From Moneybagg Yo to Valerie June, these 6 Memphis artists have new music you shouldn't miss
The summer of 2024 is proving to be a busy time for Memphis music and artists.
The past few weeks have and will continue to see a spate of LPs, EPs and singles from a variety of local acts, from hip-hop chart-toppers to veteran punk rockers, soul queens to Americana singer-songwriters.
Here are some new local records generating good buzz, as well as information on accompanying release shows.
Valerie June
West Tennessee native and onetime Memphian Valerie June has recently released two new singles with strong Bluff City ties. Back in 2022, June collaborated with Stax Records queen Carla Thomas on the Grammy-nominated "Call Me A Fool." Now, June and Thomas have teamed up with the students of the Stax Music Academy for a cover of song by Staple Singers patriarch Pops Staples. The tune, “Friendship” — which originally appeared on Staples’ posthumous 2015 collection, “Don’t Lose This” (produced by his daughter, Mavis Staples and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy) — is being released in celebration of Mavis’ 85th birthday.
Produced by June and recorded at Stax Music Academy, the song follows the release of last month’s “High Note,” another June collab with the students of Stax Music Academy. As June notes, “Without Mavis and Carla, the students would not have the Stax Music Academy or the rich legacy they’ve paved for the community to thrive through educating the next generation of musicians. To have a dear friend like Carla sing it in celebration of another queen — Mavis — is a full circle gift.”
Both “Friendship” and “High Note” are available for streaming now.
Mark Edgar Stuart
A longtime veteran of the Memphis music scene, mostly as a bass player and band member (of the Pawtuckets and The Secret Service, among others), Mark Edgar Stuart stepped out as a solo artist more than a decade ago with his acclaimed 2013 debut, “Blues for Lou.” A clever craftsman of story songs, Stuart continued to win over fans and critics with several more albums of smartly spun tales.
His latest, “Never Far Behind,” was produced by Texas-turned-Memphis guitar great Will Sexton. Sexton’s wife, Americana artist Amy LaVere, duets with Stuart on “We Better Call It A Day,” while a cast of top Bluff City musicians and vocalists (Susan Marshall, Kelley Mickwee) also contribute to the project. Across 10 tracks, Stuart showcases his wit and way with words on clever numbers like “Sleight of Hand, “I’m Not That Kid Anymore” and “The Ballad of Jerry Phillips," a tribute to the Sun Records scion.
Stuart will celebrate the release of “Never Far Behind” with a show on July 28 at Hernando’s Hideaway.
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Aaron James
A member of the Memphis arts/music/design collective Unapologetic, Aaron James is a singer-songwriter who first drew serious notice with his 2022 LP debut, “Nobody Really Makes Love Anymore." The Pennsylvania native, who came to the Bluff City to attend the University of Memphis and eventually fell in with the Unapologetic crew, has just released a new EP, “The Last Day of the Cold.” The four-song set further refines the delicate beauty of James' fingerpicked guitar/folk-pop sound.
James is set to play the Overton Park Shell, as part of the venue’s Orion Free Concert Series, on Sept. 27.
The Subteens
Formed in the mid-‘90s, Memphis punk band The Subteens burned bright for a decade on the local music scene, releasing a pair of platters, including the 1999 classic “Burn Your Cardigan,” before splitting up. After reuniting for some live shows, in 2022, the group — Mark Akin, John Bonds and Jay Hines — released their first new album in nearly 20 years. Now the band is back with a 25th anniversary reissue of “Burn Your Cardigan,” available for the first time on vinyl in a deluxe package that includes rare photos and liner notes by rock critic Chris Davis.
Moneybagg Yo
Multiplatinum Memphis rapper Moneybagg Yo is back this summer with his much-anticipated fifth studio album. Released in June, Moneybagg’s “Speak Now” follows his 2021 LP, “A Gangsta’s Pain,” which became a breakthrough hit, topping the pop album charts. The new 17-track effort is an expansive affair featuring collaborations with country star Morgan Wallen (“Whiskey Whiskey)", R&B singer Chris Brown (“Drunk Off You”), rappers Lil Durk (“Gangsta Relate”), Kevo Muney (“Go Gho$t”) and more. The album has already spawned one Top 40 hit in “Tryna Make Sure,” and a new single, "Taboo Miami," is making its way up the charts, while the record itself debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the rap charts.
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Chris Milam
Memphis singer-songwriter Chris Milam’s third album, “Orchid South,” offers a different feel than his previous efforts, 2017’s "Kids These Days" and 2020’s "Meanwhile." A smart and adept tunesmith, who’s offered up folk/pop and Americana sounds in the past, the new album finds Milam cutting mostly live, sounding loose and hitting a sweet spot with a set of classic Memphis power-pop tracks. Once again working at High/Low Recording in Memphis with producer Toby Vest, Milam has organically evolved his sound, with what feels like his strongest effort yet.
Milam will play a show to mark the release of “Orchid South” on Aug. 10 at Railgarten.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: New music releases: Albums to check out from Memphis artists | List
