New Music Friday: The Top 6 Albums Out On April 16
U.K. rapper AJ Tracey. His sophomore full-length, Flu Game, is on our shortlist of the best albums out on April 16. Michael O'Donnel/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
For his latest joint, the U.K. rapper, singer, songwriter and producer AJ Tracey lays down bars with the relentless precision of an NBA star dominating the court. Flu Game, which drops two years after his self-titled debut, is inspired in part by a pivotal game in the 1997 NBA Finals, when Michael Jordan, weakened by food poisoning, led his team to an unlikely victory. For AJ Tracey, it's the perfect model and metaphor for anyone looking to beat the odds and stand above all others. On this week's show we open with the song "Anxious," from Flu Game, and talk about the ways AJ Tracey's addictive flow works with everything from drill to emo rap.
Also on the program: singer Norah Jones releases her first-ever live album, the English dream-pop trio London Grammar is back with late-night meditations on the scourge of misogyny, we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Sharon Van Etten's sophomore full-length Epic and more. Nate Chinen of WBGO and Jazz Night in America joins contributor Christina Lee, Radio Milwaukee's Tarik Moody and NPR Music's Stephen Thompson, along with host Robin Hilton, as they share their picks for the best albums out on April 16.
Featured Albums:
- AJ Tracey — Flu Game
Featured Song: "Anxious" - Norah Jones — Til We Meet Again
Featured Song: "Cold, Cold Heart" - Masabumi Kikuchi — Hanamichi
Featured Song: "Ramona" - London Grammar — Californian Soil
Featured Song: "America" - Sharon Van Etten - Epic 10
Featured Songs: "Don't Do It" and "Peace Signs" - Son Lux — Tomorrows III
Featured Songs: "Come Recover" and "Unbind"
Other notable releases for April 16: The Armed — ULTRAPOP; Conway the Machine — La Maquina; David Wax Museum — Euphoric Ouroboric.