Since her debut album HEAVN last year (one of my albums of the year), Jamila Woods was a little bit quiet after the tour run and I honestly didn't expect anything new from her so soon. In the past I've described listening to Jamila's music as a form of self-care and so when this thumbnail popped up on my YouTube homepage I couldn't have clicked it faster.



This visual is simply stunning. I had to watch it twice back-to-back just to catch some of the nuances that I was sure that I'd missed. The various sets and LOOKS came together beautifully wrapped around snippets of commentary from empowered yet everyday Black wxmen. The mantra (adapted from Nikki Giovanni's piece - 'Ego Tripping') "there must be a reason why" comes at a time when we're closing in on the end of a confusing and uncertain year and leaves a dim glimmer of hope and purpose for the months to come. Jamila continues to make art that not only represents her, her life's inspirations and how she feels but also that resonates with most of those listening.  In a world that oftentimes makes it challenging to do so, Jamila consistently makes me feel, from my head to my toes, proud to be a Black wxman. She couldn't have picked a more crucial time to bring new music into my life.

Happy October folks! It's been an incredibly busy summer and now that we've made it to October I can comfortably say that we're finally edging into autumn weather. Along with a new season and a new month; comes new music. I've had a scout through the interwebs and found some gems I'd like to start the month with...


QUIÑ - Sticky Situation (feat. SYD)
Not the newest track itself but a newbie for me - a new song and a new artist. After finding the new EP Dreamgirl on Spotify, I think that "Sticky Situation" is the track that will most likely get the most repeats this month. Also, of course, Syd's voice is also always a sure fire way to elevate a song.

BANKS - Underdog
Now I've heard a lot of mixed things about Banks over the past few years and if I'm honest, the bad ones did carry a little more weight than they should've and I haven't paid too much attention to her album progress but this song is a banger. "Underdog" was a pleasant surprise for me and I'd like to take this month to build a fresh opinion on Banks - starting with this song.

CAN'T SWIM - God Awful 
Another very pleasant surprise - after their great debut album earlier this year, I wasn't expecting any more music from them before 2018, but here we are. A new single from Can't Swim that could've easily been a strong addition to the debut but works just as well as a standalone track. I'm hoping to see more big things from this band, October and beyond, because "God Awful" is anything but.
 
THE YOUNG HEARTS - Bloom
The Young Hearts are another new discovery for me recommended to me via email. After opening up the EP Honestly, I'm Just Thinking in Spotify and listening to the first 30 seconds of "Bloom" I could hear the potential, and after the last 30 seconds I was looking up their gigging schedule.
 
WOLF ALICE - Heavenward 
An amazing live band but since their debut I've not been the most excited to hear any new studio recordings. I may have built up my expectations for the debut a bit too much after seeing them live in 2013; so now returning with a fresh pair of ears, I think I can appreciate this new one better."Heavenward" is a great stepping stone for me because not only is it a solid song, it gives me the best of what I saw in them live.


MOSES SUMNEY - Don't Bother Calling 
I slightly new discovery this year for me but it seems that I haven't missed too much as this awesome track "Don't Bother Calling", comes from his debut album Aromanticism. I reckon the more I listen to this album, the more I'll enjoy it. For now, this song definitely stood out to me and the concepts surrounding it catch my attention even more.

ZAK ABEL - The River
I feel like I've been waiting for this album to drop for an age now! I need Zak's voice for a minimum of 10-12 tracks asap. "The River" came just in time for me to hold out for one more week. I'm hoping this will be one of my standout albums of the next 30 days, with some silky guitars and soulful vocals.

JORDAN RAKEI - Goodbyes
The basslines on this album are to die for. Although this is my favourite song from the album, it's not an easy choice at all. Even the first track "Eye To Eye" rips the blanket right from underneath you with its silky transitions. I think the opening strings on "Goodbyes" just win the song for me. Already on the verge of overplaying this one but I can't stop.

