Uncover the Rhythms of the Season

Local Picks

Basement Gang, featuring JuneThaKid, Craishon, and $aiko, with their track "Solo". JuneThaKid initiates this group effort with the words "It's exhausting these days", yet he seems less fatigued and more determined to bring to life a "million-dollar vision with a 9 to 5 budget". With QuasiUno's production bringing in horn samples from a distance, this crew truly achieves it.

Mary Bue's "Right Now" conveys as much urgency as its title suggests. She presents a blend of mundane and transcendent images (and some that are both), repeatedly returning to "Right now a woman sits leaden with grief" and culminating with a call to "stand alone amongst the tall pines". Mary Bue is currently running a Kickstarter campaign for her album, The Wildness of Living and Dying, and I highly recommend supporting her.

Non-Local Picks

Bad Moves with their track "Outta My Head" from D.C. The group vocals have a certain "all together now" quality. Their lyrics capture the distinctiveness of how frustration (be it personal, political, or otherwise) feels in 2024, depicted in broad strokes. They shout "if there’s no one to blame then there’s nothing to shout about" and address "I can’t get the part where you fucked up outta my head" to whoever they choose.

Cheekface, featuring Jeff Rosenstock, with "Flies" from L.A. These jokers continue to depict the absurdity of modern life, with Rosenstock providing capable assistance. Their lyrics require extended quotes, such as "We love dust because it is so cool/So of course we can’t wait to be it/Dust, I mean, not cool."