art pop, sentimental and surreal, dense, progressive hypnagogic electronic and more

Pa Salieu - Send them to coventry

Combined dancehall, Afrobeats, hip-hop and grime. Scattered drums, stop-start energy, handpicked words and rhymes. skips from trap trills to baile breakdowns.

Mama Ode - Tales & Patterns of the Maroons

Classic hip-hop album with jazz, funk, blues and reggae influences. Creole Sega Rap Roots music, afro-drum patterns and grooves

Tony Allen, Hugh Masekela - Rejoice

Live sessions of unique fusion of afrobeat and swing-jazz with lyrics in English, Yoruba and Zulu

Miley Cyrus - Plastic Hearts

Pop rock, 80s synth-rock, grit and freewheeling sense of fun, rough-hewn panache of vocal performance, bittersweet eclectic and sentimental / collabs with rock idols

2019

LCD Soundsystem - Electric lady sessions

Live recording with some new wavy covers

Harry Styles - Fine line

Not catchy / mediocre pop

Boothe - 8 or 9 Walled Room

10 minutes of playful electronic and soft vocals

Good with parents - Good with parents

Clever indietronica synth pop, fun + ironic + millennial + sax

Taylor Skye - Kode fine & sons

Synth, beats and pop vocals

Famous - England

Wonky pop punk mixed to electronic sounds and raw spoken vocals

Orville Peck - Pony

Simple pop rock Johnny Cash style ballads and 80s

Sassy 009 - Kill Sassy 009

Distorted electro pop with strong vocals + post-punk notes

J-Walk - Mediterranean Winds

Jazzy electronica with glassy synth pads cheesy and chilled out

Mattiel - Satis Factory

Punky garage rock strong female vocals

Ross Backenkeller - Come Around

Country dreamy and melancholy guitar and vocals

Legss - Writing Comedy

Art rock and a dark underbelly of post-punk + topnotch spoken track and electronic sounds

BEA1991 - The Lost Demo EP

Trip-hop with Bjork-style vocals

BEA1991 - Brand New Adult

Chamber folk and yacht rock meld with R&B and trip-hop

Matt Maltese - Krystal

Lo-fi flowy bedroom pop breakup album

Faye Webster - Atlanta Millionaires Club

Folk-pop, mellow and melancholy soul with an r&b tinge

Infinite Bisous- Period

Soothing and warm bedroom night album

Achille Lauro - 1969

Trap changed into rock with romanticised lyrics

Jerkcurb - Air Con Eden

Indie-psych and retro Americana, atmospheric, sensitive, wobbly

Octo Octa - Resonant Body

Breakbeats and house bangers

ALASKALASKA - The Dots

Jazz fusion, disco rhythms and high-gloss art rock

Orphan - Yijoda

Glitchy and sharp electronics + ambient-atmospheric sounds

Honeymoan - Body

Avant-garde pop tapestry of beats and synths with playful vocal

U-Bahn - U-Bahn

Traditional new wave DEVO-moulded, Hypnagogic pop, art-punk, some vaporwave synth sounds

Hail Conjurer - Erotic Hell

Obscure and raw Finnish black metal

Ride for revenge - Chapter of alchemy

Quality black metal with long and short tracks pretty smooth

Boys Age - Neverchanging, Neverending

Lo-fi, slow-tempo, soul, r&b, mellow tracks with sad very low vocals

MorMor - Some place else

Indie-pop with sweet synths and delicate vocals

Felicita - hej!

Overproduced pop dance hits broken down into harsh and jarring staccato melodies, hissing ambient and screams

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen

Endlessly giving and complex meditation on mortality and our collective grief, scored by synths, pianos, and electronics

Portico Quartet - Memory Streams

Ethereal keyboards, hypnotic grooves, layered post-rock textures mixed with electronic, ambient and magnetic jazz build-ups

Charles Rumback + Ryley Walker - Little common twist

Mellow and pastoral folksy guitar melodies and soft drums + ambient tones, drone electronic

Shadowax - Nikolai Reptile

Effervescent techno and mutant bass jams

The Rhythm Method - How do you know I was lonely?

Ostensibly witty and warm pop songs from hip hop to indie and electronic about romance and millennial youth

Martin Dupont - Accident of Stars

80s kinda goth new wave full of electronics, guitars synths and clarinets

Raime - Planted

Latin American and Chicago footwork influences merged with alien sounds, half-heard voices, dark and rhythmic bass and percussions

Sunn 0))) - Pyroclasts

Sunn 0))) - Life Metal

Slow-motion drone feels like a religious ritual / pipe organ and cello, guitars webbing together the space between notes

Special Request - Vortex

Breakbeat barnstormers and house epics, with room for bleep, electro and gabber

Caterina Barbieri - Ecstatic Computation

Oscillating sequencers, rhythmic pulsations, cascades of synthesiser melodies echoing dance music/new age

Battles - Juice B Crypts

Playful electronic wizardry, dense array of beats, bleeps and squelches, loopy keyboards and guitars, ecstatic vocals

Haruomi Hosono - HOCHONO HOUSE

Home-recorded aesthetic, funk shaped into minimalist space-age lounge music

Florist - Emily Alone

Thoughtful, calming and melancholic, full of hushed, enveloping guitar sounds and gentle vocals

Spencer Radcliffe - Hot Spring

Alt-country, indie falk americana, very relaxed,pastoral and wry poetics

Ciamkam - Play-doh Dog

Noise ambient / screeching, dissonant, surreal, ominous

Equiknoxx - Eternal Children

UK soundsystem style, reggae groundings, earthy dancehall with a vast range of puzzling vocalists

Eh hahah - Fissure

Experimental deconstructed electronic, sound collage, glitches and post-club music

Upsammy - Wild Chamber

Lucid shades of IDM, bleep techno, perky synths and frazzling hi-hats, polyrhythmic drum patterns

Otik - Blasphemy

Fresh, vibrant, dark experimental club music, techno + dance + electronic

Shanti Celeste - Tangerine

Tech / ambient / deep house, breakbeat, rhythmic and mechanical yet dreamy

Bez - Banki Mydlane

Dream pop, shoegaze, noise pop, space rock, reverberated female vocals + spoken word

Yu Su - Roll with the punches

Ambient dub, downtempo, tribal ambient, sampling, mellow, atmospheric with female vocals

