New Music Friday - June 2, 2017

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Amber Coffman - City of No Reply Coffman was previously a member of the Dirty Projectors before being left out of their most recent record, which was basically a Dave Longstreth solo project. Despite what one may assume given the drama around that album, Longstreth was a integral part of the writing and recording of this record, and also produced the record. Written before the fallout, this album contains none of the anger or vitriol of Dirty Projectors, but is instead light and poppy. Watch: "No Coffee" Watch: "All to Myself"

Benjamin Booker - Witness Witness is the sophomore album from Booker, following his 2014 self-titled debut. The album came about following an extended sojourn to Mexico that Booker embarked on in an attempt to overcome writer's block. It was inspired in part by events such as the killing of Trayvon Martin and the Black Lives Matter movement. Listen: "Witness" (featuring Mavis Staples) Listen: "Believe"

Chastity Belt - I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone This is the third album from Chastity Belt, who debuted in 2013 with No Regerts and followed that up two years ago with Time to Go Home. On this album, the band does what any good ensemble should do overtime, grows up. They started out with with high-energy instrumentals and humorous lyrics, but turn their focus inward here, with lyrics detailing the anxieties and doubts of life. Watch: "Different Now" Watch: "Used to Spend"

Dan Auerbach - Waiting on a Song Auerbach is best known as the guitarist and frontman for The Black Keys, but has been pursuing various projects outside the band over the past couple of years, including producing and another band, The Arcs. Waiting on a Song is not his first solo record; he first went solo in 2009 with Keep It Hid, which was a bluesier outing. His second solo record is lighter and more influenced by country and soul from the 70s. Watch: "Waiting on a Song" Watch: "King of a One Horse Town"

Noga Erez - Off the Radar Erez is an Israeli electronic musician who grew up with piano and guitar lessons, studied composition, and served as a military musician in the Israeli army. Her music is often political, detailing life surrounded by war and single horrific events. Off the Radar is her debut album. Watch: "Toy" Watch: "Off the Radar"

Other Full-Length Releases

alt-J - Relaxer Watch: "Adeline" Watch: "In Cold Blood"

Beach Fossils - Somersault Watch: "Down the Line" Watch: "Saint Ivy"

Bleachers - Gone Now Watch: "Don’t Take the Money" Watch: "I Miss Those Days"

Celebration - Wounded Healer Watch: "Rolling On" Listen: "Freedom Ring"

Charlie Fink - Cover My Tracks Watch: "I Was Born to Be a Cowboy" Watch: "Firecracker"

Jesu/Sun Kil Moon - 30 Seconds to the Decline of Planet Earth Listen: "He’s Bad"

Marika Hackman - I’m Not Your Man Watch: "Boyfriend" Watch: "My Lover Cindy"

Mutoid Man - War Moans Listen: "Kiss of Death" Listen: "Melt Your Mind"

Pixx - The Age of Anxiety Watch: "I Bow Down" Watch: "Waterslides"

Roger Waters - Is This the Life We Really Want? Watch: "The Last Refugee" Listen: "Déjà Vu"

Smidley - Smidley Watch: "Dead Retrievers" Watch: "Fuck This"

Spectre Folk - Vol. 4 Listen: "Blowing Tornadoes" Listen: "Bremsstrahlung"

TOPS - Sugar at the Gate Watch: "Petals" Watch: "Further"

Ulrika Spacek - Modern English Decoration Watch: "Full of Men" Listen: "Mimi Pretend"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Amber Arcades - Cannonball Watch: "Can’t Say That We Tried" Watch: "Wouldn’t Even Know" (featuring Bill Ryder Jones)

Ashleigh Ball - Gold in You Watch: "Crazy" Watch: "Gold in You"

Depeche Mode - Black Celebration Reissue Listen: "Black Celebration" Listen: "Fly on the Windscreen"

Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses Reissue Watch: "Never Let Me Down Again" Listen: "The Things You Said"

Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward Reissue Listen: "Something to Do" Listen: "Lie to Me"

Iggy Pop - The Idiot Reissue Listen: "Nightclubbing" Listen: "China Girl"

