2018 Year End Longlist, Part 9

Hailu Mergia - Lala Belu [Awesome Tapes From Africa]



Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore - Ghost Forests [Three Lobed]



The White Blinds - Get To Steppin' [F-Spot Records]



Madeline Kenney - Perfect Shapes [Carpark]



Snail Mail - Lush [Matador]



Us, Today - Computant [it.me.music]



Uniting of Opposites - Ancient Lights [Tru Thoughts]



Hollie Cook - Vessel of Love [Merge]



Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - Close But No Cigar [Colemine]



Chip Wickham - Shamal Wind [Lovemonk]
AND HERE'S WHERE WE GET INTO THE ENTRIES THAT AREN'T ON BANDCAMP...

Scolari / Cavalca / Scolari - Natural Impulse [Principal Records]

https://soundcloud.com/claudio-scolari-project/hemispheres

Lucy Dacus - Historian [Matador]



Yo La Tengo - There's A Riot Going On [Matador]



Robyn - Honey [Konichiwa]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 8

The Sorority - Pledge [The Sorority Sound]



Victime - la femme taupe [Michel Records]



Dan Weiss - Starebaby [Pi Recordings]



Foxwarren - Foxwarren [Anti- / Arts & Crafts]



The Beths - Future Me Hates Me [Carpark]



Beach House - 7 [Sub Pop]



Balun - Prisma Tropical [Good Child Music]



Mary Melford's Snowy Egret - The Other Side Of Air [Firehouse 12]



Kutiman - Don't Hold Onto The Clouds [Siyal]



Hearts & Minds - Eletrordiance [Astral Spirits]



Quin Kirchner - The Other Side Of Time [Astral Spirits]



The Young Pixels - Fever of Becoming [Independent]



serpentwithfeet - Soil [Tri Angle]



Georgia Anne Muldrow - Overload [Brainfeeder]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 7

Dowdelin - Carnaval Odyssey [Underdog]



Onom Agemo & The Disco Jumpers - Magic Polaroid [Agogo]



Lea Bertucci - Metal Aether [NNA]



Fjer - You Again [Quintic]



Joseph Shabason - Anne [Independent]



Christine Fellows - Roses on the Vine [Vivat Virtute]



June West - June West [Broken Circles]



Joey Dosik - Inside Voice [Secretly Canadian]



Caoilfhionn Rose - Awaken [Gondwana]



Astral Swans - Strange Prison [Saved By Vinyl]



Beatchild & the Slakadeliqs - Heavy Rockin' Steady [BBE]



Bernice - Puff LP: In the Air Without A Shape [Arts & Crafts]



Birthday Boy & Trish - Joseph [Bastard Jazz]



Bonjay - Lush Life [Mysteries of Trade]



Freak Heat Waves - Beyond XXXL [Telephone Explosion]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 6

Wild Nothing - Indigo [SEE Music]



Neighborhood of Make Believe - Two Nighttimes [Five Kill]



Phosphorescent - C'est La Vie [Dead Oceans]



Tommy Guerrero - The Road to Nowhere [Too Good]



Thabang Tabane - Matjale [Mushroom Hour Half Hour]



Daniel Crawford - Revolution [Independent]



Emma Ruth Rundle - On Dark Horse [Sargent House]



Jake Mason Trio - Stranger in the Mirror [Soul Messin']



Wayne Horvitz - The Snowghost Sessions [Songlines]



Fatima - And Yet It's All Love [Eglo Records]



Sister Sparrow - Gold [Thirty Tigers]



The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra - Naming & Blaming [HopeSt. Recordings]



Charles Bradley - Black Velvet [Dunham/Daptone]



Vivian Leva - Time Is Everything [Free Dirt]



Julien Dyne - Teal [Soundway]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 5

Tunng - Songs You Make At Night [Full Time Hobby]



Leisure Centre - Mind Full [Hope Street Recordings]



Dentist - Night Swimming [Cleopatra Records]



Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs [Sub Pop]



Whitney Ballen - You're A Shooting Star, I'm A Sinking Ship [Father/Daughter]



