Hi, long time no see here! Sorry for the year+ long hiatus, but I’m back with once again something new I wanna try out. Even though I haven’t really been writing reviews I most definitely was listening to music. And over such a long period of time I’ve compiled a series of recommendations of songs, albums and artists in general and I wanna share some of those here. This is also a way for me to highlight some maybe lesser known artists in general, so don’t expect things like The Weeknd on here etc.
Each song and album is gonna have along side it the artist’s name, genre and a short paragraph on why I think you should check it out. The artist portion of this piece will have with it the typical genres these artists indulge in and some songs for you to get a taste of what they’re about. Also all albums will have my personal rating written underneath for anyone interested.
First I wanna start off with some SONGS recommendations. So let’s kick things off with my first pick:
George Clanton – I Been Young (genre: Dream Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Chillwave)
This wonderful and punchy piece of dream pop came out in early 2023 and for the longest time, I didn’t really care for it. I have heard it before once and I’ve written it off as pretty boring and uneventful. Not too long ago this song once again came to mind and I thought I’d give it another try and wow, am I glad I did because this song is frankly just gorgeous. The dreamy and windy synths and pianos contrasted with the crispy drums, that honestly carry the song to unexpected heights, together make for a perfect combination for your summer playlist. Check this one out if you’re in the market for some up-lifting music!
Maruja – Look Down On Us (genre: Post Rock, Jazz Rock, Art Punk)
Right off the back, this song is almost 10 minutes long, which seems like a lot, however I’d still urge you to check it out regardless as I see this as a very rewarding 10 minutes. The song doesn’t pull any punches – immediately from the start you’re hit with this overbearing drone followed by an extremely dirty bass and as the whole song progresses and evolves more and more is being added to it (I especially enjoyed all the walls of saxophone throughout the song). The lyrics are bleak and desperate at the beginning but change to super hopeful and almost inspirational by the end of the song, it really is a whole journey both lyrically and instrumentally. So for anyone who enjoys their rock to be very energetic, passionate, progressive and instrumentally rich, this is an absolute must-hear.
Carly Rae Jepsen – Higher (genre: Synthpop, Pop)
Now it’s time for some ALBUMS recommendations, they are as follows:
Jane Remover – Revengeseekerz (genre: Experimental Hip-Hop, Digicore, EDM)
Jane Remover’s (as of writing this) latest project is also in my opinion easily her best. Highly energetic songs, flawless track list, a clear vision and aesthetic, this project is just the whole package. Though actually describing the sound of this record is rather difficult, as this really isn’t a typical hip-hop release. The EDM influences are almost overbearing on some of these songs and the use of special effects, samples and rattling hi-hats can be a little overwhelming to say the least. But at least in my eyes, that’s exactly what this record is going for – it’s unorthodox, it’s chaotic, it’s confusing but must of all it’s just really fun. If you wanna get a taste of what it sounds like first, check out „Psychoboost“ featuring Danny Brown or „Dancing with your eyes closed“.
Strong 9/10
acloudyskye – This Won’t Be The Last Time (genre: Indie Rock, Noise Pop)
This is one of those albums that sounds like what the album cover looks like. The whole album feels very emotional, dreamy and heartfelt, almost tragic in a sense. The instrumentals on this aren’t your typical indie release either – the guitars are very distorted, almost shoegazey. The use of noise works really well on this project as it is not used overtly nor does it feel out of place, it more emphasizes and uplifts the choruses and crescendos. Not one song is interchangeable with another, every song has it’s distinct vibe and melody, which is more often than not a pretty strong one. It definitely isn’t flawless, but I can’t help but return to it constantly, check out „Shoots“ if you wanna give it a shot.
Decent 8/10
Tim Hecker – Radio Amor (genre: Ambient, Drone)
Tim Hecker’s second studio album released in 2003 is an ambient treasure. My only real gripe with this album is that the middle of the record is, comparatively speaking, a little weaker than its start and finish but it still works incredibly well like a complete cohesive experience. I’m not gonna tell you specific songs to check out as I feel like you really need to hear this project front to back to get the fullest most immersive experience. If you wanna check out some ambient projects that paint a beautiful, yet somewhat vast and desolate picture with their sound, this one might just be for you.
Decent 8/10
Finally for the ARTISTS recommendations, I have a few as well:
KNEECAP (Hardcore Hip-Hop, Political Hip-Hop, Drum and Bass)
The Irish Hardcore Hip-Hop trio „KNEECAP“ are my first recommendation for today and it’s not hard to see why. Besides the fact that they are unmoving in their stance opposing the Gaza genocide, which is very admirable and rare to see from artists nowadays, they make some pretty excellent hardcore hip-hop ragers to go along with their great messaging. Their style is pretty diverse ranging from classic boom-bap style songs to outward Drum and Bass but they manage to pull most if pretty well. What they lack in technical proficiency they make up for with their messaging, energy and delivery, as well as production which is pretty much always on point. I’d recommend checking out „H.O.O.D – 2025 Mix“, „Better Way To Live“, „I bhFiacha Linne“ and „THE RECAP“.
smokedope2016 (genre: Cloud Rap, Trap)
This artist is an absolute cloud rap gem I’ve discovered this year. The production on these songs is straight up otherworldly, it’s usually very light and reverbed and heavy on the samples and makes for a pretty psychedelic listening experience. For anyone who grew up on cloud rap or is into stuff like Bladee etc. I’d highly recommend checking this one out, you’re seriously missing out otherwise. Good songs to start with are „White Owls“, „Nike“, „Khalifa“ and „Icey Soles“.
fallingwithscissors (genre: Metalcore, Screamo, Post-hardcore)
And for my final pick, I’m gonna mention the band „fallingwithscissors“. This is a mostly metalcore band that I’d highly recommend to anyone who is really desensitized with this genre as fallingwithscissors are easily one of the most energetic and exciting things to come out of metal in the last few years. Their mix of raw grimy and frankly disgusting riffs and vocals with their use of glitched out electronics and almost hyper-pop elements in places is extremely tasteful and well-done and makes for a pretty fresh and new listening experience. If any of that got your attention I’d recommend listening to „Atrophy:Angel“, „tripping>wires“ and „openyoureyes“.
And that’s gonna be about it for this one. Let me know what you think of this new format or write me some suggestions and what I should listen to/review next time. Until next time!