Bee Bee Sea, described as a garage-psych band, are a trio originating from Castel Goffredo, Italy. They sound, though, as if they came straight from London in the late 70s.
Haim :: “Los Angeles”
This is the opening track from the new album Women in Music Pt. III, by the trio of sisters from – you guessed it – Los Angeles.
Baronhawk Poitier, a producer/DJ from Washington, DC, provides the beats to get you out onto the (socially distanced) dance floor.
Public Enemy :: “State of the Union” (featuring DJ Premier)
The legendary hip hop group from Long Island, NY are joined by DJ Premier to take a direct shot at Donald Trump and his campaign of hatred and violence against the people of our country.
Zebra Katz, stage name of rapper Ojay Morgan, explores “social issues surrounding race, sexuality, and the black experience” through fast rhymes and a dense sonic environment.
Another month in isolation, and music becomes even more important for lifting our spirits and connecting us to our shared humanity. Here are some of the best new songs I heard this month.
I spent April focused on the A to Z Challenge, but I made a little time whip together a quick mix for your listening pleasure. Let me know in the comments if there are any great new songs I missed out on.
I only recently learned of this tune from the Said the Gramophone Best Songs of 2019 list. Jaimie Branch is a jazz saxophonist and composer based in Baltimore who as some things to say about the state of our country.
This was the first song I heard by Billie Eilish, about a month or so before she was suddenly a BIG DEAL, and it’s still my favorite. Billie Eilish’s music is weird, a little bit creepy, yet you can still dance to it. I never in a million years expected her to have chart success so good on her for redefining pop music. And she’s just turned 18.
Ex Hex :: Cosmic Cave
Mary Timony’s latest band returns for a second album of pure, unadorned post-punk rock.
Gato Preto featuring the LusAfro Allstars :: Mendinga Carnival
Afrofuturist music arising from the collaboration of a German producer and a pan-African band of artists.
Like Ex-Hex, the 26-year-old Australian Lahey brings straightforward pop-punk excellence (and an 80s sax solo!) to this song about resisting the pressure to do it all.
40+ years ago, rap music emerged as an urban style of music before spreading to the suburbs and exurbs, and into cultures around the world. Lil Nas X has at last brought rap into a thoroughly rural area on this track that – no matter what the Billboard Country Chart says – is thoroughly country.
A theme of this year is artists who draw on punk influences to do new things. The Priests musical interpretation of Thomas Frank’s What’s The Matter With Kansas?fits the bill.
This is another track introduced to me by the Said the Gramophone list. Rapsody, aka Marlanna Evans, is a rapper from North Carolina. The title of this track pays tribute to Ibtihaj Muhammad, a fencer who became the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab while competing for the United States in 2016 Summer Olympics. It also has an amazing groove.
Kelsie Hogue, who performs under the name Sir Babygirl and has ties to the Boston music scene, performs intense indie pop where they belt out lyrics with trilling vibrato. This song, as I interpret it, explores the inner emotions an introvert may feel about having to go to a party when they really don’t want to.
Comeback Kid introduced Van Etten’s new harder rock sound with 80s synthpop styling. Thematically it’s about trying to assert your own identity when the people you love still see you as a kid.
