October Goes Hard
Wassup Neuphorians!
In the spirit of changing things up (and because there were 5 weeks of new releases), we have two different playlists for October. Both are short- 11 songs. The first, Neuphoria Goes Easy is softer and less adventurous. The second, Neuphoria Goes Hard is more edgy.
The October Neuphorian voting challenge is to pick your favorite 4 songs in total out of both playlists. For expediency, if you want to focus your listening on just one of the playlists, go for it. Maybe you are “Easy” like Lionel Richie- or maybe you “Go hard in the paint” like Waka Flocka Flame?
In Music Chart news, the July through October Billboard Charts (which are slower to change than streaming charts as they include Radio Airplay) have been the most static ever. Only 7 new songs have breached the Billboard Top 10 over those three months- with April 22 Neuphoria winner, “Tipsy” by Shaboozey spending 14 straight weeks at #1. Maybe some of the October Neuphoria songs will break through the Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Shaboozey hegemony.
A Neuphoria shoutout to aught’s, 90’s and 80’s megabands like the Smile (Radiohead reconstituted), the Hard Quartet (Pavement redux), the Cure, Alphaville, Duran Duran and the Horrors who had great releases, that didn’t make the Neuphoria October cut.
Now that Neuphoria is monthly, there is more time for you to suggest playlist songs. If there is a brand-new song that you think will be popular, or has an extraordinary pop culture story, feel free to suggest them to me. Thanks to Paddybear for his suggestion that I included in October.
Happy listening!
Anti Up, What Is Life (Electronic/House)- While the UK’s Chris Lake and Chris Lorenzo are each considered top global DJ’s, Anti Up collab is their platform for creating underground house music with the energy of late-night raves. Their October LP, “What Is Life” features this eponymous banger, with the unknown rhys rapping about the disparate anxieties that comprise our mundane lives (if this is too much of a downer for you, listen instead to "Holding On" the LP's finale, where the anxieties are replaced with an uplifting message about "What is Life?) . rhys’s cockney insistence is matched by Anti Up’s grimy pulsing bassline, 4am-ish beat and breakbeat high hat. Previewed at Anti Up’s Coachella headlining show, I have “What Is Life” on heavy rotation.
Four Tet & Ellie Goulding, In My Dreams (Electronic/Dance)- No, your speakers aren’t broken. The distortion on “In My Dreams” is deliberate, with electronic experimentalist Four Tet juxtaposing cascading bells and chimes with a crunchy distorted beat. Four Tet accomplishes further juxtaposition by adding Prince Harry’s former flame, Ellie Goulding’s delicate vocal, singing dream logic lyrics, such as “Hand-shaped leaves, I sleep in your machine”. The result has been wide critical acclaim for the hypnotic “In My Dreams”.
HiTech, SPANK! (Rap/Electronic)- Featured as one of Pitchfork’s new releases of the week in October, HiTech calls their unique blend of the Motor City’s techno and underground rap, “Detroit Ghettotech”.
Trivia- The trio, HiTech hope to follow in the footsteps of another Detroit trio from 40+ years ago, the legendary Belleville Three, inner city Detroit kids from the early 80’s, who were heavily influenced by Kraftwerk, Yellow Magic Orchestra and Joy Division/New Order, going on to form seminal groups such as Inner City and Model 500. They developed Techno/House music, the foundation of today’s Electronic/House music that has been popular throughout Continental Europe for the past 25 years, with many leading Berlin DJ’s adopting DJ names such as “Motor City Drum Ensemble”, “Detroit Swindle” to pay homage to the House's birthplace.
GloRilla & Sexyy Red, WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME (Rap/Hip-Hop)- After already having 3 Top 10 singles in 2023 and 2024, GloRilla released her debut LP "GLORIOUS" last week. Currently the #3 most streamed song in the US (and #10 globally), Big Glo is joined by hot Femcee Sexyy Red on “WHATCHU KNO….”- a crunking banger.
Ndotz, Embrace It (Rap/UK Grime/World)- “Embrace It” is evidence that truth is stranger than fiction, as this quirky single by unknown Angola-born, London-based rapper Ndotz is in the Top 20 in countries ranging from the UK to Lithuania. Ndotz mashes his grime rap with an obscure acoustic guitar riff from a Polish Soundcloud artist to create an idiosyncratic earworm.
JENNIE, Mantra (K-Pop)- With her K-Pop megaband Blackpink on hiatus, JENNIE has just released Mantra, which is already #1 in Korea and Top 20 Globally. That should be no surprise given that JENNIE is the most followed Korean in social media and is also established as an Asian fashion icon.
Trivia- JENNIE’s Thai Blackpink bandmate Lisa, has also released a new single “Moonlit Floor”, which debuted at #1 throughout Southeast Asia, maintaining Blackpink’s supremacy throughout Asia via its calculated pan-Asian membership.
Oliver Heldens, David Guetta & FAST BOY, Chills (Feel My Love) (House/Dance)- Is it time for some straight up Anthemic House? The Dutch/French DJ duo Messrs Helden and Guetta say Ja!!! While there is no sublety to “Chills”, I dare Neuphorians to not strike a Trance Christ-like pose during "Chills"' crescendo .
Zedd & Jeff Buckley, Dream Brother ((Electronic)- The classically trained, Russian-born, German DJ Zedd, scored his 2nd Neuphoria #1 from his “Telos” LP with “Dream Brother”- the September 2024 playlist winner. Zedd updates Jeff Buckley’s 1994 brooding masterpiece “Dream Brother” with an orchestral electronic sound, while retaining Buckley’s singularly remarkable and emotive vocal. Simply stunning.
Trivia- After spending the first 10 years of his career as a session guitarist, Jeff Buckley transitioned to a solo career, surprisingly displaying a multi-octave voice, releasing “Grace” named by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and being named by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest ever singers. Tragically, Jeff Buckley drowned in 1997 at age 30 swimming in the Mississippi River. Chart success for Buckley came posthumously; with his cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", hitting number 1 in 2008.
Balu Brigada, So Cold (Alternative)- Kudos again to Paddybear for turning me on to “So Cold” by Balu Brigada. While Balu Brigada’s name sounds Central European, they are actually from New Zealand. However, in “So Cold” the Kiwis have constructed a polished and infectious ditty that evokes the Strokes.
Sunflower Bean, Lucky Number (Rock/Alternative)- With their new EP “Shake”, Brooklyn Indy’sters Sunflower Bean take a guitar hero turn, replete with bone-numbing riffs and Julia Cumming’s distinctive vocal. “Lucky Number” is my favorite from “Shake”.
Father John Misty, She Cleans Up (Alternative)- “She Cleans Up” is the most recent preview single from FJM’s forthcoming “Mahashmashana” LP. All three preview singles from “Mahashmashana” have been compelling, demonstrating that Father John’s (Josh Tillman) is an artist at the apex of his creative arc, with “She Cleans Up” channeling the syncopation of Lou Reed’s vocal, but with Tillman’s evocative storytelling. Neuphoria predicts that “Mahash….” will be a formidable LP of the year candidate whenever it is released.