“Snail Mail retains the same wounded lover ethos and hazy, scorned vocals but with a noticeably more pop-inspired instrumental palette. Indie rock guitars and peppy drums provide a sturdy melodic base, while additions of piano or dreamy synths give this album a sometimes danceable effect.”

–Sydney Sjobakken

19. Lingua Ignota – Sinner Get Ready

“Lingua Ignota has always incorporated a regal and grandiose instrumental palette, but SINNER GET READY shows a slightly softer side to her work with elements of religious hymns and neofolk. Yet, despite drawing back a bit from her more abrasive tendencies, she still maintains the same level of harrowing torture and anguish that permeates her work.”

–read Sydney Sjobakken’s full review here,

18. Greta Van Fleet – The Battle at Garden’s Gate

Staffer Hadley’s Album of the Year

“Greta Van Fleet does not disappoint with their third album, which keeps their iconic sound while incorporating some of the most beautiful lyrics I’ve ever heard. They stray from their classic rock roots to incorporate a more worldly sound while still being amazing and technically sound. They play with a new, more diverse range of sounds that sets them apart from their usual comparison to Led Zeppelin and creates a sound all their own, with enough flair to show their growth as a band while still sounding like the group we know and love. Personally, I think it’s their best album yet.”

–Hadley Stewart

17. Rauw Alejandro – Vice Versa

Staffer Alejandro’s Album of the Year

“In a very limited genre like reggaeton, Rauw Alejandro breaks those limits to deliver Vice Versa, an album full of fun tracks that use the typical reggaeton and Latin pop beats in new and creative ways. The lead single and opening track of the album, “Todo de Ti”, is a funky introduction that sets the tone for what the rest of the album is going to be. However, the highlight of the album is “Cosa Guapa”, which mixes Latin pop and House to make a new classic for Latino nightclubs.”

–Alejandro Gonzalez

16. Shannon & the Clams – Year of the Spider

Staffer Ryan’s Album of the Year

“The newest from Shannon & the Clams combines elements of Rockabilly, 60s psych, & Doo Wop, creating a unique retro sound. Vocalists Shannon Shaw and Cody Blanchard achieve excellent chemistry.”

–Ryan Knipp

15. SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE – ENTERTAINMENT DEATH

Director Sydney’s Album of the Year

“As discordant as it is dreamy, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE’s ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH easily excavated a place for itself in the top releases of 2021 with its irreverent sense of nostalgia, melancholy, and an eerie understanding that maybe all is not well. The twinkly yet jarringly off-kilter synths remind one of an old photograph being eaten away by time and sun-exposure, while the vocals are melancholic and ethereal. The constant shutters, glitches, and static present in the mix add to the unusual ethos of this record which is sure to lull its listeners into a dangerous state of naive ease.”

–Sydney Sjobakken

14. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – HARAM

Director Jaden’s Album of the Year

“Billy Woods’ and ELUCID’s poetically confrontational bars hit as hard as ever. Now with smooth and jazzy beats from the Alchemist, the two reach new heights. It’s the contrast between Woods’ deep bellow and ELUCID’s rasp, as they deliver dizzying bars filled with emotional gut-punches. It’s how they seem to have pushed the Alchemist on some of these songs to create his most experimentally mind-bending beats yet, while still maintaining crisp production. Put simply, HARAM cements Armand Hammer as one of the best rap duos to ever do it.”

–read Jaden Amjadi’s full review here.

13. Backxwash – I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES

“On the newest album from Backxwash, she continues down the path of dark, industrial metal-infused hip hop, rapping verses that mix the personal with the occult. The first single and title track “I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES” is a perfect encapsulation of why this album rules.”

–read Jaden Amjadi’s full review here.

12. The Mountain Goats – Dark In Here

“It just so happens that this new set of songs on Dark In Here is some of the band’s best work in years. The instrumentation is never particularly showy–folk rock guitars, some keys across piano and organ, some spare woodwinds–restrained drums which only hit hard when the time is right. Attention is primarily on Darnielle’s lyricism and vocal performance, which he keeps on the softer end of his register. These songs are sad, or at least, they explore different aspects of loneliness and darkness.”

