Got a bit of everything in this edition of the Fortnightly. Some R&B, Hip-hop, Punk, Shoegaze… There’s a new single from Idles, and new albums out by Dead Pioneers, Jorja Smith, Dessa, Jamila Woods, and those two Cleo Sol albums that came out last month. Also been listing to this EP that Fea released back in May called Take Cover.
Tracklist: Duff McKagan – Lighthouse Dead Pioneers – Tired Fea – Demolición Dessa – Hurricane Party L’Orange, Joell Ortiz – OG Jorja Smith – Broken is the Man Jamila Woods – Send a Dove Cleo Sol – In Your Own Home Woods – Between the Past Boygenius – Afraid of Heights Cleo Sol – Love Will Lead You There Slowdive – kisses Telehealth – Mindtrap Vanishing Twin – Subito Idles, LCD Soundsystem – Dancer Duff McKagan – I Just Don’t Know
Well, I had most of this music together last week, but wasn’t quite ready so I just waited an extra week and managed to write a bit about it all as well.
Cleopatra Zvezdana Nikolic. Stage name: Cleo Sol. Cleo gave us not 1, but 2 full albums in the month of September. Gold was released just 2 weeks after Heaven, and I cannot recommend her music enough. I first engaged with her music in 2021 with the release of Mother. I included that one in my favorites of that year (number 11). Right now it looks like both of these will make my top 10 this year. Cleo is also a key part of London-based collective, Sault, which also had two records in my favorites last year. Her solo work, understandably, has a little more of a warm, intimate feel from the more expansive, though still often lo-fi, work of Sault.
My two most recent discoveries are Vanishing Twin and Dead Pioneers, and I’m going to now share a bit about the latter. This past week was Indigenous Peoples Day, and my favorite radio station (KEXP Seattle) spent the day playing all indigenous artists. Some I was familiar with, and some not. My favorite discovery that day was Dead Pioneers who have a new album out just a few weeks ago. Dead Pioneers have that ideal blend of anger, humor, and hope to make a great punk band, and I’ve been loving their self-titled debut.
Other favorites in this collections are boygenius, Vanishing Twin, Kimmortal, Black Milk, and Woods. Enjoy!
Tracklist: Dead Pioneers – Dreamcatcher Fred Again…, Obongjayar – adore u Slowdive – alife Woods – The Wind Again Cleo Sol – Go Baby Pure Akan – Auntie Bete Black Milk – Downs Got Up Smoke DZA & Flying Lotus, Estelle – Harlem World 97 Kimmortal – Don’t Be Afraid Dead Pioneers – Bad Indian Barry Can’t Swim – How It Feels Supershy – Keep it Rising Vanishing Twin – Marbles Cleo Sol – Lost Angel Shook Twins – Case of You The Nude Party – Ride On Buck Meek – Haunted Mountain John Andrews & The Yawns – Walking Under My Loves Ladders Fruit Bats – The Deep Well Boygenius – Black Hole
The Fortnightly Playlist 