One of my favorite artists of all time is Louis Cole, due to his musical versatility and structure in composition. He has been featured on many projects, including Vulfpeck’s “It Gets Funkier IV”, taking over the drums for Jack Stratton and Theo Katzman on that song. I have been following Cole since his KNOWER days, which I suppose are still going on, but today I want to focus on Time, as well as how it relates to the prominence of Californian artists, specifically in Los Angeles. Time is Louis Cole’s third full LP, following Louis Cole and Album 2. It was released almost two years ago on September 21st of 2018. After hearing previous singles "Weird Part of the Night" and "Things" while watching the fascinating music videos that came with them, I was beyond stoked to hear the new album. Cole blends his funk drumming background with outlandish audio noodling of great proportions, whether it be from crunchy synths, groovy bass lines, or an impressive vocal range. While there may be chaos going on in the background, Louis still knows how to keep things in line and create a cohesive experience. While the album itself is a classic, what I find even more impressive is how essential location is to creating the ingredients to this record. He is located in Los Angeles, an obvious capital for cultural consumerism, but he still remains relatively unknown in many circles. However, it’s interesting to see the featured artists on this record, of which include KNOWER collaborator Genevieve Artadi, Thundercat, and Dennis Hamm. Thundercat has appeared on many records to the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, and Kamasi Washington. Dennis Hamm has played piano for Artists like Larry Carlton, Jonathan Butler and Simon Phillips to name a few. Artadi just released a solo album this year, and remains an integral part of Cole’s success. It all just goes to show that it’s more about who you know even if you have the same baseline level of talent in comparison to other musicians and producers. For Cole, Flying Lotus’ label Brainfeeder has been gracious, and I am excited to see where he will land next. You can check out Time here. Live 2019 here.

This will be an abridged review on the Homey EP by The Ryne Experience, which was released on July 31st of this year, following the release earlier in the year of their full length Funky Town. "D Digg" is the opener, giving off some earlier seventies vibes with the chord progression and the overall flow of the song, similar to that of modern day artists like Foxygen. "Spray the Sun" starts with some tasty crunchy bass, moving into some very interesting chord territory, arguably toying with some jazz cues here and there. Big fan of that washy chorus guitar and panning solo at the end. "Impossible Task" uses that slippery chord structure that is common in many bedpop songs these days, with notable artists like Yung Heazy following this pattern. For some reason this tune reminds me of the Quebec album from Ween. Probably that tasty guitar tone. "Tape’s on Deck" has that Primus and Les Claypool type of vibe going for most of the song. Slightly less funk, but still a tasty adventure nonetheless. Percussion in the outro slaps too. "Big Fish" would function well in an animated country western flick, where there is literally a big fish that survives outside of the water after getting shot by a bunch of cowboys. This is an ode to big phish boy. (Get the phish joke yet? *sigh*) "Window Waiter" is a closer in classic Ryne fashion: diversified instrumentation, something to dance to perhaps in a Tarantino flick, and something I could see closing out a house show real nicely (RIP all venues right now). Collectively, this EP functions more like a full length album and has more connected ideas than I was truly expecting. I was pleased to hear a variety of styles dabbled with on this EP. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for these cats. Lots more percussion filled old school bops I’m sure! Check out The Ryne Experience here.

