Gold Soundz: May 24, 2024

This week's suggested new music, curated by omg!nyc

Memorial Day Weekend always feels like the real start to summer (at least here in New York City) and as we ease into the holiday weekend and the best season, we have a relatively chill week of new music. On their first album in five years, DIIV are back with another entry into their indie/shoegaze cannon with many claiming it as their finest output yet. It’s been quite the journey for the Brooklyn band and as they seem to settle into one of their generation’s templatized acts, they’ve beaten the odds of even making it this far.

Earlier this week, Vince Staples announced his new album and today it’s here. It’s the follow-up to his 2022 album Ramona Park Broke My Heart and like that record, it’s a compact album and appears to have no guest features. Staples calls it “a personal achievement” and says he’s mastered some skills he tried in the past.

While being a figure in the astral jazz scene for a while, Carlos Niño has picked up recognition as a central figure in André 3000’s live band that’s touring behind last year’s unexpected hit New Blue Sun. Today, Niño releases Placenta, a new collection of ambient, new age jazz that continues on a similar path as his music with 3 Stacks while sharpening the vision he’s already been exploring for quite some time.

Sifting through their vast archives, Gastr del Sol return today with an expansive release of previously unreleased material from their original run from 1993-1998. Including live recordings as well as uncollected studio work, it gives a new view into their groundbreaking work and features the likes of Bob Weston and John McEntire as well.

The new EP from Winter focuses on crisp electronic beats and shuffling rhythms that are held together by her hushed, breathy vocal work. There are elements of trip-hop and other down-tempo vibes that are graced with lush production values and other ‘90s aesthetics like grungy guitars and hints of shoegaze as well.

Canada’s The Besnard Lakes are experts at creating massive sounding walls of droning guitar work. Hitting in that sweet spot between post-rock and shoegaze, their textured tracks often feel momentous just by their sheer existence and their latest tune “(Dizzy) Eagle” is another example of their beautifully crafted swirls of illustrious guitar haze.

The power trio of Dean Blunt, Panda Bear, and Vegyn have dropped a simmering banger that surely deserves to be on heavy rotation this summer. The murky beats from Blunt and the dreamy vocals from Noah Lennox are already quite the combo and there’s a striking burst of shredding guitar that starts strong before fading into the mix as it continues to warp around the pulse of the track.

After returning last year with Heaven is a Junkyard and the excellent single “Prize Fighter,” Youth Lagoon dropped a new song earlier this year and is now back with yet another breezy jam. According to Trevor Powers, there are some songs that he feels like he’s been trying to write his entire life and “Lucy Takes a Picture” is indeed one of those tracks.

Lost Under Heaven is a project featuring former WU LYF frontman Ellery James Roberts and Ebony Hoorn. Following a long pause, the band returned with a new record last year and this week they delivered a new song that was written in collaboration with the Canadian poet Patrick Woodcock. Featuring the standard gruff vocals and post-punk drones, it’s a natural return to form from an underrated group.

Albums:
DIIV | Frog in Boiling Water
Vince Staples | Dark Times
Carlos Niño & Friends | Placenta
Gastr del Sol | We Have Dozens Of Titles
Andrew Bird Trio | Sunday Morning Put-On
Winter | …and she’s still listening EP

Songs:
The Besnard Lakes | “(Dizzy) Eagle”
Dean Blunt | “DOWNER” (ft Panda Bear & Vegyn)
Youth Lagoon | “Lucy Takes a Picture”
Bat for Lashes | “All Your Feet”
Horse Jumper of Love | “WINK”
Lost Under Heaven | “Farhang”
Clairo | “Sexy to Someone”
Fashion Club | “Rotten Mind” (ft Julie Byrne)
Cornelius | “Too Much Love for Sauna (Deep Falling)”
Moon Diagrams | “Fifteen Shows at One Time” (ft Anastasia Coope)

If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2024) here!