There is a VAST and overwhelming amount of music released every single day, and it can be hard to keep up. Even on INHAILER Radio, each week there's a slew of new songs and albums and artists that we'd like to introduce to you, our listener's. It can be a lot, so let me help you digest the new stuff you're hearing each week on INHAILER by delving a little into some of the new music that's exciting me the most, whether it's a familiar name or something completely new, I know I'm going to find something you'll love.
1. Declan McKenna - British Bombs
Most well known for his 2014 breakout hit/protest song 'Brazil', this young UK songwriter shows that he's not stopping anytime soon with using his music to speak out. 'British Bombs' is a takedown of the British government's foreign policy, in regards to arms trading. You can hear the line "Great Britain won't stand for felons, Great British bombs in the Yemen," throughout the song. From winning Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent award in 2016, to his critically acclaimed debut record 'What Do You Think About The Car?' released when he was just 18, I for one and very excited to see what else McKenna has in store.
2. Sturgill Simpson - Sing Along
Sturgill Simpson is an expert on showcasing and exploring sides of country music not often shown in the limelight. With his upcoming album 'Sound & Fury' Sturgill is yet again taking another left turn and making a "sleazy, steamy rock-and-roll record". Accompanying this album will be a full visual companion film on Netflix. Writer-director Jumpei Mizusaki and character designer Takashi Okazaki worked with Sturgill to create anime accompaniment based off the songs and story he wrote. Okazaki is most well known for writing and illustrating the manga series Afro Samurai. 'Sound & Fury' is out September 27th on Elektra Records and on Netflix the same date.
3. Sleater-Kinney - The Center Won't Hold
Olympia, Washington based and riot-grrrl influenced Sleater-Kinney released their biggest and most different sounding album yet. So different that founding member and longtime drummer Janet Weiss departed the band shortly after the album had been announced due to creative differences. Produced by Annie Clark (St. Vincent), this added a sleekness and ambition never before seen in their catalog. Pitchfork puts it well in their review: "The Center Won’t Hold is a Sleater-Kinney record not only because their name is on the cover, but because all of the elements you first fell in love with are still here: brutal and unyielding lyrics, Tucker’s superhuman vocals, the solar flares that emit from Brownstein’s guitar, the way Janet Weiss’ authority shapes both the beats and the space between them."
4. The 1975 - People
Just when you think you have a band and their sound pinned down, they pull a move like this. Completely abandoning their mainstream-pop adjacent sound, The 1975 released a raucous and rousing song that channels emo, garage, and punk to push a message that things need to change. The world is burning and only we can change it. This follows the lead single from their upcoming album Notes on a Conditional Form which featured 16 year old climate activist Greta Thunberg demanding our generation take action to fix our dying planet. Action has to start somewhere, and musicians using their platform to push their fans towards change is always a good place to start.
5. Safer - Sleepless Nights EP
A former member of disco-punk group The Rapture and a current member of "daytime disco" group Poolside, Mattie Safer is back to perform solo music, on his own terms. He's an artist that isn't bound by genre or limited by others, releasing R&B soulful tunes, to EDM-tinged hip-hop beats, to now, a return to that same disco-punk aesthetic. Inspired by the cold punk of Joy Division, which Safer heard on the way home after a night of drinking and thought to himself "I'm going to make something like that when I get home." Which leads us to his debut EP under the Safer moniker 'Sleepless Nights'.
6. Magic City Hippies - Modern Animal
Miami, Florida genre-defying group Magic City Hippies have been on the rise since their 2015 debut EP 'Hippie Castle'. They're a group that knows to make it in certain cities, you have to embrace that cities vibe. For Miami, that means an exciting neon-tinged nightlife where people want to dance. With Magic City Hippies, this means infectious indie-funk and non-stop touring that allowed them to play Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and around the country, all without being unsigned. With their debut full length record just released, MCH are poised to take over the world with their grooves.
7. LA Battue - Search Party
"LA BATTUE is an extended family of sister, brother, and friend, and their first EP Search Party takes us on a 6 track visit to their universe, fundamentally indie pop, influenced by the repetitive and dreamlike music of Steve Reich, the experimentation and love of analog found in Broadcast , Stereolab’s verve, Local Natives’ and Grizzly Bear’s orchestral pop. The songwriting is simple, effective and catchy, and particularly strong in vocal harmonies, like a ray of sunshine."
8. Amen Dunes - L.A. (Remix Featuring Westerman)
Amen Dunes (a.k.a. Damon McMahon) has been around since 2006 but just truly had his breakthrough with his fifth album released in 2018 entitled 'Freedom'. Produced by frequent Beach House producer Chris Coady and topping many year-end lists, Amen Dunes unique sound of psychedelic-folk rock that has a dreamlike quality that immediately draws you in. Westerman is another such artist who has a dreamlike quality to his music and it's no surprise they worked together on a remix of 'Freedom' closer 'L.A.'. I for one would love to see these artists work together on further endeavors.