50% Hipster: Saul Williams

Monday, July 22, 2019

New Music Friday - July 19, 2019

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Nas - The Lost Tapes 2

Nas released the first Lost Tapes in 2002, comprising of unreleased tracks from previous recording sessions. He's back with a second, long-teased collection, featuring out-takes from his 2006 album Hip Hop Is Dead to last year's Nasir.

Listen: "Jarreau of Rap" (featuring Al Jarreau, & Keyon Harrold)
Listen: "No Bad Energy"

Saul Williams - Encrypted & Vulnerable

Encrypted & Vulnerable is the sixth album from Saul Williams, following 2016's LoserMartyrKing. Though he's made a name for himself as a spoken word artist, he considers this to be his first spoken word album. The record also serves as the score for his first film, Neptune Frost.

Watch: "Encrypted & Vulnerable" (featuring Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah)
Watch: "Experiment"

Other Full-Length Releases

IDER - Emotional Education

Watch: "Wu Baby"
Listen: "Saddest Generation"

Chuck Cleaver - Send Aid

Listen: "Anything"
Listen: "Terrible Friend"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Brian Eno - Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks - Remastered

Watch: "An Ending (Ascent)"
Listen: "Under Stars"

Daphni - Sizzling EP

Listen: "Sizzling"
Listen: "If"

The Lion King: The Gift

Watch: "Spirit”/“Bigger"
Listen: "Brown Skin Girl"

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

New Music Friday - January 29, 2016

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Bloc Party - Hymns

Bloc Party is a band that can't quite seem to make up its mind about its status. The band went on their second hiatus in 2013, not long after original drummer Matt Tong left the band. Another member, bassist Gordon Moakes, left during that time. Menomena's Justin Harris (bassist) and drummer Louise Bartle filled in for the departed members. New members mean a bit of a new sound for the band, with dance influences that take more after frontman Kele Okereke's solo work.

Watch: "The Love Within"
Listen: "The Good News"

Rihanna - ANTI

2015 seemed to be the year artists promised albums that they would not deliver. Rihanna kept her fans waiting through much of the year for her eighth album, with no absolute release date given until right around its release. She had released a series of well-received singles last year, but none of those appear on the long-awaited album. The unending waffling on album releases from artists lately continues to bother me to no end, but, sometimes, they make the wait well worth it.

Listen: "Work"
Listen: "Same Ol’ Mistakes"

Sia - This Is Acting

Sia spent years as an beloved indie artist and pop songwriter before reaching a level of fame all her own following 2014's 1000 Forms of Fear. She has continued writing songs for other pop artists, but sometimes those songs get rejected by the performers. Her follow-up collects some of those rejected songs, including songs originally written for Icona Pop, Adele, and Rihanna.

Watch: "Alive"
Listen: "One Million Bullets"

Walter Martin - Arts & Leisure

It's been a bit more than a year since The Walkmen announced their indefinite hiatus (sob), but members of the temporarily defunct band continue pushing out solo material. This is bassist Walter Martin's second solo outing, following 2014's children's album We're All Young Together. This album is more for the adults, inspired by years of traveling around the world with his band.

Watch: "Down By the Singing Sea"
Watch: "Amsterdam"

Other Full-Length Releases