Misty Step
Smooth Jazz, Ambient Dub, New Age,, Deathgrind, Comfy Synth, Abstract Hip Hop, Indie Rock, Ambient Techno, Power Pop and more!
Hello y’all!
Lots of stuff happening around my neck of the woods these days. A car accident (don’t worry, nobody was hurt) and on-going issues related to a bulged disc and sciatic nerve have plagued me, but I’m still digging through new releases and compiling my thoughts, don’t worry.
On that note, I shared a quick video recently where I discussed some of my process. Some people seemed to dig it, so I believe I will prepare a Part II at some point.
Aside from that, I have been reconnecting with podcasting through a revival of my old show from around 2012 through 2020, See You Next Wednesday. This time, for reasons, we’re actually just recapping the original run of Beverly Hills, 90210. The internet is screaming for three old men to talk more about Beverly Hills, 90210, right? Hello? (taps screen)
Some stray items to share that have been bouncing around my noggin’:
I’m still loving the Humano Studios DJ sets, but that also got me revisiting some of these classic compilations of video game soundtrack electronic music from the 2000s.
Speaking of old television above, one consistent thing is that I always enjoy watching old stuff instead of catching up on the latest shows. Emma has been speed running ER these days, and I’m about to start Cagney & Lacey, because why not?
This Ween bootleg culled from their tour with the Foo Fighters where they performed in classic duo format is pretty great stuff if you’re a fan.
Finally, because I can’t stop talking about replicating the experience of watching hours of old television with era-appropriate commercials, this channel has some bangers too.
Otherwise, here’s some music reviews. Hope you enjoy ‘em!
Emoji legend:
⛏️ denotes picks of the week, my favs.
🌱 seedling denotes albums like a lot and expect could grow on me over the year.
✨ albums I would recommend to fans of the genre (i.e. it might not convert new listeners, but you should check it out.)
✂ denotes favourite tracks from a given record.
As always, feel free to reach out over on BlueSky or join the Rosy Overdrive Discord server where I can be found now and again.
You can also find me in the corners of Rate Your Music scrounging for obscure emo, hardcore, indie rock and pop punk.
Don’t forget: if you’re reading this in your email it will be cut off.
Read on the web for the full list of reviews!
⛏️ Louie Zong - Strange Weather (2026)
Genres: Smooth Jazz, Nu-Jazz
I don't always have time for every single Louie Zong release, but I really liked Aquarium City and enjoy checking in on what they're doing when they release new albums. Seeing the name and album art for this one was giving big-time Weather Network jazz vibes I had to hit play, and I was not disappointed. Smooth nu-jazz that makes you feel like you're watching temperature data scroll by. I absolutely love this kind of stuff so it's totally up my alley, and this is a phenomenal modern take on the genre without just being a novelty. Great stuff.
⛏️ Paperclip Minimiser - II (2026)
Genres: Ambient Dub, UK Bass, Glitch, IDM, Dubstep, Dub Techno
Minimal, ambient dub and glitch with IDM elements. Pretty much completely in my wheelhouse when it comes to this kind of beautifully textural, cyclical, hypnotic electronic music that squeegees my brain clean and lets me calm down and focus on whatever I need to. Phenomenal, if you're into this type of thing (which obviously I very much am.)
🌱 No/Más - No Peace (2026)
Genres: Grindcore, Deathgrind
Sick death/grind etc. Put this on and blasted through 20 minutes of work. Maybe requires a closer look but for now it was a really effective barrage of angry blast beats and sick riffs that got me pretty amped.
🌱 Green-House - Hinterlands (2026)
Genres: New Age, Ambient, Comfy Synth, Folktronica
Solid cozy synth with ambient and nature recording vibes. Some of this inches into a little corny territory with the folktronica vibes ("Farewell, Little Island") but generally I dig the nature-y new age-y comforting synth approach taken here. The more ambient and chill this gets and the less acoustic-plucky-folktronica it gets, the more I like it.
🌱 Lice - Miami Lice: Season Four (2026)
Genres: Abstract Hip Hop, Jazz Rap, Hardcore Hip Hop
9 years since their last collab, Aesop Rock and Homeboy Sandman return with their fourth—and longest at 27 minutes—Lice EP. If you either know these two rappers, or have heard previous Lice EPs, you'll know what to expect here but the increase in running time just means this feels slightly more substantial than they have in the past. Great stuff from both of them, and in the wake of I Heard It's a Mess There Too continues Aesop's "back to rapping my ass off over sparser beats" era that he has going right now.
