Crate Dig: New Music Friday Finds
A few off the beaten path options for you and your playlists
Yes, yes, new music Friday finds on a Saturday. I know. I was doing some exciting follow-up evaluation on the new artist vinyl buy or don’t buy conundrum yesterday. More on that soon. So without further adieu, a mixed- bag of tracks for your consideration:
“Universal Man”: “Universal Man” is just one tasty find off the menu of the new “On the Exotic” album by Casual Vice. It’s a great chill, indie-rock, track. Part sunny bop, part surf vibe, instruments and vocals are held tightly together with a contagious beat. Casual Vice is comprised of songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Kyle Krone and vocalist Brandon Hoogenboom. Other great tracks to target if you dig this one are “Darkside”, “Instead”, “Surf Noir”, and their cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence”.
“Running”: “Running” is the second release by Los Angeles-based indie folk-rocker Courtney Preis. This is the fourth release within the last few weeks after a brief hiatus. Written by Preis, Pat Monahan, and Dan Monahan, increased production has grown the recent tracks into a new sophisticated sound. “Running” is an optimistic, love-based, relationship track. Sometimes that’s all you need for a good afternoon, weekend vibe. Other great tunes to target if you dig this one are early Preis tracks “Half-Way There” and “One-Way Street”, and “Block Your Number” and “Love Potion” from the newer produced Preis portfolio.
“Forever”: Leading up to their first gig post-pandemic at The Sultan Room on September 8th, Pale Ramon released the second of the singles from their forthcoming sophomore album “Annie” (set to release 15 October). Lead by Brooklyn-based friends Emanuel Ayvas (vocals, synth, piano, drum programming, production) and Kevin Plessner (guitars and production), Pale Ramon has brought together an esteemed group of musical friends and colleagues to create a unique experience and soundscape for their release. “Forever” uses musical influences to shape the lyrics, but bends that influence into a hyper-real statement on relationships and the state of the pandemic-locked world in which the entire album was written.
“What I Need”: As of late, Caleb Williams (a.k.a. Kaliib) is one of the hardest working and most consistent producers of RnB/Hip Hop music in the indie scene. For the past month, he has pushed a track a week to streaming services. Before this blast, he posted new tracks every other week for over a year. “What I Need” is a fun dichotomy song. Fantastic things in your life seem to unnecessarily balance with the unfortunate/horrible. The vocals here are smooth and nonchalant, which seem to be his trademark. No screaming or overproduction are present here or in the catalog, just steady, conversational flows laid over a consistent beat infrastructure. Other great tunes to grab from Kaliib are “Lights” and “Pressure”. In all honesty, Kaliib’s portfolio is so dense with different vibes and lyricism everyone who finds their way to him will uncover tracks to suit their desires.
What were some of your off-the-beaten-path faves? While others are frothing over the latest Billie Eilish or debating over the merits of Big Red Machine did you step away and find a gem in the musical rough? If so let me know, always psyched to hear new artists and plug them into playlists on repeat.
