It seems for years Rochester, NY has had a burgeoning Hip-Hop scene that goes mostly unnoticed  and it’s sometimes mind-boggling how some artists are ignored. This week, the prolific emcee Azariah has just released his new album, Humble And Hungry. The album in of itself could probably be split into two parts but that doesn’t mean it’s not a concise and fully realized body of work. The first half of the release hits hard, giving off that street precision and I’m here for it. “Rest Of Them” featuring Planet Asia has both emcees tearing through a dark hardened beat without remorse, and then there’s the fiery “Roc City Freestyle”where Azariah kills it in just under a minute. It’s’ raw and rough recorded live but yeah, there’s a lot of smoke around it. Then halfway through, musically, it seems like the mood shifts. It’s not all about keeping shit real with angry-tinged beats because no matter what anyone thinks, there’s beauty softness. “Sunset” featuring Zagnif Nori has both emcees flowing off Onaje Jordan’s sultry beat. With “Million Miles Away,” Azariah lets it rip around a city joint that’ll have you swaying side to side. The album hosts a number of guests and production from frequent collaborator Kidd Called Quest to Laddie, Emoore, DJ Ease, and QuarterPound. The album is nothing short of amazing boasting more than one style and I guess that’s the duality of Humble And Hungry.

RUNNNER – A WELCOME KIND OF WEAKNESS

Ever wonder what the hell happened when the world seems to continuously spin around while you’re standing still? It’s weird but I feel as if Runnner has shifted, moving, swerving, and turning into something I don’t recall ever being like before. It could be my imagination but A Welcomed Kind Of Weakness (Run For Cover Records) seems, well, different. In the history of the band’s 8-year existence, it’s not a bad thing, but something that makes people stand up and take notice.

Noah Henry Weinman is the brainchild behind Runnner and things are sometimes, extraordinary. Yes, I already gave it away but there hasn’t been something as attractive since the late 90s or maybe 2000s. Song structures throughout the album seem huge, with recording levels raised to capture the moment. I go back over and over again with “Spackle,” where I can only imagine Weinman as the rock god that he is. The song leaves you out of breathe, with its swirling guitars, airy vocal melodies. The layered guitars are wrapped around a steady rhythm but Noah’s voice (we’ll just call him Noah because we’re all family here) that transports you somewhere else altogether. ‘It has to be a one off,’ is what I think to myself but no, it isn’t, and that’s the moment when you have to realize, there’s something bigger at work here. “Claritin” slowly builds around keyboard driven bass tones as he opens with, “I left my shirt back in my room/and I spread myself in dying bloom/til the sun came up and dried me out…” While the song itself may somewhat have to do with allergies, there’s something else implied here. But it’s the initial dynamic change here that’s exhilarating and we can all imagine Noah basking in the magic of the track itself. Noah takes a page out of Eminem’s book to lose himself within the song. That’s exactly how it feels, oddly enough.

With Runnner songs, Noah can wrap himself around a mechanical rhythm and draw out as much melody as he wants, like on “Get Real Sleep” and at the same time power through with a punchy pop song like “Split.” Whichever variation we may end up with, it’s well worth it because Runnner never loses its own identity. On “Untitled October Song,” pushes the boundary even further, as Noah finds himself alone with his acoustic guitar plucking at notes while almost lamenting with cheer. This is by far, one of the best songs I’ve heard acoustically in some time. I’ll spare the hollow comparisons because Noah and the song stands on its own. But yes, I’m still left in awe of the power he commands in some of his music. “Achilles And” is unassuming and grabs right onto that aspect. I realize the song has been playing for just a minute and a half and there’s so much going on around it as guitar notes are plucked, walls of guitar fill out just about every space leaving room for its own rhythm.

Ok, yes, A Welcome Kind Of Weakness might leave you in awe but one thing is clear, with the new album Runnner simply sounds larger than life. You might think Noah has reached the pinnacle of his career but he’s just scratching the surface. I know there’s more in store, so much more.

PRAYER GROUP – STRAWBERRY

If you don’t believe there’s always something fucked up coming out of the DMV area, you’d be wrong. And right, possibly at the same time. Out of Richmond, Virginia, Prayer Group returns with its new STRAWBERRY (Reptilian Records), an all out attack on the senses leaving absolutely no room for confusion. I read the press release and yes, I had the same apprehension about the band that I read there as well. Given, the band doesn’t care what you call it, so long as you listen. Sure the band is noisy but it’s not a noise band, its roots are left scattered across the ground in punk & hardcore as well, but with a penchant for melody.