Low - Double Negative [Sub Pop]



Conner Youngblood - Cheyenne [Counter]



Glenn Jones - The Giant Who Ate Himself [Thrill Jockey]



Mitski - Be the Cowboy [Dead Oceans]



Ava Luna - Moon 2 [Western Vinyl]



Jonathan Something - Outlandish Poetica [Solitaire Recordings]



Fred Thomas - Aftering [Polyvinyl]



Traps PS - New Chants [Innovative Leisure]



Thalia Zedek Band - Fighting Season [Thrill Jockey]



This Will Destroy You - New Others Part One [Dark Operative]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 4

Neko Case - Hell-On [Anti-]



Marisa Anderson - Cloud Corner [Thrill Jockey]



Rosehardt - Songs in the Key of Solitude [Independent]



Shawn Lee & the Soul Surfers - Shawn Lee & the Soul Surfers [Independent]



Hilary Woods - Colt [Sacred Bones]



Oracle Hysterical - Hecuba [National Sawdust Tracks]



Natalie Evans - Better At Night [Small Pond]



Kamaal Williams - The Return [Black Focus Records]



Blood Wine or Honey - Fear & Celebration [Do Right! Music]



Chancha Via Circuito - Bienaventuranza [Wonderwheel Recordings]



Makaya McCraven - Where We Come From [International Anthem]



Boyhood - Bad Mantras [Independent]



Remember Sports - Slow Buzz [Father/Daughter]



Alekesam - Sound Proof Heart [Alpha Pup]



Hop Along- Bark Your Head Off, Dog [Saddle Creek]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 3

Part 1 and Part 2 can be found by clicking on them or scrolling back.

The Philharmonik - The Philharmonik [Sol Life]



Cavalier - Innate [Alpha Pup]



The Sea and Cake - Any Day [Thrill Jockey]



Deva Mahal - Run Deep [Independent]



Anteloper - Kudu [International Anthem]



Jay Phelps - Free as the Birds [Ropeadope]



Middle Blue - Love Chords [Ropeadope]



BOYS - Rest In Peace [PNKSLM]



The Amazing - In Transit [Partisan]



Housepanther - Club Soda Lows [Independent]



Sarah Louise - Deeper Woods [Thrill Jockey]



Winter - Etheriality [Org Music]



Peggy Lee - Echo Painting [Independent]



ABIAH - ABIAH Sings NINA [Independent]



L Con - Insecurities In Being [Independent]

14KT - "The Power of Same ft. Muhsinah"

We interrupt my slew of looking back at 2018 posts to bring you a little forward facing music. RR mainstays First Word Records have announced the addition of Michigan / LA beatmaker and producer 14KT to their ranks and today (December 14th) is the release of the first single from his 2019-due debut IAMABEENIE.

"The Power of Same" features urgent, yearning vocals from Muhsinah whom I haven't heard before but have now flagged for future reference. No surprise she came recommended by Tall Black Guy who put her in touch with 14KT.

If the full-length features more of this jazzy production, soulful vocals and insistent beats, there's a strong chance it'll be among my rear-facing posts at the end of 2019.

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 2

If you missed the explainer, that's at the header of Part 1. Without further ado, here's part 2.

Dabrye - Three/Three [Ghostly International]

Pearl Charles - Sleepless Dreamer [Kanine]

Soccer Mommy - Clean [Fat Possum]

Quiet Dawn - Human Being - The Short Story of the Reed [First Word]

HURRY - Every Little Thought [LameO]



Joan As Policewoman - Damned Devotion [PIAS Recordings]



Anna & Elizabeth - The Invisible Comes To Us [Smithsonian Folkways]



Karavan Sarai - Painted Sands [Electrofone]



Amen Dunes - Freedom [Sacred Bones]



Emapea - Zoning Out Volume One [Cold Busted]



Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar [Ninja Tune]



Black Milk - Fever [Mass Appeal]



Adrian Younge - Adrian Younge presents: Voices of Gemma [Linear Labs]



royceBIRTH - Genealogy [Independent]



Dos Santos - Logos [International Anthem]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 1

It's that time of year again - actually that time of year seems to arrive sooner every year - and I'm in the process of whittling down my longlist to arrive at my Top 20 for my FOURTEENTH ANNUAL (!!) countdown show on UMFM on NYE. As I narrow the field I'll start sharing what I considered but didn't make the cut and due to a particularly LONG longlist, I'm just going to post a track from each without any commentary. There's no order to what I'll be listing in each entry, but some of these song selections might end up on my Top 20 songs even if the album didn't make the Top 20 as a whole. Hope you make some discoveries as you work your way through the list.

