What's Good (Week of 10/18/26)
New music for your head top! Plenty of great new joints from:
New Albums
- Ché Noir
- Goya Gumbani
- Josh Johnson
- Shabazz Palaces
- Sour Widows
- Telemakus
New Singles
- Chanpan
- Nabihah Iqbal
- Snoh Aalegra
- Wynne
- Vince Ash
- ZelooperZ
And more! We've also got a stacked Bonus Beats with cool stuff from around the web. Let's get into it.
Playlists
TIDAL
TIDAL: What's Good Playlist - Week of 10/18/26
YouTube
Bonus Beats
monti (fka Chester Watson) pulled up to Atlanime Fest 2026 with a stack of Fish Don't Climb Trees to giveaway and documented the process.
Kendra Morris covered Darondo's iconic "Didn't I" on her MPC in an intimate video. For more excursions like this, be sure to tap in with Kendra on her weekly YouTube show Nite Starter, Wednesdays at 9PM ET.
Natalie Weiner
For Don't Rock The Inbox, Natalie digs into the country renditions of one of my favorite jazz standards, "Stardust" (I'm partial to Errol Garner's recording 'cause I bought a CD copy of Penthouse Serenade from a McKay's Used Books as a teen), starting with Willie Nelson's iconic version from the 1978 LP of the same name. (In other Natalie news, be sure to tap into her excellent interview with David Greaves on finishing his father's documentary Once Upon A Time In Harlem).
Pigeons and Planes
Contrary to what the news might tell youse (RIP DOOM), black folks were on the ground floor of what's come to be called "indie sleaze" with artists like Santigold, Spank Rock, and Dev Hynes. This piece from Precious Fondren for Pigeons & Planes digs into the tension that existed at the time in indie art scene spaces, and the now of black folks being written out of the conversation:
The tension between what artists were actually making and how the music industry tried to categorize it sits underneath nearly every conversation about Black musicians and alternative music. It’s a trend that continues to this day.
Kilo Kish remembers wanting her first album placed in an alternative category and being told she couldn’t. “Why not?,” she remembers thinking.
“Your music can be put in a category of R&B, even though there’s no R&B elements to it, just based off of being Black,” Kish says. “These are just holdovers from a world without nuance.”
Santigold’s experience stretches even further back. Stiffed could make punk and new wave, but the industry’s racial architecture still followed her wherever she went. She could hear a lane for herself; the business could not.
“Artists are always only allowed in their spot,” she says. “They could be doing all kinds of shit, but it would be called rap. It would be called R&B, no matter what it is.”
Santigold remembers hearing Bloc Party’s “Helicopter” and being excited simply because hearing a Black musician break through with a major rock song still felt remarkable (the song peaked at No. 34 on Billboard’s U.S. Hot Singles Sales chart). She remembers Dev Hynes when he was a teenager playing in Test Icicles, long before Blood Orange. She later took Theophilus London on tour.
Santigold regularly noted that these artists were not operating in isolation. They could see one another. But now they're being written out of the history books.
Sonnyjim runs through a few joints from his catalog alongside a live band at The Pony Club Studios, just outside of Brighton, England.
Music
monti - masqmaker (From one-winged angel, out on 10/30/26. Preorder: Bandcamp)
Ciarán - RED 99 (From Róisín, out on 11/6/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Physicals via Ciarán's official site, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Bobbyy - Vision!! feat. Tony Bontana (From TACKYY, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Nacho Picasso & TELEVANGEL - Chelsea (From Stuntman, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
al.divino - GETRICHORELSE (From The Best Has Yet 2 Happen, out now. Purchase: Vinyl (OG version) via Jackpot Records | Vinyl (Alt version) via Jackpot Records, Stream: al.divino's YouTube channel)
tricotX - 260901_demo04_live (From 260901_live, part of tricot's ongoing tricotX project, out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Telemakus - Hands Rejoice! with Sparklmami & bigboihums feat. Tristan Cappel (From Eight Ring Revival, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Vinyl via Telemakus' official site | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Estee Nack & al.divino - TYB & Bushido (From NACK&THEFIENDSTALK, out on 10/31/26.)
Chanpan - speculations (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
Los Bitchos & Kit Sebastian - El Pençe (From Los Bitchos & Friends Vol. 1, out on 11/13/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Physicals, digital, and merch via Los Bitchos official site | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Soul Glo - Ppl Worried (From NA I'M GON GRAB ALLAT, out on 1/15/27. Preorder: Bandcamp | Physicals via Merch Bin | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Starlito - The Storm Before The Calm (From Starlito and Don Trip's split double LP STARLITO'S Way 5: Catharsis | Christopher Season 5, out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Eto - The Worker (From People, Places & Things, out now. Purchase: Direct to consumer via Eto's socials (check the links in the video description, but there's no prices listed), Stream: YouTube via Paper Chaser Dot Com)
St. Panther - OUT ON THE CORNER (From East Side Love Story, out on 11/20/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Vinyl and digital via drinksumwtr, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Roxanne Harris - harpy (From longform, out on 11/18/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Leaving Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Rocks FOE - No Doubt (Out now. YouTube loosie.)
