New Music Friday - September 22, 2017

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Amadou & Mariam - La Confusion Watch: "Bofou Safou" Watch: "La Confusion"

Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun                           Watch: "16 Psyche" Watch: "The Culling"

Jhené Aiko - Trip         Watch: "Sativa" (featuring Rae Sremmurd) Listen: "Moments" (featuring Big Sean)

Kele Okereke - Fatherland                       Watch: "Yemaya" Watch: "Do U Right"

Moses Sumney - Aromanticism Watch: "Indulge Me" Watch: "Doomed"

Other Full-Length Releases

Ben Stevenson - Cara Cara Watch: "Honeycola" Listen: "Cara Cara"

The Blow - Brand New Abyss Watch: "The Woman You Want Her to Be" Listen: "Get Up"

Cut Copy - Haiku from Zero Watch: "Airborne" Watch: "Standing in the Middle of the Field"

DJ Kay Slay - The Big Brother Listen: "Wild One" (featuring Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, & Meet Sims) Listen: "Cold Summer" (featuring Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Gates, Mac Miller, & Rell)

Fergie - Double Dutchess Watch: "You Already Know" (featuring Nicki Minaj) Watch: "Save It Til Morning"

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Luciferian Towers Listen: "Anthem for No State, Pt. III" Listen: "Undoing a Luciferian Towers"

Hiss Golden Messenger - Hallelujah Anyhow Watch: "When the Wall Comes Down" Listen: "Domino (Time Will Tell)"

The Horrors - V Watch: "Machine" Watch: "Weighed Down"

Howard Ivans - Beautiful Tired Bodies Watch: "Come On" Watch: "King of Careless"

Jaws of Love - Tasha Sits Close to the Piano Watch: "Jaws of Love" Watch: "Love Me Like I’m Gone"

The Killers - Wonderful Wonderful Watch: "The Man" Watch: "Run for Cover"

Macklemore - Gemini Watch: "Good Old Days" (featuring Kesha) Watch: "Glorious" (featuring Skylar Grey)

Rapsody - Laila’s Wisdom Watch: "Power" (featuring Kendrick Lamar & Lance Skiiiwalker) Listen: "Laila’s Wisdom"

Lily & Horn Horse - Next to Me Listen: "Next to Me, Pt. 1" Listen: "Scumbag’s Apprentice"

Linda Perhacs - I’m a Harmony Listen: "Winds of the Sky" Listen: "The Dancer"

METZ - Strange Peace Watch: "Cellophane" Watch: "Drained Lake"

Omni - Multi-task Watch: "Southbound Station" Listen: "Equestrian"

Peach Pyramid - Repeating Myself Watch: "Trying" Watch: "Repeating Myself"

Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger in the Alps Watch: "Motion Sickness" Watch: "Funeral"

Prawn - Run Watch: "Rooftops" Listen: "North Lynx"

Van Morrison - Roll with the Punches Watch: "Transformation" Watch: "Bring It on Home to Me"

Wand - Plum Watch: "Bee Karma" Watch: "Plum"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Björk - "The Gate" Watch: "The Gate"

Brian Wilson - Playback: The Brian Wilson Anthology Watch: "Heroes and Villains" Listen: "Run James Run"

Burial - "Rodent" 10” Listen: "Rodent" Listen: "Rodent" (Kode9 Remix)

Jamie Lidell - Extended Beginnings Listen: "You Rewind" Listen: "Love Me Please"

The Lemon Twigs - Brothers of Destruction Listen: "Night Song" Listen: "Why Didn’t You Say That?"

Mastodon - Cold Dark Place Watch: "Toe to Toes" Listen: "Blue Walsh"

The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request 50th Anniversary Reissue Watch: "Sing This All Together" Watch: "Citadel"

Sincerely, L. Cohen: A Live Celebration of Leonard Cohen Listen: Delicate Steve - "Hallelujah"

New Music Tuesday - July 22, 2014

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

New Full-Length Releases

Common - Nobody's Smiling Common took a bit of a break after 2011's The Dreamer/The Believer, Common is back with an amazing follow-up. For this release, he was influenced by the well-reported crime and gun violence issues in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Despite being a well-established artist (this is his 10th album), he worked with a number of newer performers on this release, including Big Sean, Jhené Aiko, and Vince Staples. Watch: "Diamonds" Watch: "Kingdom"

The Raveonettes - Pe'ahi Well, this one was a surprise. Pulling off indie music's version of a Beyoncé, The Raveonettes dropped this album with no promotion and released videos for each of the album's tracks (though, they're all simple lyric videos, nothing fancy like Bey). The album, named for a Hawai'ian surfing spot, came about following the death of Sune Rose Wagner's father; though the band also drew inspiration from other experiences over the past few years. Watch: "Endless Sleeper" Listen: "Sisters"

Other New Releases

Bleached - For the Feel EP The band Bleached released their debut album, Ride Your Heart, last year. The title track to this new EP was recorded during the same sessions, but didn't quite work on that release. They're releasing it this year, with a couple of other new tracks, including a cover of the iconic "Poison Ivy," original performed by The Coasters. Watch: "Poison Ivy" Listen: "For the Feel"

Cut Copy - Free Your Mind Deluxe Edition Cut Copy released their fourth album in November of last year. Eight months later, it's getting the reissue treatment, with the inclusion of five additional tracks. Watch: "Meet Me in the House of Love" Watch: "We Are Explorers"

