Illuminati Hotties - Let Me Do One More

Pop-punk has apparently come back in style over the last year or two so this new Illuminati Hotties record had better get the hype it deserves. It’s been a while in coming after all. It was three years ago that Illuminati Hotties (aka Sarah Tudzin) splashed onto the scene with a great debut album and an even better band name. Now here we are with another ripper. A lot of this album was done prior to the last IH Project (a mixtape designed to get Tudzin out of her record deal which was also fantastic... the mixtape not the record deal), and it lacks nothing in cohesion because Tudzin’s such a good writer. So many great lines here, more than it’s possible to quote – poignant lines as well as hilarious ones. We’re talking irrepressible toe-tappers with a joyful sense of humour and plenty of musical crunch to go along with. It’s an excellent guitar album. Not only that but Tudzin is a gun producer/engineer too so these IH albums aren’t scared to take an aural heat check. There’s a song called MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA (it’ll make sense when you hear the chorus). There’s even an old school weepy spoken word break (a la Love Me Tender) on u v v p. Basically LMD1M ticks all the boxes, is what I’m saying here.

Wiki - Half God

Forget the modern trends of New York hip-hop, Wiki is the sound of NYC and while that has previously stemmed from Wiki's angst and grit, his new project 'Half God' provides a far more uplifting hip-de-hop vibe. That is perhaps due to Navy Blue producing the entire project after he dropped his glorious album 'Navy's Reprise' earlier this year and Blue's variety in production combined with Wiki's growth results in my favourite Wiki project since his Ratking days. Wiki explores his learnings from the past year and these come in fun packages such as his appreciation for his rooftop, while laying down maturity on regular life topics. Wiki concetrates his NYC energy on the track 'The Business' and serves up skillful poetry in 'Remarkably', while there are a bunch of songs such as 'New Truth' that have Wiki vibing in an old school hip-hop style. For new listeners, Half God has Wiki elevating to new heights and that provides the most well-rounded Wiki to old fans and new.

Parquet Courts – Sympathy For Life

This is your Slapping The Bass album of the year, surely. Parquet Courts have constantly kept things turning over as they’ve gone along and here they’ve upped the funk to new levels. Something a little different yet not a million miles away from the trajectory of Wide Awake. One thing that never changes is you’re gonna get insightful and incisive lyricism from Andrew Savage and mates, these guys came out of the gates with one of indie rock’s sharpest tongues. Plus those weaving guitar lines are always a joy. Big krautrock influence. Big Talking Heads influence. Arguably lacks the quantity of bangers that previous albums have boasted but it’s another fine addition into one of the finest rock and roll discographies of the last decade.

La Luz – La Luz

La Luz means The Light and La Luz make music that is ideal for summers at the beach, sunglasses music, blending surf rock and 60s girl-group vibes with modern garage/indie themes. One of the finest and most underrated bands out there: anything Shana Cleveland touches turns to gold and La Luz albums all shimmer. After the B-movie horror campiness of 2018’s Floating Features, however, their new self-titled album was designed to be more grounded, less dreamy, in keeping with a year-plus of pandemicry (although the demos were mostly done pre-covid). Whatever the inspo, La Luz still serve up the smoothest harmonies, the slickest guitar lines, and the most soothing tunes. Special shout outs to the songs The Pines, Here On Earth, and especially Metal Man - which is like the laidback happy version of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man in a weird/wonderful way.

Maxo Kream - Weight Of The World

Maxo Kream has a steady record of delivering slammers. Coming from Houston gives Maxo a different vibe and this has always been present in thumping production, as well as gritty street tales splashed with southern soul. 'Weight Of The World' is Maxo's third album and comes with layers of maturity as Maxo stays solid to his roots while adding in lessons learned from his success. Chuck in growth through pain and Maxo is in an enlightened pocket, blending gang-banging with religion on 'Cripstian' and reflecting on how the hood views his success on 'They Say'.

There is a wide range of producers involved and this doesn't take away from the cohesion or ability to play WOTW from front to back. Even powerful guest features such as Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky and Freddie Gibbs only add to the elevation of Maxo. These three features come in the middle of WOTW and reflect Maxo's standing as a hip-hopper. Maxo's also connecting family dots, expressing his growth through understanding his family and you'll find all of this while nodding along to creative, witty and insightful bars.

Brilliant Swords – Everything Anywhere Anytime

Full credit to the Bandcamp team for popping this one in the recommendations because damn, dude. There’s bugger all other info about this album out there but that’s okay, it can be out lil secret (and Bandcamp’s). Brilliant Swords is a project of Aotearoa’s own Campbell Kneale - best known for Birchville Cat Motel. A lot of Kneale’s work can be pretty avant garde but Everything Anywhere Anytime is pop punk purity. High energy and chunky riffs. Yet another angle from a super prolific kiwi artist. It’s only a five-track release but that means it’s top to bottom bangers. Can’t pick a standout track because they’re all great.

