By Ezra Wheeler
Memphis music is truly unstoppable, constantly evolving and shaping the soundscape with its rich history and innovative artists. Every month brings fresh talent and exciting new releases, making it clear that the city’s musical legacy is as strong as ever. November has been no exception, with an impressive lineup of projects that showcase the heart and soul of Memphis’ diverse music scene. Here are five standout releases we’ve been playing on repeat this month, and we’re sure you’ll love them as much as we do. Dive in and discover your next favorite Memphis artist!
Although Al Green’s recently-released cover of R.E.M.’s 1992 classic “Everybody Hurts” was certainly not something we were expecting, the iconic soul singer’s excellent rendition of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” from last year gave us at least an inkling that such things were possible. Ever since Johnny Cash scored a late-career hit with his cover of Nine Inch Nails’ dour “Hurt,” aging legends have often returned to the deep well of angsty Gen X anthems for inspiration. Count this one amongst the best, especially as Green is able to imbue the song with a sense of optimism.
In his social media posts announcing the song, the good Reverend wrote “Recording ‘Everybody Hurts,’ I could really feel the heaviness of the song, and I wanted to inject a little touch of hope and light into it. There’s always a presence of light that can break through those times of darkness.” Amen.
Last week, producer extraordinaire IMAKEMADBEATS made his triumphant return with a mesmerizing performance of his new album WANDS at the Planetarium. As is true with albums such as J. Dilla’s Donuts, WANDS is best experienced in-full, but to keep with the theme of this article, we’ll suggest starting with “MAGIC,” one of the album’s many stand-outs. If you haven’t check out the album yet (and you absolutely should), think of it as “Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Beats to Study and Travel the Cosmos To.”
Hitkidd-”Lookin’ For Ah Trick”
Earlier this month, Memphis producer Hitkidd released his newest album Hitkidd For President, yet another collection of trunk-rattling bangers that proves crunk is still very much alive. As he’s been known to do in the past, Hitkidd assembled some of Memphis’ baddest women for a posse cut with the undeniably great title ”Lookin’ For Ah Trick.” Featuring Jucee Froot, La Chat, and the late great Gangsta Boo, Hitkidd transports us back to the elbow-throwing mid-2000s. Also, shout out to Talibah Safiya, who provides a gorgeous outro to the album on the track “Land of the Free.”
From Lost Sounds to NOTS and Optic Sink, Memphis has been a strong breeding ground for kick-ass synth punk bands for a couple of decades now. General Labor, the duo of Thomas Corbin and Elijah Poston, have established themselves as worthy entrants into this tradition, especially with their new album The Airtight Garage. Album opener “Calculator” has been released as the first single and is a perfect summation of the band’s sound and philosophy: using technology to rage against the machines.
ISpeakWithAGift Ft. Preauxx- “F.T.O.S.”
and is a perfect summation of the band’s sound and philosophy: using technology to rage against the machines.I honestly can’t remember if we’ve ever covered the artist ISpeakWithAGift before in this space, but if not, shame on us. The rapper-producer, who has been regularly releasing music for the better part of a decade, has earned a dedicated following with his unique production and smooth flow that seems to grow more skillful with each release. His newest single “F.T.O.S.,” which features an excellent feature from a very hungry sounding Preauxx, is a woozy banger reminiscent of early releases from A$AP Mob.
