Best of Release Radar – Week 38:2022.

On fridays we get a fresh batch of tracks on our Release Radar playlists from Spotify. And as the weeks before, i will pick my three favourites from this weeks Release Radar.

The first track on this weeks Best of Release Radar is Eddie by Red Hot Chili Peppers. This single was released the other day, and will be featured on RHCP’s upcoming album, that is being set to release the 14th of October. I read that Eddie is a song about Eddie Van Halen that passed away in 2020. This track sounds very much like a RHCP track, and i do enjoy that. And as always, i am a sucker for songs that sound a bit melancholic, which this track surely does, you get that undertone.

The second track this week is Love On The Run by Broken Bells. I read on Genius that Broken Bells is the love child of the front man from The Shins and Danger Mouse. Two artists and groups that i thoroughly enjoy, and this combined project of theirs is no different. I think this is very good. You have a beautiful voice that sings, combined with some easy listening instrumentals with influences from blues, jazz and rock. This is a fabolous track that will go straight into my regular rotation! Be sure to check out The Shins and Danger Mouse’s individual work, aswell!

The third and last track this week is Diarabi by Vieux Farka Touré, Khruangbin. This is a fantastic song, but i had to do some looking around to make sense of what was it was. This song is a single from the newly released album Ali, that’s a collaboration between the Texas based psychadelic rock band Khruangbin and the Malian artist Vieux Farka Touré. Khruangbin is a band that i’ve been listening to before, and i love what they do in musical way, their instrumental sound combined with the voice of the singer, is just fantastic. Diarabi is a sound that features Vieux on song, and Khruangbin on intstrumentals, with some backup singing. And it got a bit of that classic Khruangbin-sound, combined with some, i assume, malian influences from Vieux. It’s a match made in heaven. Alexis Petridis at The Guardian wrote a review of the album here. Give it a read!

Until next time, take care.
SLQT.

Best of Discover Weekly – Week 38:2022.

Monday has passed, and we’ve gotten ourselves a updated Discover Weekly playlist from Spotify! As earlier weeks, i will listen through it and choose the three tracks that i like the most and list them, in no particular order.

The first track off of this weeks Discover Weekly is Eastwood Dub by King Tubby. Genius says that King Tubby was a Jamaican sound engineer, who greatly influenced the development of dub. And that makes sense, as this track, Eastwood Dub has got that classic dub-sound, and it’s really easy to listen to – and it makes you nod your head with the rhythm. There’s something that’s just a bit soothing about the sound, and i can see that this track would be sampeled in other songs, with singers singing over this dub.

The second track is Wet And Rusting by Menomena, and it’s off of their 2007 album Friend And Foe. Genius lets us know that Menomana is a Portland, Oregon based band. Just as with King Tubby, i had no previous knowledge of Menomana. But i love the sound of this track, Wet And Rusting, it reminds me of Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, MGMT and similar bands. There’s something with the soft voices of the singers, combined with the heavy focus on the instrumental elements that just makes sense to me.

The third and last track from this weeks Discover Weekly playlist is Open Heart Surgery by The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and it’s off of their 2000 album Zero. The Brian Jonestown Massacre is, according to Genius, an American psychadelic rock baned based in San Fransisco, California in 1990. In this weeks list, this is the only band i had previous knowledge of. I’ve been listening to The BJM on and off for years now, however the album Zero which contains this song, has passed me by without notice. Open Heart Surgery is a track with slow sounding instrumentals and a rather melancholic lyrical element, where the singer reminds me of Robert Smith, from The Cure.

Also, side note, this was the first week in years that i didn’t get a track that’s in a language that i don’t understand. Intriguing! I hope your playlist contained some good songs, that will feature in your future rotation!

Until next time, takre care.
SLQT.

Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab For Cutie

This past friday, the 16th, Death Cab for Cutie released a new album, that’s called Asphalt Meadows. I fell in love with Death Cab for Cutie 16 years ago, when i heard their song Soul Meets Body off of their 2005 album Plans, when someone put that song in a video montage of a player versus player video of the computer game World of Warcraft. Can’t remember what video, or who made it, but hats off to you, for introducing Death Cab for Cutie to me.

This american rock band has put out a lot of music since their debut in 1997. Asphalt Meadows is a 11 track album, that stretches over 42 minutes and 5 seconds. And my impressions are that this is an album that sounds very much like a Death Cab for Cutie-album. Some songs that are very gentle and downtempo, some songs that features gentle parts with temposhifts and some songs that goes a bit harder than the other songs, with lyrics that are sung a bit harsher, with an overall tempo that is paced quicker than other tracks.