🌱 2m8o - Popcorn Ceilings (2026)
Genres: Indie Rock, Twee Pop
Well-rounded indie rock that jumps around between jangly pop and noisy lo-fi slacker rock. A jolt of caffeinated twee-esque energy also rears its head throughout the 25 minute running time. Really nice stuff that is strongest when they have some power behind their dreamy melodies ("Wishy Washy"). This could really grow on me but for now it was a little in-one-ear out-the-other, but I imagine I will be back for further inspections.
🌱 Girl Scout - Brink (2026)
Genres: Indie Rock, Indie Pop
Girl Scout makes the jump from EP band to LP band relatively well, but it still feels like I am waiting for them to really define their sound beyond “RIYL The Beths, Alvvays, Beach Bunny etc.”
This isn't bad at all, but it feels a little like an expected leg-stretch of maturity after their EPs. They are at their best on their most direct tunes ("Crumbs", "Same Kids" etc.) and while their moodier pieces ("Homecoming") aren't bad, they feel like window dressing to some degree, or maybe answers to expectations that they need to prove themselves beyond the EP format. On "Song 1" they show promise that they can have it both ways, though, so I'm not writing them off by any means.
In some ways this feels a little overly-fussed-over as an "album" with its intro and outro tracks. Could be a MP and not a YP but a little editing and this would have made another great EP to be honest.
🌱 Sparrowhawk - Sunflowers in the Moonlight (2026)
Genres: Rock, Power Pop, Hard Rock
I'm not always into the dual-guitar classic-rock type throwback stuff but this band is two-for-two on cromulent-if-a-li'l-corny (non-derogatory) rock records in my book. Band member in a Thin Lizzy shirt in their Bandcamp picture should tell you what you need to know, lol. Can't imagine this would become something I am returning to over and over but it scratched a guitar rock itch I had today and that is good enough. Feel like Sparrowhawk is a little scrappier in a concise way and more effective as such, but if you dug that album I can't imagine not digging this one too, to some degree.
🌱 Mammo - Lateral (2026)
Genres: Ambient Techno, Dub Techno, IDM, Microhouse, Ambient Dub, Ambient
Very good 3xLP set of ambient techno, but I'm likely never going to sit down and listen to all 1hr 40min of this again straight through. Feels tailor made for the vinyl format where each side likely functions as its own thing and you can listen to each "set" as you wish. Still of a high quality but every time I hear albums like this it makes me wish there was a cleaner way to replicate the "sides" on streaming services.
Opener "Intuitive - Portable - Easy to Use" had me a little worried with how repetitive and simple it seemed but the rest of the (three) records unfold in much more liquid manner. Good stuff, just a lot of it.
✨ The Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman - Kilimanjaro (1988)
Genres: Smooth Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Jazz Pop
Bounced around on some of The Rippingtons' records because I was craving more smooth jazz after listening to Strange Weather. Ended up on this one because something about it sounded just right for my mood. Incredibly smooth, but not quite as "proto-vapor"-y as the other Rippingtons albums I sampled. After loving Catching the Sun but bouncing off other Spyro Gyra albums, this did the trick nicely today. For smooth-brains only.
✨ Choke - Slow Fade or: How I Learned to Question Infinity (2005)
Genres: Post-Hardcore, Alternative Rock, Emo, Melodic Hardcore
It is cool to hear how Choke went from a technical skate punk band with emo influences to more of a forward-thinking post-hardcore type emo band over time. This shares a lot with fellow Canadians Moneen (particularly their early-to-mid career stuff) but where that band injects big hooks into their knotted, twisty emo-rock, Choke are being a little more cerebral about it.
Ultimately, I have the same criticisms for this record that I did for There's a Story to This Moral, which is just that they had found a near-perfect measurement of their sound on Needless to Say and this just continues their trajectory of getting further away from that blend.
Their post-Needless to Say work will definitely be for a certain type of listener, but I keep walking away admiring it and wishing they had more of that skate punk energy and melody in their songs. That said, I'll have to close their discography off with Foreword to see how that fares following up my personal favourite of their career so far.
Divit - Broadcaster (2002)
Cromulent power-pop alt-rock type stuff that seems to get a punk rock and pop punk tag just because they made a shift from those genres into this one, similar to how a lot of bands of this era did. Video game soundtrack rock music ("Plan B") that vaguely sounds similar to stuff like late-career MxPx, or maybe a band like Bracket if they had major label production sheen.
Some of these tunes are fine enough, but it's big time in-one-ear-out-the-other. Would be interested if going backwards in their discography brings higher energy or reveal any flecks of punk in their DNA.
That’s it, that’s all. Be excellent to one other.