Look, we know we throw a lot of new music at you. We also know that not everyone who comes to this site has the time to be as involved with or informed about the local scene as maybe they’d like to be. So for those casual readers who either can’t or have no interest in keeping up with the parade of artists we try to cover, who may not know the difference between Bitter and Biters, we have created our TRIPLE THREAT feature. The premise is simple: every Friday our writers will put their heads together and come up with three tracks that grabbed our attention over that week. Then we tell you why the songs are great and worth listening to. That’s it. Maybe some weeks we’ll have a guest commentator come in and share their favorites, but the format will always remain the same: three songs, some words, and we out. Enjoy.
Stone Jone – “Bad Dreams”
From the LP, (h)our long trip
Verily, time’s a strange vessel. Memories seen from the surface diffract into slanted images; reach into the jar, and you’ll waste hours trying to extract five minutes. “Bad Dreams” feels like that — except the vision below is one you’ve kept sunken for years, and has stained the waters with noxious ink. Paranoia seems on par for Stone Jone — he’s written the screenplay to an upcoming thriller about the perils of social media, after all. But this dive stands out, even on the rest of the distorted time hop of (h)our long trip, because here the artist reflects on his divorced parents’ heated arguments, and the trauma that may have rippled out to his adulthood. As whacked-out as the backwards voices and ghost trails in “Bad Dreams” might seem, the whole affair rings with an eerily sober message: sunken memories don’t fade away. — Lee Adcock
More Info
Web: stoneandspace.com
Bandcamp: stonejone.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @stonejone
Wiley from Atlanta – “90 Days” (feat. Jarrod Milton)
From the EP, TEEN SPIRIT
As local pairings go, I’m not sure you’d find a better match than Wiley from Atlanta and Jarrod Milton. Both artists seem to find their steadiest footing amidst hazy, impressionistic ambiance and “90 Days” offers up the sort of sparse, atmospheric backdrop that allows them both to dive deep into their well of romantic melancholy. Milton’s beguiling croon opens the track, spinning a dizzying cloud of beautiful, forlorn R&B, and when Wiley finally cuts through with his devastating opening gambit — “Your fingers wound too tightly ’round that wine glass / Your ruby lips, your breathless touches makes the nights last long” — the effect is powerful and striking. If you accept the litmus test of any collaboration is for the artists to draw out the best in one another, consider this a smashing success. — Avery Shepherd
TEEN SPIRIT is out today.
More Info
Bandcamp: wileyatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @newwavemvmnt
Instagram: @wileyatl
SoundCloud: @wileyatl
Twitter: @wileyatl
Bugus – “Angels”
From the standalone single
With three dozen releases this year alone, Bugus is one of the most prolific hip-hop artists not just in this city, but beyond as well. It’s this relentless work ethic that led him to co-start DIEMON, a production company whose letters stand for the words Do It Everyday Music Or Nothing. The rapper’s latest is a ruminative cut that delves deep into his formative memories and belief in God. Boasting rugged boom-bap beats and soulful production from frequent collaborator and DIEMON brethren Russ, Bugus is provided ample opportunity to find the pocket and shine. — Mus Abubaker
More Info
Facebook: @BugusMusic
Instagram: @bugusdiemon
SoundcCloud: @bugus1
Twitter: @bugusdiemon