Curtis Roush - Cosmic Campfire Music [Modern Outsider]


Anna Burch - Quit the Curse [Polyvinyl]


Gizelle Smith - Ruthless Day [Jalapeno]


Kirsten Ludwig - We Get It Now [Oscar St. Records]


The Brothers Nylon - Bitches Cold Brew [Resistant Mindz]


Eric Chenaux - Slowly Paradise [Constellation]


Imarhan - Temet [City Slang]


Jeff Rosenstock - POST- [Polyvinyl]


The James Hunter Six - Whatever It Takes [Daptone]


Calexico - The Thread That Keeps Us [Anti-]


Yamantaka//Sonic Titan - Dirt [Paper Bag]


MAST - Thelonious Sphere Monk [World Galaxy]


Typhoon - Offerings [Roll Call]


Superchunk - What A Time To Be Alive [Merge]


Palm - Rock Island [Carpark]

Hackney Colliery Band - "Superhero Disco (The Reflex Version)"

Early Christmas present from label Wah Wah 45s as they approach their twentieth anniversary. Hackney Colliery Band are longtime RR faves and it's nice to hear the Reflex version of "Superhero Disco" as part of this mammoth (26 songs!) compilation of nuggets from the UK label remixed, re-worked or otherwise reconsidered. Also featuring tracks from the likes of Henri-Pierre Noel, Dele Sosimi and the Gene Dudley Group among others, this is a nice taste of what the label consistently cooks up, but with a few extra spices thrown in.

Coro Qom Chelaalapi Meets Lagartijeando - "Lapacho"

Lagartijeando first came to my attention last year when they released El Gran Poder on Wonderwheel Recordings. It's a marriage of electronic beats and traditional Andean music and it is totally in my wheelhouse. Now Lagartijeando has teamed up with the choir from an indigenous tribe called Coro Qom Chelaalapi. To quote the blurb on the Bandcamp page: "The choir formed as a means of passing down their culture to future generations in the absence of any formal records. They have been declared a living cultural heritage by UNESCO." Needless to say that got my attention and this all-too-brief EP is a delight and an unique release. Don't sleep on Revision.

Admiral - "Lonely Palms Couch Party"

I don't know what or where a "Lonely Palms Couch Party" is, but if this is the soundtrack I want to be invited. Such a relaxed groove to this tune. That underwater bass line and the crisp snap of the snare keeping the party moving while the organ stabs make it interesting.

Otis Jr. & Dr. Dundiff - "Need To Know"

If - like me - you were a fan of "The 1" from Louisville duo Otis Jr. & Dr. Dundiff then you need to know that their sophomore release is due out December 14th. Cool clearly builds on what was established on Hemispheres and first single "Need To Know" features the signature vocal swoop at the beginning of the track as it did on so many of the cuts from their debut. Adding this album to my Christmas list.

Julia Jacklin - "Body"

The Jacklin is Back(lin)! Aussie RR fave Julia Jacklin dropped a new track last month and it seems fitting that it took til now for me to come across it as the tune itself is a slow burner that demonstrates Jacklin's laconic delivery and storytelling capabilities in equal measure.

Kirsten Ludwig - "Something I Wanted To Know"

I'm not sure when I first landed on Kirsten Ludwig's Facebook page, but at some point I 'liked' it and so when her new album We Get It Now showed up in this morning's mail from Oscar St. Records, the name resonated. And on the topic of resonating, while I was in from opener "Back to Bed," it was the closing track that did me in and fully won me over. There is a hush to this entire record, but it's most effectively deployed on this languid waltz of a tune that is the epitome of melancholy. Ludwig's voice barely rises above a whisper and yet it soars beyond the reach of the ringing, reverbed guitars. This is some Galaxie 500 fronted by Tamara Lindeman type stuff here and the beautiful pairing of music and voice might distract you from just how gutting lyrics like "I wish you knew / The woman I was / Two years ago / When I felt like someone" actually are.

