New Music Mondays | 10.17.16

WRBB’s beloved Media Team has some hot tracks that you need to listen to ASAP! Keep checking back to our site for some content you don’t want to miss.

“Get Bigger / Do U Luv” – NxWorries

“As their new single says, Kxwledge and Anderson .Paak are “takin no bullsh*t”. Their collab began in 2015 with Link Up & Suede, and this track off of their newest album Yes Lawd! is bringing them to new heights. Paak landed on the hip hop radar as Dre’s new protege and ever since, has been constantly pumping out new projects. In this new single he looks back at his pre-Dre days, when he worked on marijuana farms to support his wife and son. Knxledge lays down some Madlib-esque samples and a pulsing bassline to perfectly complement Paak’s raspy yet smooth croon. However bleak the duo’s past was, it is not reflected in their suave, mellow beats.” – Ross M.

“Needam / Wish To” – Botany

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“Normally, for a New Music Monday, I would try to analyze lyrics and provide some of my own subjective insight on them. Instead, I decided to review Botany’s ‘Needham / Wish To,’ a stressful, layered, wonderfully concocted mess of a song whose only lyrics appear in the muddled end (then only to be pushed out by the increasing volume of the accompanying instrumentals.) Nonetheless, I found ‘Needham / Wish To’ to be more thought provoking than many of its more verbally intensive counterparts. It’s an excellent, albeit not easy, listen, and one that portends good things for the full length ‘Deepak Verbera,’ out October 14th, 2016 on Western Vinyl.” – Madison H.

“Flex Your Way Out” ft. Blackbear – Sofi de la Torre

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“Sofi de la Torre’s recent single ‘Flex Your Way Out’ is laced with a hybridization of Post Malone’s vibe, Banks’ style of music, and Phoebe Ryan’s vocals— not a bad mix. That being said, ‘Flex Your Way Out’ quickly jumped into my ‘chill’ playlist and probably will end up in yours after a listen or two. De la Torre and Blackbear both have ultra-clean vocals that compliment each other; giving the listener a sense of chemistry, bringing the single a step above the norm. Even though Blackbear seems to be the more known of the two, I would keep my eye out for newcomer, Sofi de la Torre’s new releases.” – Julian F.

“Million Reasons” – Lady Gaga

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“The hype has been high ever since it was announced that Lady Gaga will be headlining the Superbowl Halftime in 2017. It’s no coincidence that her new album titled ‘Joanne’ is set to come out October 21st, just in time to gain popularity for her performance of a lifetime. Recently she released ‘Million Reasons,’ the second single from the album. This song strays far from the typical Lady Gaga vibe. She describes it as ‘a country song mixed with funk and rock ‘n’ roll.’ Never in my life would I have guessed that Lady Gaga would produce a song in the style of country, but oddly it works for her. Million Reasons is a powerful ballad complete with simple but heart wrenching lyrics, ‘I’ve got a hundred million reasons to walk away, but baby, I just need one good one to stay.’ The song is sung acoustically with a beautiful piano melody in the background. Listening to this song on repeat assures me that this could potentially become this year’s ‘Hello.'” – Emily G.

“The Loner” – SKATERS

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“SKATERS brings an old-school punk inspired sound mixed with modern garage rock with ‘The Loner,’ the lead track off their most recent EP titled ‘Rock and Roll Bye Bye’. The entire EP is rather introspective, reflecting on the band’s choice to pursue music and how it’s affected their lives trying to make it in New York City. This song specifically is nearly three minutes full of fun power chords and raw vocals that are closer to yelling than singing. By the end of the song, you’ll be shouting ‘isolation!’ along with the vocalist. The raw excitement of ‘The Loner’ along with the minimalist production feels like a live show in someone’s dirty basement in lower Manhattan in the best way possible. SKATERS are bringing back fun urban garage rock with this track, and it’s totally worth a listen for anyone who misses alternative music with a punk punch to it.” – Ingrid A.

“Naive to the Bone” – Marie Davidson

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“‘It seems like honesty is not so fashionable these days.’ When Marie Davidson breaks into spoken word poetry well into the entrancing eurodance beat she has created, the listener is taken aback, forced to confront something that serves the opposite purpose to club music. Rather than forgetting everything and losing yourself to the beat, Davidson’s words force you to listen with focus, to learn of her errors and predilections. After coming off a tour in Europe, Davidson is using the mesmerizing and minimalistic rhythms she gathered from many nights out and morphing them with her poetry of strong personal analysis, confronting the effects this nightlife left on her.” – Christian T.

“FEEL SAFE 88 (just say no)” – THE RETURN OF PIMP SHRIMP

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“The newest release from London-based singer-songwriter-producer-DJ Archy Marshall, comes out under the pseudonym ‘THE RETURN OF PIMP SHRIMP.’ This single is out on the heels of his 2015 release ‘A New Place to Drown.’ It is unclear on what is next for Archy, but if this song is any indication, the project should be extremely exciting. The song is slightly closer to ‘A New Place to Drown’ rather than his previous work as King Krule, but strays slightly from it’s more brooding themes, and almost sounds positive employing a more upbeat drum machine and brighter guitar and synth patterns. It is also a further departure from his more simplistic single guitar, drum vocal arrangements as King Krule while still retaining all of the raw emotion and passion behind the music. ‘You don’t have to care. I don’t care about a lot of things. If you think it sounds good it sounds good.’ Give it a listen.” – Kenneth D.

“Crowned” – Captain Murphy

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“The newest song from Flying Lotus’ rap alias, Captain Murphy is the nineteenth track of the weekly Adult Swim Singles series. It’s been almost four years since the first and only Captain Murphy mixtape, Duality. Since then, he has only been teasing us with a track here and there, the last one being one of the 2014 Adult Swim Singles. ‘Crowned’ is a very dark, brooding song, which is not unusual for the Captain. The instrumental employs a low woodwind and piano that sound like they’re straight out of a horror film. Murphy’s voice is layered on top of differently pitched versions of itself, an effect that is haunting as always. The lyrics scream Halloween (pun intended) which makes sense due to the holiday’s proximity. With this track, Captain Murphy proves that he is the master of such nightmarish rap. Hopefully, this new single is a hint towards another Captain Murphy mixtape in the future. Definitely check this song out if you’re a Flying Lotus fan or looking for a spooky rap song as Halloween approaches.” – Spencer L.

“Chill Out” ft. SG Lewis – RAY BLK

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“New collaboration from much-loved London producer, SG Lewis, and rising singer, RAY BLK, ‘Chill Out’ is a sassy track that addresses the societal pressures of females in the era of male privilege with patriarchal behaviour ‘because if you still don’t get it, let me break it down, I ain’t got no time because I’m making those dollars and pounds.’ The stand-alone track continues the confident lyrics that Ray often puts out, dishing out straight edge truth, with no mercy for whoever is left in her wake. Having already worked with the likes of Mercury-Prize (the UK’s Grammy equivalent) winner and grime artist, Stormy, this new single offers an exciting glimpse into the singer’s forthcoming self-released album ‘Durt’ which is due later this month. Take a listen, it’s real addictive.” – Anita W.