The Alchemist - This Thing of Ours 2

The second installment of 'This Thing of Ours' from The Alchemist follows on the from the first with Al collaborating with some of the best younger avant-gardey rappers. Made up of just five relatively short tracks, Al presents a tone that legit feels like a movie and we know the vibe here as Alchemist keeps things simple while integrating samples to provide a basic backdrop to the poets. Mavi starts the show, before Mike delivers my favourite track 'Lossless' and then Danny Brown's crew Bruiser Brigade combine for a heavier track on 'Flying Spirit'. Zelooperz shines on minimal production and Vince Staples rounds off the project - all of which can be entry points to these rappers.

The final track with Vince Staples sums up this project nicely. Alchemist lays down slower keys, layering drums and providing the bare essentials for Staples to find a fresh nook to explore. Every track has exquisite production in TTOO2 and The Alchemist not only does a lovely job in whipping up the production, his ability to build out a project like this with different jokers involved is art in musical form.

Buffalo Nichols – Buffalo Nichols

More blues is what these albums jukeboxes always need. Except for this month because Buffalo Nichols has us covered, the Milwaukee-born but Texas-based musician delivering the goods with 27 minutes of soulfully sung (but still gritty enough for blues classification) traditional jams. Built upon some gorgeous acoustic slide guitar with deep lyricism and some genuinely fantastic close mic’d production – keeping things simple and up front. Because Buffalo can play, man. Buffalo can play. Supposed saviours of the blues are commonplace but few of them can reach beyond the hype. Gary Clark Jr was probably the last fella to manage that feat. Not saying Buffalo Nichols is on that trajectory but the bloke deserves his hype, that’s for sure. Hell of a thing to be authentic without being derivative.

Sulfate – Godzone

Bit of slash and dash Aotearoa artsy noise rock for ya. An album that begins with thirty seconds of distorted guitars before the drums even kick in, full of bottled tension (the opening track is called Bottle It In) and dark energy (the album title is meant sardonically). Sulfate have added a full-time bass player since their 2019 self-titled debut which fills out the sound like cornflower in a casserole. A sound which is abrasive. It’s heavy. It almost snarling and it doesn’t waste time with easy cathartic releases along the way (There You Are! comes closest to that). Bleak... but sometimes bleak is what you want to hear. The menacing patience and control on a tune like Only Half Awake is an absolute thrill. Like most albums of its nature it requires a couple listens to acclimatise but once you do it’s a belter of a record.

Billy Strings – Renewal

Billy Strings is a bluegrass king. Think banjos and fiddles and mandolins played really fast. Not music for everybody, sure, but if you can dig it then Strings is one of the hottest up and comers on that scene... however he’s also in the last couple years gotten big in the jam band scene too. Playing with Bill Kreutzman, adding in a heap of electric guitar to his live sets, playing Grateful Dead covers. So does the fella’s new stuff have him jamming like Jerry? Well, sorta, considering Jerry Garcia played plenty of bluegrass stuff himself – the albums he did with David Grisman for example. Bluegrass is the grounding force but Renewal was designed to reflect all his many musical interests. Mostly acoustic but you can hear elements of rock and country and psych and a tune like Heart of America... it’s not all that hard to imagine its second half with heavy metal instrumentation. Plus, like, Stringsy is a really good songwriter and a great singer. Keeps ya on your toes the whole way in exciting ways. Good tunes.

Various Artists – I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute To The Velvet Underground And Nico

Good days to be a Velvet Underground fan... or good times to discover one of the most influential bands of their time if that’s the case. There’s that Todd Haynes doco out now which is very good and how about a wee tribute album too? Track by track through the seminal VU & Nico album. We’re talking about the Velvets here so the selection of artists is top notch: Kurt Vile runs through Run Run Run. Fontaines DC on The Black Angel’s Death Song. Courtney Barnett on I’ll Be Your Mirror. A rare Michael Stipe appearance too, he does Sunday Morning. Iggy Pop and Matt Sweeney make a supreme combination on European Son. As with all tribute albums, you wish it was twice as long with four times as many artists involved (best tribute album of recent years was that 50-plus track Grateful Dead one), but no arguments here with what we did get.

Strand Of Oaks – In Heaven

Timothy Showalter’s last Strands album (Eraserland, 2019) was very good but the overall listen got overshadowed by the closer Forever Chords which was one of the best songs of that year full stop. This new Strands album doesn’t have a high-water mark like that but overall it’s probably a stronger record. Showalter has a way of channelling inner turmoil into powerful folk-tinged rock music. Less folk-tinged these days than straight up heartland. Finding beauty in a sense of meaninglessness, understanding that meaninglessness is the ultimate freedom and thus a beautiful thing.