What we’re listening to: I Dreamt I Found a Red Ruby, Stampede and more
What we’re listening to: I Dreamt I Found a Red Ruby, Stampede and more
These are the recent music releases we’re loving right now.
In this installment of What We’re Listening To, Engadget’s Weekend Editor Cheyenne MacDonald dives into the new releases she’s been enjoying lately.
Francesca Wexler – I Dreamt I Found a Red Ruby
Every once in a while, “the algorithm” actually does right by me. While scrolling through my Instagram feed sometime in the last month or so, a suggested Reel from artist Francesca Wexler popped up, and I couldn’t help but get pulled in by her captivating flow. Her style isn’t so easy to nail down to a single genre, but would fit under the alt hip-hop umbrella — she described her work in one instance as “psychedelic rap.”
Some songs on Wexler’s latest album, I Dreamt I Found a Red Ruby, have almost an ethereal quality to them, like its opening and closing tracks, “Heaven on Earth” and “Moonwalking.” The upbeat and catchy “Ain’t I” hits like a sunny day. But there are darker, harder moments too in songs like “Amphetamine Man” that really show off Wexler’s depth as a rapper. With I Dreamt I Found a Red Ruby, it’s evident that Wexler is an artist that shouldn’t be slept on.
Orville Peck – Stampede
Orville Peck didn’t make us wait long for a full album after dropping Stampede: Volume 1 in May. On Friday, the country artist released the duets album in its entirety, and even though it hasn’t been a full three days yet since it came out, I can already tell it’s going to dominate my Most Listened playlists for the foreseeable future.
Stampede sees Peck collaborating with country legends and emerging artists alike, and genre-wise, there’s a little of everything in there. On top of the songs I shouted out from the first half, the rest of Stampede brings a bunch of new bangers, my favorites including “Back At Your Door” featuring Debbii Dawson, “Papa Was a Rodeo” featuring Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, and “You’re an Asshole, I Can’t Stand You (and I Want a Divorce)” featuring Margo Price.
Honorable mention: Street Cleaner
I recently set out looking for music that sounds like it could be straight out of an ‘80s horror/thriller movie, and Reddit pointed me to Street Cleaner. Well let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Street Cleaner, whose style is described on Bandcamp as being a “theatrical and grimey take on synth music,” has become my go-to artist to pop on when I need to get some work done or otherwise be locked in.
There isn’t a particular song or album I’ve latched onto — I just throw the entire discography on and let it get me in the zone. Street Cleaner released some new music in April, though, and that’s as good a place as any to start your listening journey. The artist apparently also made a video game, which I fully plan on checking out.
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