What's Good (Week of 10/19/25)
You already know what it is. Another rough week, so if you made it through, pull up a virtual seat and come chill with me for another round of What's Good. This week we've got:
New Albums
- Bruiser Wolf & Harry Fraud
- Daedelus
- fanclubwallet
- Miguel
- YUNGMORPHEUS & Dirty Art Club
- R.A.P. Ferreira & Kenny Segal
- Tortoise
New Singles
- Armand Hammer & The Alchemist
- Ekko Astral
- Kendra Morris
- Puma Blue
- Samara Cyn
- Teller Bank$
- TOBi & Real Bad Man
And a whole lot more. As always, if you enjoy what I do here, be sure to sign up to get the blog delivered to your inbox as soon as it goes live.
Before we get into this week's drops, I want to offer a couple of ways that you can combat The Horrors™ going on presently. If you want to feel less helpless and alone, consider doing some things to help out the more vulnerable people in your community like:
- Opposing ICE and supporting immigrants: This week, the Trump Admistration extended its threats of federal troops and ICE/Border Patrol raids to the Bay Area, and while operations have been "paused", everyone knows how much this administration's word is worth. So it's a good idea to be prepared to help your neighbors and community by participating in ICE watching, foot patrols, Know Your Rights (KYR) outreach, and other activities. Here in the Bay Area, a lot of good work is being done by Bay Resistance, with resources, training, and opportunities to work in your community. They held an emergency Zoom call this week and you can check it out on YouTube. For folks outside of the Bay, there are Rapid Response networks all over the country that you can report ICE activity to, using this list at Latinx Therapy.
- Food Banks & Pantries: With the government shutdown still in effect, SNAP benefits will end next week. One of the best ways you can help people in need in your community, especially with the holidays on the horizon is to make sure that food pantries are funded so these folks can make it through. Consider donating to or volunteering with your local pantry (locate them via Feeding America or FoodPantries.org) to lend a hand.
Now, onto the music.
Playlists
YouTube
Tidal
TIDAL
TIDAL: What's Good Playlist - Week of 10/19/25
Bonus Beats
Bad Snacks sets SPOOKY SZN off right with a Midnight Hour DJ set of autumnal joints, complete with violin accompaniment.
Sudan Archives heads to Detroit for a mini-doc on the making of her new LP, last week's THE BPM.
crushed stopped by The Lot in NYC to play a set of joints they've been listening to in the van while on tour for no scope. DJ Shadow, Nourished By Time, DJ Screw, and Tricky all make appearances.
For Stereogum's Ugly Beauty monthly Jazz column, Phil Freeman spoke with Makaya McCraven ahead of next week's the release of Off The Record—the collected title for 4 EPs Makaya's releasing today—to detail the new release, the process of creating from improvisation, and 10 albums he loves:
What’s interesting about McCraven’s discography is that it sets up a kind of feedback loop – an album of re-edited improvisations generates source material that is then performed by a different live band on tour, changing shape night after night. As he explains it, “Part of my process is, like, as I’m meeting musicians or doing these kind of creative collabs and improvised sessions or spontaneous composition, collective composition, first we don’t really have a repertoire, but once we do this and then I reshape it in a way or re-present it, now there’s some body of work for us to come together and expound upon, and organically have something come about with people who have their own busy schedules and careers.”
He continues, “Getting people together [and] recording, right – that is like a writing session. The music then comes about through production and putting it together in some body of work that’s going to translate in one way or another, and then I’ll take that music and come together with that ensemble or different working bands I’m touring around with… and then we learn these pieces of music with whatever ensemble I’m working in and we’ll re-present that music now, and when we learn it, it gets rearranged for the band so we can play it live and maybe have improvised solo sections and, you know, some composition to play, and then that becomes its own kind of version of the piece that really it sounds often like, you know, very different than the record.”