And this formula is what Death Cab for Cutie is known for, tempo-shifting songs, beatiful lyrics with the angelic voice of Ben Gibbard, that is tightly knit into a package with the help from the very instrumentally strong support from the rest of the band. And this is both a strenght and a weakness from Death Cab for Cutie. You get what you expect, it’s very tight and efficient, but you don’t ever get surprised by a release from them. And i assume that this is what has kept them in the game for so long. The fans, me included, always know what we’re going to get, and it’s often, nearly always, very good. However, i would like to see some experimenting, as i believe that they’re competent enough to make a lot of different genres work. And, you can always fall back and listen to Ben Gibbards other band The Postal Service, that in all honesty sound a bit like DCfC, but it’s also very good.

All in all, to round this text off. I like this album, a lot, i think it’s good, and it will be heavily rotated by me. Have you given it a listen? If not, give it a chance!

Until next time, take care.
SLQT.

Best of Release Radar – Week 37:2022

This week we had some interesting tunes in the Release Radar playlist from Spotify. And as usual, i will pick three songs that i enjoyed, and i will present them in no particual order!

This weeks first track is Take Me High by Kx5, deadmau5, Kaskade. I’d say that you attribute this track to ”Kx5”, which is a collaboration between Kaskade and deadmau5. This is a very good electronic dance track. All around interesting, with some easy lyrics, heavy bass, and with some features that makes it harder not to move your body together with the music, than not do dance along. I’ve been following both deadmau5 and Kaskade for many years now, and whenever they team up together, and collaborate on something, magic tends to be made.

The second tune from this weeks Release Radar-playlist is All Along (Kaytranda Remix) by Rochelle Jordan, KAYTRANDA. I’m familiar with both KAYTRANDA & Rochelle Jordan, however i don’t know much about them, other than this is a very danceable, yet easy listening remix of a somewhat souly-RnB-track. I really like this song, and i believe that it’s going into my regular rotation of tracks!

This weeks last track is DRAIN STORY by Bladee. The swedish draingang prodigy keeps on delivering interesting and unique tracks. He’s been on a roll lately and this is yet another hit in the right direction. When i first heard of, and about Bladee, his tracks confused me, and i didn’t really enjoy it. But with time, and Bladee’s effort to keep on evolving and putting out music consistently, so has my interest for him and his what he touches in musical way, risen.

This week was a fun week, i had a wide variety of tracks, in a wide variety of genres. I hope that you also had some good music that will enter into your new rotation!

Until next time, take care.
SLQT.

Best of Discover Weekly – Week 37:2022.

Another week! Another batch of tracks has been generated and put into our Discover Weekly playlists. And, like every week, i’ll let you know what three tracks were my favourite!

The first track of this week is Unhappy by OutKast from their 2003 album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. This is a mastodont album, consisting of 40 tracks. I’ve listened a lot to OutKast over the years, i love most of what they’ve done. However i haven’t been listening that much to the Speakerboxxx/The Love Below album, apart from the biggest songs, like Hey Ya!, Roses & The way you move. Unhappy is this beautiful, yet melancholic track, with a groovy groove with a sound of the lyrical elements that brings a eerie, melancholic feeling over this track. This is a well used phenomenon by OutKast, a very happy and upbeat instrumental, with terribly depressive lyrics – like on Hey Ya!. I’m very pleased that i was introduced to this track my Spotify, and it’s going straight into my regular rotation.

The second track this week is A Dozen Roses by Braid. This track comes off of Braids 1998 album Frame and Canvas. This was the first time i ever heard this song, and the first time i heard of this band. AllMusic says that Braid is: ”Influential emo band from the days when the genre still had a connection to hardcore”, and i feel like that describes this song very well. You have this gritty sound, with changes of the tempo that you often find in emo songs, combined with the lyrics and the way the singer sings – this feels like a good representation of the emo wave.

The third and last track this week is I’ll Fight You by Open Mike Eagle. This track is a single that was released the 9th of August, 2022, so it’s right off the press! I’ve heard of Open Mike Eagle, but i have never really listened to his music before. I think this track is very easy to listen to, the voice of Open Mike Eagle is soothing and he’s very much on the beat. I loved the beat straight away, and as i kept on listening to the track a couple of more times, it just grew on me. And i very much enjoy how well the flow, beat and voice grows together to make this track a reality.

