Janelle Monae on Black Lives Matter, Big Freedia on Sia, and Bikini Kill on "Playground"
This week's Freshly Spilt Milk playlist includes locals Woozy, Fro-Yo Ma, and Big Freedia and DJ BlaqNmild, as well as Timmy's Organism, Christian Rich, Branko, and a bonus roller disco mix.
This week's Freshly Spilt Milk playlist includes locals Woozy, Fro-Yo Ma, and Big Freedia and DJ BlaqNmilD, as well as Timmy's Organism, Christian Rich, Branko, and a bonus roller disco mix.
1. “Hot” - Fro-Yo Ma: I know almost nothing about Fro-Yo Ma other than that a) he has my current favorite musical name, b) I like almost everything on his Soundcloud page, and c) he’ll perform September 3 at The Dragon’s Den as part of AF the Naysayer’s birthday show.
2. “On Top” (feat. Zanillya, Capadose & The Ruffest) - Branko: More cool stuff from Branko, formerly of Portugal’s Buraka Som Systema. “Let Me Go” is the fourth single from Atlas, which drops September 4.
3. “Hell You Talmbout” - Wondaland Arts Society: Janelle Monae’s Wondaland Arts Society team recently released The Eephus, an EP featuring St. Beauty, Deep Cotton, Roman GianArthur and Jindella in addition to Monae. They’re touring together, and they’ve also released this powerful salute to the Black Lives Matter movement.
4. “Eye of the Needle” (Bounce remix) - Sia: DJ BlaqNmilD and Big Freedia remixed this Sia track, and it sounds as if two songs are playing independent of each other in different rooms in the house. But it works.
5. “Ikookoo” - Christian Rich: Twin brothers Taiwo and Kehinde Hassan will release their new album, FW14, on August 21.
6. “Wet Dollars” (Zeds Dead remix) - Tazer x Tink: Zeds Dead remakes this UK house track in a slicker, sleeker elegant groove.
7. “Front Yard Futon” - Slynk: The juxtaposition of the (relatively) loose funk, the shiny, urbane electro-boogie, and the song’s title and vocal sample is hard to resist. From the album by the same name, out now.
8. “I Got Time” - Young Lyxx: Atlanta-via-San Diego-based rapper Young Lyxx drops a new single from his yet-to-be-scheduled G$LMPD$TRCT .
9. “Saturday Night” (Lliam Taylor remix) - Defunk: Lliam Taylor’s remix maintains much of Defunk’s house groove while dubstep dynamics and sonics roil underneath, struggling to and nearly breaking free—but never quite.
10. “Blitz” - Clips x Ahoy: Miami trap producer Clips x Ahoy doesn’t quite take a dub approach, but he swaps a number of parts in and out with less calculation and more effectiveness than that description might suggest.
11. “Dolphin” - Command Q: Okay, I almost laughed out loud when a synthesized dolphin sings a little melody on this track by a pair of percussionists from Western Australia. The splash and bubbling synth tones further the aquatic motif on this track on Skrillex’s Nest imprint.
12. “No Pressure” (Vicetone remix) - Little Boots: Little Boots’ new album, Working Girl, is a nod to the 1989 Melanie Griffith film, and the album’s dance pop echoes Madonna, particularly in Vicetone’s remix. Working Girl is out now; Working Girl—The Remixes, Part 1 (with this track) is due out September 4; Working Girl—The Remixes, Part 2 is due out September 18.
13. “Rehumanizer II” - Maserati: I’m a sucker for this sort of man/machine band, with drummer Mike Albanese playing a robotic, krautrock beat until he and the band break out into arena rock pyro moments. From Rehumanizer, due out October 30.
14. “Slumlord” - Neon Indian: New synth pop from Alan Palomo. “Slumlord” and the other tracks on Vega INTL. Night School (due out October 16) present a cleaner, less lo-fi, dancier Neon Indian.
15. “Bloor Street and Pressure” - Grounders: Lo-fi vocals, burbling electronics, pulsing keyboards, heavily distorted guitars and ridiculously good hooks characterize this track from the Toronto-based band.
16. “Get Up, Get Out” - Timmy’s Organism: A new punk band on Third Man Records. Detroit’s Timmy Vulgar recalls the punk/metal/space rock mix of Destroy All Monsters and a number of post-Stooges bands. The track will be out as a 7-inch single September 4 and on the album Heartless Heathen October 30.
17. “Reel Around the Fountain” - James Elkington and Nathan Salsburg: The guitar duo perform this instrumental cover of The Smiths on this track from their upcoming album Ambsace, due out September 18.
18. “Venom” - Woozy: New Orleans’ Woozy will release its debut album Blistered on Exploding in Sound and Community Records October 16 before playing the Community Records Block Party October 23-24. This grouse about the cliquishness of local rock scenes is more fun, enigmatic and ambitious than most songs that take on this subject matter.
19. “Demons” - Summer Twins: Garage rock fuzz and directness, paired with breathy vocals and harmonies from Chelsea and Justine Brown. From Limbo, due out October 2.
20. “Playground” - Bikini Kill: A previously unreleased track from the riot grrrl pioneers from Revolution Girl Style Now, the first Bikini Kill compilation. Due out September 22.
21. “Cherry Picking” - Potty Mouth: An all-woman band from Seattle clearly that owes a debt to Bikini Kill, but its charms—including the hooks on “Cherry Picking”—are far more conventional. Potty Mouth’s EP is on sale now.
22. “Life in Hell” - Woolen Men: The Portland-based three-piece is appropriately named with a bristling post-punk quality that means their songs—or “Life in Hell,” at least—is catchy even as it irritates. Temporary Monument will be out September 4.
Bonus: “Mister Roller Disco Mix” - Mister Saturday Night: New York DJs Mister Saturday Night created this roller boogie mix for a Ray-Ban and Boiler Room party that took place earlier this week in Los Angeles.
