New Music Friday

It’s been a busy time, late summer, and I’ve missed dropping new music to you all on a weekly basis. There’s been so much good stuff over the last month or so, from all types of artists and genres. Let’s dive in and see what you might like:

Albums of the Month(s):

Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loveliest Time

A collection of B-sides that puts to shame so many albums of what artists consider A-sides. Jepsen is a true pop star. She shows great versatility in the compilation of songs, harkening back to the 80s and 90s dance/synth-pop sounds.

Check out the up-beat “Psychedelic Switch”, a seductively catchy track perfect for the dance floor. The funky groove of “Aeroplanes” sways over a shimmering, island-sounding track.

Jepsen has built an impressive collection of releases after she could have easily been written off after her bubble-gum pop debut single, “Call Me Maybe”. Instead she’s taken hold of her songs and career and is a true force.

Bethany Cosentino - Natural Disaster

The debut solo album from Cosentino (lead singer from the band Best Coast) is a big leap forward from her band’s early work. The album draws inspiration from classic country and glossy pop-rock.

Working with the fantastic Butch Walker, Cosentino takes her love of Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks and other classic female artists, to create a catchy cluster of songs that touch on motherhood, mortality and musings on love. I’m reminded of Liz Phair mixed with some Sheryl Crow.

The title track that kicks everything off, “Natural Disaster” is a head-bopping, swaying track. The ballad “Easy” is very different from her past songwriting and she even pokes fun at herself by singing “I hate to sound cliche and cheesy”.

She closes it out with the raw love song, “I’ve Got News For You”, a song that reminds you that finding out who you are means letting other people in.

The Budos Band - Frontier’s Edge

I’ve loved these guys for a while - a band that combines Afrobeat, funk, soul and psychedelic rock - delivers again on their latest. At only 16 minutes (with only six songs) there’s not time to waste with their tracks. The title track burns with the feeling of a 1970s desert road trip movie soundtrack.

The band continues to evolve and incorporate new styles into their music. That’s evident with the track “Passage to Ashinol” with its spacy, atmospheric arrangement.

You’ve got 20 minutes to spare on any day of the week - take that time and appreciate the sheer coolness of the latest from The Budos Band.

Nite Bjuti - Nite Bjuti

The pronunciation of the band is “Night Beauty,” inspired by a piece of Haitian folklore. The band is a music trio of Black women who have created an amazing blend of jazz and electronic music, all focused on themes that describe the complexities of black womanhood.

It’s mind-blowing and haunting, especially on the gorgeous track “The Window”, with beautiful vocals from Candice Hoyes drifting above the barely-there bass line and sweeping keyword. I love the gentle funk of “Soursop” with its steady bass and quirky sounds behind it.

A really cool discovery for me with Nite Bjuti - I hope you can dig it as much as I did.

Mammoth WVH - Mammoth II

No sophomore slump for the one-man band headed up by Wolfgang Van Halen (he wrote and recorded it all). There’s a livelier and heavier spirit to the songs on this sophomore release.

“Right?” from the start - Your ears will start to bleed with the heavy, yet melodic opening track. Wolfgang’s vocals and range have improved since their debut as it has now become one of the important instruments. “Another Celebration at the End of the World” throws a bit of pop-punk into the mix. I’m also a huge fan of “Take A Bow” with its complex arrangement and myriad of musical influences.

There’s been a lot of crap Wolfgang has had to endure online from people comparing him to his dad or throwing nepotism out there. His thick skin has held up and hopefully more and more people will appreciate his music and the journey he’s been on to get here.

Noname - Sundial

Another new artist for me, Sundial comes out five years after Noname’s last release. Her rap style is fantastic - reminds me of a poetry slam with cool jazz music behind it. Her lyrical flow is smooth as she dives into moral questions and politics.

I’m loving the track “namesake”, an outlandishly funky song while “toxic” samples from the movie “Boomerang” and is a dark, sexy track.

The album isn’t without controversy - Including lyrics from Jay Electronica referencing several antisemitic tropes is surprising, given Noname’s vocal commitment to social justice. Despite that, it’s still a fascinating and important listen.

Louis Cato - Reflections

The new one from the bandleader for Stephen Colbert’s show is almost entirely a solo piece with Cato playing all the instruments. It’s more stripped down than his previous music, teeming with acoustic guitars and smooth vocals. It’s cool and uplifting.

