December is an underappreciated month for new music. Fresh releases often slip through the cracks as critics race to finalize their year-end “Best Of” lists.
To spotlight the gems of this overlooked period, I’ve curated a Spotify playlist featuring some of the most intriguing psych and experimental tracks from December.
This playlist isn’t necessarily about crowning the “best” songs. It’s about sharing the ones that caught my ear and sparked curiosity. Many tracks are previews of albums on the horizon, like “Click” from Damon Locks’ forthcoming record, List of Demands.
Set to release on January 31st via the ever-reliable Chicago-based label International Anthem, List of Demands marks a bold step for Locks. A Chicago native, Locks ventures into uncharted territory with this album, weaving spoken and text-based work into his compositions.
The liner notes describe it as “a vision of Black liberation” delivered through a “song cycle of bite-sized Nikki Giovanni-meets-MF DOOM-style rhythm experiments.” Intrigued? You should be.
Another standout on the playlist is “Digital Hippy,” a sprawling jam from Astral Mind by Tropical Sludge. The project is the brainchild of Rick Burke, a Sydney/Eora-based guitarist best known for his work with the psych-rock band Comacozer. With Tropical Sludge, Burke steps into a more experimental realm, blending electronic textures with his psychedelic roots. It’s a record that’s as unpredictable as it is hypnotic.
This 18-track playlist also features many other captivating artists, including Mondo Trasho, Levitation Room, and Ivan the Tolerable.
Give it a listen, and let December surprise you!
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