Iggy Pop - Lust for Life Reissue Watch: "Lust for Life" Listen: "The Passenger"

Iggy Pop - TV Eye Reissue

The Kills - Echo Home - Non-Electric EP Watch: "Wait" (Non-Electric) Watch: "Desperado" (Non-Electric)

Mavis Staples - Mavis Staples: I’ll Take You There - An All-Star Concert Celebration Listen: "I’ll Take You There" Listen: "Eyes on the Prize"

PARTYNEXTDOOR - COLOURS 2 Listen: "Peace of Mind" Listen: "Freak in You"

Wilder Maker - "New Streets"/"Only Child" Watch: "Only Child" Listen: "New Streets"

Wonder Woman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Listen: Sia - "To Be Human" (featuring Labrinth) Listen: Rupert Gregson-Williams - "Wonder Woman’s Wrath"

New Music Friday - January 22, 2016

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Chairlift - Moth Following the release of a solo album and an EP from frontwoman Caroline Polachek (under the name Ramona Lisa) in 2014, it seemed that this band was in the midst of a break. Turns out, the band was still hard at work, preparing their third album. They continue making their special brand of artsy pop. The album was highly anticipated and received glowing reviews upon its release. Watch: "Romeo" Watch: "Ch-Ching"

Eleanor Friedberger - New View Eleanor Friedberger is a member of a band currently on hiatus. She was one-half of The Fiery Furnaces with her brother Matthew, but they went their separate ways in 2011, both embarking on solo careers. New View is her third album, on which she grapples with life as a solo artist and approaching 40. Watch: "Sweetest Girls" Watch: "He Didn’t Mention His Mother"

Savages - Adore Life Savages had a hard act to follow in their 2013 debut, Silence Yourself. In a statement released along with the album's announcement back in October, they seemed to acknowledge some of the inherent difficulty in following up a much celebrated record, stating it was about "recognizing your potential" and "self-doubt and inaction," and so on. Watch: "The Answer" Watch: "Adore"

Shearwater - Jet Plane and Oxbow Shearwater is one of those reliably consistent bands with a fairly well-defined sound and lyrical content. That consistency doesn't keep them from trying to expand and improve. On their latest, they've enlisted previous collaborators, tour mates, and film composer Brian Reitzell. The result is an album that still fits within my purview of the band's sound, but manages to add something new into that equation. Watch: "Quiet Americans" Listen: "Only Child"

Other Full-Length Releases

Adrian Younge - Something About April II Listen: "Memories of War" (featuring Laetitia Sadler) Listen: "Sittin’ By the Radio" (featuring Loren Oden)

The Besnard Lakes - A Coliseum Complex Museum Watch: "The Plain Moon" Listen: "Nightingale"

Bonnie “Prince” Billy - Pond Scum Watch: "When Thy Song Flows Through Me" Listen: "Rich Wife Full of Happiness"

Charlie Hilton - Palana Listen: "100 Million" (featuring Mac DeMarco) Listen: "Funny Anyway"

The I Don’t Cares - Wild Stab Listen: "Born for Me" Listen: "King of America"

Jesu & Sun Kil Moon - Jesu/Sun Kil Moon Listen: "America’s Most Wanted Mark Kozelek & John Dillinger" Listen: "Exodus"

Sam Means - 10 Songs Watch: "We’re Alone"

Tindersticks - The Waiting Room Watch: "Were We Once Lovers?" Watch: "Hey Lucinda"

Ty Segall - Emotional Mugger Listen: "Diversion" Listen: "Leopard Priestess"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

METZ - "Eraser"/"Pure Auto" Watch: "Eraser" Listen: "Pure Auto"

SAD13 & Lizzo - "Basement Queens" Listen: "Basement Queens"

Sonic Youth - Experimental Jet Set, Trash, and No Star Reissue Listen: "Winner’s Blues" Listen: "Bull in the Heather"

Sonic Youth - NYC Ghosts and Flowers Reissue Listen: "Free City Rhymes" Listen: "Renegade Princess"