Tag Archives: Aja Monet

Fresh Juice

Fresh Juice 13th April 2026

GALVEZTON – Roll To G-Town

The heritage behind the musical journey of Robert Kuhn is rich with iconic Americana singer-songwriters, names like Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen all filtering into the young Kuhn’s subconscious via the tastes of his father. But post pandemic, the GALVEZTON project, under which Robert creates his music, has evolved naturally into a territory that the mere troubadour characterisation can no longer contain. This is a helter skelter dive into a cosmic-Americana sound that is dizzy with the heat and punch drunk on ideas and expression. This track, an audio interpretation of bouncing back off the ropes, is from the new GALVEZTON album ‘Ocean Cabaret’ and you can find out more about the LP by heading this way https://www.galvezton.com/

Brother Wallace – Who Do You Love

This very tasty slice of hot buttered soul is taken from Brother Wallace’s debut album ‘Electric Love’, set to be released on the 8th May via ATO Records. The West Point, Georgia-bred singer, pianist, and soul revivalist is about to deliver a whole albums worth of the authentic, pounding and infectious, real-deal music that resoundingly kicks the doors wide open with ‘Who Do You Love.’ A new artist he may be to many, but this is the sound of a talent and a passion that has been slowly boiling for years and is about to overflow with a sonic territorial take over that should ensure the dancefloor is a wonderful place to be in 2026. The album was produced by Dan Taylor of The Heavy and recorded at Peter Gabriel’s studios near Bath, if this is the your first exposure thus far I can confidently predict it will not be your last. Pre-order the album here: https://amzn.to/4cjup6z

Ella Clayton – Please Me

Talking about new music that is authentically emotive, there is some fresh soulful folk just appearing on the horizon that also threatens to grab the attention of listeners with an ear for multiple genre mash ups and honest, heartfelt songwriting. Just taste the way Ella wraps some unforced, passionate soul-bearing around the lyrics of this, the opening track on her forthcoming second album called ‘Could It Be You?’ The record is set for release on April 24th with a launch show taking place at London’s 100 Club. Of the new album Ella says it “is a journey through longing and self-interrogation, the search for something or someone outside of myself to tell me who I am and what I want. I hope that people recognise themselves in these snapshots from my life and take comfort in the shared experience.” Check it out for pre-order here: https://amzn.to/4mnpc2e

Strange Fruit – Monopolar

The electronic / dreamgaze outfit Strange Fruit have just released their ‘Drips’ EP on Gentle Tuesday Recordings from which this hazy psychedelic space trip is taken. Fans of Stereolab, Kraftwerk or Broadcast, not to mention the head spinning loops and distortions of the original Shoegaze movement, are going to find much to love in the work of this Jakarta-based collective. They are futuristic and electro yet their sound still has the audible touch of the human hand to it, which brings the music a heartbeat that allows it to generate all the right kind of responses in our listening brains. And following eleven years of experimentation, the band themselves see this as a big leap forward step thanks to the involvement of world-class producers Hardway Bros. along with Tom Furse and Jonathan Kusuma. Get yourself a copy via this link: https://amzn.to/4mK2KRj

Aja Monet – Elsewhere

In its own way, this is a psychedelic melange as well, albeit with a far more urban, jazzy swagger. Featuring the jazz-soul talents of Meshell Ndegeocello and Georgia Anne Muldrow, this is a tantalising leap into a literary and spiritual space, a place where the consequential poetry of Aja Monet can breathe and let the dreamy, spoken words cast their spell and work their magic. It is not exactly rapping, Aja is far more hypnotic than that as she resists pushing her verses into a rhythmic pattern, more like letting them hang in the air for the mystic music to find a connection to gravitate towards. Either way, the effect is stunning and the forthcoming Aja Monet album, ‘The Color Of Rain,’ promises to be a stunner. Be sure not to miss out by clicking here: https://amzn.to/4sySFHY

Eggs On Mars – Shooting Stars

We finish this week with some liquid sugar in the hands of Eggs On Mars, playing a song from their latest album ‘Good Morning (I Love You).’ They are described as a soft-pop band from Kansas City, Missouri but I would argue there is a flowery melodicism to their music that sails closer to the psych-pop waters, drinking deep from them with good intent to achieve winning results such as this. The album is a collection of love songs infused with melancholia and an advanced facility for head-melting major-minor changes, it is out now via Enigmatic Brunch Records. The band themselves have said “through our midwestern lens we try to summon the sound of the Monkees if they were chosen over the Velvet Underground to be Warhol’s Factory band. We like Harry Nilsson, Foxwarren, and Chris Cohen a lot!” You can get yourself a copy of the album from here: https://eggsonmars.bandcamp.com/album/good-morning-i-love-you

