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3/25/2025 0 Comments

NEW RECORD RADAR: February

Here's my February new record re-cap! It was a fun month!
Panda Bear - Sinister Grift - OBX Record Store
Panda Bear - Sinister Grift
Noah Lennox, aka Panda Bear of Animal Collective, leans into his inner "Beach Boy" by crafting SINISTER GRIFT, a record full of buoyant, sun soaked beach jams. It’s like taking an edible and floating in the pool while listening to some Bob Marley to treat the heartbreak.

​It’s an excellent record that I’ll be spinning all summer long.
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8.5 out of 10
Sam Fender - People Watching - Outer Banks Record Store
Sam Fender - PEOPLE WATCHING
PEOPLE WATCHING captures Sam Fender at a new crossroads as he tries to come to grips with his newfound fame while clinging to his Working Class upbringing and identity.

​Every song soars with heartland rock, evoking Springsteen as he returns to his hometown to find it all in disarray. PEOPLE WATCHING is big, anthemic and full of feeling and shows Sam Fender is proving his mettle as one of the best Rock musicians in the world.

8 out of 10
Sharon Van Etten S/T - Outer Banks Record Store
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory - S/T
A gothic rock turn from singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten, but at times sounds a bit thin. The album features a very heavy use of synths that makes many of the songs feel “samey”.

​There’s not much that makes this album feel engaging. A little more time in the studio to fill out the sound would have helped.

6 Out Of 10
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Bartees Strange - HORROR
Bartees Strange is best known for his ability to make each of his records a tapestry of interwoven genres by effortlessly hopping between rap, rock, folk and electronic. He takes a more steady approach with his new record, HORROR, by sticking to an Indie Rock formula that rarely crosses outside of its sonic boundaries.

Lyrically, he remains as engaging as ever as he mines his personal fears and lays them bare, but as brave as the lyrics are, I just wish he had been the same with the music compositions.

7 Out Of 10
Here are a few singles that dropped in February that I really enjoyed, too!
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Bon Iver - EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE• Laura Jane Grace - YOUR GOD (GODS DICK)
Ben Kweller - DOLLAR STORE (FEAT. WAXAHATCHEE) • Doechii - NOSEBLEEDS
Destroyer - HYDROPLANING OFF THE EDGE OF THE WORLD• PUP - HALLWAYS
Lucy Dacus - ANKLES • Perfume Genius - NO FRONT TEETH (FEAT. ALDOUS HARDING)
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2/8/2025 0 Comments

New Record Radar: January 2025

I've been wanting to share a few records that are on heavy rotation at the shop. I've put together a few thoughts on each one below and a little playlist if you'd like to listen in with me! As we move into 2025, my hope is to do more of these so folks can get a better understanding of my passion for music and maybe introduce you to something new and surprising!
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Ethel Cain - PERVERTS
​Ethel Cain pulls off a massive creative swing by creating an album full of ambient drone metal that wrestles with shame and love that may leave most fans in the cold.

​PERVERTS wears its horror influences on its sleeve with its oppressive “Lynchian” soundscape and the overwhelming sense of unease of the 2023 film, Skinamarink. If you can penetrate the iron heart of this EP, you’ll be rewarded. 

8.5 OUT OF 10

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Lambini Girls - WHO LET THE DOGS OUT
This queer punk duo out of the UK hit the ground running with their debut album that's thunderous and confrontational, in all the right ways.

​Fans of IDLES will be right at home as Lambini Girls take aim at social injustice, the predatory nature of the Upper Class, misogyny and homophobia.

7 OUT OF 10

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Mogwai - THE BAD FIRE

Mogwai creates an incredibly well textured post-rock record in THE BAD FIRE that revels in euphoric, dreamy highs and seismic, shattering lows.

​It’s a timely album with Mogwai contextualizing the world around us as beauty in turmoil and asks if it is all past the point of no return.

7.5 OUT OF 10

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Mac Miller - BALLOONERISM
It’s evident that the 2nd Posthumous record from Mac Miller, taken from recordings around 2014, has had a lot of care poured into it. It’s 70’s Lounge Jazz fits well with the free flowing musings where Mac delves into his psyche, hoping to mine hard truths about addiction and fame. It’s another bittersweet reminder of the immense talent that Miller encompassed and of his absence.

​8 OUT OF 10

Here's a few singles that have recently dropped that are on my radar, too. You can listen to these on this handy playlist I put together.
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Blondshell - T&A • JPEGMAFIA - PROTECT THE CROSS • Deafheaven - MAGNOLIA
Craig Finn - PEOPLE OF SUBSTANCE • Viagra Boys - MAN MADE OF MEAT
Jesse Welles - HORSES • Black Country, New Roads - BESTIES
Japanese Breakfast - ORLANDO IN LOVE • Sam Fender - PEOPLE WATCHING
Lucy Dacus - ANKLES • Destroyer - BOLOGNA (FEAT. FIVER)
Julien Baker & TORRES - SYLVIA • Jason Isbell - BURY ME
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Sudden Light Records • OBX Record Store
3933 S. Croatan Hwy, MP 12.5, Upstairs
Nags Head, NC 27959

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