As we’re getting stuck right into March, this week proves to be chock full of new and exciting music. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to mix the sounds of Loose Joints and Talking Heads in a barn together? Naarm-based “pop polymath” Cool Sounds (real name Danis Lacey) is back with a new 6 track EP entitled BUG0BEAT, a gentle mesh of digital and organic sounds, funky samples and piano riffs. Recorded in a barn using vintage equipment, Lacey imagined bugs dancing to his new tracks and decided to pull the EP’s name from that idea. Filled with upbeat melodies and ‘90s nostalgia, BUG0BEAT is definitely one for everyone to dance to – bug or otherwise.

Indie darling Faye Webster is also back this week with her fifth album, Underdressed at the Symphony. The title stems from the American singer-songwriter’s occasional compulsion to buy last minute tickets for a show with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: “I was quite literally  underdressed at the symphony because I would just decide at the last moment that that’s what I wanted to do.” Recorded at Sonic Ranch studios in Texas, Underdressed at the Symphony is a low-key affair, creating a spellbinding atmosphere through steel-pedal guitar, spooky harmonies, and country rock influences. Playing around with space and sound, Webster is clearly more comfortable in her own skin than ever. Having sold out headline shows in Melbourne and Sydney, she’s undoubtedly one to check out if you’re a fan of Phoebe Bridgers and Mazzy Star.

Next up is the LA-based duo Jahari Massamba Unit with their debut record, YHWH is Love. Jahari Massamba Unit are drummer/producer Karriem Riggins and legendary rapper/beat producer Madlib. Together, they have created an exciting jazz-funk album with cosmic overtones. Not afraid to wander and explore open space, YHWH is Love will take you on a journey full of interesting beats, rhythms and grooves.

Sonic Youth co-founder Kim Gordon needs no introduction. The iconic alt-rocker is back this week with her second solo album, The Collective, co-produced with Justin Raisen (Lil Yachty, John Cale, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Charli XCX, Yves Tumor). On the opener and lead single ‘BYE BYE’, Gordon delivers sinister, biting word collages against a backdrop of grinding industrial percussion. Permeated by dark trap beats and experimental production, The Collective is an intensely gripping record, a defiant declaration that Gordon cannot be pinned down to just one genre.

Back on more local territory, Sydney local Nick Griffith has released his third album, What Do We Do While We Wait?. Brimming with psychedelic, folky textures, the record features honky tonk pianos, melancholic cello and flamboyant guitars. A “perennial mainstay” of the Eora music scene, Griffith self-recorded and produced What Do We Do While We Wait? across different share houses on Gadigal and Dharawal land. Packed with personality, the record also features art direction and cello work from former 2SER Local Artist Spotlight pick Hubcaps.

More homegrown artists abound with singles this week, including another Mi.Randa’s ‘Heart Shaped Man!’, Second Idol’s ‘Boxing Ring’, and another 2SER Local Artist Spotlight guest, Bodywire, whose angular B-side ‘Mall Cop’ takes strong influence from acts like The Pixies and Viagra Boys. 

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