Sorry for the delay, but back on the grid with a set of great new releases to give a spin if you’re looking for some fresh music! It’s nearing the time where many will turn their attention to all-day holiday tunes, but I’d urge those of you who fall into that group to give these a fair chance before festivities begin. Thanks to the week lag here, y’all will be getting a 2 for 1 on content, as my early Christmas gift to you.

USERx- Waterman, Above

One of the most surprising, but refreshing, releases from the past weeks came last Friday with USERx. A group borne from indie darling and RIAA certified Gold artist Matt Maeson, and Rozwell, a duo of hometown friends, meshes two wildly contrasting musical sensibilities into a listening experience that feels novel in all the right ways. Their debut tracks, Waterman and Above, both show seamless production skills, vulnerable lyricism, and musicality that creates a near-futuristic landscape to the music. To put the cherry on top of this sweet new experience, Above includes a feature from Masego, an indie R&B favorite, further accentuating the silky smooth track with his distinctive touch.

RIYL: Matt Maeson, Thundercat, Dominick Fike, Ryan Beatty

What this made me feel: serenity, quiet confidence, opportunities to check-in on myself

Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon III: The Chosen

With a release announcement that came out of the blue to all but his most ardent fans, Kid Cudi dropped the final installment in the Man on the Moon Trilogy with The Chosen. The album finds Cudi simultaneously forging boldly into new, trap-based, musicality, while also grounding the songs in his patented, droning verses and glorious hums. The first half of this album hits heavily on trap beats, with scattered ad libs that are indisputably Travis Scott-esque. The latter half sees Cudi recede back into his comfort zone, with a more somber tone pervading the conclusion of the album, abetted by alt-girl phenom Phoebe Bridgers. As a brief note, if you’re a sucker for a good sample, Elsie’s Baby Boy (flashback) samples The Animals’ House of the Rising Sun riff!

RIYL: Travis Scott, Vince Staples, Jaden

The Bops: Show Out, She Knows This, Lovin’ Me

What this made me feel: hyped about my existential crises, craving a nice mosh pit

We Will Always Love You – The Avalanches

Before this month, I never heard any of The Avalanches tracks, but listening to this album inspired me to basically binge their entire discography front to back in a days’ span. We Will Always Love You is a masterwork of production and sampling (with my personal favorite being the Eye in the Sky sample in their track Interstellar Love). Also, it goes without saying that the samples that these guys scored were insane, with Leon Bridges, MGMT, Denzel Curry, and Rivers Cuomo making a short list. This album succeeds in being both incredibly diverse in the different sounds that it hits on, while also feeling cohesive and on theme. Each song sounds like a different episode in an ethereal space opera. I love the mix of r&b, indie pop, and electronic touches the songs on the track listing balance. The only real caution I’d give to you potential listeners is the run time of 71 minutes.

RIYL: Caribou, Hot Chip, DJ Shadow, Toro Y Moi

The Bops: We Will Always Love You, Wherever You Go, Take Care In Your Dreaming

How this made me feel: like floating through the galaxies while watching an entire world play out

Ichiko Aoba – Windswept Adan

Another artist I hadn’t listened to prior to this month, but was prompted by some of the other reviews I had seen from independent folks around the community. This is a foray into a genre that usually feels inaccessible to me, this was a very worthwhile listen. The subtle, yet precise guitar work paired with some other ambient strings creates imagery similar to the artwork on the album cover. Great for a relaxing, meditation, or just laying down and getting to soak in some beautiful sounds. Note that lyrics are light here (and in Japanese), but the vocals are still present.

RIYL: Explosions in the Sky, Brian Eno, Fishmans

The Bops: Pilgrimage, Parfum d’etoiles, Sagu’s Palm Song

How this made me feel: entranced, content, wandering

Steve Lacy – The Lo-Fis (Demos)

A not-so-underground R&B gem, Steve Lacy provided his fans with an unfiltered set of demo tapes and soundcloud bits that comprise a window into the mind of an artist that is prodigious, far ahead of his 22 years of age in terms of grasp of production and musicality. Need we forget this is the same Steve Lacy that help create The Internet’s masterwork Ego Death at the ripe age of 15, but this album, as its name would suggest, shows us the Steve Lacy that learned how to play guitar through Guitar Hero, and made his first tracks via his iPhone. Nothing in this work claims to be more than it is, bite sized jams that provide vignettes into the mind of one of the strongest artists in their genre of this age.

RIYL: The Internet, Syd, Choker

The Bops: I Think I Should, Donchano, Jars of It

What this made me feel: like kicking my feet up in my artsy friends basement to drink some beers while they jam

James Blake – Covers

After months and months of teasing us with painfully beautiful performances on Instagram lives and one off recordings, James Blake finally released a collection of some of his most sought after covers. All stripped to just his voice and piano, the minimalism of the songs in this EP leave so much space for affect and feeling, especially given the harrowing voice that Blake boasts. With a short and sweet track list, it’s easy to find yourself warped through the entire set before you know it. This is one of those works that makes you feel like you’re alone in a room with the artist, receiving a private concert.

RIYL: Frank Ocean, Sampha, Perfume Genius

The Bops: Godspeed, when the party’s over, When We’re Older

What this made me feel: love, pain, loss, and hope

Little Dragon and Moses Sumney – The Other Lover

A combo that I never knew I needed until now. Moses Sumney’s smoky, tenor voice blends in perfectly with the falsetto of Little Dragon, and the bass and drums style of electropop, of course, complete the ensemble. One small thing I noticed that really entices me about this track is the subtle horns and poppy 808s do well with kicking right after the vocalist come in with their stressed syllables. It’s almost like the instruments and singers are taking turns driving the beat of the song

RIYL: SBTRKT, Caribou, Bibio

What this made me feel: snapping my fingers and swaying side to side while looking out at the skyline

MFDOOM/BADBADNOTGOOD- The Chocolate Conquistadors

Our last track of the day was a bit of a gem to find, as it was only released in tandem with an update to GTA V Online. Those who know me know my weak spot for MFDOOM, and BADBADNOTGOOD make an unorthodox, yet synergistic pairing. With a free form, jazzy, backdrop, DOOM does what he does best, which is spit bars on top of novel, fun beats. Some of the guitar work during the breakdown in the middle of the track is also a great transition into the jamming that comprises the outro of the track. Both artists’ strengths shine here. My favorite line from the song: Symbolisms in Hollywood, jolly good/ Shows us how evil manifests, or probably could.

RIYL: Madvillain, Deltron 3030, Shabazz Palaces

What this made me feel: like I’m on a not so leisurely drive home, but I’m playing it cool anyway.

Thanks for checking in for the first official regular content post of the blog! Your support and love is what carries me through this effort, so I hope you continue to read as more bops start coming out