“In The Rotation” - June Edition

Rap

Shy High

I was scrolling on reels one day and a music vid promo came up, featuring this guy. While he rapped in the video, his casual presence made it seem like this whole music thing was just “too easy” for him. Since his first bars at 14, Channon Schuerger has dropped a long trail of singles/EPs that leads up to the present day. 

As I jumped from song to song, the word “random” came to mind. His wide-ranging sound alternates between bouncy 90s hip-hop, emo rap, and even a latin bop (“Silk”). Nonetheless, it’s all trippy as hell. All the switch-ups and experimentation add a sense of improvisation to his style, as if he comes up with these raps just hanging around his homies, posted up outside a gas station.

Indie

Balu Brigada

The Aussie group with the funny name has come a long way on the road to their first album, “Portal”, dropping at the end of August. The previews to this album - “Backseat”, “So Cold”, and “The Question” - all feature some masterful production that can only be found in the land down under. Their 2022 and 2023 EPs, “I Should Be Home” and “Find a Way”, respectively, bridge the gap between their music now and the band’s early days. A comparison to WALK THE MOON would work best with these projects.

Counting 2020 and before, Balu Brigada fit the pop/summer music mold. Colorful album covers and the mascot of a crocodile supported this image. While I am open to a return of the crocodile, I will be just fine if they went away with their pop songs. Too many bands go for that sound nowadays and I really do believe if Balu Brigada does it right with their first album, they can explode onto the indie scene.

Country (+ Psychedelic)

Charlie Crockett

A true hustler’s story, Crockett had made it his life’s mission upon leaving high school at 17 to busk anywhere and everywhere he could. During this nonstop time in his life, he could be found playing in the subways of NYC, the French quarter of New Orleans, and the tourist stops of Paris, “Living the dream” as they say.

Through all this musical exposure, Crockett centered on an old-timey country style that feels almost illegal to listen to. His story and sound are straight out of a “lonesome cowboy” type of tale - one in which he can actually attest to. Explore Crockett’s 14 studio albums to hear of the drifter’s wild epic, where his cadence and authenticity are on point in any given song.

Marlon Funaki

Marlon Funaki occupies a space that is in between any one genre or demographic. Growing up in the free ranging territory of Highland, California to a mixed upbringing of Japanese and Latin influences will get you to that point.

Marlon’s psych-alternative instrumentals would be sufficient enough for rotting on a Sunday afternoon (I can say from experience). That isn’t even the best part, though - Marlon’s vocals and songwriting ability steal the show. Delivered in the form of single, spread out phrases within his songs, Marlon comes across as extremely reflective in his lyrics. Wondering questions like: “What went wrong?” “Why do I feel these emotions?”. Behind these questions of life is a consistent trippy guitar riff going in the background, wisping away Marlon’s words into a haze of sound. As of now, Marlon’s music is the closest thing out there to the “Better Call Saul” opening tune. If you weren’t aware, that is a placement of high acclaim.

Cut Worms

Cut Worms is the modern cocoon of post-beatles George Harrison. That is definitely an odd sentence, yet a description like this fits so well with the kind of music that Max Clarke makes. Hearing a 50 year-old sound come back in the present-day like this just feels right. With a similar revival happening in the ‘jam band’ category by groups like Goose, I am hoping that the return of another timeless sound creates a link back to the era it was hatched in, where  messages of positivity and soothing sensations were plentiful.

Two Cut Worms’ favorites of mine are “Sold My Soul” and “Many Roads To Follow” with that “Pet Sounds” mood. After some further shuffling, I happened to find some other artists that sounded similar: Fruit Bats and Tim Hill. Saving those for another review…