Top Indie Album Picks of the Week [October 30, 2020]

Sen Morimoto is the gleaming new self-titled album from the Chicago multi-hyphenate producer, instrumentalist, and songwriter. His new album is in transit and gazing out of windows, informed by an uncertainty between waking life and fantasy. To stream or purchase, visit Spotify, Tidal, iTunes, or BandCamp.

In her debut album, As I Am, co-signed by Missy Elliott, Chicago native Brittney Carter is kicking down the doors. The project features production by Scud One, Heir Porter, Ill Brown, Elements and DJ Vadim and guest appearances by Oliv Blu, Hot Rod, & Navarro. To stream or purchase, visit Spotify, Tidal, and iTunes.

Much like everything else in 2020 though, Atmosphere's new album, The Day Before Halloween, is something of a detour from the anticipated path. Cutting loose and eschewing their established norms, Slug and Ant have delivered the anti-pop answer to the content and compositions of previous albums. Over razor-sharp drums and distorted synths, The Day Before Halloween explores the life of a visual artist living in an antiquated surveillance state. It's menacing. It's murky. To stream or purchase, visit Spotify, Tidal, iTunes, or BandCamp.

Following achieving viral success at the start of her career, Tennessee native Daisha McBride have grabbed the ear of many of rap’s biggest names including Missy Elliott and Chance The Rapper. To hold fans over until her full length project slated for 2021, the rap star has dropped a 3-track project featuring production by Sci-Fy and Big Bruno. To stream or purchase, visit Spotify, Tidal, and iTunes.

Closer Than They Appear serves as a motif inspired by half the fine print warning on the side view mirrors of vehicles, “objects in mirror are closer than they appear”. The symbolism of the phrase weaves a web connecting many things in life, but especially rapper Lyric Jones’ music career. The album produced by Phonte featuring appearances by Little Brother, Vic Mensa, and others is an instant classic. To stream or purchase, visit Spotify, Tidal, Bandcamp and iTunes.

After several push backs, Chattanooga-native TyeTheGoddess (real name Tiombe Walton) has released her debut project, The Goddessy. If you’ve enjoyed her past singles such as “That’s Just What I Like” and “Noise”, you will certainly enjoy this 11-track project. To stream or purchase, visit Spotify, Tidal, and iTunes.

Featuring guest appearances from longtime friend and collaborator Jerusalem In My Heart (Constellation Records) and Amber Webber (Lightning Dust, Black Mountain), FICTION EP is a great introduction to this uniquely experimental band. To stream or purchase, visit Spotify, Tidal, iTunes, or BandCamp.

Oakland-based recording artist Jane Handcock is taking the independent Hip-Hop music scene by storm. Her new 8-track project Fa Real is her sending a notice to those not yet aware of her. The project features guest appearances by Chazz and Mani Draper. To stream or purchase, visit Spotify, Tidal, and iTunes.

Boundaries break every time E L U C I D and THE LASSO make music. With the release of their group Small Bills' album Don't Play It Straight all lines are blurred, all references can be thrown out. The new album hit online today and is a glorious mix of elements from industrial Hip-Hop to funk punk. To stream or purchase, visit Spotify, Tidal, iTunes, or BandCamp.