New Music Tuesday - September 25, 2015

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Chvrches - Every Open Eye Chvrches became a fast favorite of mine following the release of their 2013 debut album, The Bones of What You Believe. The timing of this follow-up came as no surprise; the band kept their fans updated at nearly every point of the process, which began just earlier this year. With a quick turn-around and high expectations, I was expecting to be a little disappointed by this. The band dug in their heels on their style, though, and crafted another album of epic pop tracks, just as incredible as their first. Watch: "Leave a Trace" Watch: "Clearest Blue"

The Dead Weather - Dodge & Burn Jack White is a smart man when it comes to the music industry and he pulled one of his smartest moves with this side project, selecting Alison Mosshart as the primary vocalist. She is easily one of my favorite voices in rock, but with four years since her last recorded material (Blood Pressures with The Kills), I was getting a little antsy to hear her again. This latest album from White's best post-White Stripes band is a welcome return, and an amazing release. Watch: "I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)" Listen: "Cop and Go"

Disclosure - Caracal Disclosure also had a beloved debut album to live up to. They became another favorite of mine after 2013's Settle. Like that album, the follow-up contains a bunch of club-ready tracks featuring a bevy of guests vocalists. Sam Smith is back on this album; Disclosure also enlisted Miguel, The Weekend, and Lorde for this go-around. The result is maybe not as good as their first, but still a collection of songs bound to make me bust a move. Watch: "Magnets" (featuring Lorde) Watch: "Omen" (featuring Sam Smith)

Julia Holter - Have You in My Wilderness Julia Holter provides one of the most simply pleasurable listening experiences. Although there's an experimental edge, her style of songwriting and instrumentation creates an incredibly calming mood. With four albums in five years, she's also a rare musician who can be incredibly prolific and not somehow misstep. Watch: "Feel You" Watch: "Sea Calls Me Home"

Kurt Vile - b’lieve i’m goin down Vile is another artist who seems unable to do wrong. He's released six albums in seven years and each is as good as, if not better than, the last. He's always been a great songwriter, but outdoes himself on each record. This almost feels like peak Vile, with some truly mind-boggling lyrical moves. Watch: "Life Like This" Watch: "Pretty Pimpin"

Other Full-Length Releases

Casey Veggies - Live & Grow Watch: "Tied Up" (featuring Dej Loaf) Listen: "I’m Blessed"

Girl Band - Holding Hands with Jamie Watch: "Pears for Lunch" Watch: "Paul"

JR JR - JR JR Watch: "Gone" Watch: "As Time Goes"

New Order - Music Complete Watch: "Restless" Listen: "Plastic"

No Devotion - Permanence Watch: "Addition" Listen: "Permanent Sunlight"

Peaches - RUB Watch: "Dick in the Air" Watch: "Close Up"

Rey Pila - The Future Sugar Listen: "Fire Away" (featuring Julian Casablancas) Listen: "What a Nice Surprise"

Ricked Wicky - Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair Watch: "Poor Substitute" Listen: "Simple Simon Paper Plates"

Ryan Adams - 1989 Listen: "Bad Blood" Listen: "Shake It Off"

Sexwitch - Sexwitch Listen: "Helelyos" Listen: "Ha Howa Ha Howa"

WAND - 1000 Days Listen: "Stolen Footsteps" Listen: "Dungeon Dropper"

The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Harmlessness Listen: "I Can Be Afraid of Anything" Listen: "Wendover"

Youth Lagoon - Savage Hills Ballroom Watch: "Highway Patrol Stun Gun" Watch: "The Knower"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Arcade Fire - "Get Right"/"Crucified Again" Listen: "Get Right" Listen: "Crucified Again"

Big Boi + Phantogram - Big Grams Watch: "Fell in the Sun" Listen: "Lights On"

David Bowie - Five Years 1969-1973 Listen: "All the Madmen" (Single Edit)

Dumb Numbers - Split Series

Wiley - "Step 2001" Listen: "Step 2001" (featuring Zomby)

YG, Blanco & DB Tha General - California Livin Listen: "G Thang" Listen: "Block Party"

New Music Friday - July 24, 2015

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Ducktails - St. Catherine Matthew Mondanile daylights as the guitarist for Real Estate, but has maintained his Ducktails solo project for nine years. He hones his style more and more with each record. Here, on his fifth album under the project, he sounds like his own unique band more than ever before. He's not the only member of Real Estate pursuing a solo project; look for an album from bassist Alex Bleeker soon! Watch: "Headbanging in the Mirror" Listen: "Surreal Exposure"

Watkins Family Hour - Watkins Family Hour Watkins Family Hour is not, strictly speaking, a family affair. Sean and Sara Watkins are brother and sister, and have long performed together as members of Nickel Creek, but they bring some other musicians to the table for this album. Several past collaborators become a part of the family here; including Don Heffington, Greg Leisz, Sebastian Steinberg, and Fiona Apple. Watch: "Steal Your Heart Away" Listen: "Going Going Gone"

Other Full-Length Releases

Mas Ysa - Seraph Watch: "Margarita" Listen: "Gun" (featuring Nicole Miglis)

On an On - And the Wave Has Two Sides Listen: "Icon Love" Listen: "Behind the Gun"

Ricked Wicky - King Heavy Metal Listen: "Tomfoole Terrific" Listen: "This Has Been My Picture"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Chris Staples - Cheap Shades EP Listen: "Cheap Shades" Listen: "Center of the Universe"

