As we hit the half-way mark of April, there’s a rap battle going on that’s racing up the charts. A few weeks ago, Future and Metro Boomin teamed-up to release WE DON’T TRUST YOU which featured the song “Like That” starring Kendrick Lamar’s fire-charged diss to J Cole and Drake. It’s currently the number one song in the country. Last week, J Cole dropped a surprise mixtape and included his response track which he immediately claimed to regret doing. However, there’s no word on whether he regrets his transphobic verse on the track “Pi” so Kendrick is still winning in my book. This week, Future and Metro Boomin are back with a follow-up and much to everyone’s surprise, it features a guest spot from J Cole. Now that K Dot and Cole have linked-up with Future, the ball is in Drake’s court and we’ll see where the beef goes from here.
Continuing the sonics that she explored on her sophomore record Surrender, Maggie Rogers is back with album number three and finds more depth in the pop/rock vein of ‘90s singer-songwriters that hits on a mainstream vibe that looks to boost her name to the upper ranks of festival posters to come.
Keeping the prolific momentum flowing, the jangly dream-pop act The Reds, Pinks & Purples are back with yet another album of gloomy indie rock that provides the perfect soundtrack to a season that’s about to bloom.
Noise-punks METZ have been pounding away like Thor’s hammer for over a decade and on their latest they look to bring more influences to their still punishing sound, but this time they’ve expanded their scope without losing any of their primal power.
After leading Sons of Kemet and acting as an integral member of The Comet is Coming, Shabaka has moved on from his days as a saxophone visionary and traded it for the flute as he’s moved on to ambient and new age jazz and while this marks a solo outing, he’s recruited some of the biggest names in the genre to bring this fully realized dream to life.
The last time we heard from Caribou was the one-off single “You Can Do It” which followed 2020’s excellent album Suddenly. This week, Dan Snaith returned as Caribou with the new jam “Honey,” a song that goes hard in the paint and brings jungle and U.K. garage vibes into the mix.
Portishead singer Beth Gibbons is gearing up to release her long-time coming solo record next month and this week she shared the second single, “Reaching Out,” which flips between muted percussion and samba-influenced rhythms to create a stirring feeling that continues to build the hype for the album.
Today, post-hardcore legends Thursday have shared their first new song in thirteen years and it’s their first release in twenty-five years to not be on a label. It’s a slow building atmospheric track that features cleaned-up vocals from Geoff Rickly and some of their most streamlined guitar work to date.
Sludge metal heroes Thou announced a new album this week and dropped the surging lead single “I Feel Nothing When You Cry,” a heavy dose of charged up riffs and explosive beats that brings the heat and takes no prisoners.
Recently, Carlos Niño has been gaining some much deserved noteriety as drummer and percussionist on André 3000’s ambient jazz breakthrough New Blue Sun and the subsequent tour that has followed and this week he’s announced another new album of his own. The first single “Love to All Doulas!” is a moving piece that flows with elegance and ease.
Albums:
Future / Metro Boomin | WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU
Maggie Rogers | Don’t Forget Me
METZ | Up On Gravity Hill
Shabaka | Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace
The Reds, Pinks & Purples | Unwishing Well
Meshell Ndegeocello | Red Hot & Ra: The Magic City
Songs:
Caribou | “Honey”
Beth Gibbons | “Reaching Out”
Dua Lipa | “Illusion”
Thursday | “Application For Release From the Dream”
Amen Dunes | “Round the World”
Thou | “I Feel Nothing When You Cry”
Cola | “Pollar Tricks”
Mandy, Indiana | “Idea is Best”
Carlos Niño | “Love to All Doulas!”
Tinashe | “Nasty”
Björk / Rosalía | “Oral” [Olof Dreijer Remix]
If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2024) here!