Drive45 - Dried up

Bitpop, Artpop, indietronica, quirky and playful, androgynous vocals

Lala &ce - Le son d’apres

French hip hop, trap, cloud rap, alternative b&b, dancehall / sparse dark and ominous, warm female vocals

Leif - Loom Dream

Tribal ambient / ambient techno + field recordings / pastoral, ethereal, atmospheric

deathcrash - Sundown (a collection of home recordings)

Slowcore, drone ambient, post-punk, fragile male vocals

FEET - What’s inside is more than just ham

Post-punk, indie-rock, dance-punk, sarcastic, playful, technical, male vocals

Coi Leray - EC2

Trap, hyphy, pop rap

Ariwo- Quasi

Dub techno, afro-cuban jazz, ambient techno, chants, programmed beats, pulsating relentless rhythms and percussions, loud sax

Floating Points - Crush

Strikingly melodic and elegant, cinematic, frantic and distorted rhythms, shuddered synths, vibrant breakbeats, sampling, UK garage nodding

Jacques Greene - Dawn Chorus

Bittersweet, sad but triumphant, mix of experimental electronic and lightweight techno + field recordings, hazy sampled textures, distorted drones + disco house + percussions + spoken word

Men I Trust - Oncle Jazz

Indie electronic, minimal, chillout downtempo, dreamy female vocals, jazzy

Raveena - Lucid

R&B, soul, experimental, pop, groovy, jazzy and dreamy, with some field and spoken words recordings

2018

Shit and Shine - Very high

Lazy hippie funk with slowed rnb vocals

Saloli - The deep end

New Age-inspired delicate only-synth music

Adrianne Lenker - abysskis

Guitar and sweet and warm vocals

Ever ending kicks - Ideas relayed

Sweet lo-fi similar to the previous two

Negative Gemini - Bad Baby

Solid synth pop with dreamy intimate vocals

Okay Kaya - Both

melancholy bedroom-pop sarcastic and harsh lyrics

Trust Fund - Bringing the Backline

Witty yet melancholy self-aware pop-rock

Jockstrap - Love is the key to the city

A fusion of Bossa Nova, 1930s Disney-esque orchestra, and coarse electronica

Noah Cyrus - Good Cry

Pop and rnb debut album with a bit of gospel and melancholy

Carla dal Forno - Top of the pops

Alternative indie electronic, subtle instrumental backdrops with plaintive vocals

Lala Lala - The lamb

Alternative/Indie rock with grunge tones and personal and warm vocals

Diamond Thug - Apastron

Progressive but dreamy pop, graceful vocals

Denh Izen - Storage Solutions

Dark and charming sounds with warm and distorted vocals, desperate but calm

Imperial Triumphant - Vile Luxury

New York Jazz mixed with top-notch black metal great for a sci-fi dystopian movie - especially Cosmopolis

Oliver Coates - Shelley’s on Zenn-La

Beat-oriented electronic music, sublime cello and synths

Dylan Carlson - Conquistador

drone-metal imaginary Western mostly solo electric guitar

Project Pablo - Come to Canada you will like it

Dozy laid back deep house with jazzy chords and subtly swinging drums

Ryley Walker - The Lillywhite Sessions

Dave Matthews Band tribute with proggy folk, primitive guitar, free improv, Chicago jazz-rock on darker tones

Grouper - Grid of Points

Empty room, piano and voice slip through your fingers like water

Kali malone - Cast of Mind

Glacial synth tones mapped to acoustic woodwind and brass

Likes - New Pedal

Short tracks of fun glitch / hypnagogic pop

Jake Tobin - Fifth Thought

Fun and whimsical take on classical sax sounds and guitars

Jake Tobin - 135

Avant-prog / jazz fusion / romanticism / off-kilter melodies / psychedelic chords with the emotion and aesthetic of bedroom pop

Twig Twig - Darkworld Gleaming

Experimental pop, whimsical instrumentation, lo-fi uplift, beats and loops

George Clanton - Slide

Cult 2020s electronic born from vaporware influences mixed with whispery chillwave and downtempo R&B, feels like a 90s rave in an open field, no irony

Good Doom - Mood Life

Unique, very chill, dreamy sound, incorporates world music, trip hop beats, lo fi bedroom pop, krautrock and noise

Ex:Re - Ex:Re

Husky and mellow ambient pop, dream pop? Lethargic and melancholic

Zaumne - Emo Dub

Minimalistic ominous and repetitive ambient house with ASMR-like spoken words

Ehh hahah - And the weather so breezy, man, why can’t life always be this easy?

Progressive experimental electronic, deconstructed club music, EDM, bubblegum bass, playful yet dark

Kate NV - для FOR

Progressive electronic, ambient, new age, minimalist, surreal, otherworldly and playful. wet, fleshy bleeps; bubbly, liquid noise

Leon Chang - re:treat

Mellow lo-fi hip hop, downtempo, electronic, future bass, sampling

Coi Leray - Everythingcoz

Pop rap, trap, hyphy tunes, powerful + well produced

Domenique Dumont - Miniatures de auto rhythm

Sophist-pop, balearic beat, chillwave, dreampopish, soft female vocals, lush, summery and rhythmic

Big Joanie - Sistahs

Pretty standard textbook indie-rock, post-punk with female vocals

Darto - Fundamental Slime

Haunting and spacious, deep male vocals, intriguing eerie melodies, dream state lullabies + sax and spoken word bit

Old Maybe - Piggity Pink

Chaotic post-punk, unusual time signatures, strong shouted female vocals

Brad Mehldau Trio - Seymour Reads the Constitution!

Elegant and melodic modal jazz - post-bop album, fragmented but coherent, ever changing time signature and tempo

2017

Ross Backenkeller - Bardo

Folk indie guitar melodies with honest and gentle vocals

Maruego - Tra Zenith e Nadir

Italian trap with disillusioned and ironic lyrics + cool collabs

Nervous Condition - Untitled

Forceful drums, wails of sax and commanding vocals - mix of experimental rock, post-punk, no wave, jazz

Powerplant - Dogs Sees Ghosts

Synth punk, garage punk fast and fun

Wool & The Pants - Wool & The Pants

Experimental r&b / soul / hiphop vibez pretty smooth and lo-fi

TOPS - Sugar at the gate

Soft rock tunes, vintage atmosphere, fuzzy, honey-dipped songs

Slothrust - Show me how you want it to be

Covers album with grungy sounds and good arrangements

Rone - Mirapolis

Misty synths and heavy bass lines, dreary and melancholic industrial electronics, packed with doomed vocals of all sorts of guests.