IBEYI - Deathless (feat. Kamasi Washington) 
Two artists that I've really been appreciating over the year, together in one special track. Ibeyi's new album Ash is just as layered and thought provoking as imagined with so many intricate little details that open it up to new discoveries with each listen. "Deathless" displays that perfectly. Keep your eyes on this one for this year's "top 50 ___" lists.


That's just a few of the tracks I have on my recently played for this week and for the month going forward. Keep an eye out for a Spotify playlist with these tracks and more, to be announced via my Instagram. And for your information...

Music over the past couple of months has been insane - everybody's releasing new albums, singles, videos. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was this spoilt for choice! Exams start on Monday, Spring is on its way out, so here are a couple of playlists with a few of the songs that I've been listening to in the lead up.

I know the past couple of playlists that I've posted have been mostly based around hip-hop/rnb/pop music, but most of the music I've been playing so far this year is rock/alternative/post-hardcore so to appease all genres and stay true to my music taste I've made two playlists with both, because why not.

 SPRING PICKINS (rock)

So I think it's safe to say that this year is going to be a slow one for BLOG(comma)MUSIC as I've been travelling and working since July but I will definitely continue to blog. Of course once October hits, post will be back to their normal regularity so please bear with me until then!

Whilst I've been a bit quiet, up and coming artists around the world most certainly haven't! I've received quite a few email submissions from new musicians so I thought I'd start posting on everything that I receive, whether I enjoyed it or not - one of you out there just might!



SEE.FRANCIS
I must admit, I sometimes worry with email submissions because I've definitely received a few strange pieces in the past but this was a very pleasant surprise. The track "All I Wanted" is really smooth - the beat sounds very Tom Misch-esque using soulful saxophone tones and dreamy guitar riffs. see.francis' flow is the perfect accompaniment too - not too overbaring and lyrically sound. Check him out on facebook, twitter, soundcloud or his website.





JENNESS
As opposed to see.francis, Jenness' flow does not appeal to me in any way, shape or form. In my opinion when he raps he sounds like he's trying really hard to rap along to karaoke lyrics, and I feel like the production didn't help him much in this instance. However, I do like the instrumental on the track "Leap Year", if somebody were to take the instrumental and give it to a pop singer like Meghan Trainor (as much as I don't appreciate her music), I could see this charting.





TERRACOTTA BLUE
Not my cup of tea BUT again I dig the instrumental on the first of the two tracks I was sent ("Stronger"). The second of the two tracks "Dirge" is somewhat reminiscent of Bonobo or Taylor McFerrin's work. I love their material but for me it feels like pieces are missing in Terracotta Blue's music. Chilled out electronic music will always have a place in my heart but for some reason I don't see myself revisiting these tracks. I'll be interested to see whether what he puts out next is able to capture my attention a little more.




SEND MEDICINE
From what I can tell from their track "Tall Flowers", Send Medicine really cover a wide range of genres in their music - getting a lot of folk, psych, surfer rock vibes from this track alone and whilst listening at least 5 different artists came to mind. More than any of those names though, Junip was front of mind. Well, I love Junip and after second listen, I like this track too. I look forward to what comes next.





DOG BOY SHO 
Nothing about the track "Uber" stuck out to me or excited me. I can't see this being used as anything more than a backing track to a vine or snapchat clip. However, if you are big on trap music you might have a little more insight than me - that said, I listen to a lot of trap, this just did not do it for me in the slightest. A big factor in making a good trap song is a great beat and this is lacking. Each to their own, but give it a listen. 





 
COLD SUMMER
After watching their video for "A Time Imagination Forgot To Inspire" I feel like they've definitely got a lot of polishing to do as a band but they're not terrible. I like portions of the song (the chorus in particular) and the riff is cool but the lead definitely needs to work on his scream and the lyrics could've used a bit of tweaking. However, if they keep working at it, there could definitely be something here.






UNKEEPABLE
I really like their new track "Pedestal" and I must admit that I was a little bit shocked to find that they have such a small internet following. The track does sound like a "typical busking song" I suppose but I like the lyrics, the guitars and the vocals so I find no reason to fault it on that. Seeing as they have such a small presence, it'l be interesting to see how they continue to grow as a band.