Robidoux returns with Music For Aluminum Corn, a record composed around his very own corn synth, an instrument built with two touch-controlled aluminum corn cobs. Due out on June 23rd via Crash Symbols, he gives focus to his home-made synth while incorporating manipulated flutes, strings, saxophone, field recordings, and electronic rhythms.
Mike Quiqley's songwriting tends toward introspection and pathos that are alternately shouted and sullenly expressed with a strange combination of unease and passion that works astonishingly well. The songs are filled with acerbic observations about the mundanity of life, a healthy dose of self-deprecation, and awareness.
Stuck’s expertise lies in making deeply entertaining post-punk and art rock by means of leading the listener into unknown and unpredictable directions. Each song metaphorically tears into the listener with the canines and incisors and slowly but surely moves them into the morals in the back of the mouth, ruminating on its themes.
Angel Diaz’s more traditional shoegaze sound maps perfectly onto Madeline Johnston’s self-described “heaven metal.” The arrangements are more lush and layered than any previous Midwife project; the drum loops generally sound more organic, the guitars are richer, and more synth countermelodies pop in to keep interest.
Compared to Wiki’s last few releases, Papiseed Street is especially loose and playful. He has a real talent for building momentum across a song, stacking vivid images on top of vignettes, jokes, and emotional insights. Wiki’s newest offerings are vibrant and off-the-cuff, full of his trademark personality.
Gracie Jackson’s journeyed voice reflects the years of entropy and moil but spins that into songs of self-determination, confidence, and humor. Whether eating fried chicken in a hazmat suit, breaking up fights, or dancing with a stranger in a white stetson, her narrative lyrics are almost cinematic in their oddly specific detail.
Mo Dotti’s first release since last year’s Guided Imagery comes as part of Stories, a compilation of all-new music from Los Angeles-based queer and PoC artists. As the name implies, Stories aims to compile the “stories we tell and the story we tell when we tell them together” and highlight marginalized voices.
On their forthcoming Crafted Sounds / Michi Tapes LP, Shattered Shine, the maturing quartet grapples with climate doom, political apathy, and the growing pains every late twenty-something must endure. Silver Car Crash dances about, no answers to their grand questions in sight, but enjoying the journey as much as anyone can.
Larry June’s slick confidence, lifestyle raps, and laidback delivery immediately recall someone like Curren$y; his flows are versatile, fitting smoothly into a song’s pockets like a billiard ball. He also tends to focus more on sweeping portraits than zooming in on a scene. He’s choosy with his smallest details, focusing on flair and personality.
