THE REPORT: 6/28/2024

KUR TAKES US TO WAWA

Quick Note: The newest edition of New Musical Express, my column for the music platform Nina, is out now. It features a great interview with the great artist Borna Sammak and a bunch of other shit. Give it a read.

KUR “Tripled Wawa Cup”

One of my “big summer plans” is to hop on a bus to Philadelphia, get a sandwich from the beloved local convenience store chain Wawa, and write about that experience for my blog. Why? Because it is Hoagiefest season and I am out of my mind. "Hoagiefest is an annual summer tradition that celebrates the role hoagies have in helping make memories for families, whether it’s at graduation parties, beach, concerts, and more," Wawa chief marketing officer Jim Morey said in a statement. In practical terms, that means cheap hoagies until the middle of August. “Tripled Wawa Cup” came out months ago, but Kur waited until this week to drop the video. That is no coincidence.

NIGELTHREETIMES “FUN FANTASY: RELAXATION”

Out on Jubilee’s dependable Magic City imprint, Queens legend NIGTELTHREETIMES drops a piece of electro bass sick enough to have all the DDR kids twisting their legs into strange shapes in the video arcade. I’m not sure if I feel relaxed listening to “FUN FANTASY: RELAXATION.” When the synth hits, I’m ready to hit that arcade and play a game of laser tag.

Bugasmurf “Push That”

Meanwhile over in Belgium, a different kind of electro is afoot. This is that ill cartoon smurf electro house. If Daft Punk wore giant Smurf masks instead of robot helmets, it might sound a little like “Push That.” Boomerang: a label to watch.

M3D1A!* “STFU!”

It’s always nice to find a sub-350 view YouTube banger. M3DIA!* is a good name for a rapper, and she puts it to good use on “STFU!,” which comes with a chorus that matches its title. Shutting the fuck up is something that I would like to do more often.

Melt Banana “Flipside”

Saving the best for last: Here is a new song from Melt Banana, off of their first record in over a decade. Around 15 years ago, I played a run of gigs with the Japanese band in Germany, of all places. It remains a career highlight. If you know what Melt Banana is all about, “Flipside” will not disappoint. If you don’t, it’s not a bad introduction. The song is under two minutes long; Brooklyn Vegan, who are currently the exclusive holder of the stream, note that the band “may be older, but they haven’t mellowed one bit.” The blog also calls them “noise rock legends,” which is a phrase I more or less would’ve also used to describe the band, had I not read that post beforehand. Anyway, I love the 909-ish snare that comes in toward the end of the song. It really opens the mind to some possibilities.

MIX OF THE WEEK: Special Request b2b Anz - Boiler Room x AVA Festival

I’m sort of convinced that the best DJs know how to ride the line between populism and snobbery. In that spirit, Boiler Room presents two titans of upfront UK dance music coming together at a festival in Belfast for almost two hours of pumping choons. No doubt, both artists have made a career out of satisfying the needs of the punters and the nerds—both important—but when pressed, I suspect they would pledge allegiance to the former. Just a hunch.