Ada Babar & Kasra Kurt - Nino Tomorrow

Weird pop and experimental DIY with MIDI keyboards and guitar, playful lyrics, video game menu music

Good Doom - New Shapes for you

Evocative, dreamy and atmospheric melodies, warm at times, chilly, spooky, grungy, dark at others, synth buzzes, glitchy drums

Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger in the alps

Atmospheric ballads for sad times, deeply personal stories of heartbreak and loss

Florist - If Blue Could Be Happiness

Indie folk, soft and atmospheric, pure gentle quiet and soft female vocals about understanding light and darkness. Swooping guitar, dots of piano notes, gentle beats that recall Simon and Garfunkel

Wishing - Heat Death

Ambient pop, lo-fi indie beats w/ soft vocals that make you feel things you haven’t felt in a while

Martyn Heyne - Electric Intervals

Ambient in the broadest sense, calm instrumental downtempo guitar-centric with electronic flourishes

Equiknoxx - Colón Man

Vivid and tactile masterful sound design, syncopated loops, wonky and scintillating rhythms

American Pleasure Club - I blew a dandelion and the whole world disappeared

Lo-fi acoustic guitar with raw male vocals

Andrea Laszlo De Simone - Uomo Donna

Progressive pop, baroque/psychedelic pop + field recordings / bittersweet and pastoral

Drive45 - Have you seen me?

Bitpop indietronic, glitch pop, sequencer, dance pop

Drive45 - System Format

Bitpop indietronic, playful video game sounds

Leon Chang - bird world

Bitpop electronic, sequencer, videogame music, future bass / uplifting mellow and playful

dynastic - SPACE/SUMMER

Glitch hop, electronic bubblegum, kawaii future bass, mellow and uptempo, cheesy sax, chaotic sounds + dance floor dnb

Darto - Human Giving

Spacey experimental electronic mixed with post-punk, warm tones, 80s synths, soft melodic vocals + spoken bits

Pregnant - Duct Tape

Indie/art/soft rock, electronic, brilliant pop tunes, dreamy yet rhythmic

2016

Ever Ending Kicks - Music World

DIY colourful dreamy hazy songs

Mild Eye Club - Skiptracing

Low-key folk dreamy with 60s 70s vintage links

Loving - Loving

Easy and dreamy pop melodies, wavy, warm and mellow

Lala Lala- Sleepyhead

Alternative/Indie rock with grunge tones and personal and warm vocals

Gruff Rhys - Set fire to the stars

Soundtrack to the homonym 2014 film set in the 50s - soft romance rock, jazz-inspired, elegant and familiar

Oliver Coates - Upstepping

Deep house, techno, footwork blended with sharp and experimental classical strings

Garden Center - Garden Center

Erratic pop music, fun and playful electronic sounds, silly vocals

Raime - Tooth

Ominus and gloomy sound of dub, electronic and post-rock / stripped down to the flesh

Amiina - Fantomas

Violin, cello, drums, percussion, metallophone, harp, ukulele and electronics fused in a contemporary classical post-rock gentle melody-focused experimentation

Jake Tobin - Sorta Upset

Short tracks of experimental rock, avant-prog - eclectic and dissonant, technical and manic

Jake Tobin - Accidentally on Purpose

Post-modern experimental pop, jazz influenced sounds, off-kilter saxophone, silly humour

Vanishing Twin - Choose your own adventure

Swathes of percussion, exotic drum beats and funky guitars merge into a cosmic blend of reverberating bleeps with jazz skits / heady voyage across sound influences

Good Doom - Hug

Good Doom - Naps

Both off-beat lo-fi with a rock twists, spacey, fuzzy, grainy sounds

Zeal & Ardor - Devil is fine

Top notch black metal merges African-American spiritual slave music and some electronic beats and sounds

Shield Patterns - Mirror Breathing

Haunting vocals and sensual cello, clarinet and piano, all wrapped up in ethereal synths

Ashley Henry - Ashley Henry’s 5ive

Complex and uplifting post-bop jazz, imaginative flare, delicate and soothing piano

Florist - The Birds Outside Sang

Lo-fi indie, ambient-dream pop,sparse, minimalist keyboard leads bordering on chilly drones + intimate and personal songwriting

CBMC - OOR

Acustic lo-fi bedroom pop with an airy tone and somber feel but still feels fresh and lighthearted

Told Slant - Going By

Slowcore indie pop/folksy emo, ‘intimate spaces in which small town kids write memories of touch, togetherness, loss, love, depersonalisation’

Kate NV - Binasu

Art pop, progressive electronic, sequencer, joyful grooves but also atmospheric and ethereal sounds, eclectic and dense, melodic female vocals

Zaumne - Przezycia

Minimal ambient techno with a couple of spoken word bits

Mauno - Rough Master

Enticingly and eclectic indie rock, smooth vocals, strings and moody guitars, delicate piano, powerful drums

Susso - Keira

Tribal house, tribal ambient, folktronica, Mande music, rhythmic and powerful chants

Phern - Cool Coma

Psychedelic pop, lo-fi, mellow and playful

Hellier Ulysses - Ulysses Hellier

Experimental rock, math rock, jangle pop mixed with post-punk, technical, lo-fi, uncommon time signatures

Brad Mehldau Trio - Blues and Ballads

Deceptively sweet-sounding jazz album, songs are played with variations and every phrase is a cliffhanger - gracefully executed + bonus of my fav song <3

2015

Adeodat Warfield - Pacific, Missouri

Synth pop with electronic beats, vaporware notes

Ross Backenkeller - Rare Please

Folk indie guitar melodies with honest and gentle vocals

Grimes - Art Angels

Immaculate and authentic, synthetic and unreal but also super pop, folk, and dance / POST-art pop?

