No Frills Reviews

Bob Vylan Dream Bigger (feat. Amy Taylor)

The London duo enlist Amyl and The Sniffers’ Amy Taylor, for a delightfully snotty verse (choice line: “I’m a cat on a plane, I’m a cat with the plan, you’re a guy on his phone, with his dick in his hand”), as hard-hitting punks riffs meet D&B beats on this uproarious upgrade of previous single Dream Big.

DARKSIDE S.N.C

Previewing their upcoming third album, DARKSIDE look to stake their claim as masters of modern psychedelia. The duo of Nicolás Jaar and Dave Harrington, have expanded to a trio with the addition of drummer, Tlacael Esparza. On S.N.C, gentle electro-ambience sandwiches a euphoric prog-funk jam, that’s equal parts Floyd and Funkadelic.

Hamilton Leithauser Knockin’ Heart

I’m never quite sure whether Hamilton Leithauser is a great singer because of, or in spite of, his voice. It’s kinda shrill, kinda piercing, but it’s almost always kinda fantastic. Ahead of another solo outing, the former Walkmen frontman returns to something closer to his rockier roots, complete with another classic vocal display straddling the tightrope between tortured and triumphant.

The Laughing Chimes Cats Go Car Watching

With a follow-up to their 2021 debut coming later this month, the Ohio band deliver a dreamy slice of yearning jangle-pop, that sits somewhere between The Smiths and early R.E.M.

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Sankofa & ESHBEATS Bragnificent (feat. Dirty Needles)

Backed by thundering production from ESHBEATS, two underground veterans join forces for a joyous toast to the art of rap. The prolific Fort Wayne emcee, Sankofa, plays ringleader of rhyming, but it’s Ohio’s Dirty Needles who steals the standout bar with “Joe Jackson in this bitch, I been abusing a mic”.

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Vel Nine x Sirrealist Rosario (feat. Lord Sko)

The sound here is almost pure Griselda with its backdrop of grimey, paranoid minimalism and wrestling promo soundbites. NYC upcomer, Lord Sko is all gruff, laid-back braggadocio, while Oxnard native, Sirrealist exudes Machiavellian menace. Collectively, they serve up a course of brooding intimidation that’s made oddly more-ish by Vel Nine’s swaggering chorus hooks.