Standouts include “Good Enough”, “Another Day” (with guest vocals from Elizabeth Ziman from Elizabeth and the Catapult) and the sweet cover of the Rolling Stones classic “Miss You” which keeps it the right amount of funky while still stripping down his own version.

Jon Batiste - World Music Radio

From one bandleader to another, the follow-up to Batiste’s Grammy-winning album is his chance to reimagine the meaning of world music. His approach meant tapping into a wide range of collaborations from artists that are from multiple genres.

It’s a sprawling melding of music as only the great Batiste can put together. Per the theme, Batiste put this album together in places all over the world with a team of artists and producers from all parts of the music world. It’s a true hot collab.

Favorites include the Reggae-tinged “Be Who You Are”, the Afrobeat track “Drink Water” and the fantastic track (with Lil Wayne) “Uneasy”. Listening to music from Batiste is pure joy and his latest is no exception.

Hozier - Unreal Unearth

Hozier has a knack for creating songs that can go from beautifully quiet to a raging storm in mere seconds. He’s toed the anthemic spectrum for a while and he’s clearly achieved that with his latest.

His lyrics are mystical and complex and I’ve always loved his voice and his range. He’s clearly comfortable with the slow build of a song as this continues from earlier releases.

Highlights include “Eat Your Young” with a bit more of a pop music feel, the warm, glowing “Butchered Tongue” and “Francesca”. It’s a triumphant return from an artist I’ve admired for years.

Genesis Owusu - Struggler

I don’t normally use this term, but this new album from Owusu is a banger. It’s an eclectic release from the Ghanaian-born musician. Largely inspired by Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, the new album centers on a short story Owusu wrote about The Roach - a character navigating impending doom and environmental disaster.

I’m reminded of TV on the Radio when I hear many of Owusu’s tracks - the right amount of R&B with post-punk. He’s building off of his impressive debut from 2021 (that ended on my Best of list).

Highlights include the synth driven track, “Leaving The Light”, the Prince-inspired “Tied Up!” and the ultra-smooth “See Ya There” with some fantastic falsetto vocals. This is one I’ll be revisiting often.

Rhiannon Giddens - You’re the One

The North Carolina native and eclectic folk musician has consistently put out traditional and fascinating bluegrass/folk music. She’s not only a Grammy winning artist, in 2023, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her contribution to the opera Omar.

Her new release is her first to contain all original songs and has a bit more of a pop feel to it, slicker production and bigger instrumentation. Some purists might have issues with this, but not me.

Giddens easily blends folk, bluegrass, jazz and more to create a fantastic album. I’m reminded of early Aretha and even some Nina. The opener, “Too Little, Too Late, Too Bad” kicks it all off in the right direction. Later, she teams with Jason Isbell for the hootenanny-ish jam, “Yet To Be”. “Hen in the Foxhouse” is dripping with 1960s powerful soul music while the swaying “Wrong Kind of Right” is pure gold.

Some may say the new music is too slick and over produced. What’s not lost in any of this is the power of Giddens voice and lyrics. She remains a hugely important artist.

Burna Boy - I Told Them…

Nigerian singer Burna Boy, if you don’t know, is one of the biggest pop stars in the world. His fifth album continues his journey to entertain and reach a bigger audience by combining his usual Afro-fusion sound with 90s hip-hop and R&B.

There’s a true confidence in the lyrics and delivery from Burna Boy and his many guests (21 Savage, Dave, RZA). His music this time around feels more accessible and versatile.

“Sittin’ On Top of the World” (with 21 Savage) is a throwback number to 1990s R&B with a cool bassline moving things along. “Big 7” is one of many songs to celebrate his accomplishments and it highlights the smoothness of Burna Boy’s voice.

Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan

Bryan is a poet and he knows it. He’s a storyteller who crafts country songs that toe the line between radio friendly and true Americana. His vulnerability screams here with songs about fame, death and addiction.

“Summertime’s Close” is a sparse, late night road trip song that drips of loss and humidity. He brought in The War and Treaty for the soulful “Hey Driver”, an ode to small towns and fine women. Kacy Musgraves guests on “I Remember Everything”, a winning ballad that paints a vulnerable hero.

