Waxahatchee, "La Loose"
Waxahatchee (Katie Crutchfield's band that started as a solo project) appeared on a bunch of best-of lists for 2015 for Ivy Tripp. To my ears, it sounds very much like many of the underground pop/rock bands of the 90s, with lots of echo and jangle all over the place. This, of course, is totally OK with me, I loved the 90s underground! I haven't had a chance to listen to her most recent album, Out In The Storm yet, but people seemed to really like it also.
DJ Spinna, "Galactic Soul"
I briefly mentioned this last time, but this comes from the BBE Beat Generation series, which has included strong records by legendary hip-hop producers like Marley Marl, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Pete Rock, and others. I didn't know anything about DJ Spinna when I picked up this album, but the series had been strong enough that it was worth a go. I think it's a solid album, but not as good as some of the other entries in the series.
RJD2, "Final Frontier"
Another track from the outstanding Deadringer, showcasing RJD2's beats. He never did top this album.
People Under The Stairs, "Anotha' (BBQ)"
Keep the hip-hop going! We're listening to a track off of Fun DMC here. "Party rap" is often used as a derogatory term for lightweight music, but that's dumb. Parties are great! The People Under The Stairs usually sound like they're having a party. That sounds nice.
Alex Lahey, "There's No Money"
I picked up this album after a good review in Pitchfork and then promptly forgot about it. Nice job, me! I like this song. Time to give this a spin!