In No Particular Order: March 18, 2016
Happy Friday! More specifically, Happy New Music Friday (and if we want to go even further, Happy International Hangover Day)!
Every week there is an overabundance of new releases, and although we at Dusty Organ make our best efforts to make sure you are kept up to date with all the best, sometimes great albums are passed by.
That’s why I’m proud to introduce In No Particular Order: recommendations for the week’s latest and greatest new releases in no particular order!
For the complete list of new album releases from this week, click here. But before that, scroll down to read my personal favourites from this week.
Delta Will – Weathering
Toronto is home to countless indie rock bands. In fact, it’s estimated that there are more indie bands in the GTA than there are cars on the 401 at any time*. So when one of those GTA-grown acts genuinely standout, it’s worth stopping and listening to. Delta Will, an experimental-folk-rock-psychedelic-indie-rock from Toronto, have released their debut album Weathering and it certainly makes the cut.
From the opening swell of “Dawn Song”, Delta Will jump around genres (as per the genre label I’ve attempted to provide) with playful intentions. The rhythm section becomes the melody, and vice versa, throughout the record; it’s an unpredictable listen, even after three or four rotations. It’s a welcomed surprise that the songs “Manic Pulse” and “Hovering” are from the same band on the same album. Lead singer and founder Charles Tilden sounds well past his years, providing a matured and Ian Curtis-esque groove on the moodier songs, and Forrest Kline-circa 2013 (of Hellogoodbye) in the more upbeat tunes.
Head to their website to order your copy.
Must-haves: “Manic Pulse” // “A Dream” // “Hovering”
https://soundcloud.com/delta-will/sets/weathering-preview/s-ddyCi
(* – estimated by me, with no empirical data)
Baauer – Aa
Everyone seems to want to forget “Harlem Shake” ever happened, but I say let’s embrace just one last time to compare just how much Philly DJ Baauer has improved (and remember how stupid we all looked). Baauer has been in the music scene for quite a few years now, but only now in 2016 has he released a full-length record.
Aa is well overdue, but well worth the wait. His ability to combine trap, house, and hip-hop at just the right amounts gives the record so much edge and character. Unlike most electronic music that seems to appeal to the basic need of movement in a cookie-cutter, unidirectional way, Aa meets that requirement but with additional dimensions to round out the album’s shape and character. Featuring a range of musicians, from M.I.A. to K-pop star G-Dragon, to grime star Novelist, and trap hip-hop artists Future and Pusha T, Baauer touches on so many of the best contemporary genres.
It’s fun, it’s technical, and it’s engaging – prepare your speakers.
Stream it in full at Spotify, and head to his website to purchase your copy.
Must-haves: “Day Ones” // “Temple” // “Sow”
Shotgun Jimmie – Field of Trampolines
Just because it’s March and (depending on where you live) there may be snow on the ground and below freezing temperatures still doesn’t mean you can’t pretend it’s the middle of July (khaki shorts and tank tops are optional). Singer-songwriter Shotgun Jimmie seems to be in the summer mindset all year round, which is impressive for a Canadian. His latest record Field of Trampolines is a musical equivalent to the sunshine and warmer temperatures; the upbeat DYI indie rock sound hints of West Coast-surf rock to create the summery vibe.
Jimmie’s lasse-faire vocal style adds to the album’s easy-breezy style as well, never pushing too hard, as if he’s entertaining his friends from a sandy beach, or late night campfire (“Triple Letter Score” is essentially a song about that exact scenario).
The best way to describe Field of Trampolines: making the most of the short Canadian summer.
Get your copy of the record via You’ve Changed Records.
Must-haves: “Join the Band” // “Solar Array” // “Field of Trampolines”
