8 min read what's good

What's Good (Week of 2/8/26)

A car wash at night, its bright signage spells out "WAR CASH" in red lights. A silhouetted figure walks away from it toward the camera, a cigarette in hand.
Photo Credit: Evidence

Happy almost Valentine's Day. I brought you What's Good, my weekly music blog. Lots of dope new joints this go 'round, including:

New Albums

  • Ariel
  • Converge
  • CRIMEAPPLE & Evidence
  • PONY
  • Ransom & Boldy James
  • Zo! & Tall Black Guy

New Singles

  • Anna Wise
  • Ekko Astral
  • ELUCID & Sebb Bash
  • Filth Is Eternal
  • Knocked Loose & Denzel Curry
  • NAHreally
  • Sideshow

As always, if you haven't already done so, be sure to subscribe so you get What's Good (and everything else I write) delivered straight to your email as soon as I hit publish.

Also, my charity giveaway for a copy of Mercy by Armand Hammer & The Alchemist is still going.

A packaged vinyl record with Backwoodz Studioz packing tape. The 'Ship To' address has been redacted with black bars.
My extra copy of one of my favorite albums of 2025 can be yours.

Just to remind you of the details, make a charitable donation to any of the following:

  • Trans Youth Emergency Project: A project from the Campaign for Southern Equality, offering logistical and financial support to families affected by laws restricting or banning care for transgender children across the United States
  • Al Otro Lado: An organization providing legal and humanitarian aid for immigrant communities in the U.S. and Mexico, with litigation services, family reunification, and a number of other programs.
  • The Women's Foundation of Minnesota's Immigrant Rapid Response Fund: A fund directing resources to organizations across the Twin Cities metro area and Greater Minnesota that provide basic needs, urgent legal services, and advocacy resources for communities impacted by immigration-related harm.

And fill out this Google form with proof of your donation. I'll close out the form on 2/28/26, then I'll contact a randomly selected one of you for an address to send the record to.

If you're looking for other ways to help in Minnesota specifically, check out the mutual aid and support resources at Stand With Minnesota.

Now let's get on with the music.

Playlists

TIDAL

TIDAL: What's Good Playlist - Week of 2/8/26

YouTube

Bonus Beats

Wednesday visited PBS North Carolina's Shaped By Sound for a set of songs from Bleeds, and an interview with Karly and Xandy.

Bay Area is fully represented on the latest episode of Amoeba Music's What's In with DJ Platurn pulling up on the San Francisco location.

Open Mike Eagle took time out on his Twitch morning show to pay tribe to Mr. Complex, who we lost this week. He started off with one of favorite songs, "Why Don't Cha" which, funny enough, I think I first heard from Hiphopsite.com.

QRTR went back to back with Arina Krondeva over at The Lot Radio.

Two black and white images of Shad performing, slightly overlapping, on top of a yellow, orange, and purple gradient background.
Art: Evan Solano. Click the image for to head to Passion of the Weiss

Shad breaks down his 20 year career for Dash Lewis over at Passion of the Weiss for their My Collection series.

I remember the ordeal of booking a studio—looking in the Yellow Pages for recording studios, finding one, booking it out, and sitting in front of the mixing board the first day and going like, “Oh, wow. I don’t know what any of the stuff does. I know how to rap, and that’s all.” I hardly even knew people who made beats! Maybe two people in your city make beats, because who can afford a beat machine? Who knows how to loop stuff up? Let alone if they’re good! I only knew two, maybe three people who made beats, so I had to go online and talk to friends of friends.
I’ve actually used the same approach every time I make songs since then. I’ve figured out a lot; there’s obviously quite a bit I’ve picked up over the years, but still, every time I’m making a song, I’m going through this process of fumbling around in the dark until it gets somewhere close to the idea I had in my head. I remember on Q on CBC Radio, I got to interview Paul Simon, and he was like, “Making albums is really easy.” I was struck by that because I was like, “It’s not easy for me! I’m always trying to figure things out.” I didn’t say that back to him, but that’s what I was thinking. But he’s like, “I write a song. I know exactly how it’s going to be arranged. I know how it’s going to start, how it’s going to end. I know exactly the session players I’m going to bring in to play them. I know who’s going to record it, and it should be done in a week. It’s so easy.” My process is basically still trial and error.

Music

Anysia Kym & Tony Seltzer - Picture This (From Purity, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | 10k Global | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

emmyBOOM - SQUADDA BOOM feat. Squadda B (From SQUADDABOOM, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Gregory Uhlmann - Burnt Toast (From Extra Stars, out on 3/6/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Filth Is Eternal - Long Way (From Impossible World, out on 3/17/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Vinyl via MNRK HEAVY | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Sideshow - ALENA(ኣለና)PARADISE LOST (From TIGRAY FUNK, out on 2/27/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | 10k Global | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Parlor Greens - Drop Top (From Emeralds, out on 5/27/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Physicals, digital, and merch bundles via Colemine Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Nappy Nina & Swarvy - Crash Early (Live) (From NOTHING IS MY FAVORITE THING, out now. (and check out their NPR Tiny Desk Contest entry for "Groundhog Day") Preorder: Bandcamp | Vinyl via Lucidhaus | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

TW: Flashing lights, rapid cuts

Ghais Guevara - Manifest Destiny (From the upcoming Goyard & The Kayfabe Reveal. YouTube only for now.)

