Best New Releases - 09/20! - Portland Radio Project

Check out some of PRP’s favorite new releases!

From djemz, host of The Warehouse Continuum.

Ar Ais Arís Volume 1, Ar Ais Arís

It’s a competitive world for mainstage techno bangers, so when one arrives that would sound just as good in an underground club DJs and listeners rejoice. Big names like Caribou (Honey) and Joy Orbison (Flight FM) have dropped bass-forward, garage-adjacent bangers this year but one of the best comes from a relative unknown on the west coast of Ireland. Bonk by Plus One hits like its own name, lulling you into a false sense of funk before walloping you with a drop so unexpected and yet so hard that your dancing shoes might just catch flame, perfect for bringing you warmth on a cold sea-blown night in Galway.

In Full Effect, Tim Reaper, Kloke

Revivals are a funny thing. A genre is rarely reformed ex nihilo, but sometimes they pick up steam with such force that those who carried the torch for so many years are knocked aside and their claims of “we never left!” are drowned out by the pounding of new feet on the dancefloor. Tim Reaper and DJ Flight however are staking their claim in the rapidly heating up world of jungle. Reaper’s new album with Kloke, In Full Effect, has yet to drop, but lead single Alienation is a masterclass in pushing a sound forward. Too much of the “jungle revival” hews closely to the path laid out by Metalheadz and Good Looking Records back in the 1990s, steadfastly refusing to innovate, but Alienation feels fully modern in both composition and sonics. DJ Flight meanwhile has revived her play:muzik label and served us up a delightful EP from Nectax that reminds us that the boundaries of jungle are not solid, dabbling in broken beat and techno while maintaining a strong sonic cohesion. More eyes are turning to jungle and drum’n’bass, and the genres’ best producers are taking full advantage.

From Veronica Bisesti, Host of Subculture.

Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk, Kathleen Hanna

As a long time fan of both Bikini Kill and Kathleen Hanna (yea, you can like the whole of a band and not necessarily dig its individual parts), I dove into this book and never put it down. It is more than just a memoir; “Rebel Girl” serves as an explanation behind each seering lyric and proclamation for empowerment. This is a read not just for the Riot Grrrl in us all but for anyone attune to the tightrope act women have to perform to be afforded any sort of control over their own existence.

Smoke & Fiction, X

There are a handful of bands I’ve seen live dozens of times and X is one of them. Seminal Los Angeles punk band X is calling it quits. but in the best way possible…with new music and a final tour. To some, the beauty of punk rock is the short and sweet songs…120 seconds of pure loud. And most bands, most bands of quality anyway, lasted only a matter of a few years. To stand the test of time for over 40 years, sell out shows and continue to produce music relevant to the original cause, that’s a rarity in a genre of music associated with mosh pits and mohawks. We will miss you Exene, John, Billy and DJ…thank you for the music and the lasting impression on this little punk rock girl.

From Jenna D, Host of Theme for a Tuesday.

Don’t Forget Me, Maggie Rogers

“A 36-minute story, Don’t Forget Me is Rogers’ shortest project thus far. It is also her most sonically and lyrically cohesive, featuring some of her most captivating, folkloric songcraft yet. Allowing the listeners to create a world around her words and sounds, Rogers is at her best when she keeps it simple and sweet.”
– Paste

Name Your Sorrow, Pillow Queens

“Everything here sounds massive: from the rising grandeur of opener ‘February 8th’ to the rallying ‘Heavy Pour’ and the powerful closing track ‘Notes On Worth’. The sheer number of curtain-drop moments is remarkable, somehow never overused or superfluous. There’s a mastery in the songwriting, too: simultaneously gut-wrenching and incredibly cathartic, continuing a thread that has underpinned the band’s material this far. It’s with this beautifully complex blend of emotion that Pillow Queens soar, with ‘Name Your Sorrow’ once again proving the four-piece as some of the best songwriters going.” -DIY Magazine

The Future Is Our Way Out, Brigitte Calls Me Baby

“There’s an awful lot going on in ‘The Future Is Our Way Out’, but there’s a defiant abandon in the band’s delivery that makes it work as a whole. In having so much fun with their legendary touchstones, Brigitte Calls Me Baby have carved out a triumph of their own.” – NME

From Cynthia Orlando, PRP Writer

All I Ever Want Is Everything, Blu DeTiger

One of the most exciting bass players I’ve come across in a long time is Los Angeles-based musician Blu de Tiger. Her new album, titled “All I Ever Want Is Everything,” is one of my favorites this year and is not to be missed. This album was years in the making, and does not disappoint.

Born in New York City, DeTiger has been playing bass since the age of 7 years old. On this, her first full album, she expertly delivers a wide array of genres spanning pop, rock, funk and electro-pop. Here’s “Disappearing,” from the new album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1OTQbqahy8

Polaroid Lovers, Sarah Jarosz

Sarah Jarosz’s new “Polaroid Lovers” boasts tasteful, catchy arrangements and excellent musicianship. It’s one of those perfect albums with no sub-standard tracks. Here, Jarosz proves she’s not slowing down anytime soon.

Called “a songwriter of uncommon wisdom” by the Austin Chronicle, Jarosz plays guitar and banjo and learned mandolin at age ten. Touring to promote the new album, she played a sold-out show early this year at Portland’s Revolution Hall. This summer, she performed at the

Farewell Festival in central Oregon to an enthusiastic crowd of fans in Redmond. Here’s opening track “Jealous Moon”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8SuGm1aD-A

From KJM, Host of Anoth er State of Mind.

II, Bad Image

This is an awesome new EP from Seattle’s Bad Image! Incendiary hardcore punk across five tracks, I cannot wait to hear what they put out next!

All My Friend In Heaven, Tears of Joy

Another great band out of Seattle deliver a powerful, heavy full length album. Across seven songs the hardcore outfit delivers blistering songs with unflinching lyrics and strong instrumentation.

romance, Fontaines D.C.

The Irish post punk band return with another full length that continues to demonstrate the band’s evolving musical style. “Favourite” is in the conversation for my best song of 2024.

From Anne Courts, Host of No Dudes Radio Hour!

News of the Universe, La Luz

The Moon in the Wrong Place, Shannon & the Clams

Real Power, Gossip

I love each of these new albums so much, and had the pleasure of seeing all three of these bands play live this summer at Project Pabst Fest. JUST as I had suspected, they each completely blew my mind! One observation to add- this was a big festival with 19 bands, but each of these three bands I listed specifically gave shout outs of love and admiration to the other two bands during their shows. Hell yeah to women supporting women in music, and hell yeah to three of my fave current bands in one day!💜🤘

From Penelope Misceo, Host of Past Future Present

Paris/San Francisco, Remy Bond

Remy Bond has stayed safely at the top of my playlists for months! She is such a gorgeous vocalist and her vintage pop aesthetic is blowing up right now.

Short ’n Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter

It’s been an amazing time for pop music, and Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album was everything I wanted it to be! I’m always drawn to her songwriting and production.