Jake Tobin - Third and Fourth Thoughts

Short tracks of weird avant-prog where the vocals follow the melodies all the time

Florist - Holdly

Vocals move slowly and sweetly through gentle meditation sound and soft guitars

Starry Cat - Starry Cat

Indie pop, lo-fi indie, wavy and shaky, bitter-sweet and personal male vocals

CBMC - FOOTWEAR

Acustic lo-fi bedroom pop with a somber feel but still feels fresh and lighthearted nearly asmr-like vocals

Wishing - To Forget

Lo-fi indie slowcore, fuzzy synths + acoustic sounds mixed with short electronic tracks / lyrics are whispered and very intimate

Oren Ambarchi - Live Knots

Two very long live recorded tracks of propulsive drumming full of tensions and releases + droning notes, plucked strings and mournful guitar

Juxta Phona - we will not be silence

Ambient, electronic, minimal melodies over crisp, tactile beats

Khruangbin - The Universe Smiles Upon You

Psychedelic / Funk rock, rhythmic and jazzy, tropical warm and peaceful

Red Sea - In The Salon

Indie experimental rock, psychedelic pop, math rock, melodic yet uncommon time signatures

Eyeliner - Buy Now

Synth-pop/funk - vaporwave / instrumental, melodic, uplifting, lush, futuristic / great bass lines!

2014

Ricky Eat Acid - Three love songs

First half found sounds, experimental electronics, fuzzy piano loops. Second half IDM beats and keys, choir-like vocals / “might be the sound of music having a dream within a dream about music”

Jake Tobin - Torment

Jake Tobin - Life as a Clerical Error

Weird dissonant mix of avant-prog, art punk and jazz fusion but in an amazing way

Richard Dawson - Nothing Important

Brittle, crudely amplified nylon-string acoustic guitar, experimental drones, folk sketches, imitation field cries, and free jazz diversions

2013

Ever Ending Kicks - Weird priorities

Sentimental chill instrumental and colourful with gentle vocals

Gruff Rhys - American Interior

John Evans-themes concept album - witty folk oriented retro-futurist music

Michael Andrews - Spilling a rainbow

Well-crafted pop tunes, nostalgic and lighthearted memories of folk rock with a dash of avant-garde electronic haze

Pill Friends - Blessed Suffering

Lo-fi indie/emo noisy and raw with existential and stark male vocals

2012

Told Slant - Still Water

Lo-fi/bedroom-punk with folksy guitars and delicate vocals as if they could break down in tears at any moment

2010

Hype Williams - Find out what happens when people stop being polite and start gettin reel

Ypnagogic vortex of incredibly canny hard to pinpoint music with distorted spoken vocals

Zach Hill - FACE TAT

Constant restless drumming, squiggly melodic instrumental hooks, mosaics of disconnected noises, fuzzy sounds and vocals

2008

Amplifier Machine - her mouth is an outlaw

Half-improvised ambient - drone - experimental - electronic - post-rock

E. Bandel, Victory & Good Hunting - s/t

Classical, piano, folk, melancholic, haunting

2007

Seabear - The ghost that carried us away

Indie/folk multi-instrumental dynamic floating sound, warm melodies, calm and gentle vocals

HEALTH - HEALTH

A masterful noise/experimental rock with elements of post-punk, drone and electronic - disorienting rhythms, tempo-shifting, noisy outbursts

2005

The Darkness - One way ticket to hell

Hard / glam rock ballads and pop tunes

2004

The Emperor Machine - Aimee Tallulah is hypnotised

Mix of electro euro disco, post-punk, krautrock, sci-fi scores, jazz-funk. Thick dance rhythms and mind-altering synths

2002

ESG - Step Off

Sweet soul with a punk attitude, jazzy sassy vocals

Hella - Hold your horse is

Non-stop, indie-audio assault / Nintendo music / midi and electronic beats / head-spinning leading drums, very fast guitars

1998

Eels - Electro-Shock Blues

elegantly sad grief and death themed album, deeply personal, yet brilliant pop tunes, post-grunge, jazzy arrangement, archive sounds, electronics

Duster - Stratosphere

Bashful slowcore lo-fi experimental space/indie rock

1975

Bobbi Humphrey- Fancy Dancer

Funky jazz with forms of world music, soul, club music and pop

1973

Kevin Ayers - Bananamour

Progressive pop, art rock with mix of soul, r&b, reggae - choirs and country type ballads

1972

Kevin Ayers - Whatevershebringswesing

Experimental new age prog rock, semisweet tunes, lighthearted, skewed sounds

1970

Kevin Ayers - Shooting at the moon

Experimental, progressive, avant-garde, rock with jazz influences, sound recordings, excellent songwriting

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wilderat · 2 years

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ok, ok since u mentioned scott pilgrim, how about five bands and/or musicians u like/listen to regularly that SOMEONE ELSE showed you

OH OH OH this is great because i actually have been listening to a lot of new stuff i found out about from the super cool friend i made this semester (they're the one i went to the csh show with last week!)

i have been OBSESSED with the album CUTIEMARKS (And the Things That Bind Us) by vylet pony. it is in a sense mlp;fim fanmusic but also transcends way beyond that - it's just good fucking music. pretty wide variety of genres but they all skew sort of electronic/hyperpop-ish, there's rock, there's, like, dubstep, there's ambient shit, it's got everything. my favorite tracks are bonnie, protagonist syndrome, and honeymoon phase.

same friend also introduced me to underscores, a very cool hyperpop artist that i honestly still need to listen to more of - my favorites of what i've heard are girls and boys, everybody's dead!, and bozo bozo bozo.

they also were the one who finally got me to listen to porter robinson - i'd heard lots of good things about his work but never got around to it. however i really want this friend to think i'm cool so . yeah. i haven't listened to nurture yet but i've listened to worlds quite a few times now and really enjoy it. i don't listen to a lot of electronic music typically but this is a really nice album to put on and just vibe to. my favorites are sad machine, flicker, and goodbye to a world.

my sister-in-law got me to listen to the protomen (act i) by the protomen and i am SO MAD at how fucking good it is. it's a megaman rock opera. like, the video game blue robot guy megaman. i don't have the words for this just listen to it the whole thing is fucking incredible and made me cry while sitting waiting outside my english class. also there's a second album that is a prequel to this one that is just as good if not better.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, one of my good good friends put me onto slaughter beach, dog a while back and they're one of my favorites now. birdie is SUCH a good album and motorcycle.jpg makes me cry. some of my faves are gold and green, 104 degrees, and fish fry.

