Stoner rock with some heavy metal spice in the mix. I love this style that comes out of it. It’s a hard rock banger, would love to see them live.
Mustasch – Killing It For Life
Peggy Gou – I Hear You
This is such an amazing, carefree, summer breeze of an album. House for the most part, with hints of other electronic stuff.
It’s interesting that if I think of Gou I have this up-and-coming talent in mind who’s at the peak of her rising but still connects more with the underground scene than the mainstream. But in reality she’s the only current female DJ on the DJ Mag Top 100, appeared on cover of a whole bunch of fashion magazines, plays sold-out stadiums, runs her own festival, etc. She’s nowhere near being an underground name but a massive global sensation, I’ve just missed to follow the news. Although whenever she played in town in the past two years it was always sold out and I couldn’t get to see her live, so that should have been a hint.
Anyways, and still, this album doesn’t show any signs of self-imposed pressure. It’s very impressive how she seems to dictate and follow her on rhythm instead of trying to fit herself into boxes where I’m sure people would like to see her. She’s truly a star.
Hailey Tuck – Junk
Cuteness factor of her voice and the easy-going positive music reminds me of Asteroids Galaxy Tour, but jazz.
Lady Blackbird – Black Acid Soul (deluxe edition)
I don’t often post about jazz records because I rarely listen to new jazz music, which is not nu jazz. This one is soulful funk and jazz, and it was a surprisingly amazing listen; set my mood beautifully to positivity on an otherwise cloudy afternoon. I specifically mention the deluxe edition because of its second record with some extra nice stuff, remixes and some nu jazz sounds over there.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Challengers OST
I have another case of Moon on my hands when I listen to the soundtrack album a million times before seeing the movie. This is the best original score by Reznor and Ross since The Social Network, by far. The mixed version is also a blast.
Wojciech Golczewski – Inert
Beatless ambient from outer space, sounds like a sci-fi soundtrack. Just what I’d expect from Golczewski. Great album.
John Carpenter – Lost Themes IV: Noir
Carpenter just keeps going, I am in awe. I love these records.
Four Tet – Three +
It’s mellow, soulful, cute, cozy—all those Four Tet words in my mind. Full of those tracks that I’d put on a mixtape I make for someone I love.
Brutus – Unison Life
It’s a new find, the kind where it’s obvious from the first track I hear that it’s a match. Great metal sound with a grunge feel to it and strong female vocals. What makes it stick is how honest and human it is. It’s like friends from the neighbouring rehearsal room throwing a concert.
Zeal & Ardor – Zeal & Ardor
They do this soul-blues-metal whatever the third time, and it still works. I postponed playing this record for a long time because I thought two albums of this was probably enough, but here I am, finally listening to the third one, and it’s still great. It’s rawer and more metal-like than the previous ones perhaps, but I cannot even imagine repeating that smash-in-the-face-feeling of their first arrival when this whole style just blasted into the music scene.
Btw, it’s still hard to believe how ahead of the curve I was being on a Zeal & Ardor concert in a club in 2017, at the very moment when the first album dropped. And now, I cannot get a ticket to their stadium tour in town. But, they deserve all the fame and success, I just wish that they keep going.
I also feel like I don’t want to put them in a box and want them to stay there for ever. I can easily imagine this style to evolve and grow beyond what it is now. There’s already a process there that I see in their three-record span, and this is a band I wish won’t be afraid to reach further and innovate more.