Menahan Street Band’s first album in nine years, The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band, arrived last week via Daptone Records. The powerful, downtempo “Devil’s Respite” contrasts other upbeat tracks on the album. A mix of slow-burning city jazz and an expanding drum beat, the track presents several feats of analog instrumentation, including a memorable, horn-led chorus and a meditative outro with tinkling keys that …
Noname’s new track “Rainforest” remains true to her staunchly anti-capitalist spirit while referencing the vulnerabilities, conundrums and joys that can exist alongside those beliefs. Over a jazzy, bossa nova beat, she name-checks Marxist political philosopher Frantz Fanon and Huey P Newton’s Revolutionary Suicide, questions how we can champion billionaires, and notes how capitalism is inherently racist. “Dyin’ on stolen land for a dollar like that …
With a trademark smooth, gooey bass line and crisp beat from Unknown Mortal Orchestra, India Shawn’s languid “Too Sweet” seamlessly blends genres to create a divine love song. The LA-based singer-songwriter teamed up with Unknown Mortal Orchestra and producer D MILE for the soulful, indie-pop- and psychedelia-infused R&B track. Her sweet vocals add a breezy brightness to the tune, the result begging for repeat listens.
