Who’s coming up! After more than a decade of radio silence, Clipse is back; then, Wet Leg – can they build on their initial success and deliver an album that’s smarter, sexier, and just as fun; plus, Justin Bieber has a new album? All this and more!
(Countdown Video)
New Music Weekend:
After an incredible 16-year hiatus, the wait is over (“Ace Trumpets” clip) the iconic hip-hop duo Clipse, composed of actual brothers – Pusha T and No Malice, have returned with their fourth studio album: Let God Sort Em Out (“All Things Considered” clip) That’s “All Things Considered” – a song which features the voice of Pharrell who also produces the track but he didn’t stop there. Pharrell produced the entire album. (“E.B.I.T.D.A” clip) Let’s get back to Pusha T and No Malice, while still doing their lyerical interplay amongst one another, the brothers explore themes of grief and family loss – notably on the powerful album opener ‘The Birds Don’t Sing.’ (clip of that song) 13 tracks in all for Let God Sort Em Out. And I have to admit, like many, I was really looking forward to “Chains & Whips” – the one featuring Kendrick Lamar (“Chains & Whips” clip). One last note – not only are the Clipse, the Clipse again, but for this album: No Malice is once again Malice.
(“Catch These Fists”) Moving along from the hip-hop world to the indie-rock scene, one of the most anticipated albums of the year has officially dropped. (more “Catch These Fists”) The album is titled Moisturizer – from a band that took home a grammy with their rookie album – we’re talking about Wet Leg. (“Wet Dream” clip) That’s “Wet Dream from their first album, but the unique and absurd “love song” wittiness continues with this new album, which also validates – no sophomoric slump (“Pillow Talk”) Wet Leg has not only expanded its members to a quintet but there’s a sense of maturation as well. The album has more emotional openness while still having the band’s deadpan charm. First track is always important to see if it sets the tone of the album and I fully believe “CPR” definitely does the job. (“CPR” clip)
Several quick hits of new music: Petey USA is back with his new album, The Yips – a concept album set in a fictional dive bar – each song is a different conversation about life’s anxieties. It’s fun, relatable, and produced by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla!” // Well, the wait is over for the Beliebers! Justin Bieber made a surprise return, dropping his seventh studio album, Swag, with so little warning. It’s his first full-length project since 2021, and has a mix of R&B and pop sounds to go along with some very personal lyrics, reflecting on his journey as a husband and father. // Multi-GRAMMY and Academy Award winner Jon Batiste is kicking off his new era of sound. We may have to wait until August 22nd for the entire new album, BIG MONEY, to drop, but he did just gave us a little sip with the release of the title track. It’s a blend of soul, funk, and his signature New Orleans spirit, here’s that new song release – “Big Money” (clip) //
I put together a Spotify playlist of the songs that I talked about and thought about today for New Music Friday. Click here for that! Anything that I really messed up and missed – well, that’s why I’ll be doing Missed Music Monday on Monday.
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“Disco Demolition Night” took place on this date back in 1979 at Comiskey Park. Between games of a doubleheader, the plan was to blow up a bunch of disco albums.
(“No Time To Talk” Jonas Brothers)
Who would ever join in on that today with their precious vinyl? Such a mess of a promotion, too. People stormed the field, 2nd game of the doubleheader had to be forfeited by the White Sox, and the field was a wreck because of that whole explosion!
Chaos – thankfully, that was not experience on my run this morning.
(Day #193)
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “There will always be things that try to hold you back, but if you push through them, you’ll find out who you really are.” – by Nick Jonas
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This past April – the Viagra Boys, a punk band from Sweden dropped a new album – their 4th overall.
(another clip of “Man Made of Meat” Viagra Boys)
This could so be a Missed Music Thursday – by the way, Happy Friday Eve.
Hearing an album like this from the Viagra Boys definitely excites me and I realize that can be a funny line with the name of their band, but I have been listening to this album over and over again.
Stamina – I should stop. You know what else I’ve been doing over & over again – running
(Day #191)
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You have to be able to laugh at yourself. If you can’t, you’re in trouble.” – by Sebastian Murphy
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John Anthony Gillis better known as Jack White has a birthday today. His 50th.
(Icky Thump part – “White Americans, what? Nothing better to do Why don’t you kick yourself out? You’re an immigrant too”)
Jack always has a lot to say, too. Me as well (sarcastically) – I ran.
(Reel of Day #190)
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It’s about the feeling, not about being perfect.” – That’s Meg White talking about the essence of The White Stripes. You could use that quote as a general life philosophy too.
FYI – Jack took the name “White” from his bandmate, Meg.
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For Father’s Day, I received this container of Reese’s Pieces . . . because I’m a fan.
However, I looked at it as if it’s a job. Must – finish – container.
(“Finish What Ya Started” Van Halen)
You know, it’s kind of like my daily 5K. Some days it feels like a job, but it’s one I’ve got to finish!
