“Beyond the Neon Lights” feat. Zac Nelson and Angel Deradoorian - Raleigh Moncrief

We’re still waiting for that upcoming EP from Raleigh Moncrief to be released on Anticon, and more of his Man Man-supporting tour dates are in the past than the future. Caught in between these two events, we’ll just continue to enjoy this single, a blindingly bright piece of production full of loops and layers.

- Tyler Hanan

“Museum Day” - s / s / s

We haven’t joined the s / s / s chorus yet (though we did cover Sufjan’s Record Store Day split 7” with Rosie Thomas), but now that Sufjan Stevens/Son Lux/Serengeti collaborative’s EP Beak & Claw is streaming [link] and up for purchase purchase [link], I have another chance at a well-timed blurb. 

While this peculiar assemblage of artist is already remarkable after only listing the names involved, listening adds another layer of intrigue. The press release’s comparison to “the cracked futurisms of Shabazz Palaces” aren’t totally off-base, though this has a much brighter, above-ground atmosphere, unsurprisingly. The meandering path of “Museum Day,” stutter-stepping along with it’s odd blips and sounds, is a rather challenging opener with its steadfast dedication to odd sounds and being off-kilter. It’s actually the most challenging of the four tracks; though it does have a traditional chorus/verse structure and the choir-and-percussion-heavy ending do bring a warped bit of cohesion, the other three tracks are initially easier to follow. It’s fun to study the ins and outs of Beak & Claw. It might even be one of my favorite EPs of the year (though nothing has arisen as a serious threat to Kindred yet).

- Tyler Hanan

“Blue Movie” - Beans (prod. Son Lux)

Beans’ 2011 Anticon LP End It All has easily solidified its position at the top of my favorite records to come out thus far in the year. Earlier today, Anticon released the official NSFW video for “Blue Movie,” which just so happens to be one of my favorites on the record. You’ll also be able to catch Beans on tour with Tobacco throughout April after his SXSW performances. [dates]

- Malcom Lacey