BY: Music Journalism Club
Every Tuesday, our Music Director, Allison, chooses new releases to add to our music library. Here are some recent highlights, presented to you by WSUM's Music Journalism Club.
Star 99, Gaman
HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Brother”, “Pacemaker”, “Pushing Daisies”
GENRE: Indie Punk, Alternative
RIYL: Wishy, Bnny, she's green
San Jose's Star 99 has curated a record that's unlike any sound being broadcasted in the music industry today. With a touch of teenage angst and a drop of early 2000's coming of age films, the band's new album, Gaman, highlights the exquisite beauty of punk music. Gaman is all about specific, emoting stories being layered with electrifying instrumental refrains – it's an album that's perfect for moving to the beat of a drum. More so, lead singer Saoirse Alesandro, boldens the band's sound with her delicate and misty voice, being especially vibrant in third track “Brother.” Both fervent and daring, Gaman is absolutely worth the listen, and band Star 99 could be your new favorite artist on the way.
— Lillian Hescheles
Michi, Dirty Talk
HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “There's No Heaven”, “Walking Away”, “If You Want Me”
GENRE: Dance/Electronic, R&B, Soul, Alternative
RIYL: Knxwledge, Kali Uchis, Aaliyah
Michi's electrifying debut album Dirty Talk fuses retro and contemporary sounds of old school R&B creating a diverse and exciting listen. Produced by Blake Rhein of Durand Jones & the Indications, the album oozes with Michi's confident and self assertive personality, while also exploring themes of self discovery. Energetic, house-driven track “There's No Heaven” is not only fast paced but its lyrics illustrate the passionate and emotionally vulnerable side that Dirty Talk carries throughout its 28 minute runtime. “So Divine” is a change of pace to a smoother sound, while the Spanish lyrics in “Memmy (Recuerdo)” nods to Michi's Latin background. Finally, upbeat tracks like “Walking Away” carry a classic Motown feel, making Dirty Talk a pleasant listening experience, and a testament to Michi's versatility and ability.
— Ryan King
Cheekface, Middle Spoon
HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Flies”, “Military Gum”, “Content Baby”
GENRE: Indie Rock
RIYL: Pavement, Radiator Hospital, Laura Stevenson, Jeff Rosenstock
America's Local Band is back!!! Cheekface have built themselves quite the underground following for their off the wall and kind of quirky brand of Indie Rock that I personally have gotten so much out of. Their last album was really good but this new one is as close to an exodus album as you will get from them. All of their emotional lives changed in some significant way around this album which meant that the lyrics have a lot more bite than your usual offering from them. Doesn't mean this album is suddenly gloomy, far from it. This has some of their most fun songs with stuff like “Flies” which features a tenor sax in the background played by Jeff Rosenstock of all people. If you want to talk about features though, how about McKiney Dixon, one of the loudest and most creative names in underground hip hop today, delivering maybe his best feature verse on ‘Military Gum”. He comes in so clean and it is a feature that makes no sense yet works so unbelievably well. The lyrics on the housing crisis and finding connection in a rough time supplemented with light hearted guitars and incredible vocal performances sell me on this album completely. An absolute must-listen in the first quarter of the year.
— Aniruddh Nambudiri
New Translations, Vacation
HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Vacation”, “TV at Home”
GENRE: Indie pop, New wave
RIYL: Bleachers, Dayglow, Her's
New Translations first album, Vacation, offers a variety of sounds such as indie pop and “lovelorn 21st century new wave”, as the band states. When I started listening to the album my first thought was that it reminded me of having the TV on in the background late at night, and as I listened to the album, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the track “TV at Home”, which also happened to be a favorite of mine! I like the intimate feel of the earlier tracks, however, later in the album I thought that the songs felt more like sounds of a dance party with colorful strobe lights. Whether you're watching TV or dancing the night away you'll definitely love this album.
— Christine VanDen Heuvel
Shygirl, Club Shy Room 2
HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Wifey Riddim”, “Immaculate”
GENRE: Hyperpop, Dance
RIYL: Charli XCX, Yaeji
If you need a quick pick-me-up, then Club Shy Room 2 is the perfect album for you. Shygirl's newest EP is an energetic boost of confidence, constantly exposing its listeners to energetic beats and bold production. This album features some iconic pop vocals, with features like Saweetie and PinkPantheress subbing in to add extra layers to each of these tracks. This album is experimental, interesting and unapologetically fun – it is the perfect listen for any girl's night.
— Lyn Sepersky
Cloakroom, Last Leg of the Human Table
HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “The Lights Are On”, “Unbelonging”, “Bad Larry”
GENRE: Shoegaze, Heavy-gaze
RIYL: Cold Gawd, High., Greet Death
Formed in Michigan City, Indiana in 2012, Cloakroom still pushes ahead 13 years later with their fourth full-length album, Last Leg of the Human Table. Self described as “stoner emo,” their sound would be more commonly described as shoegaze, with lurching, heavy guitar riffs. There are plenty of emo elements present though, especially evident in “Unbelonging”. “The Lights Are On” brings a catchy guitar riff that accompanies the classic ‘quiet/loud' fluctuation element of shoegaze. The majority of this album carries a uniform sound, although not repetitive, to Cloakroom's credit. I imagine this album to be a great soundtrack to a dark stormy day spent studying inside.
— Emily Collins
Julian Neel, Gallery Show
HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Gallery Show” “Mermaid of the Rodeo”
GENRE: Country, Folk
RIYL: Twain, Cass McCombs, Watchhouse
Photographer, multi-instrumentalist and country songwriter based in Austin, Texas, Julian Neel releases his first EP following his 2020 record debut, Call the Mountain. Neel's studio band notably includes Mat Davidson (Twain) on the steel guitar and violin. Gallery Show is a warm, full-bodied collection of crooning songs about a wide array of characters, settings, and animals, whether they be carolina wrens, artists by the beach, or grandmothers hailing from the rodeo parade. Steel and nylon guitars with soft, unrushed vocals color this short record. Gallery Show is ideal for a hot country drive with the windows down, or perhaps muffling outwards from a speaker while on the beach or a hike with a beautiful view.
— Dana Bumbalo
