Crucial Releases: November 21
Welcome to the latest edition of Crucial Releases, your favorite music newsletter... and the place to go when you want your tracks to be crucial. 😄
Looking ahead at the release schedule and holidays, this will be the last "new release" issue for the year. The next issue will be my favorite albums of the year, so stay tuned for that! SO MUCH GOOD.
But, enough of the administrivia. Our now should be focused on these current releases, because there are some stellar albums to get to...
The first being Cabin in the Sky by De La Soul (Listen) – the star-studded return of one of my favorite hip hop groups. Their tenth full length and first album since 2016... and first since Trugoy the Dove (aka Plug Two aka Dave) passed away in 2023.
De La brought together Nas, Q-Tip, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Killer Mike, Black Thought, Common, Slick Rick, Bilal, and others to record 20 tracks of pure jubilant hip hop. Exactly what the world needs right now... and I'm sure what the group needed to honor Dave.
It's my favorite hip hop album of the year and one of their best. Check out some of my favorite tracks below:
"Run it Back" by De La Soul ft. Nas
"Day in the Sun (Gettin' Wit U)" by De La Soul ft. Q-Tip & Yummy Bingham
"The Package" by De La Soul
Next up is erer by Glitterer (Listen), the new album from Ned Russin (and company) who happened to be the bassist and singer of one of my favorite hardcore bands: Title Fight.
erer is Glitterer's fourth full length album, following last year's Rationale and their first on Purple Circle Records. For those unfamiliar, Glitterer combines a lot of the same sounds of Title Fight with synth pop, power pop, and shoegaze. The results are very enjoyable and worth your time.
Check a single from the record, as well as a recent gig below:
"Stainless Steel" by Glitterer
Glitterer Live
Honorable Mentions
- What of Our Nature by Haley Heynderickx & Max Garcia Conover (Listen)
A great folk album. Political in all the ways you'd expect from the genre. Heynderickx is one of my favorite folk artists with unique melodies and voice. Conover adds an almost Woody Guthrie-like feel to the songs. Highly recommended. (And Buffalo folks - they are coming to Babeville next April!) - s/t by GASKET (Listen)
90s influenced hardcore and metal similar to Power Trip, Ringworm, and Hatebreed. Riffs galore. - Total Soul Ignition (EP) by Method of Doubt (Listen)
DC hardcore in the vein of Embrace, Dag Nasty and the like. Good! - Ordinary Wars (EP) by BOYS LIFE (Listen)
Emo legends return with their first music since the 90s. DC influenced, dissonant post-rock crossed with midwest second-wave emo.
MERCH PARTY 🎉
The Crucial Tracks merch store is live! We have shirts, hoodies, hats, sealed new vinyl, and much more for sale. EVERY purchase goes to paying the bills to keep Crucial Tracks going.
Salute, Salutery, and Salutations. ✌️
--Jason
No spam, no sharing to third party. Only you and me.
Member discussion