(Day #189)
Alright, I admit (shakes the container) this is probably the easier job to do than my 5K.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” – by Vincent Van Gogh
This quote mirrors the idea of many small, colorful pieces coming together to create a delightful whole, much like a container of Reese’s Pieces – that will be gone in the coming days. Which is sad – send more, please (joking)
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On this date back in 1987, the benchmark album of the golden age of hip-hop was released
(More “I Know You Got Soul”)
With the groundbreaking album – Paid in Full – you have Eric B.’s innovative production, in particular the use of James Brown samples, paired up with the complex rhymes and relaxed flow from Rakim.
(“I Ain’t No Joke”)
(Day #188)
I was going to be corny and say something like – You know what’s no joke – Run #188.
I guess I am still saying it, but I just wanted to be respectful of the album – Paid in Full – which again was released on this date back in 1987
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “People think the older you get, the wacker you get. I think the older I get, the better I get.“ – by Rakim
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Five years ago to coincide with his 85th birthday, the Dalai Lama released an album called Inner World, which was a collection of Buddhist mantras and prayers set to music.
(“Courage” clip from Dalai Lama)
“That’s ‘Courage’ – a rather strong, but incredibly calming piece from the album. I’m not sure that I could really run to it, but I could definitely ease back in my house library chair for the evening and just chill.”
And speaking of running… I did get my run in this morning! BUT – I listened to something a little different though.
(“Lovesick Lullaby” Yungblud)
(Day #187)
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.” – from the 14th Dalai Lama and birthday boy. Happy 90th!
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Happy 4th of July Weekend – non-stop fireworks. Pyros are happy all across the land.
(“Pets” clip from Porno for Pyros)
That’s the only Pyros out of me – Porno for Pyros. Let’s get to New Music Weekend
Who’s coming up: Kesha, Pig Pen, G. Love & Special Sauce, Nilüfer Yanya, Dexter and The Moonrocks
(Countdown Video)
New Music Weekend:
The new album release from Kesha is perfectly timed for Independence Day Weekend, as it truly feels like her declaration of artistic and personal freedom. (“Freedom” clip) That’s the album’s opening track – “Freedom”. However, there’s a journey felt as it takes about two and a half minutes for the song to really pick up and finally get to the naughty fun (another “Freedom” clip). .Period (show blue card of a period) is Kesha’s sixth studio album and her first release on her own independent label, Kesha Records. There are 11 Songs in all. (“Boy Crazy” clip) That song “Boy Crazy” jumped out to me – basically, a straightforward celebration of being attracted to boys, without any apology or overthinking. One side of the coin with Kesha having a good time. But if “Boy Crazy” is pure giddy infatuation, then the other side of that coin is “Red Flag” which embraces chaos and toxic attraction. (clip)
One of my most favorite songs to run to is from the Dropkick Murphys (“The Boys are Back”) I actually play that song back-to-back within several of my running playlists, but that’s a song from 2013. I call this thing “New Music Weekend” for a reason. Their new album, For The People, is their 13th studio album, and it’s out now. The very first single they dropped from this album was “Who’ll Stand With Us?”, and it’s a powerful mission statement for the entire record. (“Who’ll Stand with Us” clip) Despite the song’s anger, the underlying message is one of unity, hope, and a “return to sanity.” For The People aligns perfectly with their themes of fighting for the common person from a working-class perspective. But there are some playful songs on the album too, like this revved-up ode to Pennywise guitarist Fletcher: this is the Dropkick Murphys singing about “The Big Man.”
Matty Matheson portrays the handyman in the FX show – The Bear, while also being the show’s producer and culinary consultant. But – did you know that he’s also the lead singer of a band called Pig Pen? – a hardcore punk band – sometimes known as “really loud.” (“Mental Mentality” clip) The band, Pig Pen, reportedly wrote all ten songs in one day and then recorded them the very next day, which absolutely bleeds into the album’s raw, unpolished, and immediate feel (“Rabid Beach”). Their album – Mental Madness – actually dropped last week, but so did 10 episodes of The Bear. FYI – The Bear has been renewed for Season 5.//
Several quick hits of new music: Back in 1998, the original Has Gone Country album was released by G. Love. While we often associate him with that gritty, hip-hop blues sound with Special Sauce, this album re-release gives a us a very different side of him – Country // I’ve talked about this artist before and how much I enjoy her fresh indie sound. Nilüfer Yanya just released this past week a new EP titled: Dancing Shoes. Now, it might only be a 4 track collection of songs, but it’s still a very captivating listen for the weekend. // Dexter and The Moonrocks originally recorded a cover of a song for a major motion picture. Unfortunately, the movie ended up NOT using it. But fortunately for us – Dexter and The Moonrocks did release the song – here’s a sample of their cover of Black Sabbath’s classic “Paranoid” (clip)
Thank you to Spotify, Rolling Stone, Apple Music, uDiscoverMusic, Pigeons & Planes, Pitchfork, Louder, Spill Magazine, Dan Deluca of the Philly Inquirer & I know there’s more.
I put together a Spotify playlist of the songs that I talked about and thought about today for New Music Friday. Click here for that! Anything that I really messed up and missed – well, that’s why I’ll be doing Missed Music Monday on Monday.
Please subscribe on YouTube and spread the word wherever you can
