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Here's the Bruised Knuckles November playlist. Perfect for crunching through dead leaves and watching it get dark at like 5pm. Follow me on Spotify for more fun jams.
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 Stereogum calls Kississippi a “band to watch,” but with a new EP coming out on 11/20, plenty of people are already watching. Zoë Allaire Reynolds and Colin James Kupson met through Tinder (probably the app's best success story) and began making music under the name Kississippi. On Facebook, they describe themselves as ‘popviolence.’ I was first introduced to Kississippi by “I Can Feel You In My Hair Still” and quickly became obsessed. With lyrics that are incredibly poetic and very very raw, and yet somehow still comforting, Kississippi feels like laying in bed with your head tucked under the comforter thinking about how things used to be.  We Have No Future, We're All Doomed is set to be released this Friday (11/20), but you can pre-order it now through Soft Speak Records. I have had the opportunity to listen to it early, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It incorporates the same melodic/poetic vibe as their other work, just more mature and rounded. The EP starts off slow, with the tracks “Unkempt Leather” and “This Song Used to be About You.” With tracks “Googly Eyes” and “Dogma,” Kississippi experiments with light electronica, making the songs more fast-paced, but keeping the same rhythm as the previous two tracks. “Indigo” and “Greyhound” finish the EP on a strong soft note, which was a brilliant move. “Indigo” reminds me of a softer, sadder Pity Sex and “Greyhound” uses this lovely lyrical repetition that fades out, leaving listeners ready for more. Kupson and I spoke about the EP briefly: What's it like getting so intimate with the public, allowing raw, emotional art to be released to the world? I feel like the art exists in a vacuum and by the time the *public gets it,* the rawness of it is healed away. I've been told the most personal compulsions are also the most universal so it feels kinda easy to relate with an audience. Can you tell me some of the people you listen to in order to draw inspiration? I don't really know who we listen to to draw inspiration! We kind of like to write in a vacuum because it keeps things fresh, though I know personally I draw heavy inspiration from The Cure, Deafheaven, Full of Hell, and Cult Leader. The heaviness and beat manipulation is a powerful thing to draw from. Also, Jesu, Tears for Fears, Makthaverskan, and Death Cab for Cutie. Oh, and Chelsea Wolfe and Self Defense Family. Finally, Kupson said: We wanna make a record that isn't just good; one that kids who like, are BUMMED can cling to. Of course, I’m a selfish listener and want the LP immediately, but I suppose if that’s my only complaint, Kississippi is doing something really amazing here. If you haven’t listened to Kississippi yet, check out their bandcamp and Facebook.
Note: Special thanks to Colin for giving me early access to the EP, all photos from Kississippi's Facebook, artwork by Lane Nelson and Zoë Allaire Reynolds.
On 11/10, Devon Baldwin dropped her much awaited EP, titled Lungs. She was known for her work with G-Eazy, but her solo work is very promising. Listen below to the six tracks. I love the cover art a little more than the EP, but Baldwin has a lot of promise. She is still so new to the game, and needs a lot of maturing- frequently she ends up a little too derivative and poppy for my taste, but I could see most of these tracks catching on as mainstream pop hits. Right Here is very slow, which is interesting to interject in the middle but it builds back up through Ocean and Knock You Down (feat. Skizzy Mars) and finishes relatively strong on Closer. I'd have to say my favorite track is Lungs, the title track. Again, this is just an EP and Baldwin has a lot of growing, but I see big things for her soon.
Note: album art from here and not our own obviously...
On 10/29 G-Eazy released the video for his new single with Bebe Rexha, Me, Myself, & I. Maybe G-Eazy shot himself in the foot with the caliber of his earlier work, because this video and song left me wanting more. Yes, it's catchy and lyrically intelligent, but it's missing something. I do appreciate his conversation with his multiple selves in the bathroom at about 3:35, as a nod to inner anxieties and how we talk to ourselves, but isn't enough to get me by. I also found the product placement for Beats to be a little on the nose. Watch the video below for yourself: His newest album, When It's Dark Out, comes out 12/4, and tours will likely follow. Here's hoping the rest of the album is, maybe a little less commercial? Maybe a little more old G-Eazy?
On 11/6, Maudlin Strangers released a new single, Sunny Day Rain. It's brighter than the rest of their stuff, and a little different, but still worth a listen. Plus, the art is a cross between a 1950's orange juice ad, the water droplet emoji, and a really nostalgic=for-nothing-in-particular vibe.
On 11/5, Noname Gypsy released the single Open Apology. This is a precursor to her upcoming debut album, Telefone. We love Noname Gypsy from her work with Chance the Rapper, especially in Israel (Sparring) and Lost.
Keep on the lookout for Telefone, out soon. 
Album art from here.
W. C. Lindsay released a new single today, Just Another. Just Another is a definite departure from their usual sound, much slower and more mellow, but still holds many of the characteristics we love from them (intellectual emotional lyricism not found elsewhere.) According to FADER, Just Another features the vocals of Lucy Stone: "'Just Another' represents a new speed for us—It's a departure from our normal nostalgia," Lindsay told The FADER over email. "I wanted to make the lyrics more conversational, and my best friend Lucy Stone laid down some beautiful vocal takes that really bring that element to life. I love getting a second voice on tracks, and we haven't had the chance to do that since 'Little Ghost.' Our parts interact and create a vibe you couldn't achieve with one voice." 
This past June, Citizen released a new album, Everybody Is Going To Heaven. On 10/21 they released the music video for the track Yellow Love. It's a beautiful video aesthetically with flora taking the place of blood, however it does have a fair amount of self harm themes for those sensitive to that.
Citizen is on tour now with Circa Survive, dates below. Also, listen to Everybody Is Going To Heaven below. 
Note: tour dates from Citizen's Facebook
On 10/26 Chance The Rapper debuted a new track on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. You can download it free from iTunes and Soundcloud, but listen now here.
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