Every day I hear something new about Rat Heel and Tailored Grift against my will. I’m so tired of it. I tried to refrain from commenting as I didn’t want to give any attention to this “situation” for many reasons, but it got too much at this point. Other media outlets, especially popular music media outlets, are also stepping in and trying to keep this conversation going for the benefit of their favorite annoying white musicians. For what? The “talent” of their “art”? Please.
You can appreciate their music and I won’t judge you as a human being. But the broader social illusion of stoking the flame of discourse in the name of defending their “outstanding contributions as artists” is getting a little ridiculous. So, here’s my warm take: There are MANY other artists out there with new music, projects, and so on that we should check out instead. Enough of this crap insistence on giving this particular couple lots of press without ANY consequences for their dumb bullshit of any kind, it’s just doing a disservice to modern music as a whole.
So, if you feel remotely similar to how I do, check out these tips for artists who can scratch a similar, but better, itch with upcoming new music that no behind a nagging trail of controversy.
Dominic Fike
Despite landing some pretty significant roles, both as a featured artist with the likes of BROCKHAMPTON and as a main cast member in Euphoria, Dominic Fike still doesn’t get the influence he deserves. He is an incredibly talented guitarist, singer and producer, and while some have felt let down by his performance in EuphoriaI thought it was very simple and natural.
This is going to be a busy year for him, so I’m trying to get more people to pay attention to his projects! For one thing, he’s constantly releasing new music in anticipation of his upcoming album, “Sunburn,” and the songs are every bit as punchy and sunny as his previous discography. Also, he will play a role in the upcoming A24 film Mother Earthwhich looks surprisingly good:
boygenius
The long-awaited debut album from boygenius, an indie powerhouse trio of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and my favorite of the bunch, Julien Baker, eventually met with critical acclaim. Queer women are allowed to express their authentic thoughts and rougher sounds ultimately result in damn good music – who would have guessed that?
I’ll be honest, the whiter side of indie isn’t so much for me anymore, but credit to credit, this album deserves credit for providing a welcome new taste of indie rock. I also encourage you to look into these artists individually!
Hozier
We at The Mary Sue we are deeply in love with this man of the forest, and we were very happy to announce his next album on august 18th. Though he gained massive mainstream popularity for his 2013 hit “Take Me To Church,” Hozier has still maintained his unique artistic sensibility and remains beloved by fans across genres.
Plus, he has his tour coming up, and from what I’ve heard, seeing Hozier perform live is an experience of a lifetime. And if it’s anything like his God of War: Ragnarok performance, I believe it:
Blur
Do you want Brits with new music? You can do a amount better than 1975. Blur have just released the first track for their upcoming album, “The Ballad of Darren”. While yes, Blur is old news at this point, I’m still Blur. And the track sounds damn sweet.
Some older bands get a little lost in the salsa jam-vibe, but this really does sound like the culmination of their entire career, both within AND outside of Blur. I didn’t love their latest album, “The Magic Whip”, but this single bodes well for a full release! Also, ooowee, Damon’s voice sounds so sexy here.
July 7 releases
A certain someone has a studio album re-release coming July 7th, but it’s not the only one. You should also tune into these talented artists, who all release projects on the same day.
Julie Byrne took the modern folk scene by storm in 2018 and has been quietly making her way ever since. Her next album, “The Greater Wings”, will be her first release since her debut, and I honestly can’t wait to hear more from Julie Byrne. I missed it.
And, of course, I have to represent my local Los Angeles natives, the local natives. They haven’t released an album since 2019, so I’m intrigued how their sound has evolved over the years. For reference, this Tiny Desk absolutely dominated my freshman year of high school:
There are other artists coming out on this date that I’m less familiar with, like PJ Harvey and ANOHNI. The bottom line is that just because one person dominates the news doesn’t mean we should take that news seriously.
I say this without hatred or animosity towards people who love her or her boyfriend’s music. I say this with frustration because there is how much good music out there. There are so many talented artists I couldn’t fit into one article, all with brilliant releases due out soon. Yet the hurtful antics of white performers continually dominate the conversation. And I don’t think they should.
In that spirit, I encourage you to share other artists with new releases and tours you’re looking forward to in the comments!
(featured image: screencap/YouTube)
Do you have a tip we should know? [email protected]
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