#ask #ogghhh this was also extremely fun . can u tell i just love talking about things. i <3 music #text

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deadcactuswalking · 3 years

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 06/03/2021 ("BED”, Digga D, Kali Uchis)

It’s finally a really short filler week on the UK Singles Chart but not one without its importance as we’ve got some real interesting stuff to talk about this week, even if there are only six new arrivals. Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” is at #1, and whilst I may not be able to post this on Twitter because I’ve been locked out – don’t ask why – this is still REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Rundown

So, a lot of our debuts are gone, including “test drive” by Ariana Grande as well as other bigger hits dropping out of the UK Top 75 – which is what I cover – including “Burner on Deck” by Fredo featuring the late Pop Smoke and Young Adz, “i miss u” by Jax Jones and Au/Ra, Taylor Swift’s re-recorded “Love Story”, “Before You Go” by Lewis Capaldi, “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper and “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. There are also a handful of fallers across the chart like Fredo’s continued drops as “Money Talks” with Dave is at #28, “Let’s Go Home Together” by Ella Henderson and Tom Grennan off of the debut to #34, “Love Not War (The Tampa Beat)” by Jason Derulo and Nuka at #36, “34+35” by Ariana Grande at #40, “Good Days” by SZA dropping hard with the streaming cut down to #46, “Mixed Emotions” by Abra Cadabra at #54, “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles at #60, “Didn’t Know” by Tom Zanetti off of the debut to #68, “Siberia” by Headie One featuring Burna Boy at #71 and “willow” by Taylor Swift at #72. What’s probably more interesting are our gains and returning entries, as for returns, we’ve got “ROCKSTAR” by DaBaby featuring Roddy RIcch back at #75, Wilkinson’s 2013 drum and bass track “Afterglow” featuring uncredited vocals from Becky Hill back at #74 for whatever reason, “Higher” by Clean Bandit featuring iann dior at #70 and “Goodbye” by Imanbek and Goodboys coming back strong at #59. Our gains are also pretty unique, as we have some second winds for “Looking for Me” by Paul Woolford, Diplo and Kareen Lomax at #67, “Loading” by Central Cee at #61 and “Roses” by SAINt JHN and remixed by Imanbek at #55. We also have a handful of climbers within the top 40, like “All You Ever Wanted” by Rag’n’Bone Man surging up to #33 off of the debut, which I’m pretty happy about as it’s a really good song. I’m less over the moon about “Little Bit of Love” by Tom Grennan at #27, “Believe Me” by Navos at #25 and finally, “My Head & My Heart” by Ava Max up to #19. There’s not much movement above that however, so let’s get into our new arrivals, starting with something I didn’t think I see here this soon.

NEW ARRIVALS

#65 – “SugarCrash!” – ElyOtto

Produced by ElyOtto

I love doing this show because I find out more about genres I’d usually tend to avoid. I’m not the most knowledgeable person about Afroswing or really, a lot of the house that ends up charting on the UK Singles Chart. I think I know my fair bit about at least the mainstream of a lot of the UK drill stuff, but what I really would consider myself somewhat specialised in is hyperpop. I’m probably too old to enjoy any of it as much as I do but that may just be why I have a connection to this overly online, digital scene of SoundCloud producers and rappers making pretty obnoxiously mid-2000s-influenced electropop, as it really does feel like a retreat to a simpler time with all of the angst of the emo-pop being made around the same time. The hyperpop scene and bubblegum bass as a whole has always felt inclusive, which I think is one of the main reasons why it’s big with teenagers nowadays, because there really isn’t much of a limit in the genre or at least the scope that we’ve found as of yet, whether it be integrating elements of ‘hexd’ or brostep or trance or what have you. Whilst companies may want us to be nostalgic for the 1990s, I think most people are taking a couple steps forward here, and it’s creating some genuinely great music – some of the time, at least. Hyperpop has birthed many SoundCloud-based sub-genres, or I guess micro-genres, including one of which being glitchcore, a glitchier, more off-the-wall brand of cloud rap with a lot of high-energy trap production and nightcore-esque pitch-shifting. I see some brands of infighting amongst people who listen to hyperpop and glitchcore seeing as glitchcore has arguably taken off a bit faster than other more electronic or pop-focused scenes, but I see that as evolution of a scene more than anything. 100 gecs sounds nothing like A.G. Cook, anyway, it’s pointless gate-keeping at this point, especially when TikTok gets their hands on this random kid from Canada. In a genre full of pioneers, this young Canadian guy’s debut single is what gains traction and for what it’s worth I’m happy for the guy but I’m not a fan of the song at all. This does feel like a parody if anything, with its fast-paced gecs impression and admittedly pretty ethereal synth patterns pretty drowned out by lightweight trap percussion and this ElyOtto guy who really isn’t a presence at all, especially if he’s going to pitch himself down and further into the instrumental on the outro... of a song that’s already only one minute and 20 seconds yet runs through two choruses and a verse, of which nothing really is said of substance. People like blackwinterwells and osquinn make similar music especially in terms of lyrical content but there is something to be said about their honesty and somewhat paranoid tones that creep in, whilst there’s nothing really emotionally convincing about this guy’s delivery or content, as while he may make the same semi-ironic references to self-harm, pain medication and Gen Z culture as they do, he doesn’t really have any tact and it feels overly self-aware to the point where I refuse to believe anyone outside of ElyOtto can really enjoy it fully. It makes perfect sense that this started off as a “short soundfont test” and really, it probably should have stayed that way. There’s a lot to be enjoyed in hyperpop but if this isn’t a satire and is a genuine attempt at approaching the scene, I’d be genuinely surprised. That said, his song “TEETH!” is legitimately good with the exact same length, so maybe I’m just full of it. Either way, I’m not a fan. Sorry.