–read Jaden Amjadi’s full review here.

11. Tyler, The Creator – Call Me If You Get Lost

“Smooth and soulful, with lyrics that’ll make you ask, “Who hurt Tyler?”. It also has a fair balance of gritty or harder songs, and smooth, horn-filled soul pieces. It’s a nice middle-ground between IGOR and Flowerboy.

–Sydney Sjobakken

10. Doja Cat – Planet Her

It’s Doja Cat. What could we possibly say? Her new one is pretty great.

9. Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz

“The brand of tongue-in-cheek, abrasive yet catchy songwriting that Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys has engineered is on full display on their sophomore LP Welfare Jazz. The album certainly lives up to its name with instrumentation that is often jazzy, bluesy, and unrelentingly infectious.”

–read Sydney Sjobakken’s full review here.

8. Injury Reserve – By The Time I Get to Phoenix

“On the newest album from Injury Reserve, rapper Ritchie with a T and producer Parker Corey carve out a new lane for themselves in experimental hip hop, as they grapple with the passing of founding member Stepa J Groggs. The results are unlike anything the group, or any other artist for that matter, have made before. From the confrontational opening track, they make it clear what the listener is in for–Ritchie strikes a battle rap stance over enveloping synth lines with a verse that verges on mad rambling in the best way possible.”

–read Jaden Amjadi’s full review here.

7. black midi – Cavalcade

“To expect anything less than off-kilter and left-field from black midi is to underestimate them, but Cavalcade proves that being “left-field” is not a matter of luck or a lack of ingenuity. Across this album, the band employs a Coraline-esque balance of blissful fantasy and demented horror with contemporary jazz-inflected progressions, snappy drums, and perfectly spaced breaks into full-bodied blows of distortion and drive.”

–read Sydney Sjobakken’s full review here.

6. Illuminati Hotties – Let Me Do One More

“From atop Illuminati Hotquarters, singer/songwriter Sarah Tudzin pens tunes to capture the last gasps of a dying Summer on Let Me Do One More. The band’s variety of sounds range from catchy pop-infused punk to endearingly sincere folk and beyond.”

–read Jaden Amjadi’s full review here.

5. Low – HEY WHAT

Staffer Zachary’s Album of the Year

“Nothing is better than seeing a band you’ve grown up with expand their sound while keeping their core values the same. Hey What finds Low, nearly 30 years into their career, blowing out the speakers with harsh electronica and entwining the noise in their ethereal melodies and reigning them in. Sparhawk and Parker have always been masters of sparseness, and while that usually means playing with silence, here, they showcase how isolating and cold chaos can be while proving it ineffectual in the face of the human spirit. This is honestly the strongest album from them in years, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with in the future.”

–read Zachary Leboeuf’s full review here.

4. Lana Del Rey – Blue Banisters

Staffer Amelia’s Album of the Year

“When Lana Del Rey dropped three singles on a random Thursday in May, only about two months after Chemtrails came out, it became evident she was working on a new project that would move her forward as a singer and find her focusing on new themes. Blue Banisters explores themes of sisterhood, friendship, family, righting wrongs, and dealing with critics. Songs range from well-known bootlegs in the fandom to a closing song she wrote in 20 minutes with her sister and her dad. She strips many songs down to piano and voice, but standouts like “Dealer and “If You Lie Down With Me” use synths, horns, and screams. Blue Banisters rivals the Grammy-nominated NFR among fans because of this new style and maturation shown by Lana on this album, and sets a new standard for any project she creates in the future.”

–Amelia Johnson

3. girl in red – if i could make it go quiet

Director Daniela’s Album of the Year

“girl in red’s anticipated debut album, if i could make it go quiet, captivates listeners with its relatability, instrumental intensity, and variety. The intimate lyrics about relationships and moving through life resonated with me. The presence of numerous instruments such as piano, synths, drums, and guitar was deliberately and thoughtfully used to create a specific mood for each track. girl in red has the ability to write fast-paced bangers, heartfelt ballads, and nostalgic instrumental songs. The combination of all of these elements creates a memorable musical experience leaving me hungry for more of her work.”