Standard
Fresh Juice

25th September 2023

Aja Monet – The Devil You Know

It matters little whether you regard Aja’s lyrical vocalising as a rap or poetry recital set to music, her words are what count and you cannot help but be entranced by the conviction in this delivery. Her music has a close association with Jazz and this track in particular carries a hefty dose of jazzin’ credibility when you hear the trumpet part by Christian Scott, but Monet’s ear for cultural mix and matching when added to her focus makes this a journey entirely in a field of its own. Her new album ‘When The Poems Do What They Do’ is as powerful a statement in dynamic, driven and inspirational protest music as you will find in 2023, presenting an artist who cares about the society and landscape around her and one who is ready to give all she can to solicit positive change, awareness and improvement

Semisonic – The Rope

As with any band worth making a fuss over, the music should be the thing that matters above all other attention grabbing criteria. That is absolutely the case with Semisonic, a US band who I could be sat opposite on a train and still fail to recognise. Their music on the other hand did leave an indelible impression, especially a brace of songs from around 25 years ago, ‘Secret Smile’ and ‘Closing Time’, which sounded then and remain today like a couple of late period Britpop classics being far more sonically connected to that fading UK scene than anything coming out of the US at the time. For the last few years Semisonic have dipped their toes in reunion lakes around album anniversaries and it is now a delight to report new music arriving too, especially when it is as good as this, losing none of their early deftness around a guitar pop tune…

Das Koolies – Pain Down The Drain

Back in 1973 the sound of Glam Rock probably felt like the future even though within three years it would perpetually be linked to the music of a very precise period in the past. So how is it that Das Koolies have lifted that glitter stomping effect from fifty years ago, filled up its tank with four-star fuel and continued to recycle it in a way that seems ostensibly of the future? This is the kind of rollicking, timeless mayhem the Super Furry Animals used to dazzle us with at the back end of the nineties, which is funny because it turns out Das Koolies comprise four former members of that classic band recalibrating for fresh adventures in sound. Their debut album ‘DK.01’ has just arrived…

Olivia Dean – Carmen

Wanted to give this one an entry in the Fresh Juice section mainly because it only just came to my attention via this performance on the night of the Mercury Music Prize. For me the prize on the night landed, for once, in the most deserving hands and what a delight it was to feel the joy of Ezra Collective as they celebrated their success. But the other thing that shot through the pointless flannel of the occasion is how vital the Jazz and Jazz-Soul scenes are proving to be this decade. It really is the area bringing the most consistent thrills, ideas-heavy compositions and innovations in recent times as is demonstrated by the emergence of Olivia Dean, a voice with a vintage earthly vibe singing songs she is clearly feeling with her heart, this is the way it should be done…

Spencer Cullum – Betwixt And Between

A lovely serene song from the latest Spencer Cullum album ‘Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection 2’ and this one features a delightful vocal contribution from Erin Rae. The video is simple and the natural analogue effect it offers suits the song rather well. I looked down the YouTube comments and noticed someone had posted “see kids this is real music” which is the kind of attitude that could put me off this track (it doesn’t, but it could). As great an era as it was, a piece of music does not have to sound like it is from 1972 to be classed as ‘real’ and neither does it have to be made on conventional instruments. None of that is Spencer Cullum’s fault however, I bet he wears his vintage clothing and collects his twentieth century ephemera like a man high on the simple pleasures of life which is a fine thing indeed. Why don’t you go and put the kettle on before enjoying our penultimate two tunes for the week…

Chip Wickham – Slow Down Look Around

No visual accompaniment to speak of on this one but when the music gently elevates you like this I see no need for anything other than glorious audio. Taken from the new ‘Love & Life’ EP, considering Chip’s background in the early 21st century Jazz scene and Trip-Hop influences this might sound a very conventional piece of music, leaning back into soft spiritual tones and playing with an expressiveness that requires a real lightness of touch. But oh boy what an impression this music leaves on you, enhancing the message of the title ten-fold. We should all ease up the pace from time to time, put down the digital distractions, the screens with their endless scrolling (you’re at the end of this weeks new music recommendations now so you’re good to go) and just breathe in the natural world around. Music this fine needs to be experienced with 100% involvement, it really is worth your time…

Standard