#56 – “AP” – Pop Smoke

Produced by 808Melo and Rico Beats

Another posthumous Pop Smoke single, except this was actually recorded well before his death and probably finished before to boot, as it’s attached to a film, Boogie, that he will actually star in. With 808Melo on production, it’s guaranteed to have at least some hard-hitting drill production and, yeah, I mean, it’s fine. It’s got a pretty eerie vocal sample behind all the murderous lyrics and pretty busy drill percussion with some great 808s, even if it and the sample feels a bit too loud in the mix when Pop Smoke’s rich voice feels buried. It’s just gunplay, really, and a bit of flexing and references to his older songs, as he makes a call and it’s war and he’s off that Adderall. It’s sad that from now on, any material we get from Pop Smoke will be his leftovers and throwaways. That said, this is fine, perhaps a bit too long, and it could be worse – I mean, it originally leaked with a Rich the Kid verse, it REALLY could have been worse. Once again, RIP Pop Smoke and I hope 808Melo gets his YouTube channel back if he hasn’t already.

#50 – “Pierre” – Ryn Weaver

Produced by benny blanco, Ryan Tedder and Michael Angelakos

The UK Singles Chart is changing, and I think that’s what makes this such an interesting week as there is genuinely some stuff here we’ve never seen debut on the chart before – or anything like it – and that’s exciting to me. You probably know Ryn Weaver from “OctaHate”, a brief 2014 viral pop song written by Charli XCX and produced by Cashmere Cat that led to a debut album the next year and thanks to presumably TikTok, a deep cut from said album has now debuted in the top 50. Now I hadn’t heard of her before looking at the chart about an hour ago, so I can’t tell you much of anything at all about the California singer. I’m not really a fan of “OctaHate” but I do have a fondness for that janky electropop production from the mid-2010s – “Gold” by Kiiara is a hill I’d die on – so with production from Michael Angelakos of Passion Pit, I’d hoped “Pierre” would be pretty cool and, yeah, it’s pretty odd, actually. It seems like a pretty ballad but with a very fast-paced, raspy delivery from Weaver and some choppy production that soon tenses in the chorus and I’ve got to say, while I’m not 100% on the mixing, I can get behind the concept here, especially with some multi-tracked vocals from Weaver. The song itself is about trying to run away from her feelings for a lover that never really went away, particularly as she hooks up later with a man called Pierre who speaks in broken English, which gives a lot of reason for the tense pace of the song, even if that is undercut by the production being muddy and awfully willing to kill its momentum in the outro as there’s never really a proper climax. That said, it’s fitting for that final line, “I’ll come around”, which can be interpreted as about moving on or complacency – just coming back to that guy after years of searching for someone else. I do like this – or at least what it’s trying to do – but I feel like it’d enjoy it more with less clutter, particularly in that chorus, which could really elevate this but as it is, it’s fine.

#45 – “telepatía” – Kali Uchis

Produced by Albert Hype, Manuel Lara and Tainy

Okay, so alt-pop all the way from Latin America, that’s also a first... except not really, as ROSALÍA has charted before, if only off of the back of Billie Eilish. Regardless, this is a really high debut for a global hit from Colombian-American critical darling Kali Uchis, someone I’m always glad to hear from. Admittedly I did not check out that last project that was a return to a lot of the Latin American music, including reggaeton, she took early influence from. That debut studio album is mostly an English-language neo-soul record so I appreciate the risks taken, even if I personally didn’t check it out. I probably should though, because this bilingual streaming success “telepatía”, is pretty damn smooth with some of the signature fuzzy keys you’d hear from any Kali Uchis song, somewhat reminiscent of Tyler, The Creator in all of the elegant piano ambiance and soul drums that cut the line thin between live and programmed, but sound quite either way. I especially love the flushes of Latin guitar in the chorus but really, Uchis’ silky voice is what shines here, especially in the subtle, seductive double-tracking and how smoothly it switches from Spanish to English. It’s not perfect, I mean, the transition from chorus to second verse and back again is somewhat awkward, and it does feel like it runs a little short. I was honestly expecting a guitar solo or something but we get very little of anything after that final chorus. Given that I know Tainy mostly from his work with J Balvin – and I’ll admit, also mostly from his work on the Sponge on the Run soundtrack – I’m pretty pleasantly surprised with how this has meshed together and I do really hope this sticks around.

#23 – “Bluuwuu” – Digga D

Produced by Glvck

We didn’t get an album bomb from Digga D, bless the Lord, but we did get this one single and... do American rappers make genuine death threats on their top 40 singles? Just wondering, because this has several references to rival gang members and how he’s going to hurt them in one way or another. That would be fine if it were convincing, but this guy really isn’t, especially if he’s going to do the silly “bluuwuu” ad-lib in the chorus over one of the least interesting drill beats I’ve ever heard. The 808s don’t slide notably, the percussion is like a template and there isn’t any energy to this... which is fine, because it’s very much just about gang violence, half of it censored. That said, it crosses the line from intriguing detail to possibly too detailed in a way that’s just unwarranted over a boring beat and with the tendency to go off-topic with his flexing ever so often. I’d probably rather listen to the posthumous Pop Smoke single over this if I had to choose, at least that beat is, you know, good.

#20 – “BED” – Joel Corry, RAYE and David Guetta

Produced by Giorgio Tiunfort, New Levels, David Guetta and Joel Corry

I thought these guys were literally famous for just being producers, why does a song by two producers need two extra producers and if it really needs them, why aren’t they given a lead artist credit as well? Oh, right: name recognition, even though neither Corry or Guetta have ever made anything worth recognising. This song with RAYE, personality-void guest singer, relies on the line, “I got a bed, but I’d rather be in yours tonight”, because it’s a sex jam in one way or another, even though there are no stakes to that chorus line at all. Yes, I know RAYE has a bed; she probably sleeps very comfortably on it. She probably bought it from Premier Inn. Maybe they were having a sale. There’s no point in clarifying that you have a bed – in fact, a more interesting lyrical turn would to maybe bring some stakes into it by saying that RAYE does not in fact have a home, and the intimacy with unnamed man keeps her afloat in times of hardship. This is really just me stalling because this may be our highest debut but that does not mean it’s worth talking about. “BED” doesn’t really do much more than it’s supposed to. It’s got some vaguely 90s keys, fake hand-claps, a checked-out performance from RAYE and an anti-climactic deep house drop. Do you care? Does that description make you want to hear it? It’s not a negative critique, it’s an unbiased description of what happens. Are you intrigued with that? Do you want to check this out? This’ll go top 10 next week because of the music video, but God, this is just soulless, and that’s coming from someone who talks almost purely about the pop charts. I do like the post-chorus vocal melody for what it’s worth, but, yeah, no, I don’t care.

