This is a sonic collaboration among Revue, WYCE and AMI Jukeboxes. Play this mix as a playlist on AMI Jukeboxes, read about it here every month on revuewm.com and stream it on wyce.org. From Grand Rapids, to the world! This month: new music from Kendrick Lamar, Iggy Pop, Andrew Bird and more.
Lapsley – “Operator (He Doesn’t Call Me)”
“You can measure my pressure but I’ll blow up in a second.” These lyrics from 19-year-old pop artist Lapsley, out of context, are apt for what is sure to be a meteoric rise following her debut album. While the record follows a typical narrative arc of young heartbreak, “Operator” makes breaking up sound pretty fun.
RJD2 – “Peace of What”
This is RJD2’s bombastic return to solo material after his under-appreciated collaborative release with STS last year. “Peace of What” opens the record brightly with his signature use of horns and complex drum samples.
Bombino – “Timtar (Memories)”
Bombino’s latest release, Azel, produced by Dirty Projectors’ Dave Longstretch, shows the emerging artist establishing himself as a serious force in desert blues. Nigerian born Bombino stays true to Tamashek tradition, with the one-drop of reggae in “Timtar (Memories).”
La Sera – “High Notes”
Katy Goodman (formerly of Vivian Girls) returns with the fourth La Sera album, the first with her husband Todd Wisenbaker. “High Notes” illustrates a dreamier and more polished form of their alt-rock tradition, thanks to the production by Ryan Adams.
Iggy Pop – “Gardenia”
“Gardenia” is one of the more tender moments on what stands to be Pop’s final album, Post Pop Depression. Tender, yet eerie, his vocals have matured to an even more powerful level. Along with Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Dean Fortita as well as Arctic Monkeys’ drummer Matt Helder, this is a return to Pop’s Bowie-era of sleek pop.
Kendrick Lamar – “untitled 08 | 09.06.2014”
Kendrick Lamar’s untitled. unmastered. boasts no album or track titles or promotion. The listener is left with nothing but the music. Not an LP, EP, album, or a mixtape, it’s a collection of sketches giving us a look inside the process of a Grammy-winning album. On “untitled 08,” Kendrick laments financial difficulties faced by black Americans and contextualizes his own success despite them.
Andrew Bird – “Roma Fade”
“Roma Fade” reassures us that Bird still knows how to whistle like no other. He says this track is about “the wordless dialogue between the watcher and the watched and the fine line between romance and creepiness.”
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone”
This is by far the oldest song on our list (released late 2015), but it’s the perfect fit for spring time’s bright, disco vibe. The band plays a dance-friendly show May 18 at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids.