Makaya McCraven - "Mantra"

IT'S UNIVERSAL BEINGS RELEASE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally. Thanks to the fine folks at International Anthem, I've been absorbing the second release from Chicago's Makaya McCraven for a little while now and waiting for the opportunity to feature it on my radio show. Tonight I'll finally get to spin the track below but more importantly, the record is now available to listen to in its entirety on Bandcamp and to purchase. The entire record is a stunner and has a solid spot on my 2018 Longlist, but "Mantra" continues to stand out on multiple listens because that interpolation of harp and bowed bass dancing atop the snapping percussion. It creates a mood and a groove that I just want to luxuriate in.

Kyoto Jazz Sextet - "Rising (Ron Trent Remix)"

As someone with an affinity for Japanese club jazz outfits like Soil & "Pimp" Sessions, Quasimode and others AND who owns more than a few records from the Peacefrog catalog, the combination of the Kyoto Jazz Sextet with Chicago house legend Ron Trent was pretty much guaranteed to resonate from the opening notes. This is insistent and joyful and unstoppable.

Manatee Commune - "Carried Away" ft. Allie Crystal

This one came out last Friday, but I was so wrapped up in the station's annual Pledge drive that it nearly slipped through the cracks. It's been more than a hot minute since I last posted about Manatee Commune (with their Moorea Masa collab "The Garden Song", though sadly in over two years Masa has only accumulated 200 more Soundcloud followers). The new cut, "Carried Away" features another great vocalist - this time it's New York singer-songwriter Allie Crystal, making a cross-country collaboration with the Washington-state based Grant Eadie and Crystal's effervescent voice just amplifies the inherent happiness of this bouncy tune. Try not to smile while you're listening to it, and try not to hit 'repeat' after you've given it a first listen.

Cosmic Analog Ensemble - "Phoenician Rose"

I had saved a draft of this post on August 21st and just totally flaked on posting it back then, but while you would have had to wait nearly three months for the release of Une Vie Cent Détours had I posted it back then, now it's only a few weeks away from being available. There's still time to pre-order the digital or vinyl version of this hot jazz/funk album before it drops October 21st and as of October 4th, there are still 2 of 4 copies of the test pressing available. Can't remember how I landed on the Comsic Analog Ensemble's music back in August, but "Phoenician Rose" grabbed me instantly with its bumpin' strut and the turntable flourishes that brought me back to Mo'Wax releases from my youth. CAE are like a live-breaks group and the cut below is a tight under-3-minute gem.

Joseph Shabason - "Forest Run"

New Jazz Winnipeg Marketing and Communications Director Victoria King just selected the last record from Toronto multi-instrumentalist Joseph Shabason as part of the festival's Speakeasy blog Staff Selections. Great timing as Shabason is set to release a new record, Anne, on November 16th. There's only one track streaming on the Bandcamp page, but "Forest Run" is a lovely soundscape sure to please fans of his prior album Aytche.

Georgia Anne Muldrow - "Overload"

Not sure what transpired that this isn't coming out on Mello Music Group, but their loss is Brainfeeder's gain as Overload is set to come out October 26th on the same label that has recently seen LPs from the likes of Dorian Concept, Thundercat, Flying Lotus and more.

The title-track opens with what may or may not be calliope and then some real boom-bap drums before Muldrow's layered vocals. This one percolates and like a fresh cup of coffee, it is HOT.

Salim El Baroudi - "Fatouma"

Earlier this year, Belgian label Radio Martiko reissued an album I'm somewhat obsessed with  - Hany Mehanna's The Miracle of the Seven Dances. If I included reissues in my Year End list considerations, it would be WAY up there. Now comes another RM release that challenges my strictures as I don't include compilations either. Zamaan Ya Sukkar chronicles the 1960s Cairo scene. And based on the four songs streaming it was quite the nightlife.