The songs, while stripped down for the most part, will play nicely when Bryan goes on tour soon in mostly huge venues. They’re “lighters up” and sing-along songs for thousands of fans that will turn out to see a fantastic voice of country music.

Ratboys - The Window

There’s a great mix of raw, crunchy guitars and rootsy music on the fourth album from the Chicago band Ratboys. And it works so well! They’re a band that can go from a two-minute ditty to a jam-band like eight-minute track.

“Morning Zoo” has a Dawes/Wilco feel with the right amount of sonic polish backing the sweet vocals from lead singer Julia Steiner. There’s some Lucinda Williams quality to some of the tracks including “No Way”, a gem of a twang. Amps are turned up later with the absolute banger, “Empty”.

This is clearly a band that is putting itself out there for all to listen to - A band that took some chances along with polishing their sound a bit. I’m loving it.

Allison Russell - The Returner

My daughter and I got the chance to see Russell open for Brandi Carlile and we were instant fans - just blown away. There is a jubilance in her new music - spiritual and soulful - expanding in the right direction from her early work.

“All Without Within” is a funky number that drips sexuality and intimacy between two people. “Stay Right Here” is flat out intense and amazing - focusing Russell’s attention on her own daughter and protecting her future. “Eve Was Black” is the stand-out track. A song that simmers the origins of us and racism with an ending only Russell could pull off - singing in French - celebrating her roots.

Teaming with a great producer and some fantastic fans (Carlile, Brandy Clark and Hozier), there is still deepness in the lyrics, Russell chooses joy and resilience rather than heartache and fear.

Olivia Rodrigo - GUTS

How can this just be her second album? The maturity and boldness far outweighs her years in the music industry. It’s stunningly good and shows great wisdom of life growth on the part of Rodrigo.

We’ve all heard the fantastic “vampire” and “bad idea right?” but take the time to dive into songs like “lacy”, a folk-pop, yet hooky track that finds Rodrigo feeling jealous. “pretty isn’t pretty” might be the best track on GUTS. It’s catchy while delivering a message about how modern society delivers messages everyday to young women that they’re not enough.

This is not just a pop album that iHeart radio would love - It’s for all those who love the chameleon nature of a music artist. At times, she’s a ballad singer, then pop-punk followed by dreamy shoegazing. This will easily fit into my Best of at the end of the year.

Anjimile - The King

So glad to see new music from Anjimile who has written really great songs about being Black and trans in America - the anger, grief and how truly dangerous it is for both. It’s described as having ties to mythology and the Bible and the folk style that was on their first release has changed a bit.

“Animal” is the first one that stands out to me. A dark, brutal song about how Black people have been treated throughout time. “Father” is a folk classic that positively praises his parents when they entered rehab. The closing track, “The Right” is a haunting description of fear.

The release stands right next to powerful music from Anderson.Paak, Nina Simone and Kendrick Lamar. It’s a true triumph of a release that shows incredible growth and power from one person.

Low Cut Connie - Art Dealers

I’ve been a big fan of Low Cut Connie and their brash, in your face, bawdy rock and roll music. The latest is a nod more towards classic rock and punk than what the band had previously focused on, but the throwback, dirty sounds still remain.

Highlights include “Sleaze Me On”, a funk rock hybrid and “King of the Jews” where the band takes on antisemitism on the slow-burn track. Meanwhile, “Whips and Chains” takes on the distorted guitars and garage rock influence. There’s nods to Lou Reed all over the place.

The music makes you feel heard as a listener and fan. There is a true connection that Adam Weiner (lead singer) and the band have with their audience where nobody feels alone. You certainly can’t when listening to this fantastic release.

Tyler Childers - Rustin’ In The Rain

Much has been made about the outstanding song “In Your Love” and its music video, exploring the lives of LGBTQ people in rural communities and rightfully so. It’s everything you don’t think country music should be, combatting the notion of who rural people really are.

Along with “In Your Love”, his latest comes with a mix of originals and a couple covers. The Kris Kristopherson song “Help Me Make It Through the Night” is as good, if not better, than the original. The beautiful sway of “Phone Calls and Emails” is straight off the Grand Ole Opry stage - a true honky-tonk ballad.

Childers is one of the most important singer/songwriters out there and his latest batch of tunes cements that status. He’s an American classic who deserves your attention.