Looking for a bit of impeachment reprieve? I gotchu! Here are a few new releases worth checking out.
Mac Miller - "Good News"
If you were skeptical about a posthumous release from Mac Miller, I get it. We've been subjected to plenty of post-death releases that have fallen short. I must say though, Mac Miller's maturation as a songwriter, overall artist and man — paired with the brilliance of producer Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Kanye West, Rufus Wainwright), has made Circles a resounding exception to the rule. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so, as just about all of the DJs at KCRW have played tracks on their show.
The first single from the album "Good News" earned the late Miller his first top 10 song on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts. Generally, Circles has received rave reviews. His last couple of albums gave us hope for things to come from Mac, so it goes without saying how tragic and untimely his death was. Fortunately for us, we've been given one last gem from this amazing artist.
Steve Spacek – “Rawl Aredo”
For those of you who know Steve Spacek, there isn't much to say besides "new music is coming!" For the rest of you, Steve Spacek is a beloved figure in electronic/house/dance music circles, both amongst fans and other musicians. He has been releasing music for over 20 years now, first coming out of the British electronic music scene of the late 90s. Spacek has worked with everyone from J Dilla to Mos Def to Mark Pritchard (Harmonic 313, Troubleman) to Raphael Saadiq and even our very own Mathieu Schreyer. He and Mathieu released a song called "comeandgetme" by Steveandi, about 10 years ago and sheesh! Pure fire! Anyway, he recently announced a new album due out on Feb 7th and the first single is "Rawl Aredo." Check it out.
Now for a couple local acts...
Somni – “One Last Time”
I've long been a fan and supporter of Leo Shulman, better known as Somni, so I was excited to receive this in my inbox the other day. Shulman is originally from the UK but moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was 8. He comes from a family of mostly classical musicians — his father Andrew Shulman is a distinguished session and concert cellist (LA Chamber Orchestra, LA Philharmonic, London's Philharmonic).
Leo Shulman studied classical guitar from a young age and also gained some chops on the drums, bass and piano. His musical inspirations range from Elliott Smith to Modest Mouse to Cat Power to the LA Beat scene and Low End Theory producers. These influences are clearly represented in his music. "One Last Time" is the first single from Home, which is due out on March 27th on local label, Friends of Friends.
Gramma Esther - "There's Still Time"
Gramma Esther is the latest project from local singer/songwriter Britt Warner. You may know her from her solo work as Britt Warner, as I have played her music several times over the years, she's also one half of the group October's Child. I've know Britt for some time now and she's quite the talent, as is evident by the fact that she wrote, produced and arranged this song herself. I just received this track in an email from Britt and she said, "Gramma Esther is my new "cuntry" solo project." Lol. "There's Still Time" is out today! Give it a spin.