We are deep into the dog days of summer and all of us trying our best not to succumb to the heat. Nationwide companies are having their businesses disrupted by IT shortages. Restaurants and hotels have experienced internet slowdown due to the excessive heat with the airline community being the ones hit the hardest. It seems nearly every one of us is being effected in one way or another by the grueling and agonizing summer heat.
One way to beat the heat and try to keep a cooler head is by listen to music. The right playlist, album or musical atmosphere can help one keep a cooler head when faced with adversity. This week there is a long list of new releases that can help one escape this ‘hell on earth’ the vast majority of us are living in.
Denzel Curry King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 2
The South Florida MC is back with the second installment of his series that pays homage to his southern roots. Fans of Vol. 1 have waited 12 long years for the sequel and will find out quickly that the wait was worth the results. Curry collaborates with some of the most influential hip-hop artists from multiple generations in the south. Memphis legends Juicy J and Project Pat join 2 Chainz, A$AP Ferg, A$AP Rocky, Key Nyata, and many more on the 15 bangers that make up King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 2.
Glass Animals I Love You So Fucking Much
Has there been more of an ear worm in recent years than Glass Animals “Heat Waves” from 2020. The song was everywhere and even if you weren’t aware of who was responsible for it anytime it came on your hand went straight to the volume knob to crank up some.
The band is now out with their follow up to 2020s Dreamland, a feverish sci-fi influenced electro-pop love affair that is set to prove that Glass Animals is not ready to be relegated to the one-hit-wonder dinner table.
Don’t skip “Show Pony,” “A Tear in Space (Airlock),” and “Creatures In Heaven.”
Various Artists Twisters: The Album
Long gone are the days of the summer blockbuster being accompanied by a killer soundtrack. Barbie helped restore faith in music companies that if it’s done correctly it can be very lucrative for album sales, downloads and ticket sales. This years summer blockbuster set to pick the baton from the billion dollar film of last summer is Twisters the long awaited sequel to the 1996 film Twister.
The mid-90s films soundtrack was full of tracks from alternative powerhouses, classic rock stalwarts, and some up-and-coming country stars. Tori Amos, Lisa Loeb, Soul Asylum, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers represented the grunge scene with Eric Clapton, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and Deep Purple showing up for the rock purists while Joe Diffie and Shania Twain delivered tracks that let boot scoot boogie all over Tornado Alley.
The soundtrack for the sequel never left Nashville as it is set as deep in Music City as the Dodge Ram 1500 Glen Powell drives in Twisters is drilled into the ground. Country superstars Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Jelly Roll, and Thomas Rhett set the stage for the massive storm of country hits that is bound to come from the album. Newcomers Connor Smith, Bailey Zimmerman, Sam Barber and Mason Ramsey all contribute songs that they hope will turn their careers into an EF-5.
Singer, songwriter Leon Bridges is the one true Nashville outsider on the soundtrack and his “Chrome Cowgirl” is one of many highlights found on the album and the one familiar voice from the original films soundtrack is the “No One Needs to Know” singer Shania Twain.
Don’t skip “Chrome Cowgirl,” “Leave the Light On,” and “Ain’t in Kansas Anymore.”
While listening to the Twisters soundtrack I feel the need to paraphrase Powell’s Tyler “If you hear it, turn it up!”
Please check out some of these other great releases out this week…
- Childish Gambino Bando Stone and the New World
- Stray Kids ATE
- Earthgang SNAKEGANG, Vol. 1
- Dr. Dog Dr. Dog
- Hailey Knox For the Best
Steven McCash is the Lead Music Writer and Utility Man for SoBros Network. Steven is the host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast, and the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music in addition to the occasional live show review. He also pitches in as a Nashville lifestyle writer and football analyst (hence the ‘Utility Man’ title). Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
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