Just for You! 12 Featured Tracks + BSIHTW
This week, our Best Stuff I Heard This Week playlist goes heavy on pop, although we have plenty of hip hop and indie music for you to listen to and enjoy. We looked over this week’s playlist and selected 12 s to feature from artists hailing from Connecticut, Texas, Scotland, and Germany. Read on to discover your favorite new artist. Skip down to the bottom for the entire playlist.
1. “Mission for a Million” – Crill
Meet Crill from Manchester, Connecticut. The former class clown has been making moves for a couple of years now, but “Mission for a Million” has him hitting his stride. Solid rhymes with a solid flow over a rock solid boom bap beat all make a rock solid song.
2. “Jump” – Adversity feat. Brittney Crush
“Jump” features two of Connecticut’s finest, with Weathersfield’s Adversity enlisting the talents of Hartford native Brittney Crush. “Jump” is a sexy track about taking the risk to fall in love. Adversity lays down some cunning verses while Crush picks up the chorus. The back and forth between the two artists reveal strong chemistry, adding to the strength of the song.
3. “Losing It All” – HEELE
Coming to us out of New Haven, “Losing It All” comes off of HEELE’s 2019 album Pathos. The track reminds me of something from Muse, with a steady pace and a massive sound. “Losing It All” could be the soundtrack to the movements of Jupitar. With more music on the way, you can expect more coverage soon.
4. “The Meadow” – Cassie’s Crutch
Coming off of the self-titled debut from Cassie’s Crutch, “The Meadow” takes cues from the late 80s and early 90s alternative scene, channeling bands like Jane’s Addiction and the aforementioned Blind Melon to take on a psychedelic, grunge sound. Kevin Funnell delivers a genius rebuke of social media that you’ll appreciate if you don’t get lost in the waves of rich, funky music the band is making. Ryan Levin has moments where he’s absolutely shredding, while drummer Hunter Rock and Josh Cocuzzo deliver undulating rhythms.
MORE CASSIE’S CRUTCH: Cassie’s Crutch Releases Their Debut Album - NEW CT MUSIC
5. “Sol” – Cassie’s Crutch
With simple beginnings, “Sol,” also off of Cassie’s Crutch, holds us in anticipation. Funnell’s voice beams over an acoustic guitar and bass suspended in a dream state. A pause, and then on the simple exhale of a breath “Sol” blooms into a tapestry of musical splendor. Like many of Cassie’s Crutch tracks, they save their best for the second half. However, the moment is fleeting, and we’re left with just a brief glimpse of that silky, woven, work that was laid out before us, and quickly retired.
6. “Red & Blue” – Ditch Boys
Sounding dangerous, and presenting itself as a great choice as the theme song for a heist, New Haven’s Ditch Boys deliver “Red & Blue.” The fast paced rock music drips with urgency and reckless abandon. The bands latest LP, National Libation Front is forthcoming, stay tuned.
7. “WAR CRY!” – Autopoet
A strong expression of the overarching personality of Autopoet’s debut album, The Nightlife Has Changed You, “WAR CRY!” is one of the highlights of the album. It has one of the richest musical landscapes, giving way to an interlude with a remixed voicemail prompt, showing the creativity the band paints with. Big guitars follow, before John Rule and Rex Thurston circle back to the song’s opening moments, tying a nice bow on the whole thing.
8. “Looking Like That” – Autopoet
Also coming off The Nightlife Has Changed You, “Looking Like That” takes on a fun, playful shape, completely disconnected from the lyrical content. The light, effortless production will stir up blissful images, while the lyrics center on unhealthy feelings of jealousy and ownership. This was another of my favorites on the album, in part because of it’s pop sensibility, and in part because of it’s moments of lively guitar play.
9. “Stop” – Rachel Jack
Scotland’s Rachel Jack has her latest project, Magazine Girls, due out on March 18th. “Stop,” the latest single off of the of EP is a gem of a pop song. With dark intonation along other fanciful production elements, the spacious number is a strong release. Picking up endorsements from BBC Scotland recently, Jack is poised to have a strong year in 2021.
10. “KontacTest” – T!LT
T!LT doesn’t stop making music. The Connecticut band put out their debut, BLACKL!T, on October 30th, and they’ve already given us two new singles in 2021. “KontacTest,” released on February 12th, might be their best work yet. The indie pop foursome also has an interesting YouTube presence where they show off their big personality…
11. “Everyday” – Chris Conde
Chris Conde is an impressive rapper. The MC is a lyrical story teller, finding ways to convey deep ideas with a rich vocabulary. He finds ways to insert words in places they shouldn’t fit, but with his craftsmanship, he does. Changing flows, employing slant rhymes, along with an array of other tools, Conde’s “Everyday” is excellent. If you like low-key, thoughtful hip hop – look no further. His upcoming album, Engulfed in the Marvelous Decay, is being released by New Haven’s Fake Four on April 4th.
12. “I Speak Through Storms” – Honey&Eve
Throwing off vibes that evoke Billie Eilish, Honey&Eve’s “I Speak Through Storms” is moody dark pop at it’s finest. There are no wasted words or sounds, leaving a largely uncluttered backdrop where every moment carries immense weight. The duo out of Berlin, Germany have a spooky vibe about them that we just love.
The Complete Playlist: The Best Stuff I Heard This Week 2/19/21
20 songs running an hour and five minutes. Featuring the likes of Adversity, Brittney Crush, T!LT, Autopoet, Cassie’s Crutch, Cardi B, CHIKA, Dadi Fryer, and more.
DISCOVER MORE MUSIC: Lost in Thought - January 2021
Michael Stroneski, editor at mvsicthovght, has started several blogs and multi-media projects you’ve never seen. He is a life-long cheerleader for Connecticut and underground music. You can reach him at contact@mvsicthovght.com.