Music
Puma Blue - Desire (From Croak Dream, out on 2/6/26. Preorder: Physicals via Puma Blue's Official Site | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Wynne - James Beard Award (From Say Wynne, out now. Download: Wynne's website, Stream: YouTube)
Dillon & Paten Locke - Always Never (From Rations, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Full Plate | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Fabiano do Nascimento - Águas Serenas feat. Jennifer Souza and Paulo Santos Uakti (From Cavejaz, out on 11/21. Preorder: Bandcamp | Leaving Records, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Automatic - Don't Wanna Dance (From Is It Now?, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Vinyl and merch via ThreeFour Inc. | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Ben Reilly - Bulletproof (Out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
TOBi & Real Bad Man - When I'm Home (From THE PERFECT BLUE, out on 11/14. Preorder: Bandcamp | Other retailer, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Armand Hammer & The Alchemist - Calypso Gene feat. Silka & Cleo Reed (From Mercy, out on 11/7. Preorder: Bandcamp | Backwoodz Studioz | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Kent Loon - Numb The Pain feat. Ralfy The Plug (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Ekko Astral - horseglue (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Topshelf Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Mei Semones - Kurayami (From the Kurayami/Get used to it 7", out now (vinyl out on 12/12). Purchase: Bandcamp | Vinyl via Mei's Store | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
U.S. Girls - Running Errands (Yesterday) (From Running Errands single, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Bruiser Wolf & Harry Fraud - Boss Up (From MADE BY DOPE, out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
Monte Booker - b 2 b feat. Mereba (From noise (meaning), out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
The Doppelgangaz - Whatchu Wanna Do? (From Bet On Black Cloak, out on 10/31. Preorder: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Samara Cyn - Vitamins n Minerals (Out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
Ivan Ave - Windows Freestyle 1.0 (A YouTube loosie.)
Speed - All My Angels (From All My Angels, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Physicals and merch via Flatspot Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Verbz & Mr Slipz - The Way FWD (From THE WAY FWD, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Physical, digital, and merch via High Focus Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Zilla Rocca - Easy Street (From the Easy Street Mixtape, out now. Purchase/Stream: Bandcamp)
TW: Photosensitivity warning due to flashing lights
Earl Sweatshirt - Static (From Live, Laugh, Love, out now. Purchase: Physicals, digital, and merch via Earl Sweatshirt's official store | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Fatboi Sharif & Roper Williams - Lust Wounds (From Goth Girl On The Enterprise, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Royce Wood Junior - Beretta feat. Lucey Way (From Penny Ballads, out on 11/21. Preorder: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Rich Jones & Nate Fox - Swiss Camo (From Swiss Camo, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
ttwig - Moved (From Hang Ten Colors to Catch the Sun, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
City Girl - Playing an MMO in 2004 on a rainy day (From I don't know why I feel ok right now, but it's nice, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Sonnyjim & Morriarchi - Gone Fishin' (From Golden Parachute, out on 11/23. Purchase "Gone Fishin'": Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Miguel - RIP (From CAOS, out now. Purchase: Physicals and merch via Miguel's S1C site | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
SALIMATA - Sweetthang (From The Happening, out on 12/12. Preorder: Bandcamp | 10k Global, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Lily Allen - Sleepwalking (From West End Girl, out now. Purchase: Physicals and merch via Lily's store | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
John Wells - I called your phone (From I don't wanna die (pt. 1), out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)
fanclubwallet - Do You Hate Me? (From Living While Dying, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Physical merch bundles via Lauren Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Paul Wall & Dj.Fresh - Husslin For Eons (From The Tonite Show, out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Tortoise - A Title Comes (From Touch, out for purchase now, streaming on DSPs 11/11. Purchase: Bandcamp | Physicals and digital via Nonesuch Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Kendra Morris - Come Wander With Me (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Daedelus - Visible Mending feat. Salami Rose Joe Louis (From Em Dash, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
R.A.P. Ferreira & Kenny Segal - good hustle (From The Night Green Side of It, out now (for purchase/download, streaming on DSPs available 11/21). Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream "good hustle": Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
YUNGMORPHEUS & Dirty Art Club - 10,700 Days feat. Cavalier, Lukah, and Zeroh (From An Spyglass to One's Face, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
NGHTCRWLR - Emerald City (From OZ, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Vinyl via Year0001 | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Brian Jackson - Winter In America feat. Rich Medina (From EP One, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Vinyl via BBE | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Patricia Brennan - Antlia (From Of The Near And Far, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
Teller Bank$ & Ed Glorious - Smoke & Mirrors (From The Wolf & The Walrus, out on 11/11. Preorder: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
wun two & SwuM - sao paulo (From Floran, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)
That does it for this week. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for rocking with me. If you enjoyed anything I brought to you, let me know in the comments down below, and share this with your folks. Take care of each other, and as always, make good choices.
Comments ()