Cyril Hahn - Begin EP Listen: "Same" (featuring Yumi Zouma) Listen: "Last" (featuring Joel Ford)

David Bowie - Fame Picture Disc Listen: "Fame" Listen: "Right"

Django Django - Reflections 12" Watch: "Reflections" Listen: "Reflections" (Happa Remix)

Jessy Lanza - You Never Show Your Love Watch: "You Never Show Your Love" Listen: "Fuck Diamond" (Bambounou Remix)

Matthew E. White - Fresh Blood: No Skin Listen: "Vision" (No Skin Version) Listen: "Holy Moly"

Peaches - "Bodyline" Listen: "Bodyline"

Roger Waters - Amused to Death Reissue Listen: "Too Much Rope" Listen: "Watching TV"

Southpaw (Music from and Inspired By the Motion Picture) Watch: Eminem - "Phenomenal" Listen: Action Bronson - "What About the Rest of Us"

Yung - "Blanket"/"Burning Bodies" Listen: "Blanket" Listen: "Burning Bodies"

New Music Tuesday - February 3, 2015

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

New Full-Length Albums

Big Noble - First Light Big Noble is the side project of Interpol's Daniel Kessler with sound designer Joseph Fraioli. Their first album takes on the interplay between "popular music and sound design" and uses field recordings, guitar, and sound manipulation. Watch: "Peg" Watch: "Stay Gold"

Bob Dylan - Shadows in the Night Bob Dylan has been active for more than half a century and, as one of our most celebrated songwriters, has seen much of his music covered by various other musicians. This time around, he is the one doing the covering. His latest record features songs originally sung by Frank Sinatra. Dylan is far from a crooner, he has his own distinctive voice, which lends a unique style to these songs. Listen: "Stay with Me" Listen: "Full Moon and Empty Arms"

Mount Eerie - Sauna Sauna is the fifth full-length album from Mount Eerie and their first in three years. The album is meant to evoke the feel of an actual sauna, stuffy and heavy, but still very relaxing. The album was recorded in a reclaimed church in Washington state. Watch: "Sauna" Watch: "This"

Murder By Death - Big Dark Love Recently, Bloomington-based band Murder By Death relocated a couple of hours south to Louisville. The band has settled into a well-established sound over their 15 years and seven albums together. Their latest sees them experimenting a bit on their sound, but still holding to their whiskey-voiced folk rock. Listen: "Big Dark Love" Listen: "Solitary One"

Ricked Wicky - I Sell the Circus The once-impossibly-prolific band Guided By Voices broke up last year, but it looks like their members will remain active on their own. Former frontman Robert Pollard is busy with a new project, Ricked Wicky. Pollard takes the name from his first made-up band name from his youth and brings in former collaborators Todd Tobias and Nick Mitchell to help. Listen: "Mobility" Listen: "A Real Stab"

Other New Releases

Billie Holiday - At Storyville The latest release from the legendary Billie Holiday was recorded at the Storyville Club in Boston in October 1951 and October 1953. More than half a century after the original recording, the music is getting a new release. Purchase: Amazon

Built to Spill - Ancient Melodies of the Future Reissue Built to Spill are getting set to release a new album in April of this year. First, they are re-releasing their fifth album which was originally released in 2001. Listen: "Strange" Listen: "The Host"

Fifty Shades of Grey Original Motion Picture Soundtrack It seems like a lot of movies that are otherwise uninteresting to me are getting really good soundtracks. Fifty Shades of Grey is the latest such film. It's unlikely I'll ever see it, but with new tracks from The Weeknd, Sia, and Jessie Ware, I may have its soundtrack on repeat. Watch: The Weeknd - "Earned It" Listen: Jessie Ware - "Meet Me in the Middle"

Hiss Golden Messenger - Southern Grammar EP Hiss Golden Messenger released his fifth album, Lateness of Dancers, in September of last year. He's following that up with a short new EP, which features two new songs, and a live version of the title track. A studio version of the title song was on his previous album. Listen: "He Wrote the Book" Listen: "Brother, Do You Know the Road?"

Hodgy Beats & Don Cannon - DENATAPE 2 Mixtape We may have already had the first Odd Future release of the year with Award Tour II last week, but Hodgy Beats is not far behind with his own follow-up mixtape. He released his first mixtape, DENATAPE, in 2009 and is releasing his follow-up to that this year, though he's released other mixtapes in the time between. Listen: "Self Titled" Listen: "Miyagi’s Prime"

Joni Mitchell - Newport Folk Festival 19th July 1969 The second-oldest live recording this week comes from Joni Mitchell and her 1969 performance at the Newport Folk Festival. The show came towards the beginning of her career and saw her performing songs that would become classics, as well as some of her rarer tracks. Listen: "The Circle Game"

Kali Uchis - Por Vida EP Kali Uchis is a Colombian singer-songwriter who has been featured on songs from Tyler, the Creator in the past. On her latest release (available as a free download from her site), Tyler returns the favor. The release also features production from Kaytranada and BADBADNOTGOOD. Watch: "Know What I Want" Listen: "Lottery"

Ty Segall Band - Live in San Francisco Ty Segall's prolific slate of new releases continues with his latest live album. The album was recorded over the course of two nights at The Rickshaw Shop and covers several years' worth of output. Listen: "What’s Inside Your Heart"