[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm7do6KPaok”]
Second Royal records out of Kyoto seem to be having a busy week, what with two new releases out now. The first seems a bit…uhhh unnecessary. It’s a compilation album, and usually Second Royal kills it with these things, the recent state-of-the-label releases sharing exciting new tunes from old staples and new signings. The Take A Bite At Second Royal collection gathers a bunch of songs that have been kicking around for a year if not older. It’s less “look at the cool stuff on the horizon” and more “hey gang, couldn’t go to the grocery store, mind if I reheat this stuffed-crust pizza?” This comp does feature Hotel Mexico’s “Do You Do You HAIA” and Turntable Films covering a Handsomeboy Technique…yet it also features three songs from Turntable’s last album and Handsomeboy tunes from several years ago. I mean, at least two of these songs were on Second Royal Vol. 6, a compilation worth copping.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY3d-vViQAk”]
In actual new releases…talk about burying the lead!…Halfby’s new LP Leaders Of The New School comes out this week, on the 16th, and Second Royal have put together an album teaser. Besides previously heard tracks “Tommy Boy” and “Bitch Attack,” this preview drives home the point Halfby is moving away from his tropical-laced sound from last year’s superb The Island Of Curiosity towards something inspired by hip-hop (see: album art). The album does include one holdover from Halfby’s great 2010, the song “A Morning Dew” which originally soundtracked a commercial last year. Watch that below.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGJfW5uLL04″]