–Daniela Rybarczyk

2. Genesis Owusu – Smiling With No Teeth

Staffer Ken’s Album of the Year

I’d never heard of Genesis Owusu before he was played during one of the music staff meetings, but I’ve been hooked ever since. I instantly got hooked to the many bangers present on Smiling with No Teeth the moment I started listening and haven’t left my thoughts since. Each track sounds so fun and surprisingly diverse from one another instrumentally and vocally, it makes my brain feel very happy!

–Ken Dompier

1. JPEGMAFIA – LP!

Staffer Evan’s Album of the Year

“On LP!, JPEGMAFIA plays perfectly into his strengths. The experimental hip hop titan revives his distinctive, engaging, and humorous attitude and delivers yet another project full of heart, intelligence, and musical brilliance. With bold and outlandish production, an infinitely wide arsenal of flows, and rebellious and sarcastic lyrics, Peggy drops another instant classic and advances his case to be considered not just one of the best experimental hip hop artists of our time, but one of the best hip hop artists, period.”

–read Evan Weidl’s full review here.

The post The Best of 2021: Music Staff Picks appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The Turning Wheel, Chrystia Cabral’s third album under the project Spellling, offers bewitchingly captivating progressive folk and neo-soul songs. A shift towards natural instrumentation marks a stark change from 2019’s synth-heavy Mazy Fly, giving these songs a new liveliness, and pushing Cabral’s songwriting towards the theatrical. The sonic palette on its own can be bewildering at first–veering off without warning into performances of soul, hard rock, classical, folk, and of course, synthwave. It’s no surprise that the personnel list reveals more than thirty performers–all of whom sound great. The songs are left with an enchanting sense of otherworldliness and magic. The opener, “Little Deer” showcases the album in all its grandeur. Instrumentally expansive but melodically simple, Cabral uses the symbol of a hunted deer to explore ideas of love and shared consciousness across living beings–oneness–themes returned across the album in lyrics that read like incantations. The title track, “Turning Wheel” is a surprisingly catchy and approachable folk pop tune. Here, the narrator struggles with conflicting ideas of unity and isolation, though the chorus affirms the solace in loneliness. “Queen of Wands” finds strings morphing into synths held up by electronic drumming, reminiscent of some of the eeriest moments of her previous work. This album is a witchy and mind-altering experience–one I could recommend to anyone.

–Jaden Amjadi

Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee

Japanese Breakfast’s third album, Jubilee, balances dance-worthy anthemic tracks with a storyline that pulls at the soul, highlighting moments of tragic beauty at the center of the human experience. Songwriter Michelle Zauner explores moments of weakness in love, in personhood, and in coming to terms with the nature of loss, but within these themes she masterfully paints a picture of hope and perseverance. In the opening track, “Paprika”, listeners are called into the world of Jubilee with repetitious horn melodies & symphony strings while Zauner reflects on sharing her loss with the world through performance. In the following track, “Be Sweet”, she juxtaposes lines like “Tell the men I’m coming” with “Be sweet to me baby, I wanna believe in you” telling the ever-relatable story of wanting to dive back into love while at the same time being painfully aware of vulnerabilities revealed in past encounters. Similar themes of vulnerability are explored in “Posing in Bondage”, where Zauner uses the idea of waiting for one’s lover in bondage while time passes and the lover’s failure to show becomes increasingly apparent. Another noteworthy track, “Side Tackle”, composed of punchy synth and revelatory sax melodies, reveals Zauner’s objective as she sings, “I’m tackling this void”. This line feels like a perfect metaphor for the album–a story about finding jubilee in the void. In the album’s seventh track, “Savage Good Boy”, Zauner strays from personal exploration and steps into the shoes of the wealthy to highlight a more tangible vulnerability that exists in classism and socioeconomic disparity. In Jubilee, Japanese Breakfast has constructed a deeply personal yet relatable inquest into the nature of human vulnerability. It is a testament to her incredible artistry and a beautiful listen.

