Young Widows "Decayed: Ten Years of Cities, Wounds, Lightness, and Pain (Temporary Residence)"
Wondering how long the band Young Widows has been around? Well, they’ve made researching that fact easy with the name of their new odds and sods collection on Temporary Residence. Decayed: Ten Years of Cities, Wounds, Lightness, and Pain. But unlike a lot of b-sides and one-off collections, not only does Decayed coalesce like a natural album, but it somehow excels as a collection. For a band that has a sound that’s hard to nail down, they’ve done a great job of gathering a grouping of their noisy, heavy, psych-heavy post-punk together. Brutal and beautiful at the same time, these songs are all stand-outs. Half the time it’s like The Jesus Lizard is covering Bonnie “Prince” Billy songs. At other times they are the obvious peers of other modern metal masters like MY DISCO and Coliseum. Check out “Checked In/Out” and marvel how one band’s ephemera could be another band’s stand out tracks.
VenessaMichaels "Flight EP (RTP)"
You like the trap? The hip-hops? The soul r&b grooves? In 3 and half songs, San Diego native and super producer VenessaMichaels has covered all of those bases. Raised on Timberlake, Destiny’s Child, and No Doubt, VenessaMichaels brings the 90’s to the present (sorry fax machines, you’re still in the rearview mirror) with full on slamming production that will sound awesome coming out of the back of your Acura or your $5000 beat headphones (they really gotta bring those prices down). With special guest verses from Effy the Outlaw and $K Venessa are the jams you wanna be pumping and bumping this summer. Check out “Ridin The Waves” and feel the good vibrations-speaking of… if Venessa could only line up Marky Mark and Mike Love as guests on her album.
High Disciple "High Disciple (Ernest Jenning Record Co.)"
Not every band is difficult to describe. For every one that defies genre placement, there is a band as blissfully specific as High Disciple. They are a dub band. A space-y, surf-y reggae-y dub band. Comprised of Chris Daly from Jets To Brazil, Larry DiGiovanni from Dub For Light (I told you! DUB BAND!) and guitarist Scott Saing Hilaire, their self-titled debut on Ernest Jenning Record Co. is some sweet, jammed up dub music. You will slowly nod your head, you will marvel at the ease at which they grab a hold over you, and you will likely just start the record over once it’s done. Check out the laid-back funk of “Tranquility.”
Maps & Atlases "Lightlessness Is Nothing New (Barsuk)"
Lightlessness Is Nothing New (Barsuk), the new LP from Maps & Atlases, is something of a reboot from the band. Gone are the math rock leanings found on their earlier albums, and in its place is a bright, joyful synth pop. This change came about as frontman Dave Davison tried to assuage his grief over the recent loss of his father. But rather than wallowing, Dave is instead reminding himself (and thus the world) of al the great things left here. And if ever there was a time that people needed reminding that there is joy left, it’s now. Like a bouncy, lighter version of Erasure mixed with ‘80s Bowie, Lightlessness… has something for everyone, as is evidenced by the hummable hooks of “Fall Apart.”