Conclusion

I don’t even care enough to give it Worst of the Week, as that’s going to “SugarCrash!” by ElyOtto with a Dishonourable Mention for Digga D’s “Bluuwuu”. Best of the Week should be obvious as Kali Uchis’ “telepatía” is the only good song here, but the Honourable Mention I guess goes to the late Pop Smoke for “AP”, even if that’s mostly because of 808Melo on the production. Here’s this week’s top 10:

I predict a lot will change next week, as we’ve got new songs from Justin Bieber, James Arthur, Bruno Mars (with Anderson .Paak!) and an EP from Drake... follow me on Twitter @cactusinthebank if you want in the event that I can use that again, and I’ll see you next week for that snoozefest.

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onestowatch · 3 years

Text

The Top 21 Artists to Watch in 2021

In a world where the only universal certainty seems to be opening every email with “hope you’re doing well,” the only other surefire guarantee is that there will continue to be new music worth discovering. And, we figured with the start of a new year, what better way to say to spend the waking hours of 2021 than introduce you to a few of the artists we currently have a close eye on. Often genreless and belonging to Gen Z, these are the 21 artists we are watching in 2021.

spill tab

youtube

Where to Start: “Calvaire”

In her breakout single “Calvaire,” spill tab sings in French over an intoxicating backbeat. The effect is akin to a spell, ushering into existence something inherently danceable and transfixing, like an Angèle B-side finding new life as a Billie Eilish cut. It is a standout moment that would be followed by similar standout moments in the form of a series of varied singles, culminating in spill tab’s debut EP, Oatmilk. Short and sweet, the four-song collection holds all the promise of a 2021 artist to watch.

Joesef

youtube

Where to Start: “The Sun Is Up Forever”

Emerging from the fog of Glasgow, Scotland, Joesef’s marriage of heartbreak, desire, regret, hope, and sublime joy is nothing short of intoxicating. Immediately making an impression with his tender, heartfelt croon, the Glasgow artist’s songs soon give way to emotionally rife personal recollections–some beautiful in their understated minimalism, some breathtaking in their expansive scope. Whatever the setting, the result is always the same–a passionate, shared moment you will not be forgetting anytime soon.

brakence

youtube

Where to Start: “dropout”

Self-described as “self-care punk,” brakence effortlessly pairs the unmatched energy of punk with an impressive showing of vulnerability. While the past few years saw the Ohio native experiment over a range of singles and on his debut album, 2020 was without a doubt the year he found his sound in the noteworthy punk2. Blending Midwest emo, trap production, hip-hop, and alternative, brakence’s sophomore effort is a masterclass in infectious emotional catharsis.

Mustafa

youtube

Where to Start: “Stay Alive”

Few artists embody the sentiment of music as poetry as emphatically as Mustafa. First leaving a mark with 2020’s “Stay Alive,” Mustafa introduced himself to the world with a breathtaking, earth-shattering ballad rife with impassioned emotional imagery. Soft-spoken but never lacking for impact, the poet, activist, filmmaker, and songwriter brings to life the lived realities of Toronto’s Regent Park, a public housing project that shaped Mustafa into the once in a lifetime artist he is today.

Holly Humberstone

youtube

Where to Start: “Falling Asleep At The Wheel”

In her 2020 debut EP, Falling Asleep at the Wheel, Holly Humberstone proves herself a master at crafting a palpable atmosphere. Rife with emotional highs and cathartic lows, all backed by Humberstone’s magnetic and graceful songwriting, the British artist lays her heart on her sleeve and in turn lays the groundwork for a debut offering poised to stand the test of time. It is no mere hyperbole to say that Humberstone is an artist to watch out for not only in 2021 but in the years to come.

AG Club

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Where to Start: “Memphis”

The initial comparison of AG Club to collectives like BROCKHAMPTON and A$AP may be an easy one to draw, but a single listen tells another story. While the genreless Bay Area collective may radiate the same rapturous energy of the aforementioned groups, AG Club is clearly riding high on their own wavelength. Aiming to make hip-hop but not as you know it, the idiosyncratic collective made their vision clear with the release of 2020’s Halfway Off the Porch, an electrifying amalgamation of disparate genres, sights, sounds, and moods.

347aidan

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Where to Start: “Dancing in My Room”

Euphoric, difficult to perfectly define, and haphazardly brilliant, aidan347 embodies the adventurousness and inventiveness of Gen Z. The project of 17-year-old Aidan Fuller, the Cambridge, Ontario native has spent the past five years making music. Yet at the beginning of 2020, the Cambridge artist had less than three thousand monthly listeners; now, that number sits well above five million. A testament to 347aidan’s tenacity, his devoted fanbase, and the power of a TikTok-fueled viral hit–arriving in the form of “Dancing in My Room”–it really feels we are only witnessing the prologue of what’s to come.

Frances Forever

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Where to Start: “Space Girl”

When thinking of music’s future stars, what better place to look than to the galactic, lovelorn musings of Frances Forever. Making less of a splash and more of a tidal wave with the release of “Space Girl” late last year, the Boston bedroom artist’s ode to intergalactic love has been rapidly climbing the TikTok and indie charts. Now signed to Mom+Pop records, Frances Forever is more than ready to shoot for the stars and beyond in 2021.

Hope Tala

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Where to Start: “Lovestained”

Hope Tala is impossible to ignore. A West Londoner to her core, the UK singer-songwriter finds inspiration in everything from ‘90s movies, classic literature, to the constantly changing world around her. Transforming what feels like a lifetime, and some, of inspiration into an undeniably spellbinding fusion of R&B and bossa nova, Hope Tala’s musings of daydreams, heartache, and fear are the sort ready to define a generation’s ails, joys, and mundane triumphs and anxieties. Universal in scope yet deeply personal, Hope Tala is without doubt an artist to keep your eye on in 2021.

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Where to Start: “Take Me Your Heart Is”

Q, much like his name, is an anomaly. Releasing one album a year since 2018, the ineffable soul and R&B artist has somehow coasted under the radar in spite of releasing some of the most breathtaking music out there. And with the release of 2020’s The Shave Experiment, Q feels like he’s finally stepping into the much-deserved limelight. Leading with the striking “Take Me Your Heart Is,” Q brought to life a nostalgic, hyper-emotive track sure to stop you in your tracks. Hopefully, it’s one of many to come.

