▼ Music The Best Phoenix Albums of 2021 (So Far) Catching you up on some local music gems, halfway through a weird year. BY CHRIS COPLAN ever you’d classify Treasure MammaL. There’s a lot out there, more every day, but here we’ve assembled what we feel are 12 of the best albums released in the first half of 2021. Is this in any way a “complete” pic- ture? Not at all. But let’s call it a snapshot of what makes our scene so exciting, life-af- firming, and unwaveringly cool. V Lauren Sarah Hayes Embrace What motivated a Scottish-born musical improviser to wind up in Tempe? Lauren Sarah Hayes made waves across her native Europe, including sold-out shows in Scot- land and Germany as well as taking part in the New BBC Radiophonic Workshop. But now Hayes finds herself based out of the Valley, and her experimental take on pop and techno has instantly added credibility to the state’s rich electronic underground scene. In February, Hayes unveiled her lat- est, Embrace, in which she “bends and sculpts sound” to create four tracks that are as bizarre and unnerving as they are genuinely compelling and beguiling. For- get the why and how of Hayes’ story; she’s a profound talent breaking new grounds, and we’re mostly just lucky she’d call Ari- zona home. 40 Violet Choir Violet Choir Late 2020/early 2021 seemed like a less than perfect time to launch a new musical project. But Jesse and Mickey Louise Pang burn aren’t exactly rookies, having previously garnered local praise as both The Prowling Kind and MRCH. This latest iteration, Violet Choir, builds on that core of extra sleek electronic music, and their alley musicians continue to pump out a mish-mash of diverse and exciting sounds, be it pop, noise rock, punk, folk, rap, country, or how- Tobias Feltus debut self-titled EP feels like the best en- capsulation of what makes the Pangburns such pros. Whether it’s the extra sexy grooves of “Don’t Come Around,” or the Kraftwerk-esque weirdness of “Friend Song,” the five-track EP is both a celebra- tion of and a case for the rich future of elec- tronic music across the Southwest. If this is what the duo have to offer in the worst of times, then here’s to what comes in the “new normal.” Grim Moses Flowers for a Hater Phoenix rapper Grim Moses claims to dis- till “life and experience in a broken world” into “audio waves for your listening dis- pleasure.” That might make for great for PR, but it also ignores something far more interesting. Case in point: his latest album Flowers for a Hater, which Moses claims is dedicated to those who “support the cul- ture.” It’s a more than apt description; with tracks like “Cream Bronze,” a mostly unas- suming jam comprised of a syrupy sound- scape and impressive wordplay, this nine-track LP is an earnest and unflinching collection dedicated to the essence of great local hip-hop. Because under all that flex- ing and weird vibes, Moses’ music is a dis- tinct mix of ideas and energies that’s a distinct pleasure to spin. Now salute that. Citrus Clouds Collider There’s already been plenty written about Collider, the latest LP from dream-pop out- fit Citrus Clouds. But here we are, once more offering praise for a genuinely excel- lent album that feels like a true accom- plishment. It’s not just a record filled with dreamy vibes, earnest melodies, and heart- Above: Lauren Sarah Hayes released the excellent Embrace in early 2021. Left: Violet Choir. dude on the internet” shtick. The end re- sult feels in line with Playboy Manbaby while also pushing the weirdness and stoner humor to all-new heights (or, again, maybe depths?) There’s no way to not live at least partially online these days, and Playboy Manbaby have forged a soundtrack that encapsulates that silly irony of our post-modern condition. Jake Himes on-sleeve lyrics — it’s also the representa- tion of the band’s development after six-plus years of existence. Even more than that, it’s a kind of symbol for the larger Val- ley music scene, a perfect encapsulation of the evocative and earnest art that is made here day in and day out. Don’t just think of this as some artifact that has to be studied or worshipped. Instead, just push play and let this slice of desert dreaminess roll out of your speakers and deep into your ears. Playboy Manbaby Now That’s What I Call Songs We Made For The Internet Let’s just get this out of the way: This is a dumb album. It’s like the best (or maybe worst?) parts of Tiny Tim and The Aqua- bats rolled together, resulting in silly 30-second songs titled “Smashed Hotdog” and “The Dollar Store.” Yet that very asi- nine nature is what makes it so excellent. After frontman Robbie Pfeffer spent 2020 building an audience on TikTok, it only made sense to further lean into the “silly Jerusafunk JFUNK Phoenix psych-funk outfit Jerusafunk couldn’t have picked a better place to re- cord their second full-length album, JFUNK. Oracle, Arizona, is home to both Biosphere 2 and a rich history of mining, a wacky convergence of energies that could only happen in the southern deserts of Ari- zona. The band responded in kind by forg- ing a totally bonkers, eight-track collection that both references and recycles every- thing from bossa nova and klezmer to samba and Thai music. It’s music that’s sensuous, unwaveringly curious, totally unbalanced, and, perhaps most of all, deeply infectious. Wherever their travels take the band next, this record is undeni- able proof that Jerusafunk are on a journey to somewhere perpetually hip and tran- scendent. 8OhEight ‘Pay-Per-View’ Technically speaking, “Pay-Per-View” is a 20-minute piece composed of 16 or so smaller “songs.” But since the DJ/pro- ducer insists we listen to it “with- >> p 43 JULY 1ST – JULY 7TH, 2021 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
