New Music Friday: Stream new projects from Tkay Maidza, Actress, Hotline TNT, and more

Tkay Maidza’s latest project is her first full-length since signing to 4AD, the legendary British label with a long resume of releases by boundary-pushing artists, from Cocteau Twins to SpaceGhostPurrp. These days, 4AD might be most associated with indie rock acts like Big Thief and The National, but Maidza’s stylistic dexterity and shape-shifting sound make her an ideal fit as she effortlessly glides between genre lines. On “Love and Other Drugs,” she seductively croons over a dreamy beat, before transforming into an aggressive succubus on “WUACV.” Sweet Justice is filled with groovy basslines and subtle bops, but Maidza is always ready for battle, and she comes for the throat on tracks like the Flume-assisted “Silent Assassin,” which gives her usual hip-house sound a rage-inflected industrial edge. — Nadine Smith

Hear it: Spotify | Apple Music

As Actress, Darren Cunningham creates Impressionist electronic music, treating the sounds of the club and the concerto as colors to be smeared in furtherance of idiosyncratic vibes. His eighth album LXXXVIII may be his most transparently joyful yet — opening track "Push Power" sprinkles yelps of "Sheesh!" in between four-on-the-floor kicks and wistful piano noodling, while other songs have a delightful demoed quality to them. "Its me" finds Actress locked in a dance with a soul sample, and "M2" recalls L.A. beat scene noodling with its blown-out kicks and snappy clavs. These moments of "first thought best thought" shine new light on the haunting, cerebral atmospheres that have become the Actress staple, and give LXXXVIII the feeling of a search for a connection with the listener rather than a mere art piece to be enjoyed from a distance. — Jordan Darville

Hear it: Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp

Shoegaze is more of a mood and feeling than an actual genre, and Hotline TNT’s sophomore record Cartwheel, a glorious, astounding blend of shoegaze,’90s power pop, blown-out noise rock, and scuzzy grunge, seems to tap into the full spectrum of human emotion. Fronted by Will Anderson and featuring a rotating cast of band members both live and in the studio, Hotline TNT’s mixture of sonic dissonance and catchy, honeyed choruses feels both timeless and rooted firmly in the present. There is, of course, a sense of nostalgia that swirls around the record, from the shimmering “Protocol” to the fuzzed-out, yearning “Maxine,” making you long for something you’re not quite sure you’ve experienced. Cartwheel is meant to be listened to at full volume through headphones with your back on the grass – shrooms encouraged. — Cady Siregar

Hear it: Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp

Spiritual Cramp are equal-opportunity aggressors. On their fast and furious debut album the San Francisco punks hoik loogies at online trolls ("Talkin' On The Internet") and corrupt police officers ("Blowback") but they're not too high and mighty to hide from their own rage. Spiritual Cramp is the soundtrack to a riot and sometimes that's just in the band's personal lives. "Clashing At The Party" is about robbing cash and electronics from strangers' houses while "Catch A Hot One" zeroes in on the aftermath of the party. "Cocaine and Fentanyl! The cigarettes, it’s all, it’s all! Enough to make you wanna die!," frontman Michael Bingham sings, sounding suitably disgusted with himself. There's a whole load of life in Spiritual Cramp, both in the uplifting choruses and mosh-friendly breakdowns, to the rich tapestry of scumbaggery they draw from in their lyrics. Being in their gang might be a little much for some, but watching on from a (safe) distance is undeniably thrilling. — David Renshaw

Hear it: Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp

Released without ceremony on Halloween, It’s Too Quiet..’! is further proof (if anyone still needed any) of Pink Siifu’s chameleonic genius as a collaborator. Following March’s Leather Boulevard — his third joint project as B. Cool-Aid with forward-looking, retro-sounding producer Ahwlee — he’s teamed up with a fellow MC, “trap disco” innovator Turich Benjy, for a sprawling, unboxable LP.

The album’s collaborative ethos extends beyond Siifu and Benjy’s bond, with a stacked roster of guest vocalists that features Nick Hakim, WifiGawd, Lance Skiiiwalker, and others — not to mention varied production from the likes of HiTech, Tony Seltzer, and Harry Fraud. Highlights include “Wywd..’!?,” “Lookin..’!,” “Cadillac or Lex..’!,” “RIP Brittany Murphy,” and “Keith Sweat..’!” — Raphael Helfand

Hear it: Spotify | Apple Music