Claire Rosinkranz

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Where to Start: “Backyard Boy”

16-year-old Claire Rosinkranz has been making music for the better part of her life, and 2020 was the year that scribbling down lyrics and helping her father compose music for TV shows and ad jingles paid off in a major way. The California native’s single, “Backyard Boy,” taken from her debut EP, BeVerly Hills BoYfRiEnd, soon became a TikTok hit, racking up over 80 million streams to date, on Spotify alone. If there are two things to look out for in 2021, make sure it’s your mental wellbeing and Claire’s euphoric self-dubbed “alternative-blues-pop.”

KennyHoopla

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Where to Start: “how will i rest in peace if i'm buried by a highway?//”

KennyHoopla is nothing if not electrifying. The alternative, punk, and ‘80s new wave-evoking artist moves through each track with a sense of world-ending hunger, jumping from one ensuing mosh pit to the next. It is a balancing act of new wave nostalgia and genuine inventive alternative that results in a maelstrom of palpable excitement. To best experience this cathartic form of self-expression firsthand, look no further than his debut EP, last year’s how will i rest in peace if i'm buried by a highway?//. No one is quite making music like KennyHoopla, in 2021 or beyond.

MICHELLE

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Where to Start: “THE BOTTOM”

New York collective MICHELLE deftly imbues the sincerity of soul and R&B into a uniquely tender pop outlook, and the result is nothing short of infectious. The project of six predominantly queer POC individuals, the group originally earned widespread critical acclaim for their 2018 album HEATWAVE, but it was arguably their subsequent signing with Atlantic Records last year that has them set to be one of 2021’s most promising acts. Quickly making the most of their newfound major label status, MICHELLE released “Sunrise,” the sonic equivalent of the first rays of light breaking through the clouds, signaling the end of a rainy day. It’s safe to say the future is looking bright for MICHELLE.

glaive

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Where to Start: “eyesore”

Few artists define and defy the label of hyperpop as readily as glaive. Falling somewhere between 100 gecs and the second coming of mid-2000s pop punk, the newly-signed Interscope artist released his major debut label EP, cypress grove, earlier this year. Yet before finding a home at Interscope, glaive’s official discography only stretched back as far as 2020. Making the most of a year we all would rather soon forget, the 15-year-old wunderkind showcased to the world a continual musical evolution that is looking to only further pick up steam in the coming year.

Claud

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Where to Start: “Wish You Were Gay”

From opening for Clairo to releasing a steady stream of resonant singles, Claud has spent the last couple of years making a name for themselves in the indie music world, but 2020 saw arguably their biggest breakthrough moment yet. With the release of “Gold,” Claud became the first artist signed to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records. Arriving as the first taste of their upcoming debut album, Super Monster, 2021 is looking absolutely golden for Claud. And not to mention the fact they recently started a band with Clairo and friends.

María Isabel

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Where to Start: “The 1”

Where has María Isabel been all our lives? First making herself known with the release of “The 1,” an ode to long-distance relationships, which soon became more prophetic than we ever could have imagined, the debut single served as lovely an introduction as they come. Thankfully, we would not have to wait too long to hear more dreamlike R&B from María, who graced us with her debut EP, Stuck in the Sky shortly thereafter. Uniquely heartfelt and velvety smooth, María’s voice is just the thing to carry you through 2021.

Remi Wolf

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Where to Start: “Photo ID”

The past couple of years have seen avant-garde pop wunderkind Remi Wolf test the waters with one out of this world single after another, and 2020 felt like the year everything finally fell into place. Arriving on the Bay Area native’s sophomore album, I’m Allergic To Dogs!, “Photo ID,” and its unafraid, in your face anti pop mentality cemented itself as a surefire hit, and TikTok soon took notice. Serving as a testament to Remi Wolf’s mainstream appeal in spite of her outsider approach, “Photo ID” merely set the stage for what is to come.

PawPaw Rod

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Where to Start: “HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS”

PawPaw Rod may be the only artist on this list with only one single to their name, but in no way does that disqualify him from being an artist to watch in 2021. Releasing his debut single, “HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS,” out into the ether, the Los Angeles artist immediately landed on something special. Blending elements of hip-hop, funk, and alternative under a mellow, syrupy flow, PawPaw Rod wasted no time in setting himself apart from the pack. And with godmode–the same development company that brought us Yaeji, Channel Tres, LoveLeo, and more–it is safe to say that this is only the beginning.

Evann Mcintosh

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Where to Start: “WIYULD”

In her dreamlike take on alternative R&B, Evann Mcintosh attempts to capture the turbulent act of coming-of-age. At times delicate to the touch and at times emanating a self-assured confidence well beyond her 16 years of age, Evann Mcintosh’s 2019 debut album, MOJO, laid the groundwork for an act whose promise knows no bounds. It was a promise she made good on during the tail end of 2020, with the release of singles “WIYULD” and “BULL$HIT.” Showing off two different sides of her continued musical growth, 2021 has us all the more excited for what Evann has in store.

Serena Isioma

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Where to Start: “Sensitive”

In her breakout single, “Sensitive,” Serena Isioma fuses modern-day R&B and woozy indie pop with reckless abandon. The outcome is a song that not only sounds quite unlike anything else out there, but one whose own vibe seems to shift and evolve from one moment to the next. It is an electrifying opening moment that begins to define the Isioma’s artistry and her debut EP, Sensitive. The first of two EPs the Chicago-based artist would release in 2020, it is hard not to feel like Isioma is already in the process of creating a one-of-a-kind discography.

Blu DeTiger

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Where to Start: “Figure It Out”

Whether you know her as the touring bassist for acts like FLETCHER and Caroline Polachek or as the TikTok famous bassist, the fact of the matter is that Blu DeTiger is an artist you need to know. A bassist since age seven and crowned the “coolest DJ around” by Vogue, the New York native’s music skirts the realms of funk, indie, and dance. Unmistakable, nonchalantly cool, and unsurprisingly bass-heavy, you deserve doing yourself the favor of diving headfirst into Blu DeTiger’s music. Just be sure to come up for air, when you’re ready.

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