It may be getting cold out, but these hot new tunes are sure to keep you warm! #NMM

‘Deserter’ – The Hand

<a href="http://thehand420.bandcamp.com/album/sunn-ep">Sunn EP by The Hand</a>

“The Hand, a metal group out of Detroit, have become something of a cult favorite in their city over the past year. Finally, fans of the group have been blessed with their debut EP Sunn.

‘Deserter’ is the most thrilling of the EP’s three tracks thanks to its raucous energy and aggression. Vocalist Joey Hanania’s nihilistic lyrics complement the crushing distorted guitar and bass particularly well. Interestingly enough though, according to Hanania, the lyrics were inspired by HBO’s Game of Thrones. Basically, the song is about an unjust world in a state of anarchy. Guitarist Andrew Bradley, who handled a majority of production, serves up a polished mix that doesn’t compromise any force.

If youre looking for something spooky to listen to this Halloween season, The Hand have you covered.”

– Joey Molloy

‘CAN’T GET OVER YOU (feat. Clams Casino)’ – Joji

“Oh boy, if anything could make you forget Filthy Frank when you hear Joji, ‘Can’t Get Over You’ might be the one. Going away from draggy lo-fi hip hop, Joji comes up with an incredibly catchy chilled out tune. The genre of this track confuses me knowing Joji and his past music ventures (Pink Season omfl), but that is what makes it the most interesting. The first thing I thought listening to it is that if I didn’t know it was Joji, I’d think this was straight off How to Be a Human Being (Glass Animals). The Gorillaz vibes come off strong too with the relaxed verses coming to a climax with a mini rap part that fills out the song really nice. From the offbeat groovy bass line to the isolated kicks with a verse over it, I am very impressed by this song.

– Vincent Costello

‘End of Summer (now I know)’ – The Front Bottoms

“The Front Bottoms released ‘End of Summer (now I know)’ this Friday and the sound is unmistakable. Backing vocals sing “I’m reminded of that summer” while layered behind Brian Sella’s regret for what could’ve been. It’s a classic Front Bottoms move, but somehow the whole song still sounds like Weezer—and it’s a bit empty. Since they were sign with Fueled by Ramen, they unfortunately lost their raw, poorly produced sound that made them so charming. The song emphasizes how they’re continuing to grow into the Going Grey sound and the label will continue to push them into cleaner production. It’s just the loss of feeling in the lyrics that is the most troublesome. Sella’s voice doesn’t have the same heart in his voice like he did in Talon of the Hawk or The Front Bottoms. Is it the change in production or the loss of passion?“

– Sarah Sherard

‘Understood’ – Mick Jenkins

“Mick Jenkins’ debut album The Healing Component failed to live up to the standard he set with his final mixtape, The Water[s]. Since the release of the LP, the Chicago rapper fell silent. Now, as the end of 2018 comes around, Jenkins has returned with a series of singles, and ‘Understood’ is the most recent of the bunch. Along with the single came the confirmation of his second album Pieces of a Man, which is due out at the end of the month. ‘Understood’ finds Jenkins at his most authoritative since his mixtape era. Behind his hard-hitting vocals is a looped percussion and guitar sample courtesy of Kaytranada. Jenkins teased on Twitter that he’s cooking an entire project with the Canadian producer, but in the meantime, fans are eagerly awaiting his new solo record. “Yeah, we say a lot to say a little / ’Cause sometimes we say the most when we ain’t really saying shit at all / Cottonmouth, I swear I spit it all,” he raps on the track. Conscious rap at its purest can tip into corny territory, and Mick Jenkins has fallen victim to that many times. But sometimes that lyricism can also breathe life into a genre that has been buried under a layer of superfluity. Kaytranada’s minimal touch to the production and Jenkins’ straightforward set of lyrics make for a decent track and provide a glimmer of hope for what his new record has to offer. The album is due out on October 26th.” – Chris Triunfo

‘Poundz’ – Brent Faiyaz

“Brent Faiyaz reminds me of the best R&B music from the ‘90s. On October 19th, he released a six track EP, Lost. One of my favorite songs off Lost is ‘Poundz’ which Brent Faiyaz described as being about battling one’s own demons and experiencing ups and downs throughout your life. The song begins with a fast tempo and Brent rapping over the track but halfway through the track, it fades out to police sirens and the outro begins. The outro is much more real and the deeper message within is paired with his slower R&B style. The lyrics here talk about how children are our future and instead of making poor choices we should be thinking about the youth who will be here after us. Not only did I enjoy ‘Poundz’ off this EP, the remainder of the songs remind me how much I enjoy Brent Faiyaz as an artist and his reminiscent style of R&B in the ‘90s. If you enjoy ‘Poundz’ you will appreciate the rest of Lost and his other works.“

– Cheyenne Dobine

‘Beauty & Essex’ – The Free Nationals ft. Daniel Caesar & Unknown Mortal Orchestra

“The Free Nationals dropped a new track featuring Daniel Caesar and Unknown Mortal Orchestra in anticipation for their upcoming self-titled album out this Friday, October 26th. The Free Nationals, best known for its frontman, Anderson .Paak, has completed the new album without Anderson and it will feature Syd, Kali Uchis, and the late Mac Miller. This track drips in soul and is complimented by the voices of both Daniel Caesar and Ruban Neilson of Unknown Mortal Orchestra. A delicate electric guitar and buoyant bass line drive the unrelentingly smooth track. The deliberate instrumentation is noticeable across several listens and it shows the mastery of The Free Nationals, even without its meteoric frontman. While there are no tour dates set after the album, stay tuned if you liked this track and the rest of their upcoming self-titled album.“

– Chris Bach

‘Who Hurt You?’ – Daniel Caesar

“Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar is back for his first single since his debut LP in 2017, Freudian. Caesar approaches ‘Who Hurt You?’ in a similar fashion to his earlier work. Mellow instrumentation consisting mostly of electric guitar and some light drum loops, familiar themes of intense sexual attraction, and of course Caesar’s strongest element: his buttery-smooth voice. Nay, butter is not even an appropriate comparison, for butter seems rough as sandpaper in comparison to Caesar’s magnificent pipes. As great a vocalist as Daniel Caesar is though, this cut feels more like a Freudian b-side than a stand-alone track. It’s a decent song that will keep the dedicated fans satiated for a bit. But if this track is an indicator of what Daniel has in store for his sophomore album, I fear he might be headed in a formulaic direction.”

– Isaac Shur