NOT ON SPOTIFY:
Leenalchi "Look At Me Look At Me"
Henry James House "Mother Earth"
What a wild week it's been. Knicks in 5. What a horribly called game, especially in the second half.
We also had Summer Game Fest, State of Play, and an Xbox Showcase, and all three were strong. I am a Sony guy, so I'm hyped for the new God of War. Sure, it's controversial that we're about to embark on a journey without Kratos in a God of War game for the first time, but I have full faith in Santa Monica Studio. They've never let me down, and I don't think they're about to start with a franchise that never misses.
Speaking of studios that never miss, Sony opened its showcase with Wolverine, and it looks GREAT. Of course, the internet immediately started roasting it. Dumb questions like, "Why is there stealth?" or complaints that Wolverine's clothes repair themselves when he heals. Blah blah blah. Insomniac Games is coming off a little game called Spider-Man 2. Maybe play the game first, then complain.
Obviously, the big one at Summer Game Fest was the announcement that the final chapter of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy is dropping in 2027. I still have to play Rebirth. It's been sitting on my PS5 since launch, but I need TIME. The Crazy Taxi announcement was great too, but I want a date and more information about what this game actually is. The discourse around Crazy Taxi is well deserved as generative AI continues taking center stage.
The biggest winner, however, was Xbox. What a showcase. Asha Sharma came out swinging and basically told everyone they're dropping exclusives while blasting us with a new Gears of War. Oh, and gifting everyone in the crowd a brand-new Xbox? Genius. The translucent green console and controller look fantastic. The 1TB storage is fine depending on the price point.
Will I be getting an Xbox? Honestly... I'm seriously considering it after this showcase. This new direction is clearly coming from new leadership, and I am all for it.
I know there was a Nintendo Direct earlier today, but I have to get this write-up finished or my man Josh is going to be mad about yet another late post. My bad, Josh.
Oh, and Street Fighter held its first major tournament in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The hometown hero, MenaRD, took first place while maining Blanka. You love to see it.
OK, on to the New Noize and yet another heavy week of new releases. Here are a few standouts if you don't want to dive too deep.
I played "Look At Me Look At Me" by Korean ensemble Leenalchi, who apparently identify as a pansori-pop band. According to AI Gemini, "pansori is a traditional Korean genre of musical storytelling and epic chant dating back to the 17th century." Is this my new favorite genre? If all of it sounds like Leenalchi, then YES. I got an advance of their EP Here Comes That Crow, and it is bonkers good. It has this lighthearted, freeing feel that instantly puts you in a good mood. The entire sonic presentation has this avian quality. From the way they sing to the instrumentation, it feels like you're a squirrel sitting in a tree watching all the birds gather for some giant woodland music festival. Kind of like when Merlin turned himself and Arthur into squirrels, except instead of chasing lady squirrels in heat, they're just hanging out listening to birds play these songs. Oh, and apparently Leenalchi is playing The Getty on July 11. You already know I am making plans.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Since "Look At Me Look At Me" isn't available on Spotify, I substituted "Bird" on the playlist.
ZAINAB released another banger with "Ayewah." She's continuing to stack her worldly sound with a healthy dose of cheeky fun. This is one of her longer releases on Technicolour, Ninja Tune's newest imprint, and I am absolutely here for it.
"Ayewah" just makes me wonder when the album is coming—or if it's coming at all. EPs are fun, but I want a full-length record built around her production style. Time will tell, but for now we can all just Ayewah.
Tatyana Jane is the newest signing to Ed Banger Records, and what an acquisition. Her EP Discordia may barely crack 22 minutes, but it packs a punch.
The Captain is BACK.
Captain Murphy has reconstituted himself out of the ether of his own legend and returned to this plane of reality in the form of "Mudhole," and I'm kind of mad about it. I mean, is this the only song we're going to get? Probably. It's tied to the upcoming martial arts film The Furious, which drops Friday.
How director Kenji Tanigaki convinced Flying Lotus to dust off Captain Murphy remains a welcome mystery that never needs an answer. But if Kenji can pull this off another 14 times, I would greatly appreciate it.
Oh, and "Mudhole" is your New Noize Song of the Week.
Is knitting ever going to release a full record? Who knows. They keep dropping singles, and the latest, "I Wasn't Fully Cooked," hits me right in the soul and raises my FOMO levels for a proper album even higher.
An album that needs absolutely no hype from me because every music outlet on the internet is already doing that job is Eyes Full by Zoh Amba. It captures this youthful optimism constrained by the reality of existing in this moment. You can feel the moss between your toes and the angst in your chest as the record unfolds.
The New Noize Album of the Week goes to Hammok for When Does This Place Become Our Scene.
This record is not getting the coverage it deserves, and that's a shame. Hammok gives me early At the Drive-In vibes, but with a lot more cheekiness. It has this loud, aggressive energy, but underneath it all is a grimy groove that never takes itself too seriously.
The record laughs at itself, laughs at the absurdity of reality, and then revels in the fact that we're all stuck here together anyway. Being alive is confusing, but at least we're experiencing it together. That's what this album asks of me.
Give When Does This Place Become Our Scene a listen and let me know what it's asking of you.
I can't forget the new records from Converge and SLIFT. Both are HEAVY, but in completely different ways, and both absolutely deserve your time.
Again.
Knicks in 5.
