Three projects you might have missed this summer.
Summer is over.
As much as it pains me to say that, it’s true. It’s Labor Day and the summer is gone. That means everyone is breaking out their best sweaters and denim jackets just in time for the weather to turn grizzly and the trees to be stripped of their leaves. But before we move on, let’s take a look back at some music I enjoyed this summer that you maybe didn’t catch.
The first submission is a self-titled EP from Channel Tres which released on July 27th . It’s a funky mix of hip-hop and house music. No, it’s not EDM, so if you’re listening and waiting for the drop, you’re going to be waiting forever. The beats resemble more of something like LCD Soundsystem mixed with industrial hip-hop beats resembling some sounds out of Yeezus. He couples the beats with methodical and almost poetic rap lyrics that fit perfectly with the rhythm
Still not sold yet? Pitchfork gave it a 7.9/10 and Tres even received a shoutout from Sir Elton John himself on Saturday during Rocket Hour, Elton John’s radio show on Apple Music’s Beats 1.
IMO, the best song on the EP is Jet Black, followed closely by Topdown. The next time it rains, think about putting this on, stare out the window and let the beats surprise you.
The next slept on release from summer 18 comes from Arizona-based Lydia. This full-length album released on July 13th and when I think back on it, I’m pretty sure I found it because of a Facebook ad. Thanks, Zuckerberg. This band has actually been together since they were in 7th grade and after a hiatus in 2010, has released four albums which include their latest release: Liquor.
It’s moody indie rock about failing relationships and pent up emotion. How could you not like that? Lead singer Leighton Antelman has a high, very recognizable voice that almost reminds me of Michael Angelakos from Passion Pit, but I might be reaching here. Throughout the album, Antelman’s emotions shine through and make the project something worth listening to.
In no particular order, my favorite songs from the album are Sunlight, Friends and Goodside.
If you know anything about my music interests, the fact that my last submission is a project involving Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon should come as no surprise. Partnering with Aaron Dessner from The National, the two released their first self-titled album just a few days ago on August 31st. The album and project are a part of a new venture by Vernon and other musicians called People, which based off of what Vernon has said in interviews, will act almost like a recording label that aims to promote collaboration between musicians.
Vernon has his hands in many smaller projects while still making music under the Bon Iver moniker, so even though news saying he was releasing new music with yet another project wasn’t particularly surprising, it was very exciting for a Stan like me. The duo released four songs from the album earlier in the summer and I was instantly hooked.
Big Red Machine’s sound is unsurprisingly pretty similar to both The National and Bon Iver. A lot of percussion, electronic twists and turns throughout, Dessner’s guitar playing and Vernon’s falsetto voice. The lyrics are saturated with the same feel from Bon Iver’s 2016 release: 22, A Million. All in all, it’s a great release with a lot of replayability and I have confidence I’ll be playing it all throughout fall. It does have a frantic sound in some stretches, but has a lot of calm and introspective ones as well.
I’m not going to tell you my favorite songs. Just carve out an afternoon and listen to the whole thing. If you’re disappointed, you can whine all you want.