What's Good (Week of 11/10)
We made it through one more week, so why not take a load off with some new music? Since this may be the first time some of you are visiting me—thanks to yet another poor decision by the folks running the app formerly known as Twitter—let me re-introduce the concept: In a continuation of my college radio show of the same name, every week I give y'all a heaping helping of all the music I enjoyed this week. Think of What's Good as your very own block on MTV, Video Music Box, BET's Rap City, with some extra sazón thrown in with the Bonus Beats section—news, live performances, interviews, music writing, and other ephermera from around the web.
But the main focus is just giving y'all the jams, and we've got a lot of 'em this week, like:
New Albums
- Cavalier & Child Actor
- Chelsea Wolfe
- Denzel Curry
- LOMAN
- Maxo Kream
- Roper Williams
New Singles
- Anna Wise
- Black Taffy
- clipping.
- Emma-Jean Thackray
- FKA twigs
- Fly Anakin
And a gang more, but first up, some Bonus Beats.
Bonus Beats
Kim Kelly
You might know Andrew Lee from his band Ripped To Shreds (their absolute banger of an album Sanshi has been featured in previous editions of the blog), but his anime-inspired Grindcore project Houkago Grind Time was news to me. Kim Kelly chatted with him for her Salvo newsletter about it, the real world inspirations behind some of the songs on Sanshi, and the differences (and similarities) between weebs and metalheads.
...I think both weebs and metalheads gained a persecution complex and took perverse pride in their being anti-normie, and leaned into those anti-normie traits even harder. For metalheads, I think a lot of the old guard consider anything “extreme” to be good: Nazis are extreme and anti-normie, therefore NSBM is great for metal. Similarly, many older weebs consider loli/shota fanservice to be a great punchline because it shocks and repulses the normies. And really, considering the open embrace of Inquisition playing fests again by so many self-proclaimed “traditionalists” and “pedo-killers,” are those metalheads any different from weeb lolicons? I think any community that defines itself by its outsider status is going to have similar problems with incubating antisocial behavior.
But on a more positive note, I think the way those DIY communities have traditionally operated, with VHS/tape trading, sharing rare bootlegs, creating doujin/fanart/tribute bands, collecting merch, are very similar and all borne out of a sincere love for their interest.
Pranav Trewn
Passion of the Weiss continues their tribute series to Ka, Grief Pedigree, this time with Pranav Trewn meditating on "Borrowed Time" from The Thief Next to Jesus.
“I hope it’s borrowed time when my time come,” Ka prays on his final album, September’s The Thief Next To Jesus. It’s easy to read something of an omen from his eerily timed words, but Ka had never had death far from his purview. It was a frequent subject in his interviews, such as the screen grabs from this website that began floating around in the wake of the news, as well as throughout his discography. That hyper-awareness is simply the reality for a man who grew up in conditions we’d call survival more so than a childhood. “Happy I’m here to tell my story, just sad it’s fact/ They stole my youth, wish I had it back” he lamented on “Peace Peace Peace” from 2021’s A Martyr’s Reward. But in a life defined by making up for lost time, Ka made the most.
Jackson Diianni
Another dispatch from the fine folks over at Passion of the Weiss, this time in the form of a interview with Martin Rev, half of the pioneering punk and electronic music duo, Suicide. Jackson Diianni talked with Martin about studying jazz under Lennie Tristano, adapting Suicide's early live sound to records, their infamous crowd reaction (an understatement) to their live shows, Suicide's presence on film soundtracks, and much more.
For my money, Bruiser Brigade's one of the few outfits actually carrying on with the positive aspects of the Blog Era, so the news that Danny had made a more formal relationship happen with one of its vanguards in Squadda B is kinda heartening. They've just released a behind the scenes doc for one of the first results of their partnership, J.U.S.'s 3rd Shift (Tidal | Apple | Spotify), entirely produced by the Main Attrakionz general.
Music
Brian Nasty - Good Boy feat. Wiki (From Anywhere, But Here With You, out 11/29. Preorder: Bandcamp | Big Dada, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Jamie xx - Falling Together ft. Oona Doherty (From In Waves, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Merch and Physicals via The xx's Official Store, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Squadda B - Masterclass (Out now, YouTube only.)
