New Music Monday – 4/2/2018

This week we’re listening to new work from:
Tyler the Creator
Parquet Courts
Beach House
Hop Along
Natalie Prass
The Melvins
Red Hare

Tyler the Creator
LA, CA
“OKRA”, a stand alone song “just for fun”.

Man, I don’t follow rap closely enough to say anything of value about most of the genre, but I do know what sounds good to me, and this is that. I have no idea what Grammy nominated Tyler the Creator is talking about, but his flow over this old school bass bumping track is rad. Check, check, check it out.
tom

Red Hare
Washington, D.C.
“Affirmation” from Little Acts of Destruction,out in May on Dischord Records.

This pushes all the right buttons for me: 2 minute melodic hardcore, members of a bunch of Dischord bands, Jason Farrell’s galloping guitars and Shawn Brown’s pissed off vocals. If there is a micro genre that I am obsessed with it is this, aging veterans of the mid eighties through early nineties DC hardcore scene still putting out great music. Weirdly specific? Yeah, but it makes me happy.
tom

The Melvins
Seattle, WA
“Embrace the Rub” from Pinkus Abortion Technician out 4/20 on Ipecac.

It’s been a few months, of course there’s a new Melvins record on the way. From what I can gather, and judging from this song, the Melvins attempted to make a Butthole Surfers sounding record with Jeff Pinkus, former bass player of, you guessed it, The Butthole Surfers. We’ll see what they came up with.
tom

Hop Along
Philadelphia, PA
“Bark Your Head Off, Dog” due out on April 6th on Saddle Creek Records

There may be a few more days left before the official release of Hop Along’s next album but if you’re a bit impatient (like me) NPR has an advance stream available on their website. And trust me, this album is a doozy. An instant indie rock classic. ~ Petey

Natalie Prass
Richmond, VA
“Sisters”

It’s been three years since Prass’ impressive debut album dropped like some marvelous, reimagined nod to Dusty In Memphis. Prass roars back on June 1st with her sophomore album The Future and The Past (and first for ATO Records). The second single “Sisters” dropped last week. It’s a breathy yet funky nod to 70’s R&B with overtones of early Erykah Badu and Sade. It also feels extremely timely as Prass croons “keep your sisters close”. The video, as well as Matthew E. White’s orchestration and production, are pitch perfect. -Kayne

Parquet Courts
New York, NY
“Wide Awake!”

Punk goes funk! Parquet Courts released the title track off of their forthcoming 6th studio album a few weeks back. The album, produced by Danger Mouse (seriously), hints that PQ isn’t afraid to take chances. Lets just say that this one’s like nothing they’ve done before and that they TOTALLY swung for the fences. The first time I heard it (before I saw the video), I thought it might be a new track from Dumpstaphunk; that’s how much of a funky, NOLA, Mardi Gras vibe it has. Whistles, hand claps, triangles, cow bell, call and response, deep funky beat, is that s kazoo? It’s all there. Dare ya not to dance! -Kayne

Beach House
Baltimore, MD
“Dive”



The 2:25 second mark. That’s all I’m gonna say. Music geeks live for these little moments in a song that are transcendent. It can be a phrase or a riff or a shift that you wait for that gets you every single time.The moment when you go, “whoa, this is GOOD”. It’s in this song. Beach House release their new album, 7, on May 11th on Sub Pop/ Bella Union. -Kayne