DJ Kitty Cash - Love the Free II Love the Free is a burgeoning series of mix tapes curated by Brooklyn's DJ Kitty Cash. Her second foray includes tracks from SZA, Willow Smith, and Dev Hynes. Listen: SZA - "Moodring" Listen: Wet - "Move Me"

Jamie T - "Don't You Find" Finally! After a five-year hiatus, British rock-rapper Jamie T will be back with a new album at the end of September. Before that, though, he has released the first track and accompanying video for the album; the song is the wistful "Don't You Find." Watch: "Don't You Find"

New Music Tuesday - November 5, 2013

New Full-Length Releases

Bryce Dessner & Kronos Quartet - Aheym The Kronos Quartet is a Seattle-based string ensemble which has been around for about forty years. They have put out 43 studio albums in their time together. For their latest record, they've partnered with The National guitarist Bryce Dessner, who composed all of the songs on the record. Listen/Watch: "Aheym"

Cut Copy - Free Your Mind For their fourth studio album, Cut Copy sought inspiration from various "Summers of Love;" specifically San Francisco's 1967 and Britain's 1988 (perhaps that explains the somewhat trippy artwork). They really wanted to push the concept of freedom with this latest release. What's important to me, though, is that this is an album that I can love as much as their previous, Zonoscope. Based on the early singles, I don't doubt that I will. Watch: "Free Your Mind"

M.I.A. - Matangi M.I.A. has never been one to shy away from controversy. For her latest album, named for her own birth name as well as a Hindu goddess, she addresses one directly. At the 2012 Super Bowl half-time show, she threw up a middle finger live on air, which she references in the track "Boom Skit." I don't expect controversy to stop following this artist anytime soon, but it's a large part in what makes her work so compelling. Listen/Watch: "Bring the Noize"

MellowHigh - MellowHigh The Odd Future juggernaut continues to ride along! MellowHigh, which features members Domo Genesis, Hidgy Beats and Left Brain, is one of many subgroups within the Odd Future gang, and itself is an offshoot of another subgroup, MellowHype. This is their debut album. In contrast to the sometimes violent lyrical content of other Odd Future records, this one takes a more, well, mellow approach. Which means, if you can't tell from the album artwork, that smoking is frequently discussed. Listen/Watch: "Extinguisher"

Other New Releases

Birdsmell - "Throw My Mess Around"/"Tulsa" I'll try to ignore the absolutely horrible name that Ben Bridwell chose for his solo project and instead focus on what an incredible musician I think that he is. The Band of Horses frontman is stepping out on his own and just completed a short tour as a solo artist. This is his first single and I hope it's indicative of even more great music to come! Listen: "Throw My Mess Around"

Bright Eyes - A Christmas Album Bright Eye's Christmas album was initially released eleven years ago and rereleased on vinyl four years ago. Now, just in time for Christmas 2013, it is getting another vinyl rerelease! Listen: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

Colin Meloy - Colin Meloy Sings The Kinks EP Colin Meloy, frontman for The Decemberists, is about to embark on a short solo tour starting in January. He's recorded as a solo artist since 2005, mostly releasing covers EP. In the past, he has covered Morrissey, Shirley Jones and Sam Cooke. Iconic rock band The Kinks are next on his radar. Listen: "Do You Remember Walter?"

David Bowie - The Next Day Extra David Bowie released his 24th studio album, The Next Day, in March of this year. As seems to be becoming more and more frequent, it's already getting a bonus track-packed rerelease within the same year. Extra features a couple of remixes and several brand new tracks. Listen/Watch: "The Next Day"

Music from and Inspired By 12 Years a Slave 12 Years a Slave was released on November 8 and is already being heralded as a potential frontrunner in next years Academy Awards. A number of prominent artists have contributed to the film's soundtrack, including Laura Mvula, Alabama Shakes and John Legend. Listen: John Legend - "Move" (featuring Fink)

No Joy - Pastel and Pass Out EP No Joy released their latest full-length, Wait to Pleasure, in April of this year. They've wasted no time in releasing a follow-up EP. It's meant to serve as an extension of that last release, to expand and grow upon the sounds introduced there. Listen: "Last Boss"

Roman Remains - Energy You EP If there was ever a younger band that I think carried on the torch lit by Blondie in the late 1970s, it is The Duke Spirit. The British band, fronted by Leila Moss, had a similarly diverse sound and an amazing frontwoman. It's been a couple of years since their last album, but in the meantime, Leila, along with bandmate Toby Butler are exploring a new project. Listen/Watch: "This Stone Is Starting to Bleed"

Sore Eros & Kurt Vile - Jamaica Plain EP Kurt Vile has been a very busy artist this year. He's released a solo album, an EP and an expanded version of that same solo album. Here, he's putting out a collaborative EP with solo indie musician Sore Eros (Robert Robinson). Listen: "Jamaica Plain"

Tennis - Small Sound EP Tennis is a husband-wife duo who have become known for putting out catchy, but very twee music. Something happened when I first listened to this new EP, though, I realized that they are starting to expand beyond that sound. Small Sound is more grown up and confident, a shift that can only make their music even better. Listen: "Mean Streets"

Yo La Tengo - "Super Kiwi"/"A Day in the Life of a Tree" "Super Kiwi" is a track from the deluxe edition of Yo La Tengo's Fade (released in January). It's getting released as a stand-alone single with the B-side "A Day in the Life of a Tree." Listen: "Super Kiwi"