Luke’s Monthly Music #1

Five Songs and One Album You Should Listen To This Month

This is a new different thing I’m gonna be doing on this Substack. While we were on tour for my podcast Rough Drafts, I interviewed a lot of rappers and musicians. I used to play in bands and rap. I listen to a lot of music that vary in genre, but I often don’t write about it on here. The songs are not necessarily going to be recently released. I’m gonna try to do this every month (I may miss a month or two) mostly as a way to remember my own musical tastes. People asked me to write more about music about a month ago, so I’m gonna do it. It’ll be different from my rants about literature, social media/phones or surreal stories about leftists, but hopefully some of ya’ll will like it. If you don’t too bad, I do what I want.

Some of my first writing for a publication was about music. At 20, I wrote about Nostrum Grocers and how Elucid rapped about Stokely Carmichael in their song ‘98 gewehr for a Swarthmore College magazine. I wrote about my boy ZekeUltra’s album on here last year and how it relates to the Black proletariat in Philly, Black artistry and literature. I also wrote a bit about some of my favorite contemporary socialist and abolitionist music (in addition to other art) in this post. The plan is to talk about my five favorite songs and one album/set of songs I liked this month. I’ll probably write about four to six sentences on each.

Song 1 – things 2 make U smile – rian brazil

rian brazil is one of the wunderkind from Europe. This song is good as I love his earnest and indecipherable vocal delivery over rough piano chords and incalculable drum breaks. His vibe kinda reminds me of the other British artists I’m into like Jim Legxacy, sade olutola and dexter in the newsagent. Internet music from Britain continues to enchant. Something about it over there, man.

Song 2 – sibeeria – doggone

This list partially began started because people asked to write about the Dijon imitators I jokingly be listening to. Doggone is one of them. I’ll share more of them in the coming months. He’s got good guitars, better production, solid songwriting and a great voice. He seems to be from the Midwest, he sings about Toledo in another song. I love the lasers on this song, the drums and the little distorted guitar riffs. If you like Dijon and Mk.gee, you’ll be into this guy. His stuff is distinct enough, it doesn’t feel like a copy. He’s always singing about someone named William. I chose sibeeria cause it sounds a bit different, but if you really want Mk.gee vibes, go listen to the song William. He also makes weird Instagram videos. I love a weirdo on the Internet. Fewer and fewer of us.

Song 3 – Lane Changing – SOB X RBE

The next three tracks are all partially inspired by my trip with Maurice. For those of you who don’t know, SOB X RBE is a group from Vallejo. I met a Black Mexican from Vallejo at the iconic Oakland bar Thee Stork Club. I asked him for recommendations on Bay Area shit, he told me to check out SOB X RBE and a few other artists. I had heard their song on the Black Panther album which I liked, but I started bumping their first album after getting the recommendation. Lane Changing, a song from their first song has a hypnotic 80s vibe and some crazy bars. The group doesn’t exist anymore, but you can feel the wild Bay Area energy pulsing through the beats and raps. Oakland was the city that arguably birthed the anti-police movement of the 2010s and you can hear it. Boots should’ve put some of their songs in his movie instead of that weird carnival ass music. I might’ve actually liked I Love Boosters.

Song 4 – Look Alive – BlocBoy JB ft. Drake...produced by Tay Keith

Our first big stop on the country-wide tour was Memphis. We listened to a bunch of Memphis rap. Look Alive was the first song that introduced me to Tay Keith’s iconic production and tag. The beat is hard as fuck. Rest in Peace Tay Keith, the best producer of the past ten years. He defined the 2020s sound. I played a playlist of his hits at my Juneteenth cookout. He produced so many of the best songs, it’s kinda insane. Just go listen, he probably produced at least one thing you liked if you like hip hop. Gone far too soon, another one of thousands.

Song 5 – Sexy Soulaan – Monaleo

One of most iconic stops during the tour was Houston. I understand why ‘leo made this song after going. All the non-Blacks to the back! Stop saying the n-word! Anyway, this song goes and is my Juneteenth pick. She practically floats on the beat when she spits “all the cute Black girls streaming my shit, ego so big niggas feeding my shit.” All I wanna do is feed my girlfriend’s ego, so I relate to it.

Album – Casts of A Dreamer – 454

454 is an icon. If you want to hear what music from the future sounds like, go listen to 454. His stuff is unworldly. It’s been described by some as plugg. To me, it’s something that could only created from the SoundCloud era. His music almost feels inspired by hyper-pop sometime. Standout track for me on the record is Mike Carroll. His vocal style on the track kinda reminds me a bit of Zeelooperz delivery, but then he’s doing something else entirely. My favorite part is when he says “East side kinda scary, west side kinda lit.” I can’t really describe the whole album as it changes a lot track by track, but I encourage you to listen.

Okay, that’s the post. What have you been listening to? Let me know if you rock with any of these artists!