Choose your fighter: Adored faces with young yet storied careers clash with the performers of the present and future. Everyone’s winner this New Music Friday (or Wednesday, depending on who’s chosen).
Albert Hammond Jr – “100-99”
Dr. Dre’s influence apparently knows no bounds. The Strokes co-founder and guitarist Albert Hammond Jr has cranked out whip-smart melodies for more than two decades. Now he’s back with a 90’s hip-hop influenced lead single for his upcoming fifth solo album.
Hammond Jr calls upon rapper Goldlink to fulfill verse duty on this track.
“’100-99′ was something I’ve wanted to do for some time—work with a rapper over a beat and guitar part I wrote,” Hammond Jr said in a release. “It’s really exciting that I was able to do it with GoldLink.”
The prolific New York City by way of LA and Switzerland rocker found himself listening to the rap of his childhood while writing this record. Hammond Jr said he tried playing those rhythms on his guitar.
It’s also the first time Hammond Jr explores with serious vocal effects on a solo release.
GoldLink isn’t the only special guest that will accompany Hammond Jr on his next record Melodies on Hiatus. Arctic Monkeys’ drummer Matt Helders lays down beats for one of the 19 tracks that will play out in full when the solo album drops June 23 via Red Bull Records.
Wednesday – Rat Saw God
Shoegaze goes country on the latest loud and lyrical record from Wednesday, an Asheville, NC band fronted by pioneering vocalist Karly Hartzman. She’s a blipping dot on the radar of sound, and her approaching reign is finally here.
What does that genre-bending chaos sound like?
Well…the record begins with a short song called “Hot Rotten Grass Smell” where Hartzman literally talks about the smell of fried, gross grass. The second track is 8 and a half minute “Bully Believer” which builds like a boulder running down a gravel hill.
That song is about sitting on the stairs with a never-ending nosebleed watching a friend play Mortal Kombat at a New Year’s Party.
“Finish Him,” whimpers Hartzman several times before the full band joins in with a heavy sound before she repeats the video game’s catchphrase on and off for the better half of the song.
Other notable songs showcasing the bands creativity and unafraidness are “Bath County” and closer “TV in the Gas Pump.”
Rat Saw God will finish among the very best albums released in 2023.
Noah Cyrus ft. Vance Joy – “Everybody Needs Someone”
The first follow up to Noah Cyrus’ debut album The Hardest Part calls upon another familiar face in the pop game.
This song has been described as ‘stirring’ since Cyrus talks about long-distance love. The chorus is upbeat despite its lyrical content. The songs’ outer edges are a little more dark. Vance Joy’s natural vocal tone helps make things seem brighter even though his words are equally difficult to chew, let alone swallow.
Read our feature with Noah Cyrus.
It’s easy to feel true emotion when the two join forces for the second chorus to say “Everybody Needs Someone.”
Oscar Lang – A Song About Me
Highly praised singer Oscar Lang writes a powerful ode to himself on this brand new single–joining the announcement of a new record Look Now due out July 21.
It’s complete with piano, strings and purposeful vocal flair. Lang’s outstanding voice makes this a spectacular song.
If Lang’s sophomore record is filled with impactful tunes like this–he could rise to an even higher accolade–one of the year’s most compelling releases.
Blondshell – Blondshell
“I think my kink is when you tell me that you think I’m pretty” sings Partisan Records darling Blondshell on the track “Kiss City.”
It’s the kind of line commonly found throughout her new self-titled record. Blondshell gets real about sex, spirituality and the commonalities in every failed relationship involving men.
Her raw lyrics are forefront on daring tracks like “Sepsis.”
He wears a front-facing cap // The sex is almost always bad
I don’t care ’cause I’m in love // I don’t know him well enough
What am I projecting? // He’s gonna start infecting my life
It will hit all at once like sepsis
Blondshell’s realness factor is especially felt on the opener “Veronica Mars,” a two minute tune with 60 seconds devoted to screeching guitars and on-time drums.
It could well be another high-end finisher in top album races by years’ end.
A R I Z O N A – “Dark Skies”
A R I Z O N A continue to captivate pop lovers. Their new song “Dark Skies” caters to the taste of mainstream music lovers while having a clear distinct flair of their own.
Soon they’ll be taking this song on the road in support of Quinn XCII to share it with even more people.
Their third record is self-titled. It’ll arrive May 12 on Fueled By Ramen and will feature their already popular February release “Moving On” which was their first single in four years.
Which of these will you be adding to your favorite playlists today? Any we missed?
Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!
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