Week of August 8, 2021
Listening selections for the week of August 8, 2021, featuring the latest from James Blake, Ty Segall, Liam Kazar and more, best enjoyed with a cup of Phoenix Coffee’s Blackbird, for velvety notes of cocoa and tobacco.
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Highlights include:
Shimmering psychedelic splendor from Rotary Connection
A Japanese jazz reissue to die for from trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki
Smoothy and sultry lounge ambience from St. Vincent’s Daddy’s Home
A new meditation on admiration from the oft-excellent James Blake
Raw, bumping house from Belfast-born, Berlin-based DJ Sally C
A predictable, yet still satisfying, new single from The Weeknd
Effortlessly cool Afrobeat from ever-changing collective T. P. Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo
The Chayla Hope Choice Find of the Week: bedroom boogie from MIA and Mango Hill Records
A serene, yet pointed blend of vocals and guitar that form one of the finest songs David Crosby ever wrote
An invigorating new string-led metamorphosis from soul songstress Charlotte Dos Santos
Cavernous dream pop from DEEWEE artist Mozes, aka Movulango
Crystalline post-rock chiptune from Factual Brain’s Scooter, as reviewed this week
The crescendoing climax of Billie Eilish’s sophomore effort Happier Than Ever, complete with all the ‘90s alt-rock essentials
Dare I say, the slickest work of Ty Segall’s brilliant and prolific career
Sci-fi sound wizardry from CV Vision’s latest Insolita
The always unconscious rhymes of MF DOOM
An important question asked by East Coast party rapper Ill Al Skratch in an essential hip hop throwback
Drifting, ethereal drum and bass groove from Soccer96 and Salami Rose Joe Louis
The Quincy Jones worship of Swindle’s new collaboration with Poppy Ajudha and Daley
Boom bap goodness from Barney Artist and Jack Steadman’s latest collaborative project The Locket
Face melting riff rock goodness from Radio Moscow’s Parker Griggs’ new project
One of a multitude of highlights from Habibi Funk’s new An Eclectic Selection of Music from the Arab World (Part 2)
Deeply melodic indie rock from U.K. outfit The Maccabees
For fans of Wings in particular, the irresistible charm of Liam Kazar and his debut Due North
The pedestrian greatness of Robert Pollard on Guided by Voices’ Earth Man Blues