–Marisa Rude

Backxwash – I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES

On the newest album from Backxwash, she continues down the path of dark, industrial metal-infused hip hop, rapping verses that mix the personal with the occult. Following a short introduction, “THE PURPOSE OF PAIN”–which introduces the album’s themes of pain and healing–Backxwash spits her opening verse over distant screams and waves of distortion on “WAIL OF THE BANSHEE”. The first single and title track “I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES” is a perfect encapsulation of why this album rules. Ada Rook’s screeched chorus is cathartic and infectiously catchy. In shouted bars, Backxwash points to the enemies of liberation and their advantageous co-opting of Black and queer identity: “Lost in addiction / Exiled from my sisters / The colonies and their vision / Robbing me of my diction.” On “TERROR PACKETS” she recalls the pain of drug addiction at her lowest points, and Censored Dialogue opens with a laid back verse concerning the fracturing of relationships after coming out–they even have a hook after this verse which is memorable in its own right–before Backxwash comes in with her own screamed chorus. While Backxwash stuffs a lot of quality into just over thirty minutes, it seems to go by much quicker–another great entry into her catalog.

–Jaden Amjadi

Squirrel Flower – Planet (i)

Planet (i) by Squirrel Flower feels like a trip down memory lane, as songwriter Ella Williams guides the listener with her captivating voice and introspective lyrics. The album starts with the dark, brooding “I’ll Go Running” with the guitar and drums crescendoing towards the finish. “Hurt A Fly” flirts with poppy melodies, her voice backed by energized drums, piano, and guitar solos. This track feels like indie pop, but it fits into the album because of Williams’ silky vocals. Tracks like “Roadkill,” “Big Beast,” and “Flames and Flat Tires” start off barren with airy vocals but soon transition to a stronger vocal performance accompanied by grounding electric guitar and drums. Williams lived in Iowa for a bit and reminisces on playing her guitar in the love-song-like “Iowa 146.” A prime example of Williams’ thoughtful lyrics is “Pass” with lyrics like “I’m staying up all night/To wrestle with it/The good and the bad.” “To Be Forgotten” features layered vocals and large melodic leaps creating an expansive sound that is heart-wrenchingly beautiful. From the dark sound on “I’ll Go Running” to the calm acceptance on the album closer “Starshine,” Williams assures listeners there is hope in the dark with the comforting and reflective sound of Planet (i).

–Daniela Rybarczyk

The Mountain Goats – Dark In Here

Lately, John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats has been a personification of the working writer. When not penning novels, his prolific songwriting makes a year without a new album or EP a rarity. It just so happens that this new set of songs on Dark In Here is some of the band’s best work in years. The instrumentation is never particularly showy–folk rock guitars, some keys across piano and organ, some spare woodwinds–restrained drums which only hit hard when the time is right. Attention is primarily on Darnielle’s lyricism and vocal performance, which he keeps on the softer end of his register. These songs are sad, or at least, they explore different aspects of loneliness and darkness. On the first single from the album, “Mobile”, Darnielle returns to his classic calling card of biblical imagery. A narrator reflects on Jonah’s travels in shame after rejecting God–each verse ending with a return to their current situation–”I’m on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama, waiting for the wind to throw me down.” Meanwhile, “The Slow Parts in Death Metal Songs” also addresses a kind of loneliness, one rooted in social anxiety and the easing of it with devastating music. Dark In Here does what many of the best Mountain Goats albums do–and greets the most disaffected and alienated among us with open arms.