The Lewis Express - "Love Can Turn A Man"

I'm waffling on ordering the full-length LP from Leeds act The Lewis Express on spec since there's only this one track from the group featuring members of The Socerers, The Magnificent Tape Band
and other acts.

BUT WHAT A TRACK!!



George Cooper's piano has a Henri-Pierre Noel vibe and those backing horns are so frigging supple. I've listened to this track a half-dozen times since it landed in my inbox this morning and I've been calculating GBP to CDN exchange rates ever since.

Caoifhionn Rose - "Awaken"

It's pronounced Keelin as Rose's Bandcamp bio helpfully mentions. Only the title-track / lead-off song is streaming at the moment in advance of the full-length release on Gondwana Records on October 12th so I can't say for certain that the rest of it isn't drastically different and more in line with the jazz stuff label head Matthew Halsall is responsible for, but it was certainly not what I was expecting. "Awaken" is a pleasant surprise and a gauzy folk-rock number with beautifully reverbed guitars and Rose's supple voice. If you've enjoyed recent stuff from Jen Cloher or Julien Baker, add Caoifhionn Rose to your playlists.

hana vu - "Shallow"

Not sure why I didn't post this track when I created the entry in late June, but some other recent Luminelle Recordings acts put this great album back on my radar. First getting into songwriting at age TWELVE, hana vu is now 17 so y'know what did the rest of us do with our youth?! If I wasn't so smitten with the music, I'd be more jealous of the talent. My love of "Shallow" runs deep.

Nitai Hershkovits - "Robin"

So as I understand it, Wah Wah 45 is releasing Time Grove Roots as sort of a teaser for a forthcoming album from Time Grove. Roots gathers older material from the composite parts of Time Grove to give you a taste of what each member is capable of on their own in advance of hearing what they accomplish as a group. This all caught my eye because Amir Bresler and Sefi Zisling are included and the pair have been featured on RR and on my radio show in the past. Plus the details make mention of Rejoicer, a recent addition to the Stones Throw coterie and that's a label I always keep an ear on. The name I didn't know is pianist Nitai Hershkovits, who is credited as guiding Time Grove. Needless to say I was glad that the preview track is Hershkovits' "Robin" so I could get a sense of what their style is and it definitely fits the description of "forward thinking, melodic jazz meets electronic wizardry." Looking forward to hearing what all the players accomplish together.

My Polaris Prize Ballot - 2018 Round Two

So last night at midnight was the deadline for submitting my second-round ballot for the 2018 Polaris Prize. I previously shared my vote for round one and only 2 out of the 5 I voted for made the official Long List from which I then had to submit a new five.

My #1 overall, Jeremy Dutcher, made the cut so it stayed exactly where I put it, while Zaki Ibrahim moved up from #3 to #2 leaving me open slots for #3, 4 and 5.

My own longlist (which I shared in the last post) had sixteen records in common with the official list:  
Allie - Nightshade 
Alvvays - Antisocialites 
Bernice - Puff LP: in the air without a shape 
Bonjay - Lush Life 
Daniel Caesar - Freudian  
Jeremy Dutcher - Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa 
Faith Healer - Try  
Zaki Ibrahim - The Secret Life Of Planets 
Iskwe - The Fight Within 
Pierre Kwenders - MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time 
Partner - In Search of Lost Time 
Snotty Nose Rez Kids - The Average Savage 
U.S. Girls - In A Poem Unlimited 
The Weather Station - The Weather Station 
Weaves - Wide Open 
Charlotte Day Wilson - Stone Woman EP

Subtracting Dutcher and Ibrahim, that meant I had 14 records to consider for the final three slots and after due consideration and a fair amount of 'hemming and hawing' this is what I ended up submitting:

Fingers-crossed I do a bit better on Round Two, but best of luck to all of the artists listed above, and most especially to "my five."

