HIGHLY RECOMMENDED VOLUME III
Our latest update to the “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED” Spotify playlist series returns with a slightly linear array of deep listening cuts straight from the Total Trash Instagram page. This volume includes cuts across reggae, jazz, and punk, as well as some outlier curveballs that come with the guarantee of heavy replay value.
Paint it Clear (2021)
Over the past 4 years, Alien Nosejob has proved to be one of the most dynamic artists across Australia’s expansive DIY punk scene. After exploring two very different sides of the genre last year, the one man band returns with a focus in synth-driven power-pop. Paint it Clear is both a shift and evolution for Alien Nosejob, proving that the multi instrumentalist has a reach that continues to extend far beyond one style.
Switched on Ra (2021)
Over the course of the past decade, Bitchin’ Bajas have built their analog synth drone sound upon a foundation of archetypal experimental music. On their glowing sixth LP, Switched on Ra, the trio covers eight Sun Ra essentials, and reconfigures the jazz giant’s limitless free jazz into psychedelic ambient compositions.
Coto and the Plagues (2021)
Los Angeles trio, Coto and the Plagues, initially united around a passion for lo-fi horror films. While the band’s eleven track debut rarely makes direct reference to any element of cinematic history, their music parallels the dark mood of horror culture’s massive timeline. Coto and the Plagues recalls the peak of goth rock and new-wave as though it were straight out of a 1980’s slasher film.
Hidemi (2021)
Jazz saxophonist, Patrick Shiroishi, has created a career exploring the history of Asian-American oppression. On his latest album, Hidemi, Shiroishi delivers one of his most personal albums to date, with a focus on his grandparents and their time spent in a Japanese internment camp circa World War II. Hidemi incorporates the healing power of spiritual jazz as Shiroishi travels through his family’s resilient history.
Riddles From the Universe (2021)
Over the past five years, the Cowboy have gradually tightened their musicianship as they refine their formula for fast-paced post-punk. On Riddles from the Universe, the band’s consistency is their strongest trait, with their most compelling songs to date.
Antiphonals (2021)
Los Angeles-based Sarah Davachi has an academic background in musicology. On her latest album, the minimalist composer applies different periods of classical to her recording technique, specifically mirroring the acoustics of large spaces ] to maximize the depth of her sound. Even at it’s most understated moments, Antiphonals is layered with wondrous emotion.
Bianca (2021)
Mike Bones has been a cherished guitarist in New York City’s music scene for years. His band Weak Signal’s second album reinforces this reputation, and includes some of the band’s most well-written work to date. Bianca is a post-punk record that parallels the grit that has controlled his city for decades.
Galloping Through a Wormhole (2021)
Parlour Tapes co-owner, Zach Moore, has a background as a trained double bassist, and has frequented Chicago’s performance art circuit as a member of Mocrep. On his solo debut as ZM, Moore masterfully performs a wide variety of genres over the span of a spectacular 64 minute composition. Galloping Through a Wormhole unfolds gracefully while fluctuating between large instrumental arrangements and layers of tranquil minimalism.
In the Beginning Vol. 1 (2021)
Hip-hop pioneers Madlib & Declaime have frequently collaborated throughout each of their impactful careers. On In the Beginning Vol. 1, the childhood friends compile thirteen previously unreleased recordings from their early years together in Oxnard. The album provides a strong foundation to two irreplaceable legacies that have continuously shifted hip-hop for three decades.