–Jaden Amjadi

The post The Best Releases of June: Music Staff Picks appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Young Jesus’ new album Welcome to Conceptual Beach is an ambitious and artful indie rock album that leaves behind much of the Midwest-emo sound of 2018’s Everything is Just There. It instead it favors more of a more progressive style of rock while pulling from a vast pool of influences. The album’s opener “Faith” combines jazzy rhythms and post-rock instrumentals with digital vocal effects, sounding something like a mix of Talk Talk and Bon Iver’s 22, a Million. Later in the track, vocalist John Rossiter uses a more soulful singing style similar to that of Jeff Buckley’s, one he sticks with for a good part of the album to great effect. “(Un)knowing” employs reverb-soaked glide guitar and ethereal female backing vocals that could have come directly off of My Bloody Valentine’s shoegaze masterpiece Loveless. My personal favorite track, “Meditations”, features improvised sections that balance a mellow sound with a free-flowing quality that gives the song plenty of life. The song’s progression brings to mind prog classics like Yes and King Crimson, complete with spacey synthesizers and fast, precise, complex drumming. Essentially every track on Welcome to Conceptual Beach takes a different approach to rock. While this may be a barrier-to-entry for some, much of the band’s ambition pays off, making for one of the more interesting indie/alternative rock releases this year. 

-Jake Bisson

Microphones – Microphones in 2020

Phil Elverum has been an indie staple since he began his career in the mid-90s, producing mixtapes that would later fall under the now infamous Microphones name. When he released The Glow pt. 2 in 2001, he forever cemented his blend of mellow indie palettes and droning, distorted rock as required listening for any alternative-loving music fan. Promptly after the 2003 follow-up to The Glow pt. 2, Elverum departed from the Microphones name to continue his musical career as Mount Eerie, only sporadically playing under the former, eponymous title. After nearly 19 years, Microphones in 2020 was released not so much as a return to the project, but as an open conversation about it and its creator’s winding past. The album is in actuality a 44-minute song, flowing through a number of stylistic switch-ups that encapsulate the varying degrees of the project’s musical influences. The continuous building and receding of the instrumentation lulls the audience into a sense of peace that is both disconcerting and comforting. Elverum softly ambles his way through the narrative of his life and career, sometimes unsure of his footing, sometimes blissfully confident. Lyrically, he incorporates themes from previous albums, hints at specific lines, and offers deeper insight into their personal origins. Even if the specificity of some details may go over listeners’ heads, the tide-like, droning instrumentation paired with Phil’s unrefined vocal delivery and lyrical honesty will still draw out an unabashed desire for inner peace and to know, as he sings, “the true state of all things…”. 

-Sydney Sjobakken

Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird Vol 2 EP

On her new EP, Australian rapper Tkay Maidza pulls from a wide variety of styles and genres, and performs fantastically in each. Aside from her pen game and singing ability, what Last Year Was Weird Vol. 2 makes most clear to the listener is Maidza’s versatility. The opener, “My Flowers” begins with laid back guitar chords and a simple vocal line before giving way to drums, bass, and futuristic synths. Maidza lays out a chill flow as she considers her own worth, both personally and in the music industry. “24k” is a grooving hip house song with propulsive kicks. Above this dance beat, Maidza’s flows are effortless and cool. The chorus shows off the lighter side of her vocal register with airy inflections. Then of course, there are the bangers. “Shook” brings heavy bass throughout, with flashy synths on the chorus, plus energizing use of drum and vocal samples. Most memorable about the track is the last hook, where Maidza playfully works in a new melody for her rapped vocals to respond to. The off-kilter synth lines on “Awake” and “Grasshopper” are reminiscent of Tyler, the Creator’s production, and bring a darker tone to what is mostly an optimistic EP. With each song feeling so unique in the track list, there’s much more to prattle on about, like the cathartic silliness of “You Sad” or the chorus on the pop RnB tune “PB Jam” which may have the best melody on the project. Features from JPEGMAFIA and Kari Faux are also well executed. Last Year Was Weird Vol. 2 is an EP that knows the importance of having compelling songwriting at the center of each track. 

-Jaden Amjadi

Crisis Sigil- small towns. 