As I grew up, I was surrounded by plenty of different kinds of music. My parents were older so I’d listen to what they’d put on and then I had my older siblings to influence my taste. As I reached the age where I began to discover what kind of music I liked the most, I was drawn to the alternative, indie, and rock scene. But then after a while of searching, saving music, and getting into different bands, I began to notice the lack of representation that this genre of music has of BIPOC. I’m ashamed that it took me how long it did to consider the music I was listening to and who it came from, because music is how people are heard. I think that music can be your own individual learning experience. I know that for me, on my own I can continue to dive into different genres and expand my taste and discover new artists. And it was long overdue that I looked at the representation of people of color in the genre I’m so fond of. I found an article written by Larisha Paul that I really liked when searching for Black artists in these genres. I’ll attach the link below too. She talked about when FKA twigs began releasing music, no one knew what she looked like or what genre she fit into. When her photo did come out, those who were wondering of what genre she was changed to comments of “now she’s R&B.” Here’s a quote from Larisha that really provided some insight and was worded perfectly. “People allowed her physical appearance to dictate how they heard her music. The danger with doing this to an artist is that it reduces them while backing them into the corner of the box they’ve been placed in. You can’t dismiss an artist’s work based solely on their race and genre you think they should stick to.” This is one of the reasons it is so hard for BIPOC in the music industry to break into the alternative/indie genre. Listeners like to dictate what sound they are to the color of their skin. How can these artists begin to pave the road and change the industry when people find it so difficult to open the door of that box they so like to place them in? Larisha Paul’s article here. A playlist of Black Indie, Alt, and more here. Collage by Kirsten Hansen.

On May 21st, Will Joseph Cook came out with his new single, “Driverless Cars” which I highly recommend! The lyrics of this song mostly involve a repeating chorus about feeling uncertain, much like a driverless car. Because the lyrics are repetitive, Cook played around a lot with the instrumentals in this song. The song begins with a bass line and is followed by a guitar mirroring the melody Cook is singing. This part of the song can be categorized by the sporadic vocals and sparsely orchestrated instrumentals. When the second verse hits, an island-y sounding beat drops to spice things up. At this point there is a lot of harmonizing going on with the vocals which sound very angelic. When the outro begins, a new guitar line is introduced, and Cook brings the main melody up an octave making it feel extra emotional. After further repetitions of the lyric, “those driverless cars”, the guitar picks up the melody once again. The song ends with a faraway sounding voice giving directions. This song somehow manages to feel both nostalgic and futuristic at the same time. It is very mellow and calming despite the message being somewhat worrisome. Many of us feel uncertain and lost which this song depicts through the idea of something many people are apprehensive about, driverless cars. Cook in general does an incredible job of describing the fears of the late millennial/gen Z generations which is no different in this song. Though the messages of his music can be dark, Cook does a great job of leaving listeners feeling optimistic which is what we all need right now. The music video for this song is very cool as well so be sure to check it out here!

TWIN XL released a new single “Melt” on May 22nd . It’s the kind of indie-pop/synthy song that reminds me of summer. They also released a super vibey music video for it on the 28 th that goes hand in hand with their album art. As well as this single, they released their first EP How to Talk to Strangers in 2019, so go check that out too! Right now our musicians can use all the love they can get <3 Go check out the video here. Listen to “Melt” here. How to Talk to Strangers

We’ve all believed things in our lives that weren’t true just because it made us feel better to ignore the truth. The tooth fairy literally paid us off with cash money to look the other way on their nonexistence. Santa as well, only comes once a year but brings more cash value through presents, in a subscription that doesn’t run out when you’ve lost all your baby teeth. And the Easter bunny leaves candy all around your house (a comparatively small amount but makes up for it by being a way less important nonexistent tale with no clear reason why they would exist at all). I hate to break this to you, the reader, but music is just another one of those feel-good tales. I think you’re old enough now to hear the truth. The truth is that extraterrestrials have created a sort of quantum reality in which multiple realities exist simultaneously, and they’ve found a way to keep you in one of those quantum states and manipulate it to their will. I know, this is really hard to process or even imagine. Doesn’t it seem weird that we somehow became the only planet in the universe that can sustain life at all (let alone intelligent life), and are too far away from other solar systems to be able to see them in the present anyway? Doesn’t it seem weird that ska music exists? A completely unnecessary musical crossover with two genres that make absolutely no sense together? Almost like when you plug a phrase into an acronym calculator and eventually it starts to combine words that don’t mean anything? It’s obviously impossible to prove any of this. I’d say the existence of ska music is the closest thing you’ll find to evidence that proves your entire life is a simulation. This reality keeps you pacified by sending feel-good chemicals (like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, etc.) to your brain based on triggers for each of the five senses. Music is one of the most important elements in this scheme. Think about your absolute favorite songs. The ones that are attached to certain friends, certain experiences, certain crushes. Ask yourself, really ask yourself: is it too good to be true? Were these songs created to be tailored specifically to your taste to cloud your mental/emotional states and keep you from questioning the foundation of your reality? But I can’t deny that if it were me (although I don’t exist either), I might turn a blind eye. I might read this post, close the tab, and pretend I never saw it. After all, ignorance is bliss. Perception is reality. So put on your headphones, close your eyes, and let the music take you away. It’s the cheapest high you’ve been given.

