Razz Dazz Weekly is a playlist series featuring a regularly updated selection of newly released standouts, recent discoveries, and old favorites.
- Doechii "CATFISH"
• "CATFISH" is from Doechii's album, Alligator Bites Never Heal, released in August 2024 through Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Records.
While, admittedly, I feel late to the party on Doechii, it's been wild to see her popularity swell in recent months. I hadn't heard her before her guest spot on Tyler, the Creator's last album, but after seeing her Tiny Desk and Nardwuar videos late last year I'm all in. I haven't heard J. Cole or Eminem's last albums (which were also nominated in the category), but am still willing to bet that Doechii's recent Grammy nod for best Rap Album was the right call. While I don't put much stock in awards one way or another, being nominated for Best New Artist and Rap Performance would only seem to further cement the fact that she is where she is for a reason. - Ferris Blusa & Observe since '98 "False Prophets"
• "False Prophets" is from the January 2025 collaborative album, And That's When I Saw Gawd, released in January 2025 by Loretta Records. (via Bandcamp Daily)
I don't know much about Blusa beyond him being rooted in New Orleans, but this nine track release produced by Observe since '98 moved quickly with its impact on me. The tone, both lyrically and sonically, is a dark one, servicing a broader thread of illuminating the mind numbing hypocrisy of prosperity gospel perpetrators. I will definitely be digging deeper into his work. - DJ Premier & Roc Marciano "Armani Section"
• "Armani Section" by DJ Premier and Roc Marciano will appear on the duo's forthcoming collaborative EP, tentatively scheduled for release later this year. (via Billboard) - FKA Twigs "Girl Feels Good"
• "Girl Feels Good" is from FKA Twigs' January 2025 album EUSEXUA, released by Young and Atlantic Records.
I can't help but hear Madonna's Music here. Like, this is capital-E Electronica! This is the Crystal Method with vocals! How does this exist in 2025? I don't know whether it's a good thing or not that my ears were just as primed for this sort of sound in 1998 as they are today. - Oklou & underscores "harvest sky"
• "harvest sky" is from Oklou's album titled choke enough, released by True Panther in February 2025. (via Bandcamp Daily)
I can't place the melody here. It's not "In the Hall of the Mountain King," but it bears familiarity, delivering a new sound under a blanket of hushed techno in the process. - The Weeknd & Justice "Wake Me Up"
• "Wake Me Up" is from the Weeknd's January 2025 album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, XO and Republic Records.
This album only just came out and already "Wake Me Up" ranks highly among my all-time favorite Michael Jackson songs. It's a great song, but oh boy - talk about wearing an influence on your sleeve. If nothing else, hearing this led me to revisit Justice's 2007 rendition of "D.A.N.C.E." on Jimmy Kimmel Live! which featured an incredible ensemble of Stevie Wonder, Prince, Rick James, Rod Stewart, and Michael Jackson impersonators. Silly as it may be, it genuinely remains one of my favorite late night TV music clips ever. - Lights "ALIVE AGAIN"
• "ALIVE AGAIN" is from the forthcoming album, A6, set for release by Virgin Music in May. (via Exclaim!) - Riff Raff feat. Ku$h Drifter & YNG BNZO "Neon Hong Kong"
• "Neon Hong Kong" is the opening track from the compilation album titled Welcome to Shaolin, released in January 2025 by Castles of Chrome. - Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA & Girl Talk "Put You On"
• "Put You On" is from April 2022's Full Court Press, released by Asylum Records and Taylor Gang Entertainment.
The last few weeks I've been going over a lot of old photos and pieces of writing, which bit by bit led me back to a lot of old mashup stuff I was deep into in the aughts. I guess it was after his 2014 collaborative EP with Freeway where I kinda lost touch with Girl Talk (I'm sure I kept "Tolerated" on repeat at the gym for a year or two after the fact) but as I drifted away, I completely missed out on this album he did with Wiz, K.R.I.T, and DZA. In hearing it with fresh ears now, I'm taken back to how much I loved his mashup work - particularly 2008's Feed the Animals. - NAHreally & The Expert "All at Once"
• "All at Once" is from NAHreally & The Expert's March 2024 album, BLIP, released by Rucksack Records. (via Passion of the Weiss) - Madvillain "Operation Lifesaver AKA Mint Test (demo)"
• This instrumental version of "Operation Lifesaver" is from the (at least somewhat infamous) Madvillainy Demos album, officially released online by Stones Throw last month. - The Pro-Teens "Doomsday"
• "Doomsday" is from the January 2025 instrumental MF DOOM tribute album titled MF TEEN: Your Concurrence In The Above Is Assumed, released by College of Knowledge Records. (via Bandcamp Daily) - Pongsri Woranuch "Aew... Phu Chai"
• "Aew...Phu Chai" is from the Soundway Records compilation titled Ayo Ke Disco: Boogie, Pop & Funk from the South China Sea (1974-88). (via The Quietus) - Studio "Origin"
• "Origin" is from Studio's 2006 debut album, West Coast, reissued in January 2025 by Ghostly International. (via Pitchfork) - Lucius "Gold Rush"
• "Gold Rush" is from the forthcoming full-length self-titled album by Lucius, set to be released in May by Fantasy Records. (via Stereogum)
Lucius will be performing in May at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City, with support from Victoria Canal. - Weep Wave "Alternate Reality"
• "Alternate Reality" is from Weep Wave's April 2024 album titled Speck, released by CorpoRAT Records. - The Fall "Open the Boxoctosis #2"
• "Open the Boxoctosis #2" is from the Fall's album, The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click), released in October 2003 by Action Records.
What a bevy of riches the internet provides. About two or three times a year I think to myself, I should see if Henry Rollins is still doing that radio show of his, and of course he is. He's Henry Rollins. He never stops. In the closing months of 2024 I cued up one of his shows (always ready, always available via KCRW) and was floored by a track I heard from the Fall, vowing at the time to start making time to listen to the show on a regular basis. Here I am, what - maybe three, four months later? - thinking to myself, "There aren't enough hours in the day for everything, are there?" I suppose there's plenty of time for the things you make time for. - Lilly Hiatt "Hidden Day"
• "Hidden Day" is from Lilly Hiatt's January 2025 album, Forever, released by New West Records. (via All Songs Considered) - young friend "i like girls"
• "i like girls" is from young friend's forthcoming album, motorcycle sound effects, set for release in April 2025 via Nettwerk. (via Exclaim!) - Legible feat. G Rico "tuff luv"
• "tuff luv" is from Legible's forthcoming self-released album Surrender Volume 1, set to drop in February 2025.