Ryan Dillon

Coming to you live from an ash-filled sky and brutal heat, the team over at the Old Caustic Factory battles harsh conditions to deliver yet another exhilarating list of fresh releases. Outside is dystopian, but the music is here to brighten the grey that has been blanketing the world around us, and there is no shortage of new music to jump-start your weekend. This week, we have triumphant returns from legendary bands, more mind-melting Hip-hop to make the “Best of the Year” discussions more difficult, and soulful cuts that hit directly in the heart and echo in the spirit. Our factory team is working tirelessly, but providing you with the best of the best is their life’s mission.

Nick Hakim is one of those artists you’ve come across whether you realize it or not. From his extensive collaborative history with the likes of Show Me The Body and Pink Siifu to his own solo output that seemingly set out to expand the mind, the multi-instrumentalist/producer/singer/songwriter has built one impressive, undeniable career. The self-reliant renaissance man is capable of conceiving and executing every portion of the creative process at its highest level, allowing Hakim to build these psychedelic sonic universes that are welcoming to the exploratory mind. His solo material and collaborations have never dabbled in the conventional, yet sought to change that norm, with Hakim’s innate experimental tendencies colliding with a natural knack for soulful, infectious melodies.

The sheer volume of music available online is enough to leave even the most excitable digital crate digger with decision fatigue, but that doesn’t compare to the amount of records that haven’t made their first online footprint. During the heyday of soul music, hundreds of small labels were recording music that ultimately, and to this day, continually sit unheard, untouched since the day a vocalist gathered themselves behind a microphone to unleash their emotions through melody. Thankfully, there are a handful of soul fanatics willing to travel worlds away to discover something fresh; such is the case with Chicago-born, Detroit-bred Little Ann.

The indie-rock golden children-turned-global phenomenon is not an easy road to navigate, but The Strokes have made the process look as simple as crafting an infectious riff. The beloved outfit has spent a fruitful and celebrated career crafting nuanced ear-candies that bring equal parts jovial punk and bubbly pop to the table, serving legions of fans heaping courses of guitar rock that suspend above time. Their debut sounds as relevant as it did the day it was released over twenty years ago, and the subsequent releases feel as if they had an equally long shelf-life. The longevity enjoyed by The Strokes is the type that infects childhood dreams; the stardom that never overcame their mystique has only grown brighter over the years, as seen on their 2020 LP, The New Abnormal, which once again pushed The Strokes to new creative challenges that were rewarded with widespread praise.

It is yet another exhilarating week of fresh releases, and The Old Caustic Factory has never been busier. We are bringing in extra employees, scheduling overtime shifts, and collectively working towards bringing you the best of the best, and we are proud of our findings this week. Excavating a hectic New Music Friday, our team members have unearthed refreshing jazz, moved rocks to find some exhilarating indie rock, and taken pickaxes to boulders to find the simplistic, guitar-driven rock of the future. Our employees love what they do, and can’t wait to present you with their latest findings.

There was a certain jovial energy that added to the 2022 debut of contemporary jazz duo DOMi & JD BECK. Coming out of the gate with major co-signs from the likes of Herbie Hancock, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Anderson.Paak, who helped release the stellar debut through his APESHIT imprint, along with the illustrious Blue Note Records. At the time, it seemed like the freshly budding duo was destined for jazz stardom in an era where the genre rarely gets the attention it deserves, but for one reason or another, the debut LP, titled NOT TiGHT, didn’t make the impact it was meant to. Sure, the Grammy acknowledgment was nice, and the A-list guest appearances were lovely and added some unique flair to the duo’s nimble, playful sound. Still, it could’ve been those same features that drowned out the nuances of DOMi & JD BECK’s individuality and cost the LP its long-term impact.

Throughout our Golden Age Thursday deep dives into some of the more unique, off-kitler examples of the art of sampling, we sometimes let more obvious examples pass us by. In pursuit of the obscure, we’ve let the obvious pass us by. This week, though, we have a performance from 1982 that features such tight grooves and palpable emotions that Hip-hop has employed its magic across over 100 different songs. While we’ll be focusing on the likes of Pete Rock, LL Cool J, and The Notorious B.I.G., other legends like Madlib and Three 6 Mafia have also touched on this soulful funk cut built with so much longing and rawness that it has become ingrained in the Hip-hop pantheon.

If you’ve been paying attention to the music world at all this year, you’ve probably come across the commotion the indie rock stars The Strokes have been stirring up. From their massive global tour, which is officially underway as we speak, to the fresh, experimental sonic terrain they built for Reality Awaits, the band’s first studio album in six years, which arrived just a few weeks before the monumental occasion we have before us on this late-summer day.

It’s almost impossible to believe how quickly the month of July has flown by, but with all of this terrific new music, time seems to go by the wayside. As we prepare to wrap up an exhilarating summer of fresh releases, we enjoy moments like a packed New Music Fridays almost as an escape from the pressures of reality, and we have a buffet of fresh albums and singles for your distracted pleasure. This week, new faces in jazz cement their name, refreshing country that gets a DIY twist, triumphant returns from music legends, and a collection of singles pouring out of the proverbial faucet of life. As always, there is a little something for everyone on this fine Friday, and we’re happy to kick off your weekend listening sessions.

The ever-growing five-piece rock outfit Citizen has always felt comfortable straddling two worlds. Their cathartic brand of Midwest rock touches on pop-punk, with traces of emo and whiffs of shoegaze, all of these worlds melting into anthemic LPs that trace the familiar progression from youthful angst to mature anxiety. All this fusion work and artistic evolution, though, is not for a lack of identity. Citizen has successfully transitioned a timeless sound from yesterday into something modern and personal, toying with Midwest emo tropes without sounding like the wildly popular bands of the nineties that brought this sound to a mainstream level.