Damon & Naomi "A Sky Record (202020)"
From 202020 Records:
Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang began playing music together as the rhythm section, co-songwriters, and sometime singers in Galaxie 500. Since the demise of Galaxie 500, Damon and Naomi have worked as a duo, exploring folk music, psychedelia, and collaborations with other like-minded musicians. After releasing a series of recordings with Shimmy Disc, Sub Pop, and Drag City, they established their own label 20/20/20, releasing the Damon & Naomi albums The Earth Is Blue, Within These Walls, False Beats and True Hearts, and Fortune. All their LPs and CDs are available from 20-20-20, or via high-quality download from the Damon & Naomi bandcamp page.
In addition to their work as musicians, Damon & Naomi are the publishers of Exact Change, a small press dedicated to avant-garde literature and artists’ writings. Damon is also a writer (books, blog, podcast, articles for Pitchfork, Art in America, Artforum and others), and Naomi is a visual artist (photography, video, and graphic design).
Deafhaven "Infinite Granite (Sargent House)"
From Sargent House Records:
“Everything works perfectly here. Like, perfectly. These are clearly the tightest and most deliberately constructed songs ever written by Deafheaven; the progressions and patterns rise, fall, and rise anew as steadily and naturally as the ocean tides. It’s a glowing, sad, beautiful album. But it’s so fucking powerful, too. It’s physically powerful. These dudes are a goddamn machine. They are a force.”
Ginger Root "City Slicker"
From Ginger Root:
Editing films, videos, and other multimedia by day, and making music under the name Ginger Root by night, Cameron Lew fronts a sounds that can be described as:
“Aggressive Elevator Soul”.
Combining elements from contemporaries like Toro Y Moi, Vulfpeck, Metronomy, and Kero Kero Bonito, with the influences of Japanese City Pop and the days of Stax and Philly Soul, Ginger Root offers a fresh take on the ever evolving Bedroom Pop scene.
Kool & The Gang "Perfect Union (Omnivore)"
From Omnivore Recordings:
Formed in 1964, The Jazziacs would play with McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Saunders, and other jazz greats. They would change their name to Kool & The Gang in 1969, sign with De-Lite Records and release their self-titled debut the following year. 1973’s Wild And Peaceful featured the Gold singles “Jungle Boogie” and “Hollywood Swinging.” The end of that decade and beginning of the next saw them collaborating with producer Eumir Deodato for a string of Platinum albums—Ladies Night, Celebrate!, and Something Special. They continued through the 80s with more Platinum albums, including Emergency, which featured four Top 20 singles.
The use of “Jungle Boogie” in 1994’s Pulp Fiction brought a new generation of fans to the group, and David Lee Roth invited them to open for Van Halen’s A Different Kind Of Truth tour in 2012, after catching their set at Glastonbury. 2016’s Kool & The Gang And Friends! had them collaborating with artists including Sean Paul, Angie Stone, Redman, Jamiroquai, Lisa Stansfield, and more. Kool & The Gang have won multiple Grammy® and American Music Awards, have been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and have sold over 70 million records worldwide!
Over five decades since their formation, Kool & The Gang returns with their 25th studio album—Perfect Union. Produced by Ronald Khalis Bell (a founding member of the group who passed away in 2020), this CD / Digital release contains 10 tracks including the new single “Pursuit Of Happiness” and “Sexy (Where’d You Get Yours),” which hit #16 on the Adult R&B charts and a rap version of “Pursuit Of Happiness.”