Crisis Sigil’s new album small towns. is a weird, wonderful take on grindcore from Ada Rook (of Black Dresses). Crisis Sigil’s music is stylistically far-removed from the pop-oriented sounds of Black Dresses, but Ada’s production abilities still shine through to create a unique and personal style of digitized grind that could not have come from any other artist. Though packed with the same chaotic energy of long-running grind acts like Napalm Death and Pig Destroyer, small towns. is by no means strictly a grindcore album. Rook works in plenty of other styles like digital hardcore, metalcore, and industrial metal, providing the album with moments of mid-tempo riffing and melodic sections that break from the more pummeling conventions of grindcore. The closer “away.” shows off her genre-bending talents with harsh vocals, distorted guitar riffs and drum machines brilliantly produced into an extreme techno-cybergrind hybrid, like a dance track pulled from your worst (or best?) nightmare. The title track delivers incredibly heavy grind that unexpectedly shifts into electronic synth sections and even some spoken word poetry. Listening to the album several times over I couldn’t get enough of the chaotic shifts between all-out aggression and emotional tenderness. At just eight tracks running one-to-two minutes each, Ada Rook manages to keep the short-and-not-so-sweet energy of grindcore while still finding plenty of room to work in her own unique sound. 

-Jake Bisson

PVRIS – Use Me 

Once again, PVRIS’s new album, Use Me, succeeds in demonstrating their ability to go out of their comfort zone. After switching labels and hiring JT Daly to produce, the band stated these changes signified a new era of music that was clearly present on the album. Tracks like “Old Wounds” and “Death of Me” stay within PVRIS’s alternative genre but hint at a new, poppier sound. These tracks feature a dark mix of guitars, drums, synth, and vocals that increase intensity as the song builds. PVRIS’s new laidback pop sound shines in “Loveless” and “January Rain.” The stripped instrumentals give room to highlight Lynn Gunn’s raw lyrics. Gunn is the creative mind of the band, and this third album allows her to fully step into the spotlight. Lyrically, Use Me takes a more personal tone portraying Gunn’s struggle with depression, damaged vocal cords, and a breakup. Despite some simple instrumental lines, the honest lyrics make the album stand out and resonate with listeners. The darker sound of the band is still present but now coexists with a new brightness emphasizing PVRIS’s evolution. 

-Daniela Rybarczyk

Backxwash – STIGMATA EP 

Arriving hot on the heels of her breakout album God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It, rap firebrand Backxwash’s STIGMATA EP is a solid expansion, carrying forward the bleak, anguished lyricism and use of Christian themes as its predecessor. More than just cut content from the previous entry, however, STIGMATA kindles its energy by piling on layers of distortion and string shreds to deliver a hard-hitting, vengeful sound. The titular opening track immediately distinguishes itself with the addition of some sizzling metal samples that mirror a darker progression into the artist’s own psyche–as if the inner rage that fueled God Has... belied only a greater and hotter rage. Biting, punchy vocals throughout and a catchy hook easily make this a highlight that’s hard not to keep on repeat. “Demons” makes use of slower riffs and noise to transition into a more unsettling tone, highlighting the hauntingly distorted guest vocals from Devi McCallion. The EP kicks into a more traditional beat with “PSALMS 23.” The sonic space here allows Backxwash to lay it all out on the table with some utterly scathing lyrics, culminating in her brilliantly harrowing signoff with a claustrophobic burst of noise reminiscent of the exact sort of mental break alluded to throughout the project. Eerie samples and a rolling buzz in the instrumental closing track carry a subdued yet intimidating ambiance that seems to threaten, rather than hint, at more to come. 

-Sam White

Bright Eyes – Down in the Weeds Where the World Once Was 

It seems as if indie rockers Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes knew when their fans needed them the most. After a nine-year hiatus, Bright Eyes released their ninth album, Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was. As a band that never fully stuck to one genre or sound between releases, fans were unsure of what to expect with this long awaited—some may even say overdue—release. On early listens, the singles (Persona Non Grata, Forced Convalescence, Mariana Trench) sound like songs that had already existed in the Bright Eyes catalogue—not intrusive, but not necessarily staking their claim either. However, the full release pulls these tear-stained pieces together and wraps them nicely into a cohesive, enjoyable album. Lead singer Oberst is back in full force with the ceaseless, quivering, and honest voice he has become known for. The instrumental and melodic palette isn’t far from a typical Bright Eyes album, though with consistently cleaner production. The lyrics are raw, though soft imagery floats through the album, with occasional flickers of twisted optimism that cut through the somberness. In the song “Dance and Sing”, Oberst sings ”all I can do is just dance on through, and sing”, which right now, hits a bit close to home. 

