New Music Radar
New Music Radar for September 2023
Read on to learn more about the releases on our radar.
Added September 20th – 27th, 2023
The National – Laugh Track
The National surprised fans on September 18th when they released their second album this year, Laugh Track. The record is a companion album to critical flop First Two Pages of Frankenstein, except it brings drummer Bryan Devendorf back from machine drumming to an analog kit where he belongs. This band is hit or miss with a lot of people, but Berninger’s lyrics have always been a hit with me. Laugh Track also includes features from Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers, and Rosanne Cash.
On the playlist: “Crumble” featuring Rosanne Cash
Contributed by Chris Huber
Stagbriar – Telepathy
Columbia, SC’s Stagbriar released their third full-length album on September 15th. The record is filled with soaring electric guitars, cutting vocals by sibling duo Emily and Alex McCollum, and an all-around rocking energy. They recorded the whole thing live with Kenny McWilliams at Columbia’s Archer Avenue, leaning into their electric strengths to create their most cohesive album to date.
On the playlist: “Thumbs” & “Call Back in the Morning”
Contributed by Chris Huber
smxkeDoji – “Sucka N****s”
As a member of UnHeard Entertainment, thorough, uncompromising lyricism is a key element and smxkeDoji pulls no punches. This is his first release since “Kawasaki” and “Get Live“, which proceeded his self-produced album Keep Smoking. The artist and producer stays true to his knack for raw, classic, boutique hip-hop beats and a nostalgic flow that memorializes the golden days of rap music; similar to LL Cool J, Nas, and Big L. With “Sucka N****s”not only does he come with that multitude of attributes, he taps in to the competitive aspect of the genre with no hooks, no breaks, just #GxldApproved BARS!
Contributed by Thaddeus Adams
TJ Pettiglio – “TeaParty (Boston Massacre)”
Lyricist and Boston bred emcee, TJ Pettiglio, returns with his new single “TeaParty” (Boston Massacre). Following his album Reinventing The Wheel, TJ continues to deliver #GxldApproved flows over classical hip hop beats with his signature rhapsodic lyricism. “Tea Party” showcases the verbal affluence of ‘The Microphone Madone’ as he effortlessly commands the mic and shifts into high gear. Be sure to listen to TJ Pettiglio’s “Tea Party (Boston Massacre)” on the new Extra Chill Spotify playlist!
Contributed by Thaddeus Adams
Deaf Andrews – “Phone Line”
“Phone Line” by Deaf Andrews, recorded and produced by Matt Zutell at Coast Records in Charleston, rings in a classically familiar feeling of a love interest in its earliest stage through clear lyricism that mirrors a sense of adolescence. The tune begins with a wistfully meditative sound that transcends into a sharp guitar intro, with a buttery tone that complements electric lyrics like “You take the wetness right out of my mouth”. Deaf Andrews illuminates the simplest pleasures of love and gives the listener a comforting yet gripping impression of innocence behind this story-telling single.
Contributed by Sarah Grace Sherbondy
Black Nicholson – “Remote Control”
“Remote Control” simulates a contemporary low-fidelity take on a velvety 70s retro vibe that DIY multi-instrumentalist and ex-Charlestonian Black Nicholson has never shied away from letting shine in his music. The track leans slightly more towards a surf-rock record in comparison to his previous releases this year, which are grounded in heavier rock-n-roll percussions. Nicholson currently resides in Northern California, where he continues to release music that makes you feel like you’ve just hopped into a shoegaze time machine.
Contributed by Sarah Grace Sherbondy
Snail Mail – “Easy Thing”
Snail Mail’s “Easy Thing” is lyrically and melodically a post-break-up track that emulates bittersweet nostalgia in every crevice. The vulnerable lullaby-like demo was originally intended to be on Jordan’s 2021 album Valentine, but “didn’t make the cut,” according to a post on Snail Mail’s Instagram. The bare and honest lyrics shed light on the reminiscence, regret, and lingering love that surface after a relationship ends, even if that relationship was an “easy thing”.
Contributed by Sarah Grace Sherbondy
Kendall Street Company – Separation95
Charlottesville, VA-based jam comedy supershow Kendall Street Company released their new album Separation95 on September 22nd. The record is filled with straight groovin’, funky, tasty jams including their recent cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World” and more. This is a band on the rise that has found a unique niche in the live setting while also releasing polished studio recordings on a regular basis. We’re tuned in for Kendall Street Company.
On the playlist: “Le Shaque”
Contributed by Chris Huber
Oteil Burbridge – Lovely View of Heaven
Oteil Burbridge, bassist best known for his work with Dead & Company, just released an album of Jerry-sung Grateful Dead covers ranging from their entire career (including the deep cut “Believe It Or Not”). This comes fresh off the final tour for Dead & Company, and right in the midst of Oteil’s Fall tour with Melvin Seals, which lands him at Charleston Pour House on Saturday, September 30th.
On the playlist: “Mission in the Rain”
Contributed by Chris Huber
Tennis Courts – You Won’t Find It On Your Own
Brooklyn-based rock band Tennis Courts released their debut full-length album You Won’t Find It On Your Own on September 23rd. The album’s garage rock anthems highlight not only the band’s ability to craft energetic, compelling compositions, but also frontman Patrick Walsh’s skills as a lyricist. With songs about growing up and trying to make it, failing but not giving up, You Won’t Find It On Your Own is the quality of record that any young band should strive to create.
Walsh says it best on “EIGW”: “Too old to be impressive, too young to give up now”.
On the playlist: “EIGW”
Contributed by Chris Huber
Dear Blanca – “Stay Away, Moon”
Columbia indie rock stalwarts Dear Blanca recently dropped “Stay Away, Moon”, the lead single off their upcoming EP, Nothing You Do Is Quiet, due out October 6th. A moody, slow-burner, “Stay Away, Moon” sets aside the band’s typical electric guitars in favor of haunting piano. Stay tuned for a full interview with Dear Blanca about the new EP coming soon.
Contributed by Chris Huber
The Mobros – “Magnolia Roses”
Charleston-based musician brothers The Mobros are back with a new single, “Magnolia Roses,” the duo’s first release since February. The song describes the bittersweet pangs of school-age romance and its inevitable end. With vocals that soar and smolder, sharp guitar, and big, building sound, “Magnolia Roses” reminds us that straight up rock & roll is alive and well.
Contributed by Kate Bryan
Big Thief – “Born For Loving You”
I can’t be the only one who feels like Big Thief is incapable of making a bad song. The indie folk rock band’s mid-September release, “Born For Loving You,” is the tamer flip side of their other recent single, “Vampire Empire,” and while it’s sonically breezy, it maintains a gravelly, spirited irreverence, present in even the most tender lyrics or deftly rendered instrumentation.
Contributed by Kate Bryan
CASTLEBEAT – “Sick”
CASTLEBEAT, the Brooklyn-based bedroom pop artist and producer behind Spirit Ghost Records, put out a new EP, Nothing, last week. All of the tracks nod toward shoegaze, classic new wave, and modern psychedelia, but “Sick” delivers this melange of sounds in a particularly compelling manner, with a deep, nostalgic bass line layered against head-in-the-clouds vocals.
Contributed by Kate Bryan