It’s officially “spooky season,” “Ugg boots and leggings season” and whatever made season you want to use to describe fall’s arrival. But, most importantly, it’s always “New Music Season.” As you’re out this weekend looking for Halloween costumes and decorations, or fighting traffic to get to the new Trader Joe’s, just push play on some of this week’s new albums and enjoy the sounds.
Anna Wise As If It Were Forever
Anna Wise has been extremely busy over the last few years. She’s recorded with her trio Sonnymoon, released her EP’s The Feminine Act I & II plus her duet album with collaborative partner Jon Bap. Oh, and there was that whole winning a Grammy thing with Kendrick Lamar. Now, it’s time for this new mommy to spread her wings and fly on her own. Early single “Nerve” is an early highlight of the album. It was recorded overnight in an all night session while recording the album, and Wise explained the process as such, “Sometimes words and melodies flow out so fast, it’s best to have all your tools ready to catch the ideas before they leave you and tap on the next person’s shoulder. I had all my tools ready that night, and I’m grateful. Lyrically, it’s about spring cleaning your relationships and not being afraid of letting go. Typical, I know, but it’s a lesson I am still learning.” You may not be familiar with the Grammy winner, but after one listen to As If It Were Forever, you won’t be able to forget her. @annathewise
Berhana HAN
If you were to take ‘80s Prince, David Bowie, and mix them together with Frank Ocean, the result would be the genre bending Berhana. After making a name for himself when his song “Grey Luh” was featured in the tv show Atlanta, the Ethiopian American Berhana has arrived with his debut album HAN. Latest single “I Been” featuring South Korean hip-hop star Crush is a slowed down ode to love. The song begs the listener to focus on how hard it is to be emotionally present. Lead single “Health Food,” described by Complex as a swirl of “psychedelia, disco, and funk influences” arrived with a video that plays out of the David Lynch handbook and also pulls from the artist college days. With Childish Gambino in his corner, there’s no reason not to add HAN to your playlist. @berhana
DJ Spoony Garage Classical
To fully understand the sounds of DJ Spoony’s debut studio album, you have to know what UGK is. UGK or UK Garage is a genre of EDM that came from the UK in the early 1990s. UGK is a blend of house, jungle, R&B and dance-pop that is most known for having a distinctive drum beat. Garage Classical is made up of 13 covers of the best UKG songs featuring some of the greatest female voices of the UK from the last twenty years. DJ Spoony enlisted Gabrielle, Sugababes, Lily Allen, and others, including Zack Abel, on his version of Daniel Bedingfield’s “Gotta Get Thru This.” If you’re looking for an album that’ll get everyone on the dance floor this weekend, then this is the one for you. @DJSpoony
Electric Guest KIN
“So turn the music up and get it poppin’/I’m trying to have some fun before I die.”
L.A. based duo Electric Guest is back with their third album KIN and their sights are tightly set on you having fun. Lead track “Dollar” sets the tone for the rest of the album with its infectious groove. The band has decided to take a turn from their traditional retro funk and soul sound and dove head first into a more pop sound. Former tour mate Carly Rae Jepsen can be thanked for the change. “Being in her world for a second — we did some shows together, — and it was, like, so fun,” vocalist Asa Taccone says. “There is something to just a fun pop show. There’s almost an innocence there that doesn’t exist as much…I feel like the old school pop star, the Britneys of the world, the *NSYNCs, it’s still there but it’s harder to find.” The band clearly likes to have a good time and Taccone has the trophy to prove it. His brother Jorma is a member of The Lonely Island and he enlisted to help write “Dick in a Box” that won an Emmy award. Electric Guest stops in Nashville in February for a date at the Exit/In. @ElectricGuest
Third Eye Blind Screamer
I think most music fans have that one band that they latched to at some point in their youth that really spoke to them. After the bright lights dim and their 15 minutes are up most of us never think of the band again until one of their hits pop up on the radio one day. For the die hards that stick around for years and years your rewarded with a musical relationship that can’t be replaced. Nineties alternative band Third Eye Blind is one of those bands. For me I tapped out after “Semi-Charmed Life”, “Graduate” and “How’s It Gonna Be” while others have hung around for “Cop vs Phone Girl”, “Blinded” and “Everything Is Easy” and been rewarded greatly with a band that that truly cares about their fans. If you only know the hits like myself, then their latest Screamer will be great reintroduction to the Bay Area band. The title track and latest single “Walk Like Kings” stand in line with their biggest hits with contagious hooks and melodies. The more modern production style is evident in tracks like “Turn Me On”, “Light It Up” and “2x Tigers” Screamer isn’t as rock-oriented as other releases but the song writing on the album is as strong as anything else in their discography. You can catch 3EB in Memphis next month at the Orpheum Theater. @ThirdEyeBlind
Also check out these new releases:
- Caroline Polachek Pang
- Becky G, Mala Santa
- Maddie and Tae, Everywhere I’m Goin’
- Alter Bridge, Walk the Sky
- Sylvia Black, Twilight Animals (Originals and Covers for Tortured Lovers)
-Steven McCash (@MC_Cash75)
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