-Emma Graening

Merzbow – EXD

EXD archives recordings from 1997-1998 by the legendary Japanese noise artist Masami Akita a.k.a. Merzbow. The album, released on Lawrence English’s label Room40 is comprised of drum machine creations far more rhythm-based than most of Merzbow’s more brutalizing “wall of noise” releases from this era, like the infamous Pulse Demon. On EXD, white noise and distortion overwhelm repeated drum patterns to create oddly hypnotic and intense static-soaked beats. Each beat is heavily mutilated and twisted into a sonic endurance test that pushes raw texture through feedback, often drowning out drum loops into little more than safety handles for the listener to grasp in the back of their mind. The title track even incorporates a mix of dance and hip-hop oriented beats which are met with waves of feedback, like some monster of DJ Shadow, clipping., and Throbbing Gristle patched together with tangles of exposed wire. Merzbow’s relentless treatment of the drum machine manages to create a sound that could send the average metalhead clamping their ears. As unapproachable as this may sound, this album (and countless noise records like it) sends a powerful artistic statement: that any sound is fair game in the world of art, and the palette for “musical sounds” extends endlessly beyond those of conventional instruments. Even those least forgiving on the ears can be used in incredibly dynamic ways as tools of musical expression – Merzbow’s music takes this to the extreme, and EXD is certainly no exception. 

-Jake Bisson

The post The Best Releases of August: Music Staff Picks appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Jeff Rosenstock – N O D R E A M

Throughout his career, though especially the last decade of it, Jeff Rosenstock has done more than possibly any artist to remove the stigma from pop-punk. His earworm melodies, impassioned shouts, and nervous energy consistently produce cathartic listening experiences. His newest effort, the surprise-release N O D R E A M, is no exception to this rule. Acting as a soundtrack to yet another anxious breakdown, songs respond to perceived personal inadequacies (“Old Crap”, “Beauty of Breathing”) and political helplessness (“Scram!”, “N O D R E A M”). While many tracks aren’t more than four minutes, most have a tremendous sense of pacing and dynamism, never wearing out a melodic or sonic idea before moving onto the next. The title track’s different musical phases cover a massive range. As a soft and simple guitar riff naturally develops into a pummeling barrage, Rosenstock decries the inherent violence of capitalism. Other highlights include the ridiculous “***BNB” or the surprisingly mature “Honeymoon Ashtray” where he describes a mediocre honeymoon experience and the rejected temptation to see it as a symbol for the marriage. The album is sometimes silly, usually poignant, and a lot of fun. So essentially, it’s more Jeff. 

Charli XCX – how I’m feeling now

On how i’m feeling now, Charli XCX fully commits to the hyper-pop sounds of last year’s Charli, culminating in a near-perfect quarantine pop album. Since the release of 2016’s Vroom Vroom EP, a collaboration with acclaimed experimental electronic producer SOPHIE, Charli’s music has gradually strayed away from the Top-40 friendly sounds of early singles like “Boom Clap” and “Fancy”, instead seeking a more experimental and futuristic sound. How I’m Feeling Now executes this sound incredibly with a variety of high-energy, infectious pop songs laced with a mix of blown-out basslines and pristine electronic backdrops. Much of this album’s sound lends itself to its impressive lineup of producers, including PC Music founder A.G. Cook, Dylan Brady (100 Gecs), Palmistry, Tommy Cash, and Umru. Their cutting-edge production gives the entire album a truly futuristic feel with a vast pool of stylistic influences from modern trap and R&B to underground electronic, and most prominently, bubblegum bass. Songs like “pink diamond”, “claws”, and “forever” show Charli at her most experimental while also being some of her strongest songs yet. Over industrial synths and a pounding UK Grime beat in the opener “pink diamond”, Charli repeats “I just wanna go real hard” – and for the next 37 minutes, she goes pretty hard. 

