HARDY (Feat. Jermy McKinnon) “Radio Song”
Over the past year, I’ve had multiple trusted sources in my ear about HARDY, and for a damn good reason. The dude blends twerked-up contempo country and easycore and trucker hats. “Radio Song” is good enough for YouTube user TheJubbinator to ask this important question: “Did anyone else start laughing hysterically at the chorus because it just hit so hard?” I’m not sure if they were talking about the actual chorus, which sounds like fairly straightforward pop country, or what I read as the post-chorus, which is full of distorted screaming and chugging metalcore guitar. Either way: No Cap Detected.
Myapp (Feat. @KeLo414music) “Party Crackin”
Billdifferen’s Twitter feed is straight up overwhelming. I love it. I don’t have the time or energy to dig for dozens–let alone thousands–of new baile funk songs, but I’m glad someone is out there doing that work. And the baile videos the account posts? They’ve made my day on several occasions. With “Party Crackin,” Billdifferen has educated me about my own hometown. What we have here is blown out New Orleans-influenced madness; loose party rap pockets and disorto-bell urgency. I don’t remember Milwaukee rap ever being as exciting as it is right now. It’s time to go. It’s time to go to Culvers.
Liquids “Aint Even Done With The Night”
Kids, listen up: now is not the time to start a tough hardcore band. That market is saturated. I would recommend getting some influence from a great garage punk band like, say, Indiana’s Liquids. Here is a John Cougar Mellencamp cover off a recent record. True Hoosier shit!
Gloss Up (Feat. GloRilla) “BestFrenn”
More great new school headbanger rap. I want to play this for some Juggalos. One of my current favorite TikTok accounts is this guy who reviews strip club lunch specials around Detroit. He keeps things PG, though: it’s all about the food. I wouldn’t mind playing this for him, too.
Free The Birds is Brendan Yates from Turnstile. This song is off of a somewhat cutty EP he released in 2020. I’m a fan of Yates as a songwriter and interested in the man as a creative force. In every interview I’ve seen, he has kept things somewhat cryptic. I want to know more. “Baby’s Gone” is catchy as hell, and I could hear it as a Turnstile song, but clearly this guy is smart enough to know the parameters of his own projects. I could never figure that out…
MIX OF THE WEEK: FINN & I. Jordan “Joy 4 The World”
I can’t help that I’m always posting mixes from this Manchester crew. They play the kind of dance music that I love. Finn seems to have some fairly conceptual ideas about what “Christmas dance music” sounds like, and I respect the hell out of that. As far can tell, though, this holiday mix is good to go all winter long.
Hey John! Happy to be on your Substack. I listened lot of new and old artists you recommend on the The Boxxx Report’s. I was a 90s Indie dude, I’ve been out of the music loop since 2006. You got me listening again, so thanks man. Have you heard of that guy Ren? I’d be curious about your thoughts on him, or The Big Push. He seems to have an interesting and fairly heartbreaking backstory.
- Jason (just an old dude from Milwaukee)