Tsvia Abarbanel - "Mi Nishkani"

I won't pretend to be up on my private pressing Yemenite jazz of the 1970s but I know enough to keep tabs on folks and labels who do know about these things. Fortuna Records are a Soundcloud follow I first came across when they posted material from Grazia. More recently they released the Eastern Soul EP from Tsvia Abarbanel and "Mi Nishkani" is a track I keep coming back to. The thumpy tom drum with its distortion is strangely beguiling and insistent and the same can be said for Abarbanel's soaring vocals. Plus there's this intensely jazzy riff on the piano that comes in and out and could've come from an Erroll Garner track.

Fatima - "Caught In A Lie"

Yellow Memories was one of my favourite albums of 2014, so I'm stoked that UK vocalist Fatima is set to release the follow-up this fall. And Yet It's All Love is due in September on Eglo Records and just over a week ago she debuted the second single from the LP. Natureboy Flako's production just POPS with crisp drumming and clipped bass-lines adding punch underneath Fatima's warm, rolling delivery. Penciling this one in to my 2018 Longlist on spec based on the strong start that "Caught In A Lie" and "Somebody Else" set.

Natalie Evans - "In Trees"

It's not in service of '90s Britpop, but Natalie Evans vocals' make me recall Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays as both share a breathy delivery and an effortlessly high vocal range. On "In Trees" (below) and the rest of Better At Night, Evans blends folk and pop in equal measure and has me thinking back to favourite songs from Harmony Trowbridge and Casey Dienel. Evans plays guitar, piano and harp (check out "Empty Rooms and Aeroplanes' for the harp highlight) and knows which instrument to employ on each song for maximum musical effect. With no song nearing the 3:30 mark and a few just cracking one minute, this is an all-too-brief glimpse at a talent on the rise.

My Polaris Prize Ballot - 2018 Round One

It's that time of year again. The mid-year sweats that have nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with filling out my ballot for the first round of the Polaris Prize voting.

If you think I agonize over my personal Year-End Top 20, that's nothing compared to the second-guessing and third-listening I do to winnow down my Polaris picks. Because these selections actually have some real-world import and could lead to some cold-hard cash for one great act.

All told, there were 224 official suggestions of albums for the June 2017 - May 2018 eligibility period, and my own longlist included 39 of those titles.

I try to be internally consistent with my selections, so you'll see some overlap between the June-December 2017 period Polaris titles and my January - December 2017 longlist / Top 20 and at the end of this year you'll see the titles from January - May 2018. Though I should mention that unlike my own Top 20 where I don't consider EPs, they are eligible for the Polaris and thus there are a couple on my Polaris longlist that don't / won't make the Year-End cut, and that a few albums released in 2017 are on my Polaris list but I didn't discover them in time to consider for the 2017 calendar year.

Clear as mud??

Without further ado, here's the albums (in alphabetical order) that made my own Polaris longlist, and from which I selected my first round ballot of 5.

Allie - Nightshade
Alvvays - Antisocialites
Astral Swans - Strange Prisons
Julie Aube - Joie de vivre
Beatchild & The Slakadeliqs - Heavy Rockin' Steady
Bernice - Puff LP
Birthday Boy & Trish - Joseph
Bonjay - Lush Life
Daniel Caesar - Freudian
Chet Doxas - Rich In Symbols
Jeremy Dutcher - Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
Faith Healer - Try
Freak Heat Waves - Beyond XXXL
Heavy Bell - By Grand Central Station
Zaki Ibrahim - The Secret Life Of Planets
Iskwe - The Fight Within
Julie & The Wrong Guys - Julie & The Wrong Guys
Pierre Kwenders - MAKANDA
L Con - Insecurities in Being
Chris LaRocca - Voila
Peggy Lee - Echo Paiting
Mauno - Tuning
Mise En Scene - Still Life On Fire
Partner - In Search of Lost Time
PARTYNEXTDOOR - Seven Days
Rhye - Blood
Emie R. Roussel Trio - Intersections
Gabrielle Shonk - Gabrielle Shonk
Sick Boss - Sick Boss
Snotty Nose Rez Kids - The Average Savage
The Sorority - PLEDGE
Maylee Todd - Acts of Love
U.S. Girls - In A Poem Unlimited
Victime - La femme taupe
Wares - Wares
The Weather Station - The Weather Station
Weaves - Wide Open
Charlotte Day Wilson - Stone Woman EP
Witch Prophet - The Golden Octave

And here's what I voted for:

L CON - "The Art of Staying Tough"

I am currently mainlining the late suggestions by fellow jurors for the 2018 Polaris Prize to give them consideration before finalizing my Longlist ballot and among the contenders is this brand-new album by L CON. Insecurities in Being was released last Friday and slips in to the eligibility period under the wire.