Deerhoof – Future Teenage Cave Artists

Deerhoof are back and as delightfully zany as ever. Hailing from San Francisco, the noise-pop group has been releasing albums consistently since the ’90s with each new release building on the band’s signature style of quirky and experimental production. Future Teenage Cave Artists is no exception, as it is riddled with dissonant guitar chords, unorthodox time signatures, and colorful instrumentation. But this time, each track bleeds with themes of apocalypse and emotional unrest. Transitioning smoothly between songs that are abrasive and disjointed (“‘Farewell’ Symphony”, “Zazeet”), to dissociative and ghostly (“Fraction Anthem”, “Reduced Guilt”, “I Call on Thee”), Deerhoof’s signature character shines through always, even as they delve into new sonic territories.  

Backxwash – God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It 

The looping cry of “Oh no, please God help me” on the opening track of Backxwash’s latest album sets the stage for what the listener is about to hear: aggressive bars with demonic themes over hard-hitting beats with dark twists. Beyond the horrific presentation—and often intertwined—is a deep reflective pain, as Backxwash grapples with difficult family relationships, the darker aspects of religion, and the world’s perception of her and her trans identity. The heavy subject matter is conveyed through witchy bangers, such as “Black Magic” with guitar from Ada Rook of Black Dresses, or “Amen” where she screams above choir vocals and heavy bass, raging against class disparity and fascism. Devi McCallion, the other member of Black Dresses, also appears on “Spells” to deliver an unsettling, yet captivating hook. This and the demonic screeching on the chorus, which rides the line between ridiculous and terrifying, plus Backxwash’s passionate delivery, make for one of the most memorable tracks on the album. Backxwash is a completely unique voice in rap, and both fans of left-field hip hop and traditional rap will likely find something to love on this record. 

Natalia Lafourcade – Un Canto por Mexico, Vol. 1

Best known for her contribution to the soundtrack for Disney’s Coco, but perhaps most hailed for her contributions to Mexican popular music, Natalia Lafourcade has become a staple in modern Latin American pop-rock and Mexican folk revivalism. Her latest album follows up her two-volume Musas, which were an exploration of traditional Mexican folk music, and a stylistic transition from her more poppy, commercially-successful Hasta La Raíz. Stylistically, Un Canto por Mexico is sort of a hybrid of those previous projects. Each track evokes the themes of pride, joy, struggle, and heartbreak that are characteristic of traditional Latin American folk. Some are renditions of classic huapango songs (“Cucurrucucu Paloma”, “El Balaju / Serenata Huasteca”), others are re-recordings of popular songs from Lafourcade’s earlier discography (“Hasta La Raíz”, “Ya No Vivo por Vivir”). On Un Canto por Mexico each track blends into a sonically consistent ode to national pride. 

Ka – Descendants of Cain

Continuing in a similar style to his previous albums, Ka’s new project is dense with wordplay and heavily descriptive of lived pain. Descendants of Cain is filled with biblical allusions, the primary one being Cain’s murder of Abel as an allegory for violence within oppressed communities. Each of Ka’s bars are filled with double entendres, to the point where full comprehension may take multiple revisits. He raps calmly in a cadence similar to spoken word, but there is a substantive weight to it all, and even when deploying quick multisyllabic flows the cleverness of his wordplay is never compromised. New listeners will note how scarce the drums are on many tracks, sometimes not appearing at all, allowing Ka to act as his own rhythm section. Some instrumental highlights are “Solitude of Enoch”, where rushes of sharp strings periodically encroach on the guitar and keys, and “PRAY”, an eerie track where the primary component of the beat seems to be monitor feedback. The choral vocals and acoustic guitar on “Old Justice” are a surprising choice that showcases Ka’s versatility, leading into the unusually tender and wholesome closing track, “I Love (Mimi, Moms, Kev)”. On Descendants of Cain, Ka further cements himself as a rapper without a single filler line. 

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