Wednesday Roundups #2: 9 Albums/EPs You Should Listen to In Your Spare Time
Keep an eye out for weekly music drops every Wednesday for suggestions of lesser-known albums. Happy Thanksgiving Eve!
Welcome back to Shatter the Standards!
Happy Thanksgiving Eve!
It might be challenging to prioritize your music listening when so much new music isĀ available. Shatter the Standards provide a weekly summary of newsworthy releases on streaming platforms. Phony Ppl, Brandy Haze, Apollo Brown & Philmore Greene, 38 Spesh & Harry Fraud, CVIRO & GXNXVS, Vinnie Paz, Noveliss, Mansur Brown, and Jaz Karis are among the artists with new albums or projects this week. Keep an eye out for weekly music drops every Wednesday for suggestions of lesser-known albums.
Here are your roundups for today!
Phony Ppl ā Euphonyus (R&B/Soul) [Listen]
Phony Ppl, a group based in Brooklyn, New York, has released a brand new album called Euphonyus. It has a smooth, buoyant sound that draws from R&B, disco, and even progressive rock. The long-awaited release contains Fkn Around, a collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion. Besides Leon Thomas III and the Soul Rebels, JoJo is also featured in this effort.
Brandy Haze ā Where We Left Off (R&B/Soul) [Listen]
Brandy Haze, a talented R&B singer, has just released her new EP, Where We Left Off. This EP complementsĀ this year's Silhouette, Vol. 2, and it lives up to the high expectations set by its forerunner while also exploring new ground.
Apollo Brown & Philmore Greene ā Cost of Living (Hip-Hop) [Listen]
During the album's opening moments, rapper Philmore Greene and producer Apollo Brown pose this question directly to the listener. It's a question that haunts their nostalgic, melancholy soundscape of contemporary urban life. The album Cost of Living is filled with natural, raw emotion that you can't manufacture. These tunes reveal the wounds that have been suffered. There's no less than life and death in the concepts. A way of life characterized by persistent poverty,Ā missed chances and unfulfilled potential. A single dice throw may decide your fate: death, incarceration, or freedom.
38 Spesh & Harry Fraud ā Beyond Belief (Hip-Hop) [Listen]
This year, 38 Spesh has been unstoppable. The rapper from Rochester, New York, first impressed with a stellar guest appearance on Benny the Butcher's Uncle Ben from Tana Talk 4. Second, in September, he released an EP called Seven Shots. Now he has returned, teaming up with Harry Fraud. The newĀ album Beyond Belief contains Wiz Khalifa, Benny the Butcher, Jim Jones, Curren$y, Conway the Machine, Stove God Cooks, Ransom, and Elcamino.
CVIRO & GXNXVS ā Come On In (R&B/Soul) [Listen]
Thanks to the release of their new EP Come On In last Wednesday, Australian pair CVIRO and GXNXVS are already well into their weekend. With this record, the longstanding collaborators and fan favorites of Variance make their debut on Red Bull Records, ushering in an exciting new chapter in their career.
Vinnie Paz ā Tortured in the Name of Godās Unconditional Love (Hip-Hop) [Listen]
Underground rap veteran Vinnie Paz's seventh studio album is Tortured in the Name of God's Unconditional Love. The 18-song record follows Vinnie's sixth studio album, Burn Everything That Bears Your Name, which was released on April 21,Ā and follows Jedi Mind Trick's tenth album, The Funeral, and the Raven, which was released in November of '21āfeaturingĀ Method Man, M.O.P., Kurupt, Geechi Suede (Camp Lo), Ras Kass, ILL Bill, Lord Goat, Big Twins, and Thirstin Howl the 3rd,Ā among others, the heavy LP clocks in at almost one hour of brand new music and ranks among Vinnie's most illustrious line-up of guest appearances to date.
Noveliss ā Vagabond (Hip-Hop) [Listen]
Noveliss's latest extended play, Vagabond, features seven tracks by the Clear Soul Forces member. In addition to his clever wordplay, Noveliss is well-known for blending geeky elements (such as allusions to anime and comic books) with serious social issues. The project at hand, "is based on Takehiko Inoue's classic Manga, Vagabond,"Ā and isĀ dedicated to Rick Brown.
Mansur Brown ā NAQI, Vol. 2 (Electronic) [Listen]
Mansur Brown, an artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Brixton, London, releases his second EP of the year with NAQI, Vol. 2. The follow-up to the first volume back in September, this project contains four tracks with guitar-laced compositions. This closing track, Meikai, will leave you wanting more.
Jaz Karis ā DEAR JAZ (R&B/Soul) [Listen]
Songstress Jaz Karis of South London has just released a new EP called DEAR JAZ, an open letter to her past and future selves. Throughout seven songs (including three unreleased tracks and her most recent hit, Side of You), DEAR JAZ recalls her love and sorrow experiences over the last several years, ultimately circling back to her beautiful ballad Home.