This week was a good week, i had a lot of good songs, and it was tough to choose tracks this week. And, only one song was in a language i don’t understand, i believe it is sung in Dutch.

I hope you give these tracks a listen, and i hope that you’ve gotten some good tracks on your Discover Weekly, this week!

Until next time, take care.
SLQT.

Best of Release Radar – Week 36:2022.

This weeks three picks from my Release Radar playlist from Spotify is as follows:

The first track that i pick this week is Atopos by Björk. The icelandic musical prodigy Björk has finally released some new music. This new single of hers is very interesting and gives me great hope for the future of Björk!

The second track of this week is Tonight (feat. Ezra Koenig) by Phoenix & Ezra Koenig. I have no prior knowledge about Ezra Koenig, but i’m going to look him up and see what else he has been involved with. Phoenix and i go way back, and i’ve been listening to their music for quiet a while now – and it always brings me big joy whenever these french musicians release new music. Looking forward to see what they have been brewing together inside of the studio.

The last track from this weeks Release Radar-playlist is Rocksteady by Built To Spill. I am not sure really how to motivate this song other than i thought that it is a nice track that’s rather easy to listen to! I have very little prior knowledge about Built To Spill, so i will be sure to check them out.

Until next time, take care.
SLQT.

Best of Discover Weekly – Week 36:2022

Here comes my three favourite tracks from this weeks Discover Weekly-playlist from Spotify. The tracks are in no particular order. This week we had no tracks in finnish or other languages that i don’t speak, and that’s a rare occasion. Usually there are a few tracks in finnish.

The first track is Here’s Your Future by The Thermals. This is a good rock song, with a slowpaced start that gets into some heavy hitting tempo. This sounds just like a song that was released in 2006, and that’s also when it was released. It has the same features of a mid 00s rock song. And i’m a sucker for it.

The second track is Dum Surfer by King Krule. I’ve been listening to King Krule on and off, but somehow this track flew over my head. I’ve probably never really listened to the 2017 album The OOZ, where this song comes from. This track is a King Krule-esque track, with some pretty interesting and intriguing instrumental parts and solos. King Krule’s voice is one of those things, i believe, that you either love or hate. I had a rough time with it in the beginning, but it grew on me.

The third and final track in this weeks best of Discover Weekly is Something Bigger, Something Brighter by Pretty Girls Make Graves. The album which features this song was released in 2003, so this is also a mid 00’s rock song. We’ve got a female vocalist, whose voice fits this kind of song excellently. This song is very tempo-driven, it changes several times during the track, and i find that this enhances the song for me.

Hope you give these songs a listen, and i hope that you had some good music this week on your DIscover Weekly-playlist.

Until next time, take care.
SLQT.

Best of Release Radar – Week 35:2022

The three picks from my Release Radar-playlist week 35 on Spotify is as follows, without any particular order!

The first song is We are the Children by Fat Soul, Prop Dylan. This is a nice track from Fat Soul with help from Prop Dylan. Easy listening, indie pop rock with some good instrumentals and what sounds like a usage of the organ.

The second song is Another Broken Heart by Tove Styrke. Tove Styrke has been a roll, dropping excellent tracks lately in the form of singles and EPs. Another Broken Heart is a track from her newly released album HARD. Another Broken Heart is a beatiful, and danceable popsong with electronic influences – combined with Tove Styrkes angelic voice. You can not go wrong with this track. I’ll be sure to look into this new album of hers.

The third and last song from this weeks Release Radar is Hidden Land by Ninajirachi, Raj Mahal. I’m not sure how to describe this track. It’s a song with a heavy hitting bass, quick features and dope singing. It intrigued me in a way, and that’s why it made this weeks list.

Honorable mention as this weeks worst track. It’s We Are Fucking Fucked by Muse. I mean guys, what happened here? I love Muse, but holy geez, this new album is out there.

Until next time, take care.
SLQT.

Cracker Island – Gorillaz

Yesterday there was some news that Gorillaz is releasing a new album in February 24th, 2023! And let me tell you, i am very intrigued! I got their debut album Gorillaz, as a kid and it blew me away – ever since i’ve been a very big fan of theirs. I even had the fortune of being able to attend their first ever live concert in Sweden a couple of years ago, and it was amazing. So, new music from Gorillaz always gets me intrigued.

We’ve gotten two singles so far, and my first impression of them is that they are very nice, and very promising!