The band, made up of singer Matt Voegel, guitarist Nate Dominy, drummer Anthony Stout, and bassist Carl Kranz, create a racket but it’s enticing and the group invites everyone into its sinisterly dark ways. There’s a meshing of sounds here that contain an excruciating amount of power that it may leave listeners wondering how the hell they’ve managed to contain it all. The title track alone rumbles with a cathartic low end, engaged by Stout’s heavy handed percussion, drawing in listeners with hypnotic effect. Voegel’s voice is quite comforting, but when he howls, you’re trapped and the band will never relinquish the chokehold on you. For fuck’s sake, don’t let me out. But then there’s “Pig,” where the band’s repetitive melody, never becoming repetitious, might just remind you of something else altogether. Voegel sings with the manic fervor of Buzz Osbourne as the band grinds through the song, again holding your attention so much musical eloquence.

Like so many groups before it, Prayer Group, does something that makes it stand apart from its contemporaries, and that’s creating something that actually embodies the group itself. Here we have four members with a clear identity that makes it difficult for people to classify. “Plagiarism” could be written and recorded by anyone else but it wouldn’t have the hard-hitting soul of Prayer Group. The song grinds heavily and we get the band has the musical aptitude to create songs that will get stuck in your head. In this world, Prayer Group is unique. Ok, enough of that.

At this moment Strawberry is what we need; a heavy dose of music, away from the consistent shitshow of our own reality that seems to get shittier day after day. So long as we have Prayer Group’s Strawberry, we don’t need anything else.

GANSER – ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Take a moment and catch your breath. Since 2018, Ganser has been churning out albums, singles, remixes, and EPs, grasping better holds of their instruments, embellishing farther into its songwriting with layers of sound, reconstructing itself into what it is today. There have been some changes though with shifting membership as the once 4-piece has reconstituted itself as a trio of Brian Cundiff (drums), Alicia Gaines (bass/vocals), and Sophie Sputnik (vocals, synth). While the personnel may have changed, the band’s style and energy remains.

Ganser showcases it all with Animal Hospital (Felte Records), its third proper full-length album. The band hits its stride from the get-go with the opening “Black Sand,” with its throbbing rhythm and earth-shattering guitar melodies wrapped in distortion, and unrelenting. There’s some dynamic interplay here when the band seemingly slows to a halt and explodes again. The energy is unmatched. While guitarist Charlie Landsman may no longer be a permanent member anymore, it sounds like his presence fills space here; I could be wrong but I’m probably not. The song has bite and draws blood. But it’s “Stripe” that some may find fascinating, like myself. It’s airy as soundwaves drifting around, but with precision. Ganser never relinquishes its own post-punk passion, no matter which direction it may take. The mechanical rhythm suits the band’s needs here, touching on those guitar notes lightly as Gaines’ bass drives the track’s melody.

The band will surprise you as well on songs like “Dig Until I Reach The Moon,” a fascinating display of passionate control with swirling keys and synths, sensual voices, and an unassuming rhythm. You might think Thom Yorke is at the helm but then recognize, “Wait, that isn’t his voice.” But the brief guitar insertion is masterful as well, all tangled together across this glimmering web of sound. It’s followed by the haunting “Grounding Exercises” where the band seems to take its time, creeping in with quite bass notes and controlled noise around it, slowly building around the rhythm. The song takes on a life of its own and barely raises levels, although it has no need for it. The music leads the band to where every member wants and needs to go. While the band can forcefully direct its music to wherever it wants it to go, its more alluring side can’t be ignored. “Speaking Of The Future” offers up just that, with its jazzy intro and percussive intent. Yes, Ganser moves with intention, clear on trying new things and packing it all together, allowing for more space in between its notes and melodies but again, never losing its identity. You can feel this is a Ganser track as it lazily drifts off, but then it gets grounded again. These aren’t the only things the band is able to get across, it can move you on the dancefloor and “Discount Diamonds” gets the fuck down! It’s unassuming, as the band moves from time to time and then when the melody and beat drops, yeah, it takes cues from those that came before it, influenced it, and those artists, some go back 40 years at least. It’s the post-punk dance wave and when they sing “Kids don’t dance anymore,” yes, it’s true. Maybe even 20 years prior they were too cool to dance as well to the sounds of the underground.

Ganser has done something special with Animal Hospital, challenging its own limitations. Just when you may think you have a grasp on the band’s aesthetic, it surprises you with its diversity. Animal Hospital has everything you need.