Infinitely Ordinary dropped on May 1st, the debut album of The Wrecks. I got to see them almost two years ago headline with 2 EP’s. This debut album took them almost three years, and although there were a couple times when they gave us hope for its release, they never officially released a date. This past year the Wrecks have been releasing singles at a time, and it was exciting to hear new stuff. “Out of Style," “Fvck Somebody,” and “Freaking Out” were a few of the recently released tracks that I thought had a great punk and angsty vibe. Nick Anderson, who writes the lyrics, always succeeds at coming up with some catchy songs you can belt to. I’ll admit, I was expecting a couple more songs on the album. There are 8 tracks, half of which had been released already. Nick Anderson, the lead vocalist, has shared with his fans that he is quite the perfectionist, which is why the album took so long. On the first listen of the album I wasn’t sure how I felt. It took me a few listens through to figure out what I thought about it. I think the album is good, I like that they aren’t afraid to try different things. It was different from their punk rock EP’s, but it has grown on me. We did get a couple slower songs from them which was a nice change. We also got to hear some string instruments in the track “Four.” The Wrecks are great at creating a catchy tune, but personally, I was hoping in this album they’d go deeper. I still feel like they’re only scratching the surface of the talent they really have. Either way, I hope that they continue to develop their sound and release more music. I’m excited for where they’ll go next. Check out Infinitely Ordinary here.

Artist: ESA [Electronic Substance Abuse] Album: Burial 10 Release Date: Feb 7, 2020 For Fans Of: Hocico, iVardensphere, Psyclon Nine, Author & Punisher, Die Sektor Dark. Heavy. Tribal. Complex. Layered. Visceral. These are all adjectives that come to mind when trying to describe the sound of ESA (aka Jamie Blacke, also a collaborator with iVardensphere), who has returned in 2020 with his latest offering of bizarre industrial music. This is actually an artist who I discovered from doing my radio show, The Splatterhouse with [DJWILLKILL] on WIDR FM. ESA has consistently put out quality releases since before the day I started paying attention. If you aren't already into Industrial type music by now, this isn't exactly what I'd suggest as "Easy Listening," as this is a very dark and complicated record. But on my end, after listening to the singles before it came out, all I could think was "Wow, this is EXACTLY what I want from Electronic music right now." I'd hazard a guess that anyone who's already into this would agree. Some of the tracks are a little more straightforward and accessible, such as the clubby "You Are Safe Here," which also features Caitlin Corlyx from the band Corlyx, but most of the rest are going to require some attentive listening on your end. Even though I'm currently on hiatus from my own radio show, I'm still gonna go ahead and say that at this time in June, Burial 10 is still the best Industrial music album to come out so far in 2020. I'd recommend putting on some good speakers or headphones to really appreciate the complexities of each track. It'll be quite a journey, and a worthwhile one at that. Now it's up to you to take that first step. -Will Kriss // [DJWILLKILL]

Today's interview features Evan Chapman of Square Peg Round Hole! We talk about the band and their creative process among other things. Interview here. BLM support here.

