Featuring Danny Brown, Floating Points, Nailah Hunter, Caroline Polachek, M83, NewDad, Dawn Richard, Quantic, Julie Byrne, Connie Constance, BadBadNotGood, Charlotte Day Wilson.
Today is New Music Friday, which means there’s loads of new songs in the world.
Here are 10 songs released this week I loved from my listening this week, along with fresh ones in the New Music section.
See the end of the post for the Spotify playlist featuring much more than 10 tracks released this week, updated weekly.
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1.
Danny Brown
Tantor
The Detroit rapper and now, podcast host Danny Brown announced his seventh studio album Quaranta is out on Warp Records on November 17th.
The Alchemist-produced ‘Tantor’ is among his finest work, a weird psychedelic rock-infused blast.
2.
Floating Points
Birth4000
Oof. Sam Sheperd in fully-fledged dancefloor ripper mode on new song ‘Birth4000’ released this week.
It follows recent singles from 2022 – ‘Vocoder‘ ‘Grammar’ and ‘Problems’ which are similarly dancefloor-facing.
3.
BadBadNotGood, Charlotte Day Wilson
Sleeper
Charlotte Day Wilson and BADBADNOTGOOD are always a good match, and this recording was committed to analogue tape at the noted Los Angeles studio Valentine Recording Studios.
The Canadian alt-jazz band played on Wilson’s 2021 album Alpha.
Charlotte Day Wilson says “Sleeper wrote itself…we were in the studio just messing around and the guys came up with the colorful instrumental while I freestyled the lyrics. The song portrays someone who chooses the path of least resistance and finds themselves in a lifeless, loveless relationship.”
4.
Julie Byrne, Laugh Cry Laugh
These Days
Julie Byrne follows up her 2023 album The Greater Wings with a collaborative EP called Julie Byrne with Laugh Cry Laugh on November 17th. Laugh Cry Laugh is Julie Byrne, Taryn Blake Miller, and Emily Fontana.
‘These Days’ is the lilting first preview track.
The work is a portrait of the trio coming together in the winter of 2022, writing and recording in Miller’s apartment. Laugh Cry Laugh is an intimate nod towards the singular type of romance that can find you in New York City at night — the sense that time is slowed, fluid, and simultaneous — to be with everybody and to be alone all at once.
Tour Dates:
16th November 2023 – Leeds @ Brudenell Social Club
17th November 2023 – Glasgow @ Mono
18th November 2023 – Manchester @ Halle St Peter’s
21st November 2023 – London @ Earth Theatre
22nd November 2023 – Bristol @ The Jam Bar
24th November 2023 – Limerick @ Dolans
25th November 2023 – Dublin @ Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire
26th November 2023 – Belfast @ The Black Box
5.
M83
Mirror
Every now and again, Anthony Gonzalez aka M83 drops a big tractor beam of a song that pulls me in. ‘Mirror’ is the latest candidate to fit that bill.
The song is a a hidden track from some editions of 2011’s Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming which the band play live, now shared for posterity.
6.
Quantic
Get In The Ride (feat. Connie Constance)
New York-based musician Will Holland aka Quantic is gearing up for there release of new album Dancing While Falling Out November 10 Via Play It Again Sam.
I loved ‘Get In The Ride’, a track featuring the delightfully loose vocals of Connie Constance, which remind me slightly of those Italo kids chorus records from Baby’s Gang.
I loved also, ‘Stand Up’ from the record, an encouraging anthem drawn from disco, gospel, soul and jazz music.
7.
NewDad
Let Go
‘Let Go’ is the latest track from Galway indie band NewDad’s forthcoming record Madra after ‘Angel’ (due January 26th 2024 through Fair Youth/Atlantic.)
The song has a slightly darker tone than their previous work, which likely comes from the subject matter.
“Let Go is about not being able to get better, and how you can’t shield yourself from your demons; it’s about people trying but failing to pull you out of those thoughts and feelings. Saint Brigid’s crosses were believed to bring protection from evil, so we felt having them included in the artwork and video was representative of people trying to save and protect you. We wanted to bring a level of Irish mysticism into the visuals as well. Making them for the video was nostalgic because we used to make them every year in school, back in Ireland.”
Julie Dawson (singer/guitarist)
8.
Dawn Richard
Babe Ruth
The New Orleans artist Dawn Richard is still out here slaying on her own terms making experimental R&B pop and hip-hop bounce and club music.
A three-track EP was released today, that serves as one-long track.
See also: ‘Bubblegum’
9.
Nailah Hunter
Finding Mirrors
Los Angeles-based harpist and composer Nailah Hunter has signed to to Fat Possum, and introduced her new album Lovegaze with this gorgeous alternative R&B pop song.
It’s stilll got elements of Hunter’s ambient and folk sound from before, but will in focus elements contributing alongside for more immediate songwriting.
“This song began with a bass line, which is not usually how I approach writing. Of all the tracks on the record, it is the most purposeful departure from the comfort I found in making ambient music in the past. Letting the song exist in the form that it came to me was a healing reminder that I can make anything I want to. The song is about seeing yourself without warning.”
“The video explores the concept of being haunted by our own unspoken truths and the catharsis that is to be found in being seen. It asks what kind of power we unlock when we surrender to our true desires.”
Lovegaze is out out January 12, 2024 on Fat Possum Records
10.
Caroline Polachek
Dang
Caroline Polachek released her first new single this week since the release of the Desire, I Want To Turn Into You album earlier this year.
‘DANG’ was premiered with a special performance on Late Show with Colbert with Polachek playing an avant-lecturer (“a Ted Talk from a fever dream–an appropriately bewildering powerpoint presentation”), and miming to the new song featuring a hyperpop production by Polachek & Cecile Believe (SOPHIE, Shygirl, Dorian Electra, etc.), with additional production by Danny L Harle.
Nialler9 Weekly Playlist
Nialler9 New Music Playlist
For more extensive Irish and new music coverage, hit up the Irish section for individual track features
For this and more Irish songs, follow the Nialler9 New Irish Spotify playlist.
