New Music Friday - October 25, 2024

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

	Alice Longyu Gao - Assembling Symbols into My Own Poetry Watch: "Bird W/O Nest" (featuring Danny Brown) Watch: "Little Piggy"
	Elias Rønnenfelt - Heavy Glory Watch: "No One Else" Watch: "Worm Grew a Spine"
	Laura Marling - Patterns in Repeat Watch: "Patterns" Watch: "No One’s Gonna Love You Like I Can"
	Megan Thee Stallion - MEGAN: Act II Watch: "Bigger in Texas" Listen: "Roc Steady" (featuring Flo Milli)
	Soccer Mommy - Evergreen Watch: "M" Watch: "Driver"

Other Full-Length Releases

2nd Grade - Schedule Explosions Listen: "I Wanna Be on Your Mind" Listen: "Like a Wild Thing"

Amyl and The Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness Watch: "Chewing Gum" Watch: "Big Dreams"

BADBADNOTGOOD - Mid Spiral: Chaos, Order & Growth Watch: "White Light" Watch: "Taco Taco"

The Blessed Madonna - Godspeed Watch: "Edge of Saturday Night" (with Kylie Minogue) Listen: "Godspeed" (featuring DJ E-Clyps)

Fashion Club - A Love You Cannot Shake Watch: "Forget" (featuring Perfume Genius) Watch: "Confusion"

Fievel Is Glauque - Rong Wiecknes Watch: "Love Weapon" Watch: "As Above So Below"

Halsey - The Great Impersonator Watch: "Ego" Watch: "Lucky"

Kaktus Einarsson - Lobster Coda Watch: "Gumbri" (with Damon Albarn) Watch: "White Burn"

Katie Gavin - What a Relief Watch: "Aftertaste" Watch: "Casual Drug Use"

meija - There’s Always Something Watch: "SEVEN" Watch: "DEVOTION"

Nicólas Jaar - Piedras 1 Listen: "Agua pa fantasmas" Listen: "Rio de las tumbas"

Nicólas Jaar - Piedras 2 Listen: "Sin Conexion" Listen: "I, you"

Pixies - The Night the Zombies Came Watch: "Chicken" Watch: "Oyster Beds"

Pom Pom Squad - Mirror Starts Moving without Me Watch: "Spinning" Watch: "Street Fighter"

Underworld - Strawberry Hotel Watch: "Black Poppies" Watch: "Techno Shinkansen"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Ben Folds - Sleigher Watch: "The Christmas Song" Watch: "We Could Have This" (featuring Lindsey Kraft)

Bryan Ferry - Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023 Watch: "She Belongs to Me" Watch: "Star" (featuring Amelia Barratt)

Madi Diaz - Weird Faith (Deluxe Edition) Watch: "Worst Case Scenario" Listen: "Weird Faith" (Demo)

Punitive Damage - Hate Training Listen: "Baptism of Fire" Listen: "Hate Training"

Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory - "Afterlife" Watch: "Afterlife"

Tears for Fears - Songs for a Nervous Planet Watch: "The Girl That I Call Home" Watch: "Astronaut"

Wand - Help Desk / Goldfish Watch: "Goldfish" Listen: "Help Desk"

Wand - In a Capsule Underground… Listen: "The Leap" Listen: "Flying Golem"

New Music Friday - March 10, 2017

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Hurray for the Riff Raff - Navigator Hurray for the Riff Raff is a Americana, folk and blues band fronted by Alyndra Segarra. Influenced by a wide range of artists from Bob Dylan to David Bowie, their sixth album stretches the bounds of their past work. It is part autobiography, part political essay, and part concept album, loosely following the character of a Puerta-Rican punk-folk musician named Navita. The content and risks that the album takes has earned an already-celebrated band even more rave reviews! Watch: "The Navigator" Watch: "Hungry Ghost"

Jay Som - Everybody Works 2016 was a year of hype for Jay Som, aka Melina Duterte. A collection of songs that were initially posted to Bandcamp in 2015 got re-released twice as her debut, Turn Into; initially released in July of last year. She is a true bedroom musician, recording all of her music in a bedroom studio. Where her debut was a collection of demos not necessarily meant for release, her follow-up is more polished, more fully showing the strength of her music and lyrics. Watch: "Baybee" Listen: "1 Billion Dogs"

Laura Marling - Semper Femina I often forget, and find it surprising, that Marling has been so prolific for her age. She is 27 years old and Semper Femina is her sixth album. All of her records are spectacular and she is deftly capable of style progression with each one. She's grown on each release, but has yet to produce anything out of place in her discography. The album's title roughly translates to either "always a woman" or "a woman is a fickle thing," and is Marling's expert take on other women. Watch: "Nothing, Not Nearly" Watch: "Next Time"