Pan Amsterdam - Vanilla Ice feat. 1FS (From Panarama, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Snoh Aalegra - I Love You (From Legendary Love, out on 11/13/26. Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Nabihah Iqbal - Heaven Can Wait (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Puma Blue - Whispering (From the deluxe edition of Croak Dream, out on 11/13/26. Preorder: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Westside Gunn - ZILLA (From Heelmatic, out on 11/13/26. Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
cropscropscrops & pty - connections feat. Open Mike Eagle (From 10x Approx., out on 11/19/26. Preorder: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Raz Fresco & Budamunk - Don't You Know (From BuddhaFunk, out on date. Stream: Stream exclusively via The Bakery, BKRSCLB's streaming service)
Sam Gendel - Snap That Chain (From Advanced White Trash, out on 11/6/26. Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Kelly Moonstone - The Biggest! (Freestyle) (Out now, YouTube loosie.)
claire rousay and zander raymond - can't we have both (From something good, out on 1/29/27. Preorder: Bandcamp | Vinyl and digital via Thrill Jockey, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Nick Shea & Loman - On The Way Up (From Professional Person, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
superj_007
Kemp Dupri & Soek - MINORU SUZUKI (From THE CURRENCY EXCHANGE, out now. Purchase/Stream: Bandcamp)
Will Sessions & Monica Blaire - Tricks (From Astral Discipline, out now. Purchase/Stream: Bandcamp)
Alexander Spit - UFO feat. Caleb Giles (From MANY MOONS, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Illingsworth - i had beet juice last night. my dookie is supposed to be this red. (Full EP, out now. Purchase/Stream: Bandcamp)
Def Sound - eye ️ re • member • (From Raps 4 N*&&AS That Read Books Vol.1: Writes A Passage, out on 11/11/26. Purchase "eye ️ re • member •": Bandcamp)
Chef Mike & Sankofa - Fertilzer Breadth feat. Dirt Vonnegut (From Belle Isle's Abandoned Zoo, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Available on cassette with The Proseletariat via Bandcamp, Stream "Fertilizer Breadth": Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
ZelooperZ - Beautician (From Pin Breakers, out on 11/13/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Digital via Tan Cressida, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Bruiser Wolf & Conductor Williams - Ain't Got Time (Out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
The Doppelgangaz - Planck epoch (From Dopp Ganguage, out on 11/20/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Physicals, digital, and merch via Dopp Shop | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Josh Johnson - Jazz Chord Possession (From Animative, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Physicals and digital via International Anthem | Qobuz, Stream: Apple)
Boldy James - Love Me Now (Out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
Meyhem Lauren - Oceanic Treasures (From Table For One, out on 12/15/26. Purchase: Physicals, digital, and merch bundles via Vyb)
Chè Noir - Blood Bath (From It Takes A Village, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Physicals via HiPNOTT Records' Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Shabazz Palaces - Field Notes (From It's A Style Sport, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Sub Pop Mega Mart | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
yeule- Hystérique (Out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
Brainorchestra - Campanelle (From BOOGEY MAN, out on 10/30/26. Preorder: Bandcamp)
Dillon & Paten Locke - Flying Fish feat. Lobsterdamus (From Side Dishes, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Available in vinyl and merch bundles with the 10th Anniversary edition of Food Chain at Full Plate | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Wynne - Drunk (Out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
Armani Caesar - Sephora In Ibiza feat. Benny The Butcher (Out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
Ghostboyrj - FADE AWAY feat. Joey Rose & Sport Mathews (From the FADE AWAY/CEREMONY single, out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Roy Rutto - calluses (From BABA, out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
Darko The Super - Hoop Dreams feat. Marcus Pinn (From How To Play Baskeball in the Rain and Not Get Wet, out now. Purchase/Stream: Bandcamp)
Action Figure 973 - ADRENOCHROME feat. Shirt (From I MISS MAKING BEATS, out now. Purchase/Stream: Bandcamp)
Sour Widows - Her Garden (From Sigil, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Physicals via Julia's War Recordings | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Nadine El Roubi - Garden (From Life Is Beautiful Again, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
musclecars - Euphoria (From Black Planet, Blue Sun, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
H31R - Ass To The Floor (From AIR FLOW, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz , Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
elves4arda
Zola Jesus - House On Oak Street (From Saint Clare (Movie Score), out now. Purchase/Stream: Bandcamp)
New World Man - Hellmonger Deluxe (I Am) (From I Am The Machine, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Vinyl and merch via Closed Casket Activities | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Goya Gumbani - Come or GO (From Bean Pie, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Ghostly International | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad - The Midnight Stroll (From The Midnight Hour: Lost Tapes, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Vinyl via Jazz Is Dead | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Vince Ash - BAMA (From O2W To Skateworld, out in November. Purchase "BAMA": Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
That's it for this week! Thanks as always for rocking with me, and if you've read down this far, why not leave a comment to let me know what your favorite drop of this edition was. Take care of yourselves, enjoy your weekend, and make good choices.
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