After two full listens I can't say it will crack my Top 5, but it's certainly a strong record that has found a place on my own longlist and if I could give the award to a song and not an album, there's a case to be made for "The Art of Staying Tough." Guest vocalist Casey MQ was unknown to me before this but with this Anohni-esque turn I will definitely be keeping tabs on them. The fragility of their voice on top of the already emotionally fraught lyrics ("this heavy heart / won't go far"... "even when your insides are crumbling / and your outside's all alone") makes this a quietly devastating song.



And here's a version where L CON herself handles the vocals.

Michael Feuerstack - "Love Is All Around"

FEUERSTACK IS BACK!

Michael Feuerstack's fourth post-Snailhouse release, Natural Weather, was released this past Friday via Forward Music Group.

There are only three tracks streaming on Bandcamp, including "Love Is All Around," the album opener. It's emblematic of what Feuerstack has been doing for decades - writing delicately heart-rending songs with as much attendance to sound as feel. Consider the ghostly accompaniment of Camille Delean on the chorus and the way their harmonies wring an extra ounce of emotion out of the words "love is all around" and how their voice ripples just like the lyrics make mention of.

"They Won't Believe You" from Snailhouse's Lies on the Prize continues to gut me a decade after it first came out and after listening to "Love Is All Around" a half-dozen times (which as of this posting is half the total spins on Soundcloud), I'm pretty certain this will be affecting me just as deeply in 2028.

The Devonns - "Come Back"

For something that was dashed off, this track has some staying power. Chicago throwback soul group The Devonns apparently wrote "Come Back" in ten minutes. That's less time than I have spent listening to it as I've gone back-to-back-to-back with this tune.

As someone with a son named Isley, I may just be a pushover when it comes to a group that creates a warmth to their recording that bathes the listnere in sound and uses horns and strings to augment a bouncy tune. R.E.M's Ken Stringfellow guests on guitar and percussion and I have to wonder if that glockenspiel is him.

The Come Back b/w Think I'm Falling In Love 7in drops June 8th via Record Kicks but can be heard below or found on the label's Record Kicks 15th compilation. 

And FYI, it's pronounced "De-vaughns," for when you're recommending this group to a friend.

Witch Prophet - "Time Traveler ft. Lido Pimienta"

Pretty sure it was Nik from The Precious Lo's who first tipped me off to Witch Prophet. Basically anything tangentially related to long-time RR faves TPL is worth a listen and this is the case with this fantastic Toronto spiritual soul act (Ayo Leilani on vocals and DJ Sun Sun on production)

When I first meant to post this entry, the Bandcamp stream was limited to just a couple singles including the fire collab with Lido Pimienta below, but the record came out last Friday and it can be streamed / purchased in its entirety now.

The Magnificent Tape Band - "Black Tiger"

The Magnificent Tape Band are the alter egos of ATA Records founders Neil Innes & Pete Williams, who were the creative driving force behind last years debut album by The Sorcerers

Certainly Innes & Williams are the masterminds behind TMTB but the beating heart of "Black Tiger" is vocalist Rachel Modest on whose reedy pipes this stellar throwback soul-track dips and swoops.

Quantic y Los Miticos del Ritmo - "Hotline Bling"

I'm in need of a very specific kind of Bat-signal. It's the one I want to light the sky with after hearing this song that will alert the owner of Helmut the Pug that they need to re-cut their video of the dog dancing to "Hotline Bling" to this cumbia version from RR faves Quantic y Los Miticos del Ritmo.

