Ryan Dillon

The sun is shining, a cold breeze drifts in through an open window, and the smell of coffee permeates the air; it is a beautiful morning here at Camp Caustic. Today’s activities include a cornucopia of new releases that explore the deepest corners of modern music, and we have an expansive one for you guys this week. This week’s list continues 2024’s hot streak as singles from anticipated albums hit streaming services and full-lengths drop like beads of sweat onto a basketball court. This week, we have returning legends holding on to their iconic sounds while younger acts rearrange tropes to land on refreshing sonics. It is a colorful and wonderful Caustic, the perfect accompaniment to the final push for the weekend.

When it comes to rebellion in Hip-hop, no one does it like Public Enemy. Sure, some other acts, like the Beastie Boys, had a rebellious spirit, and the world of punk and Hip-hop has slowly formed into a new genre since Public Enemy’s heyday. Still, not one act has come close to topping what Public Enemy achieved during the late 80’s and early 90’s. Throughout their prime, it seemed like creating anti-authority anthems was what the groundbreaking five-piece was always meant to do. They captured the civil unrest that was running rampant through their native New York City when Chuck D and Flavor Flav decided to form the group in 1985. It wasn’t long before Public Enemy became a household name with their debut album, 1987’s

Whether you realize it or not, The Mommyheads have been reinvigorating American music from the hollow halls of its underground. The prolific and storied act has released seven albums in the last six years, ranging from complex concept LPs to outings that harken back to their roots. Their refreshing approach is limitless, allowing The Mommyheads to roam from one sonic territory to the next while bringing their lofty visions to life. On their new album, One Eyed Band, set to be released on November 9, the band falls backward into their pop tendencies with a look of determination and a head full of experimental ideas. Coming off the release of their 2023 concept album, Coney Island Kid, The Mommyheads move in the complete opposite direction with an LP brimming with sonic left turns and nuanced fusion work.

Thirty-five years ago today (November 7, 1989), the iconic Hip-hop group Jungle Brothers released their landmark sophomore LP, Done By the Forces of Nature. This release aligns with the rest of the group’s innovative career, for which we have much to thank Jungle Brothers. The group is credited for creating the legendary Native Tongues movement in Hip-hop, which introduced jazz and house music elements to the funk samples that drove the genre in the early days. Thanks to the group’s fearless endeavors into uncharted sonic waters, acts like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul were able to explore their take on jazzy Hip-hop and produce what is now considered some of the best Hip-hop music ever.

This has been a weird week, to say the least. With social media exploding with opinions and think-pieces on the future, and while these discussions are important, it is equally essential to give yourself a break from it all. While the world around us falls into a divided and tense atmosphere, throwing on headphones and escaping into new music is a healthy practice. This week, we have a quick yet exciting Caustic with new releases ranging from envigorating hip-hop performances to dream-like jazz, the perfect blend to fall backward and escape from the hustle and bustle of modern times.

On his most recent release, Soul Burger, current Hip-hop legend Ab-Soul delivered a face-melting performance over an iconic Hip-hop anthem. In the intro to Soul’s new album, “ 9 Mile, ” you hear an eerie piano melody that starts to play as the artist interpolates the final rap battle scene from Eminem’s 8 Mile film. These piano keys should be familiar to any Hip-hop head, as they come from one of the most legendary Hip-hop songs of all time. Just barely out of his teens, Havoc of Mobb Deep flipped a piano melody from Herbie Hancock’s “Jessica” to create the foundation for the duo’s most successful single, “Shook Ones, Part II.”

While the weather begins to hit new lows, New Music Fridays are reaching new highs. Just when we thought the year would slowly trickle to the bottom of

Heading into his fourth LP, singer/songwriter Michael Kiwanuka has more eyes on him than ever. After releasing his 2019 self-titled LP to critical acclaim, which included a Grammy nod and a Mercury Prize, it seemed as if Kiwanuka had achieved that cherished middle ground between artistically free and commercially celebrated. On the surface, all of Kiwanuka’s dreams were coming true, but if history has taught us anything, money and fame don’t always equate to comfortability. Kiwanuka found himself at a crossroads; one way was a path of repetitive creation that could yield the same results as his past releases. The other led the soulful artist to a new sonic territory to explore. On Small Changes, Kiwanuka’s fourth studio outing, the artist steps outside of himself to craft eleven soaring ballads built on the back of ethereal guitar melodies and touching poetry.

In the mid-to-late 90s, Wu-tang Clan was an unstoppable force of pure Hip-hop. The larger-than-life impact of their 36 Chambers debut still echoes

The holiday season is inching closer and closer as the weather turns grey and ominous. With the joy and merry of seeing loved ones comes the fridged winds