Featuring Blind Girls, BUSTWIZE, Deathbrain, & tracks off some of our favorite recent albums
Welcome back to our recurring playlist series! It’s scorching hot in most parts of the world at the moment, but that doesn’t mean we can’t balance that out with cold hard emotion. For instance, take An Exit Exists, the terrific new album from Australian screamo band Blind Girls. After cracking our list of the Top 50 Albums of 2022 with their heavy sophomore LP The Weight of Everything, the group that hails from the Gold Coast has gifted us with a new round of tracks that are confessional, therapeutic, and sonically incendiary.
Singer Sharni Brouwer says An Exit Exists “was written during and after two separate instances dealing with abuse from those I loved…each song is a reflection on the emotions and process I went through, from realization, feeling trapped, guilt, defeat, acceptance, and eventually finding a safe way out.” With each track clocking in at around two minutes, there’s a lot to unpack, as the band plunges you into a pained sonic abyss full of beautifully corrosive guitar textures, heady time signatures, and cathartic blood-curdling screams. You can purchase the record HERE. Also, Blind Girls are currently on tour in the US – performing tomorrow at San Diego’s legendary DIY venue The Che Cafe (BUY TIX), followed by stops in L.A., Phoenix, and most parts of the rest of the country. If you’re a fan or even dabble in that style of music, make sure to go see them.
Meanwhile, the fast-rising Nigeria-born, South Africa-based Afrobeats artist BUSTWIZE is making waves with his latest single “Jesus Piece.” Boasting soul-stirring melodic beats, heartfelt vocals, and powerful lyrics, the track confronts life’s challenges while reassuring listeners of God’s plan at work. “When I read [Matthew 6:26-27], I felt it was directed to me, encouraging me not to be afraid or anxious about life’s challenges,” BUSTWIZE explains. “God always provides a way. Many people are so down they don’t believe there’s a God anymore. I wrote this song for those on the verge of giving up, reminding them we’re all running a race and there’s a finish line. We need to get our confidence back.” If you’re looking for a soulful track full of strength and resilience, look no further.
And elsewhere on the playlist, we’re catching you up with tracks off our recent list of the Top 50 Albums of 2024 (So Far), as well as other albums that have since been released. And we’ve also included a heavy dose of dark electronica with tracks from techno queen Charlotte De Witte and her KNTXT label signees Balthazar & Jackrock, whose single “In The Dark” is quite possibly our favorite song of the year so far. All in all, not a bad way to kill some time. Feel free to dive in below via YouTube or Spotify.
TRACK LIST:
- Arooj Aftab – Raat ki Rani
- Balthazar & Jackrock – In The Dark
- Been Stellar – Pumpkin
- Beth Gibbons – Reaching Out
- Blind Girls – Blemished Memory
- BUSTWIZE – Jesus Peace
- Charlotte De Witte – How You Move
- Chief Keef – Banded Up (feat. Tierra Whack)
- Crack Cloud – Blue Kite
- Datagirl – Care So Much
- deary – The Moth
- Deathbrain – I Wanna Be Here
- DIIV – Somber The Drums
- Drew Pelisek – Ode to Red
- Ela Minus – COMBAT
- Fax Gang & Parannoul – Lullaby For A Memory
- Floating Points – Key103
- Iglooghost – New Species
- Jawnino – Short Stories (feat. MIKE & Ojerime)
- Joey Valance & Brae – John Cena
- Mad About The Boy – Nightshade
- Magdalena Bay – Image
- Nathy Peluso – TODO ROTO (feat. CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso)
- Saramalacara – Más Feliz
- samlrc – Philautia
- Skee Mask – Reminiscmrx
- SUSS – Birds
- Thou – I Feel Nothing When You Cry
- twikipedia – room for one
- xaviersobased – Love Hate