ABIAH - "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"

ABIAH.

Not entirely sure how that's pronounced, but it might be "audacious" 'cause that's what an album's worth of Nina Simone covers amounts to. NYC singer / vocal coach Jeremiah Abiah previously tackled Tina Turner on his album Bottles, but going from covering a lioness to a goddess is a big leap. ABIAH has the voice to make that jump. It's an incredible instrument, with a delicate strength - like the silk of a parachute.

Take a listen to the entirety of ABIAH sings NINA but start with "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" below, which features tremendous work on the piano by Andre Chez Lewis and a great insistent beat from Keith Witty (bass) and Chris Eddleton (drums) that help keep ABIAH's vocals aloft.

Jordan Rakei - "Wildfire"

Apparently it debuted on BBC (yesterday? I can never tell with time-zones), but Rakei's latest neo-soul nugget is out today, May 10th.
 

Us, Today - "Spellcaster (Dr. Spirit)"

Spellcaster indeed. I AM TRANSFIXED with this cut and the dense blend of post-rock / funk / math rock / electronics this Cincinnati trio are making on "Spellcaster (Dr. Spirit)." There's only one other track streaming from the forthcoming Computant but both point to this being a record in heavy rotation for me when it drops on June 15th.

I don't think I'd have ever thought of vibraphones played in this type of ensemble, but does it ever work. To go back to the "this + this = that" roots of this blog, if Milt Jackson fronted Battles, the result might sound like Us, Today.

The Dead Tongues - "Pale November Dew"

As I write this, it's a cool, overcast day in Winnipeg. The perfect time to listen to "Pale November Dew" from  The Dead Tongues' forthcoming album Unsung Passage. TDT is Ryan Gustafson, who has been playing guitar for Hiss Golden Messenger but who creates his own Cosmic Americana on this beautiful song. While the guitar work will remind you of The Tallest Man on Earth, Gustafson's warm croon is nowhere near as polarizing a voice.

Looking forward to hearing the rest of this album when it lands May 18th on Psychic Hotline.

Jonny Drop - "All This Trouble"

I have raved about the Gene Dudley Group in the past.  I've long been a fan of Andrew Ashong. And while I haven't posted about them, I dig the music The Expansions make.

Standing at the centre of this three-pointed star is drummer and DJ Jonny Drop. He is about to release The Only Sound on June 22nd and the first cut from the LP is streaming (below). "All This Trouble" has a funky soundtrack-vibe and a sweet vocal sample hook. Slide into the weekend on the back of this one.

Oscar Key Sung - "Simple Luv"

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With the release of a new track today, Melbourne neo-soul vocalist Oscar Key Sung announced the forthcoming release of a new EP, No Disguise, coming next month on Good Manners Records. If it's as hot as this first cut, I'm going to have to wear protective gear on May 25th for the fire.

Paul White - "See Through (ft. Denai Moore)"

Really like the drum pattern White establishes off the hop on "See Through" - a nice rolling, forward momentum to it. The other thing established on this track is my affection for Denai Moore's vocals. Sort of an Alice Smith vibe to it with a seemingly effortless range and a relaxed delivery. She appears on one other track on Rejuvenate (and Sarah Williams White [!!] makes two appearances as well) and I look forward to hearing more from Moore.

Yazmin Lacey - "Something My Heart Trusts"

It's only one song, but velvet-voiced Yazmin Lacey is back with her second release via First Word Records. Following up March's "90 Degrees" is this slow-burner with a groove that Lacey luxuriates in.

Officially out tomorrow, you can stream it now, below.




I can't fault First Word for the baby-step approach to Lacey's releases but I WANT MORE GOODNESS!!

Haley Blais - "Let Yourself Go"

Vancouver artist Haley Blais just released the EP Let Yourself Go last week. "Small Foreign Faction" is apparently the cut that's taking off, but for me the title-track is just an irrepressible slice of pop sunshine. Blais is hitting the road in support of the EP and will play Forth on May 1st at a show that is somehow by donation but also indicates there can be advance ticket-holders. I may be puzzled over that, but I'm certain Blais is one to check out.