No, we are not talking about the environmental protesters who this January threw pumpkin soup on the protective glass that covers the Mona Lisa. These Soup Activists are a DIY pop band anchored by Martin Meyer, a certified Midwest punk legend behind Lumpy Records and the band Lumpy and the Dumpers. It’s hard to write about his band without getting a little record collector-style annoying, so here goes: Soup Activists sound like a Flying Nun Records act covering The Dead Milkmen. With that out of the way, I can now share the good new single from their forthcoming record, which is called Mummy What are Flowers For? Alright!
9th Ward Judy “SIIM (DJ Rari Mixx)”
Though he passed away in 2020, DJ Black N Mild continues to exert an influence on New Orleans bounce music. I keep hearing his beats turn up in new songs! “SIMM” is another recently-released cut built on music from his archives. DJ Rari’s refresh stretches things out a bit, using 9th Ward Judy’s rasp as material for a chop-a-palooza of massive proportions.
Tokyo-based (?) producer HONCHO makes Jersey club so abstract that it’s destined to end up being played at some government-sponsored experimental music festival in Germany. I stumbled upon “@Ballaz Country” during an early morning extended SoundCloud blackout. I probably need to put a moratorium on shouting him out, but of course Billdiffern is already up on this shit. I had to consult his psychotically thorough Jersey club guide to make sure.
41, Kyle Richh, Jenn Carter, TaTa “Birthday”
Here is a, shall we say, more accessible take on East Coast club music. It’s the second birthday song to make it to The Report in less than a month. This one chugs along, fueled by general MIDI horns, harpsichords, and tasteful lasers. Just a quick note: Jenn Carter’s verse mentions Peter Griffin. The Family Guy Rap Reference Tracker: Only on John’s Music Blog.
Chief Keef “Citgo (disctr4k jungle flip)”
Found via Dances, disctr4k’s atmospheric drum and bass remix of a Chief Keef classic is a reminder that some things just sound good. It’s the first time I’ve heard Sosa over a jungle track, and I hope it’s not the last. Does anyone have a line on a Young Thug donk remix? I haven’t been to Dunkin’ Donuts in weeks.
MIX OF THE WEEK: The Breeders “Live @ Madison Square Garden 4/8/24”
I’ve been thinking a bit about The Breeders four-night stand supporting Olivia Rodrigo at Madison Square Garden. The poptamist read on the situation would be that Rodrigo is an earnest fan of The Breeders, a band whose influence can be felt in her own songs, and it was a nice gesture for her to ask them to open some shows. The neo-Gen X take: the engagement was an overdetermined attempt on the part of a former Disney star to burnish her own image by associating with a credible ‘90s alternative rock band—and, besides, what typical Olivia Rodrigo fan wants to sit through a crew of middle-aged rockers playing a bunch of songs they have likely never heard before? All of the above is probably true. So let’s get to the brass tacks. The Breeders are one of my favorite bands, though they’ve never been one of the great live bands. Now, if you put Kathleen Hanna in front of those kids, maybe some lives will change. But, as Andrew Unterberger notes in a Billboard piece about one of the shows, a good portion of the crowd did put their cell phone lighters in the air during “Drivin’ On 9.” There is no doubt about it: country music is having a moment.