The first single is called Cracker Island (feat. Thundercat) and it shares the name of the upcoming album. The second single that has been released is called New Gold (feat. Tame Impala and Bootie Brown). One of the things that is so fun with Gorillaz is these sometimes bonkers collaborations on tracks, and that big artists really want to be on Gorillaz tracks, it opens up so many possibilities of potential bangers. And most of the time the Gorillaz projects and tracks has a very interesting way of utilizing the featuring artists in ways that make the whole track pop off.

Both of these singles are, in my opinion certified and absolute bangers, i couldn’t help myself but dance along as i’ve been listening to them. I think the features are used in very good, and interesting ways. Thundercat absolute nails his participation on Cracker Island and how Tame Impala and Bootie Brown bounces off of eachother on New Gold is just beautiful. Thundercat and Tame Impala’s music am i familiar with, but this is the first time i get to experience Bootie Brown, and i like what i’m hearing – and i’ll make sure to inspect what more he has been doing.

I’m sure it’s been seeping through this text, but i am very much looking forward to the release of the new music from Gorillaz. Cracker Island is out February 24, 2023. It’s far away, but i have faith that the waiting is worth it!

Until next time, take care.
SLQT.

Best of Discover Weekly – Week 35:2022

Spotify has a feature that is called Discover Weekly, it’s a playlist that contains 30 songs based on similar things to what you already listen to, and it gets updated every monday with 30 new tracks. It’s a nice way to find some new music, and rediscover old music that you haven’t been listening to for a while. Spotify describes it as: ”Your weekly mixtape of fresh music. Enjoy new music and deep cuts picked for you. Updates every monday.”

As with my post the other day where i went through my three favourite tracks from my Release Radar playlist, i figured i would do the same thing with my Discover Weekly playlist! I will pick my three favourite tracks from this weeks Discover Weekly and i’ll give some explanation as to why. Since both of these playlists updates weekly, i figure that this could be a good weekly feature of this website. And as with the Release Radar, the three tracks i pick are in no particular order. An interesting thing about my Discover Weekly, that i know of other that have aswell is that some of the tracks i get every week is in languages i don’t speak, it’s often 1-2 tracks in finnish, and sometimes there are some tracks in german. But the only constant is that there’s atleast 1 track in finnish, every week. I don’t mind tho, sometimes they’re good, even tho i don’t know what they’re singing, and sometimes they have excellent band names – like Teksti-TV 666. And as i wrote for the Release Radar text – some weeks you get 10 fantastic songs that you can’t live without, and some weeks you’re scraping by, trying your absolute hardest to even find one track that has some redeeming qualities. And that’s a part of the charm – like Forrest Gumps mom said, ”[…]you never know what you get.”

Anyway, here’s my three picks from this weeks Discover Weekly:

The first track is Another Morning Stoner by …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. It’s a heavy hitting track, that i don’t really know how to categorize, but it sounds a bit like some like post-punk, gritty sounding, heavy rock with some doom-metal and maybe a splash of shoegazey-ness mashed into it, and i’m all for it. Let me tell you. …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is a band that i’ve never heard of before, so, i will be sure to check them out! And i belive that this is one of the great features of the Discover Weekly playlist. You get a sort of small introduction to a band, or a sound, or an idea and then you can keep on digging into that hole and discover even more great music on your own!

The second track from this weeks Discover Weekly is Turtle Neck by Bosnian Rainbows. I noticed a pattern during this weeks playlist, and it’s been a lot of shogazey sounding tracks. This song by Bosnian Rainbows stood out a bit, and i do very much enjoy the vocalist and her voice. The production is on par and all the different elements of this track bounces off of eachother. As this sometime’s is a problem with these sort of tracks, that part of either the instrumentals or the songs gets drowned out by other parts of the song. I do enjoy this track a lot, and i’ll be sure to look into Bosnian Rainbows discography.

The third and final track from this weeks Discover Weekly is Revolution 1993 by Jamiroquai. It’s this 10 minute and some long song featuring a lot of different elements, but it is fun, and it is dancey, and it is groovy. It’s like you get a few different songs, in one song, since it features so many different elements and that’s rather fun and interesting to listen to. And it was a good break from all the heavy shoegazy tracks that i got this week. And we got this fabolous trumpet solo towards the end of the track, which lifts the song to new levels.

I had some trouble picking the three tracks this week, as very many of them was rather similar, and none of them really jumped at you. But the three tracks i’ve chosen are solid, and i recommend that you give them a listen! Fun side note, this week the playlist only featured three songs in finnish, which is fewer than usual!

Until next time, take care.
SLQT.