Last week we told you about the problem: the scope and brutality of modern policing, zoomed in on the conditions and police response here in Kalamazoo. This week we wanted you to hear about solutions. We ceded this week's episode to two podcasts that discuss what police abolition actually means, what we replace it with, and how we get there. Please listen, educate yourselves, then agitate and organize. We must end policing as we know it with Alex Vitale Ruth Wilson Gilmore Makes the Case for Abolition

Run The Jewels. A two piece rap supergroup that I only recently discovered this year, and ironically transformed my Fortnite character into a BA while I was running around in the game this past January. (No shade on Fortnite but playing Run The Jewels in the background makes the game exponentially more engaging). Killer Mike is a Black rapper and El-P is a white producer/rapper. I absolutely love that they have the respect for one another that you sometimes don’t find in the rapping scene between white and Black rappers. Aside from the sociopolitical aspect, Run The Jewels genuinely has some of the freshest production I have seen all year aside from Freddie Gibbs’ and his various collaborations this year. What sets RTJ4 apart from other rap albums this year is its prevalence to the many calls for equality for all people, especially Black folks that have been historically underprivileged and had far less opportunities than white folks. Aside from the expected features with big names like Zack de la Rocha and 2 Chainz, this album has so much turbulence that makes you want to just slap capitalism in the face. Among the many topics of discussion aside from blatant racism, police brutality, and privilege, my favorite line comes in the tune JU$T, “look at all these slave masters posing on your dollar.” If that line isn’t perfectly timed with the mass removal of racist statues in America and abroad, then I don’t know what is. Black Lives Matter, and this record illustrates that to the fullest. If you want a politically charged album that isn’t too preachy but gets the point across with some stylish beats and strong flow, then this is for you. Favorite Tracks: out of sight (feat. 2 Chainz) JU$T (feat. Pharell Williams & Zack de la Rocha) a few words for the firing squad (radiation) Link to the full album here.

We are incredibly lucky to have the internet. I don’t feel the need to discuss all of the reasons why but there is one specific reason I want to discuss about why having the internet is great for us. The internet allows creators to share what they create without having to sell themselves to a third party to distribute their work like a record label. There are still the challenges of gaining a following but this is the first time in history where one could share art and have a potentially endless amount of people see it instantaneously without jumping through hoops. This has led to massive changes in the music industry and I think it will continue to do so. Here’s why. As every movie and tv show about the music industry has told me, in the past to be a music star or even get a record deal, you had to have an image. You had to change who you were to fit the standards of pop culture but still be unique enough for people to notice you. You had to look and act a certain way for your music to matter. Because of these standards that people had to fit, the majority of the music industry looked very similar. These similarities took place both in the genres present and in the images of musicians. However, there have been some musicians who have defied the standard of gender norms throughout history despite the challenges in the music industry. We also have had many more genres pop up due to artists being able to release their own music which again is a positive thing. Iconic musicians like Freddie Mercury, Elton John, David Bowie, and Prince have defied gender norms and paved the way for contemporary musicians to express themselves freely. These artists faced challenges in expressing themselves as they wanted to as well as in releasing the music that they wanted to in a world that was still glaringly homophobic. However, they were ultimately celebrated for being themselves and adored by their audiences. Some of my personal favorite contemporary musicians who are defying gender norms are Janelle Monáe, Matty Healy, P!nk, Brendon Urie, Bad Bunny, Max, Harry Styles, Declan McKenna, and Will Joseph Cook and I invite you to support their work (though I’m sure many of you already have). It’s incredibly beneficial to viewers to see people expressing themselves as it invites others to do the same and helps people feel valid in their identity. We still face challenges regarding sexism and homophobia in the music industry much like in every other industry but getting a record deal no longer needs to be one of those problems. With the internet, artists can now release whatever music they want and look however they choose in music videos and other media. For that reason, I think we will continue to see increasing amounts of people defying gender and other norms in the music industry which is a fantastic thing. Issues still exist such as social media sites like Tik Tok censoring LGBTQ+ content for ‘violating community guidelines’ but I am hopeful that we are heading in the right direction.

Listen here.

This week's interview features Danny Gayden, just in time for Juneteenth! We talk about jazz and how it features an intersection of race and culture, along with Danny's newest single from his suite called "Tish". Link to "Tish" here. BLM Resource page here.

This week features an interview with Plastic Picnic. Full video here. Condensed video here. Link to their favorites here. On a more important note, these awesome dudes have shared a document with plenty of resources on the #blacklivesmatter movement that has taken the country by storm. Link to that here.