New Music Friday - June 16, 2017

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Beth Ditto - Fake Sugar Ditto's band Gossip may have gone their separate ways last year, but Fake Sugar is not her first solo outing. It's her first full-length, but she released an EP (just called EP) in 2011. Like her work with Gossip, the style of this album pulls from a wide variety of genres, including dance-pop and garage rock. Here, she is more fully embracing her southern roots and incorporating elements of Southern rock. Watch: "Fire" Listen: "Oo La La"

Big Boi - Boomiverse Big Boi became known as one-half of the duo Outkast, but has had a long solo career, as well. He released his first solo album, Sir Lucious Left Foot in 2010. His most recent output was an unexpected collaboration with Phantogram as Big Grams two years ago. His third album sees him working with some of his more frequent collaborators, including Killer Mike and Sleepy Brown. Watch: "Kill Jill" (featuring Killer Mike & Jeezy) Watch: "Mic Jack" (featuring Adam Levine)

Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up It's been a long while since we last heard from Fleet Foxes. Following the release of 2011's Helplessness Blues, frontman Robin Pecknold took some time to attend Columbia University. He remained active in the music industry, but primarily as a guest on others' albums, including The Walkmen's last album, and Hamilton Leithauser's debut. Despite the gap, this new album is connected to the previous record, with the first track starting where the last track on Helplessness Blues left off. Watch: "Fool's Errand" Watch: "First of May/Ōdaigahara"

Lorde - Melodrama I was initially dismissive of Lorde. I recall a friend telling me about this new "Royals" song on the pop stations and I responded that I did not listen to those stations. Once I did hear her music, I was blown away. She doesn't really sound like any other pop artists out there and her follow-up album is even better than her debut. It's a surprisingly insightful post-breakup album from an artist barely out of her teens. Watch: "Green Light" Listen: "Liability"

Showtime Goma - Smiley Face Showtime Goma is Jen Goma of A Sunny Day in Glasgow. The band is still together, but she is embarking on her first solo project. She has spent the past few years working with a variety of artists, including Deerhoof, Ice Choir, and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Greg Saunier of Deerhoof returns the favor here, helping to produce the record. Watch: "Propel" Watch: "Secret NRG"

Other Full-Length Releases

2 Chainz - Pretty Girls Like Trap Music Watch: "Good Drank" (featuring Quavo & Gucci Mane) Listen: "4 AM" (featuring Travis Scott)

ARCADEA - ARCADEA Watch: "Army of Electrons" Listen: "Infinite End"

The Drums - “Abysmal Thoughts” Watch: "Blood Under My Belt" Listen: "Heart Basel"

Jason Loewenstein - Spooky Action Watch: "Machinery" Listen: "Superstitious"

Jefre Cantu-Ledesma - On the Echoing Green Watch: "Tenderness" Listen: "A Song of Summer"

Kevin Morby - City Music Watch: "City Music" Watch: "Aboard My Train"

Palehound - A Place I’ll Always Go Watch: "Cushioned Caging" Watch: "If You Met Her"

Peacers - Introducing the Crimsmen Watch: "Haptic Chillweed" Watch: "Staying Home"

Peaking Lights - The Fifth State of Consciousness Listen: "Everytime I See The Light" Listen: "Coyote Ghost Melodies"

Portugal. The Man - Woodstock Watch: "Feel It Still" Watch: "So Young"

Ride - Weather Diaries Watch: "Charm Assault" Watch: "All I Want"

Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark? Watch: "I Only Lie When I Love You" Watch: "Hook, Line & Sinker"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

David Bowie - "Be My Wife" Picture Disc Listen: "Be My Wife"

Palm - Shadow Expert Watch: "Shadow Expert" Listen: "Walkie Talkie"

TOKiMONSTA - "Don’t Call Me" Watch: "Don’t Call Me" (featuring Yuna)

New Album Tuesday - February 10, 2015

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

New Full-Length Albums

Caught on Tape - Full Bleed Former Sonic Youth frontman Thurston More engages in some freak-out noise rock improvisational sessions with John Moloney (who he collaborated with as Chelsea Light Moving). It follows his 2014 solo album and the album with Chelsea Light Moving released the year before. Listen: "Full Bleed" Listen: "Age Limit"

Death Grips - The Power That B This should, theoretically, be the last release from Death Grips, who "broke up" last year (though this is their second release this year). The new album completes a double album project, the first half of which, Niggas on the Moon, was released in June of last year. Technically, its companion record, Jenny Death, has not yet been released, but presumably those tracks are featured here. Watch: "Inanimate Sensation" Listen: "Up My Sleeves"

The Dø - Shake Shook Shaken The Dø is a French/Finnish indie pop group with a fairly obvious nod towards Björk's unique brand of pop. I found out about them following a feature of lead singer, Olivia Merilahti, in Lucky magazine. I didn't know anything about them, but was intrigued by the magazine's description of their music. I've loved them ever since. Shake Shook Shaken is their third album. Watch: "Despair, Hangover & Ecstasy" Listen: "Miracles (Back in Time)"

Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear Father John Misty, real name Josh Tillman, continues his swaggering indie folk persona on his second album under the newer name. The album is a concept record about himself; it deals with his personal life, regretted behaviors, and his relationship with his wife. Watch: "Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)" Listen: "Bored in the USA"

Jefre Cantu-Ledesma - A Year with 13 Moons Jefre Cantu-Ledesma is a multi-instrumentalist and record label owner who has been involved with a number of bands during his career. He has also worked with many other artists in the drone and ambient community, including Grouper and Oneohtrix Point Never. Cantu-Ledesma is extremely prolific and A Year with 13 Moons follows a long string of both solo and collaborative work. Watch: "Pale Flower" Watch: "Love After Love"

Rhiannon Giddens - Tomorrow Is My Turn Rhiannon Giddens made a name for herself as a member of the Grammy-winning Americana group, the Carolina Chocolate Drops. She was also the sole female member of The New Basement Tapes, who released an album of songs based off of unrecorded Bob Dylan lyrics last year. She is following that up with her first solo album, which consists of songs previously made famous by other female artists. Listen: "Black Is the Color" Listen: "Shake Sugaree"

Rone - Creatures Rone is a French electronic musician with three studio albums and six EPs under his belt. In 2013, he collaborated with The National on their album Trouble Will Find Me, providing electronic instrumentation. He gets some help in return for his latest album; one of the band's twin guitarists, Brian Dessner, features on a track. Listen: "Elle" (featuring Brian Dessner) Listen: "Ouija"

William Ryan Fritch - Revisionist William Ryan Fritch is one of an increasing number of musicians affiliated in some way with Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver). He played with Volcano Choir member Jon Mueller in Death Blues. This is his sixth studio album. Watch: "Thankless Deeds" Watch: "Still" (featuring Esmé Patterson)

Other New Releases

St. Vincent - St. Vincent Deluxe Edition St. Vincent released one of, if not the best album last year, and won her first Grammy earlier this year for it! The album is getting the reissue treatment this year, with the two songs she released for Black Friday Record Store Day, along with a few other new tracks, added to the record. Listen: "Bad Believer" Listen: "Pieta"

The Twilight Sad - "I Could Give You All That You Don’t Want" The Twilight Sad released the long-winded Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave in October of last year. The second longest song (title-wise) after the title track is getting released as a single this year, backed with a much shorter new song from the Scottish band. Watch: "I Could Give You All That You Don’t Want" Listen: "The Airport"

Zola Jesus - "Hunger"/"Compass" Zola Jesus also released her latest album in October of last year. Her newest single release comes with a brand new song of her own. Watch: "Hunger" Listen: "Compass"