As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations at Jagjaguwar, this week Hypnotic Brass Ensemble announced This is a Mindfulness Drill, a thorough reimagining of the 1998 record Sapphie by Richard Youngs. The original album by Youngs was an aching ode to the memory of a pet Alsatian. The first salvo from Hypnotic Brass Ensemble features the sweetly sustaining voice of Moses Sumney, with guest spots from Perfume Genius and Sharon Van Etten still to come. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble also hop on the latest track by Skyzoo, who cribs his title from a novel by Brian Platzer to offer his own take on gentrification over boom bap percussion and sweltering trumpets.
On her debut extended play, the Mexican-American artist Alma Grace draws inspiration from the life and times of Frida Kahlo, offering a compelling blend of traditional Latin sounds and contemporary pop. KAMAUU grapples with fatherhood and generational trauma, as part of the national Sound It Out campaign which seeks to help caregivers start conversations with their kids. And on an album full of bucolic soundscapes, Ilyas Ahmed and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma trade in field recordings and rambling guitar.
Angel Olsen turns the tide with her take on Bryan Ferry, the Baltimore rapper YTK emancipates an old tune by Mariah Carey, and elevation is the key concept as A. G. Cook unveils his new remix project with Charli XCX. Joon revels in the good times over at Italians Do It Better, Lionel Boy encompasses some of the spirit of his native Hawaii, and Czarface meets Metal Face one last time for some posthumous DOOM. Music by Wiki, Sin Ye Young, Ziúr, The Black Keys, and Madi Diaz rounds out the best of the week.
Playlists: Spotify · Apple Music · YouTube
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A. G. Cook & Charli XCX – ‘Xcxoplex’
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YTK – ‘Let It Off’
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Alma Grace – ‘Aventura’
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KAMAUU – ‘Howie and the Howl’
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Angel Olsen – ‘More Than This’
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Lionel Boy – ‘Mango Michelada’
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Ilyas Ahmed & Jefre Cantu-Ledesma – ‘Mr. Sophistication’
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patten – ‘Eat Smoke’ (feat. Beans)
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Czarface & MF DOOM – ‘DOOM Unto Others’
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The Black Keys – ‘Going Down South’
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Skyzoo – ‘Bed-Stuy is Burning’
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Joon – ‘Good Times’
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Sin Ye Young – ‘Don’t Apologize’
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Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – ‘Soon It Will Be Fire’ (feat. Moses Sumney)