Jay Cinema - Smiling (From A Smile To A Tear, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

MAVI - Typewriter feat. Kenny Mason (From The Pilot, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Physicals, digital, and merch via Loma Vista Recordings | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Ekko Astral - lil xan goes to washington (From the beltway is burning, out on 4/22/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Physicals and digital via Topshelf Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

E L U C I D & Sebb Bash - Make Me Wise (From I Guess U Had To Be There, out on 3/13/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Physicals and digital via Backwoodz Studioz | Other retailer, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Knocked Loose - Hive Mind feat. Denzel Curry (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | 12" inch Onyx Marble vinyl variant via Loma Vista Recordings | Clear Black & Red and Onyx & Marble variants via Pure Noise Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Kim Gordon - DIRTY TECH (From PLAY ME, out on 3/13/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Physicals and merch via Kung Fu Merch | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Marlon Craft - Analog Man (From Marlon's upcoming album, releasing this Spring. Purchase "Analog Man": Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Mei Semones - Koneko feat. Liana Flores (From Kurage, out on 4/10/28. Preorder: Bandcamp | Kurage plushie via Bayonet Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

GNRLYHD- DAYS GO BY (From Major Malfunction In The Bay, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Ransom & Boldy James - Sinners (From Salvation For The Wicked, out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Che Noir - GUCCI freestyle (YouTube loosie.)

Pan Amsterdam - No Snare feat. Open Mike Eagle (From Elevator Music Vol. 1, out now (released in 2019). Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple)

Fumitake Tamura - Resonance feat. Saul Williams (From Mijin, out on 4/10/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Leaving Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

CRIMEAPPLE & Evidence - Roy (From War Cash, out now. Purchase: Bigger Picture Recordings, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Navy Blue - Sunlight of the Spirit (From The Sword & The Soaring, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Papo2oo4 & Subjxct 5 - Turbo Madness (YouTube loosie.)

Zo! & Tall Black Guy - I'm Good feat. Raquel Rodriguez & Phat Kat (From Expansions, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Vinyl and CD via Zo!'s Merch Store, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Slowe - How Hard Can It Be? (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Baby Rose - Friends Again feat. Leon Thomas (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Sofia Kourtesis - Los Poemas No Siempre Riman (From DJ-Kicks: Sofia Kourtesis, out on 3/27/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Physicals and digital via !K7 Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Los Retros - Secret Admirer (From Odisea, out on 4/3/26. Preorder: Bandcamp | Vinyl via Stones Throw | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

PONY - Swalling Stars (From Clearly Cursed, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Physicals and merch via Take This To Heart Records | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Ariel - Amatoria (From Amatoria, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Vinyl via Mello Music Group | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Anarchist Bookstore, Part Zero, by MC Paul Barman & Kenny Segal
from the album Antinomian Pandemonium
MC Paul BarmanMC Paul Barman

MC Paul Barman & Kenny Segal - Anarchist Bookstore, Part Zero (From Antinomian Pandemonium, out on 2/26/26. Preorder: Bandcamp)

Anna Wise - iii (Out now. Purchase the single: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Verb T & Vic Grimes - Adrenaline feat. Beano (From To Love A Phantom, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Physicals, digital, and merch via High Focus (UK) | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

NAHreally - Moderately Well (From Extra Cheese, out on 3/27/26. Preorder: Bandcamp, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Converge - Gilded Cage (From Love Is Not Enough, out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Physicals and merch via Convergecult | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Larry June, Curren$y & The Alchemist - Everything Allocated (Out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)

Nickelus F - Dead Ends (Out now. Purchase: Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | Youtube Music)

Mansur Brown - Your Heart (Out now. Purchase: Bandcamp | Qobuz, Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

Darko the Super & MF Grimm - D-40 (From Beware of Bob, out on 2/24/26.(And check out their promo for this song, with Darko spitting over E-40's "Big Ballin' With My Homies") Preorder: Bandcamp)

Michael Christmas & Grimm Doza - Federal Digital (From Grimace, out on 2/23/26. YouTube only, for now.)

Rustie - AMENTET (Out now. Stream: Tidal | Apple | YouTube Music)

That does it for today. Thank you for rocking with me, and if you enjoyed anything from the drop this week be sure to share it with your friends. Also, please consider donating to the giveaway if you haven't already. All three choices are great, vital causes right now, plus you get a shot at nabbing one of my favorite albums from 2025 on top of doing a good deed.

Enjoy your weekend, and as always, make good choices.

DJ Regular

DJ Regular

Game and Music Lover. Writer. Unfortunate optimist. "Spare me the Hallmark Karl Marx."
SF Bay Area