The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt has been on this earth for 50 years and, for the band's 11th album, he has written a song for each of them. It's hardly the first time they have put out such a daunting collection of tracks, nor the biggest. That honor belongs to 1999's 69 Love Songs. The band started recording this album on Merritt's 50th birthday (February 9, 2015). It's autobiography presented in the form of music; Merritt is one of very few who could pull it off. Watch: "‘81 How to Play the Synthesizer" Watch: "‘83 Foxx and I"

Tennis - Yours Conditionally Yours Conditionally is the fourth album from this husband-and-wife duo. The pair are starting over following 2014's Ritual in Repeat. They are seeking the same inspiration that drove them at the beginning of their career, the sea. They have returned, somewhat, to the sound of their debut album, 2011's Cape Dory. I liked their early stuff, but was far more drawn to their sound on Ritual in Repeat. This is a good record, but not quite my favorite of theirs. Watch: "Modern Woman" Watch: "In the Morning I’ll Be Better"

Other Full-Length Releases

Cameron Avery - Ripe Dreams, Pipe Dreams Watch: "C’est Toi" Watch: "Wasted on Fidelity"

Century Palm - Meet You Watch: "Then You’re Gone" Watch: "King of John Street"

Damaged Bug - Bunker Funk Listen: "Bog Dash" Listen: "Unmanned Scanner"

Jacques Greene - Feel Infinite Watch: "Afterglow" Listen: "To Say"

Nathan Fake - Providence Watch: "RVK" (featuring Raphaelle) Watch: "HoursDaysMonthsSeasons"

The Shins - Heartworms Watch: "Dead Alive" Watch: "Name for You"

your old droog - Packs Watch: "Help" (featuring Wiki & Edan) Listen: "White Rappers (A Good Guest)"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Beauty and the Beast (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Watch: John Legend & Ariana Grande - "Beauty and the Beast" Listen: "Be Our Guest"

Blonde Redhead - 3 O’Clock Watch: "Golden Light" Listen: "3 O’Clock"

Charli XCX - Number 1 Angel Listen: "Babygirl" (featuring Uffie) Listen: "Dreamer" (featuring Starrah & RAYE)

Jim O’Rourke & Kassel Jaeger - Wakes on Cerulean Listen: "Wakes on Cerulean A" Listen: "Wakes on Cerulean B"

Mai Lan - Vampire EP Watch: "Vampire" Listen: "Pas D’Amour"

Thelma - Thelma Listen: "If You Let It" Listen: "Peach"

Laura Marling - "Gurdjieff's Daughter"

In the video for Short Movie stand-out "Gurdjieff's Daughter," Laura Marling's plays an erratic, though maybe not entirely welcome, house guest. She breezes into a home wearing a simple black dress and interacts with everyone there in some way. Some smile and embrace her, other react coldly and try to ignore her. The video shows a somewhat playful side to an artist who can sometimes come off in a fairly serious manner.

Marling's latest album, Short Movie, was released in March of this year. It's a truly incredible album, which you should check out if you have not already.

New Music Tuesday - March 24, 2015

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

New Full-Length Releases

Action Bronson - Mr. Wonderful This latest album from former chef and rapper Action Bronson is billed as hit debut studio album, though he already has two previous albums, and numerous mixtapes, beneath his belt. It is his debut on a major label; he signed with Atlantic Records in 2013. On the record, the Albanian-American works with Mark Ronson, The Alchemist, Chance The Rapper, and many others. Watch: "Baby Blue" Watch: "Actin Crazy"

Big Data - 2.0 Big Data is the electronic music project of Alan Wilkis. Though this album, with feature spots from the likes of Jamie Lidell and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, was the first I had ever heard of him, he has previously reached number one on the Billboard charts with 2013's "Dangerous." For someone with a number one single, he sure seems to be aiming more for the indie audience with this record; in addition to the names mentioned above, White Sea, Twin Shadow, Bear Hands, and Jenn Wasner are also featured on the record. Watch: "Clean" (featuring Jamie Lidell) Watch: "Snowed In" (featuring Rivers Cuomo)

Chastity Belt - Time to Go Home There have been a lot of jangly surf rock bands surfacing over the past few years (Jaill, The Drums, Real Estate), but the subgenre has been largely a boys' game. Chastity Belt is an all-girl band from Seattle who are proving that the ladies can jangle right along with the men. This is the band's sophomore album. Watch: "Cool Slut" Watch: "Time to Go Home"

Chilly Gonzales - Chambers If there's one thing that seems common among Canadian musicians, it's that they work together frequently. Gonzales himself his often collaborated with Feist, Peaches, and Mocky. His latest album is largely a solo effort, though he does get some help on a couple of compositions. If you want more from Gonzales, be sure to check out his Pop Music Masterclass series on You-Tube, in which he deftly explains the appeal of popular music in music theory terms. Watch: "Advantage Points" Listen: "Sweet Burden"

Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit This Australian musician has mastered the art of the mundane. Her lyrics aren't boring, not by a long shot, but she focuses on the issues and concerns of everyday life. She received a great deal of praise for her previous release, The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, which was a combination of her first two releases. She was looking to meet a lot of expectations with her first full-length, which she has easily done. Watch: "Pedestrian at Best" Watch: "Depreston"

The Cribs - For All My Sisters For All My Sisters is the sixth studio album from this British band of brothers. It's the band's first album since creating their own record label, Sonic Blew, in a deal with Sony RED UK; they were previously signed to Wichita Records. The album was produced by another iconic rock performer, Ric Ocasek. Watch: "Burning for No One" Listen: "An Ivory Hand"

Earl Sweatshirt - I Don’t Do Shit, I Don’t Go Outside Ever since Beyoncé surprise released her 2013 eponymous record, a number of artists have been following suit, though with varying levels of forewarning. Sweatshirt's latest record was announced a week before its release. The announcement was botched by Sony. He has intended to release the music video for "Grief" as a teaser, then announce the record. The label mixed the two up, and left their artist less than pleased. Still, it's an incredible record and a more than worthy follow-up to Doris. Watch: "Grief" Listen: "Wool"

JEFF The Brotherhood - Wasted in the Dream This brother duo has been quite prolific in their 14 years performing together. Wasted on the Dream is their eighth album. They has a bit of a break-out with their previous, Hypnotic Nights, which was produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and was their first to enter the Billboard 200 (it peaked at #198). The follow-up was intended to be their major-label debut; they even received funding from Warner Bros. Then, for some reason, they were dropped from the label. Good new though, the album was already completed and they were able to release it on their own. Listen: "Coat Check Girl" Listen: "What’s a Creep"

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly Although three incredible hip hop albums were released this week, it seems like an exercise in futility to try to compete against Kendrick's magnum opus. The album is already being touted as a strong contender for 2015's album of the year (in terms of year-end reviews, not necessarily the Grammys). The record is definitely a game-changer, with a funk and jazz base and themes of self-doubt, humility, and hypocrisy. Watch: "i" Watch: "King Kunta"

Laura Marling - Short Movie Like so many folk artists before her have done, Laura Marling plugged in for her latest record. After four albums of acoustic guitar mastery, she has traded that in for a gorgeous white Fender (see the "False Hope" video below for a glimpse). Along with a new pixie cut, all this seems to signal a new era for Marling as an alt-rock chanteuse. She maintains the same appeal, though; the songs are expertly written and her warm vocals remain. Watch: "False Hope" Watch: "Short Movie"

Mini Mansions - The Great Pretenders Mini Mansions is a side project formed by Queen's of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shurman when the band took a short break following the Era Vulgaris tour. But be warned, the band sounds nothing like what Shurman creates with QoTSA. Their sound is pure indie pop, with a bit of 60s-inspired psychedelia thrown in. Perhaps it's for this reason that they've attracted some impressive guest vocals on the record; including Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys and Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson. Watch: "Any Emotions" (featuring Brian Wilson) Watch: "Vertigo" (featuring Alex Turner)

Sonnymoon - The Courage of Present Times An astonishing number of singers seem to get their first exposure providing vocal hooks on hip hop tracks. Such is the case for Sonnymoon, whose vocalist, Anna Wise, was featured on Kendrick Lamar's "Money Trees." She also appears on his new album. This is the third album from the duo, who have been working together since 2008. Listen: "Pop Music" Listen: "Grains of Friends"

Van Morrison - Duets: Re-working the Catalogue Van Morrison has a career that spans more than a half century and includes a number of great and iconic songs. He is revisiting many of these songs on his 35th studio album. He's mixing it up by re-recording the songs with a variety of other musicians, both his contemporaries and those who came after. Featured on the record are Michael Bublé, Natalie Cole, Bobby Womack, and Mavis Staples. Listen: "Real Real Gone" (featuring Michael Bublé) Listen: "Some Peace of Mind" (featuring Bobby Womack)

Other New Releases

Johnny Cash - American Recordings Box Set Towards the end of his long career, Johnny Cash released a series of American Recordings albums, of which he recorded six. Twelve year after his death, and just five after the final American Recordings release, all of those recordings are being collected into this box set. Listen: "God’s Gonna Cut You Down" Listen: "The Man Comes Around"

Kelela - Cut 4 Me Reissue Ethiopian-American musician Kelela released her break-out mixtape, Cut 4 Me, back in October of 2013. The tape found its way onto numerous year-end lists. This year, it is getting the re-release treatment, with eight additional remixes added to the original 13 tracks. Listen: "Something Else" Listen: "Cherry Coffee"