Happy Friday! With the end of the week in sight, it is another week with new music. This past week, we have new music from artists like Jesse Welles and Pearl Jam.
Here are five new songs or albums you should check out this week:
“Cancer” by Jesse Welles
Singer-songwriter Jesse Welles has gained over 87,000 followers on Instagram for his timely folk protest songs on American capitalism, the war in the Middle East and the fentanyl opioid epidemic. Welles has only released two singles, "Cancer" and "The Olympics,” on Spotify. However, another single from the artist, “War Isn't Murder,” is also available on his YouTube channel and TikTok page.
"Cancer" highlights how cancer is fueled in everything our society enjoys, as Welles sings, "Everything you ate, the sleep you didn't get/BPA's and microplastics." In a video for the song, Welles sings among the trees in a forest.
“Wreckage” Pearl Jam
Seattle punk band Pearl Jam is best known for its 1991 album “Ten.” The band returns with its single, “Wreckage,” from its latest 12th studio album release “Dark Matter.”
In an interview with The Independent, lead singer Eddie Vedder revealed that the song is inspired by former President Donald Trump.
“There is a guy in the United States who is still saying he didn’t lose an election, and people are reverberating and amplifying that message as if it is true,” Vedder said. “Trump is desperate. I don't think there has ever been a candidate more desperate to win.”
“Vampire In Beverly Hills” by Eyedress
After much teasing on social media, Filipino alternative singer-songwriter Eyedress finally released the 34-track album “Vampire in Beverly Hills.” The album features strong co-features from artists such as Cuco, Rico Nasty, Wild Nothing, and his wife, Elvia.
This album marks his first full piece of work since his 2022 album “FULL TIME LOVER” and widely-known single “Sadie Hawkins Prom.” He continues experimenting with various synth melodies and drum patterns that fans of his earlier work will enjoy.
“Questions, Chaos & Faith” by Joy Oladokun
“Questions, Chaos & Faith” tackles the questions, chaos and faith one can find when losing somebody close due to a drug overdose. Oladokun pulls from her experiences on the track as she lost her best friend Casey at a young age.
According to i, The incident occurred while the two were studying at bible college. Casey made her feel supported and strong compared to her overall religious parents.
“Define My Name” by Nas, DJ Premier
The latest heavy, bass-reverberating track from Nas celebrates the 30th anniversary of his debut album, “Illmatic.” Nas went to his Instagram to share the story behind the single from back in that 30-year era.
“Grainy pictures for grainy times,” he said in the caption. “On April 19th we smashed s---. Even tho the album leaked months before the release date we still are a part of music history. Thank you Large Professor (Paul) and DJ Premier … And thank you to everyone evolved … 2 The Listeners- ONE LOVE.”