Anna Wise - arrogant feat. Daru Jones and MAE.SUN (Out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Pearl & the Oysters - Think Of Rain (Margo Guryan cover) (From Like Someone I Know: A Celebration of Margo Guryan, out now. Preorder: Bandcamp | Sub Pop Mega Mart, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
The Twilite Tone - Sound Like feat. Vic Mensa (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Sleep Sinatra - BLACKOUT (TotalEclipse) feat. Homeboy Sandman (From the deluxe edition of The Spirit of Baldwin Ave., out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
ttwig (JUICEB☮X) - Ossining (Obrigado) (From Mindless Meadow, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Black Taffy - Big Tiny (From the upcoming OUT MOON. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Milc & Chuck Strangers - Chopped (Out now. Also check the YouTube playlist for a bonus video for the previously featured "Earl The Pearl Monroe". Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
clipping. - Keep Pushing (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Sub Pop Mega Mart, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Sofie Royer - Babydoll (From Young-Girl Forever, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Stones Throw, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Poppy Jean Crawford - Glamorous (From Angel Olsen's Cosmic Waves compilation, out on 12/6. Preorder: Bandcamp | Jagjaguwar, Stream the "Glamorous b/w The Takeover" single with Angel performing Poppy's song on the b-side: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Kal Banx - Sunstory feat. Isaiah Rashad (Out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Jay Cinema & Chow - Wipe Off The Dust (From ALCDELUXE, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
jerrard - all in the timin (Out now. Downlod/Stream: via the [untitled] app)
Fly Anakin - YOUGOTME!! (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
The Alchemist - Turkish Link (From Flying High 2, out now. Purchase: ALC Records, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Navy Blue - Red Roses (From Memoirs In Armor out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Jay Worthy & Dj.Fresh - Who's Who feat. Bun B (From The Tonite Show Part 2 out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Chelsea Wolfe - Cellar Door (Spiritbox Cover) (From Unbound EP, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Bioluminescene vinyl w/etched B-side via Loma Vista Recordings (It's sold out, but you can sign up for updates if they reup), Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
CW: Dead animal/roadkill right at the top of the video, as a heads-up. Hop ahead to around :03 if that's a issue.
freespottie - clocks (From Center Page Reflections, out on 12/3. Preorder: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Giulia Tess - Crazy (From tempo00, out on 12/11. Preorder: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Roper Williams - Only feat. YL & Blu (From Too Beautiful To Die, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Emma-Jean Thackray - Black Hole feat. Reggie Watts (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Maddie Jay - 11th Avenue (From I Can Change Your Mind, out on 1/10/25. Preorder: Vinyl and merch via Maddie's store, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Fatboi Sharif & steel tipped dove - The Corpse of Van Helsing (From the Fat Hippy Records Anniversary Complation, Vol. 2, out now. A purchase proceeds go to The National Endowment for the Arts. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Ovrkast. - UP (From KAST GOT WINGS, out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Wordsworth & Stu Bangas - The Madness feat. Breeze Brewin & John Robinson (From Two Kings, out on 12/6. Preorder: Bandcamp | Physicals and merch bundles via Stu's Brutal Music Store, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
LOMAN - Aperitif feat. Chandler Ward (From Notturno, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
FKA twigs - Drums of Death feat. Koreless (From Eusexua, out on 1/24/25. Preorder: Vinyl and physicals via FKA twigs Official Store, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Denzel Curry - Got Me Geeked (From the expanded edition of King Of The Mischievous South, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Junglepussy - Jaded (From Cosmic Not Chronological, out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
The Doppelgangaz - Ulmer Scale (From upcoming Dumpster Dive, Vol. 2. Purchase/Stream: Bandcamp)
Teddy Geiger & Yaeji - Pink Ponies (From From the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, TRAИƧA, out on 11/22. Preorder: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Maxo Kream - Foshitsho (From Personification, out now. Purchase: Physicals and merch via Maxo's store, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Cavalier & Child Actor - Gifted & Talented (From CINE, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | CDs and Vinyl via Backwoodz Studioz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Boldy James & Harry Fraud - Shrink Wrap feat. Babyface Ray (From The Brictionary, out 11/22. Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Ray Vaughn - East Chatt feat. Isaiah Rashad (Out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
P-Lo - Players Holiday '25 feat. Larry June, Kamaiyah, Saweetie, LaRussell, G-Eazy, thủy, YMTK (Out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | Spotify)
Playlists
TIDAL
BNCMPR
YouTube
And that's a week of music in the books. If you liked it, do me a solid and share it with your people, sign-up so you can leave a comment to let me know what you liked, and add me to your my RSS feed to your reader of choice. Have a great weekend, take care of each other, and as always, make good choices.
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