This was a hectic week for new music and if it’s a sign of things to come, 2015 could be a very strong year. Here are some of the sounds we thought warranted a click or several:
Ricky Eat Acid – ‘Context’
A new track from Ricky Eat Acid is available next week and can be previewed now. “Context” sounds a bit like a hyper-emotive soundtrack to a 16-bit racing game.
SOPHIE x Gucci Mane – ‘Lemonade’ (Rare MP3s Edit)
Rare MP3s have unleashed this bananas blend of SOPHIE and the Gucci Mane classic, offsetting the piano riff with a whole palette of percussive bubble sounds.
Jazmine Sullivan – Reality Show
Jazmine Sullivan returned this week after a Jay-Z-like fake retirement, with her third album, Reality Show. Talking about Sullivan’s music in a column on brand new sounds is kind of nonsensical – she generally avoids sonic trendiness in favor of perfectionistic, 90s-rooted R&B. There are few cheap thrills here; the album will be a pleasure to absorb over the next weeks and months, rather than minutes.
Young L – Final Fantasy
Clearly displaying his Future, Rich Homie Quan and DJ Screw influences, Young L has added his own softer touches on his new 7-track release Final Fantasy. It’s well suited to cold mid-winter days.
Sleater-Kinney – No Cities To Love
Of course, the most hyped music story this week was the release of Sleater-Kinney’s comeback album, No Cities To Love. You can listen to the album here on NPR. If jagged guitars and anthemic rock ‘n roll choruses are your bag, this will be hard to beat. The celebrity sing-along video for the title track is also pretty damn charming.
About the author: Luke Bradley is an arts and culture writer living in Toronto. He’s written for The Classical Magazine, Esquire.com, Myspace, Consequence of Sound, DJ Mag and This Recording. Tweet to him @Sloganear.
