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Ethel Cain - Perverts Watch: "Punish" Watch: "Vacillator" |
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Franz Ferdinand - The Human Fear Watch: "Night or Day" Watch: "Audacious" |
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Ringo Starr - Look Up Watch: "Time on My Hands" Watch: "Thankful" (featuring Alison Krauss) |
 Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Choir of the Mind Emily Haines is a member of Broken Social Scene, a band with a strong release showing in 2017. She is one of two members of the band to release an album, along with the new album from the band. Choir of the Mind is only her second album with the Soft Skeleton (third solo overall), and first in 11 years. Watch: "Statuette" Watch: "Planets" |
 The Jet Age of Tomorrow - God’s Poop or Clouds? I don't know if the Odd Future gang is really a thing anymore, but some of the subgroups created within it are still going strong. The Jet Age of Tomorrow is made up of Matt Martians and Pyramid Vritra, and got their start with samples turned down by other members of the collective. God's Poop or Clouds? is their fourth album. Listen: "The Long Way Home" (featuring Syd) Listen: "The Jaunt" |
 Myrkur - Mareridt Many areas are male dominated, black metal is no different. Myrkur is one of a few female artists in the genre, which inevitably has led to abuse from insecure men in the black metal community (the world is terrible). Admittedly, I don't listen to much metal (black or otherwise), but Myrkur is one of my favorites. Mareridt is her second solo album. following 2015's M. Watch: "Ulvinde" Listen: "Måneblôt" |
 Ringo Starr - Give More Love Give More Love is the 19th album in Starr's 48-year solo career. The record sees him joining up with a number of past collaborators, including Peter Frampton and Paul McCartney. Listen: "Give More Love" Listen: "We’re on the Road Again" (featuring Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Edgar Winter, & Steve Lukather) |
 ROSTAM - Half-Light ROSTAM was the guitarist and co-songwriter for Vampire Weekend until early 2016, when he left to focus on his solo career. His first outing was a collaborative album with Hamilton Leithauser, I Had a Dream That You Were Mine. Half-Light is his first fully solo record, an amazing show of his culture, influences, and talents. Watch: "Half-Light" (featuring Kelly Zutrau) Watch: "Gwan" |
 Annie Hart - Impossible Accomplice Watch: "Hard to Be Still" Listen: "My Heart’s Been Broken" |
 Ariel Pink - Dedicated to Bobby Jameson Watch: "Feels Like Heaven" Watch: "Another Weekend" |
 Deer Tick - Vol. 1 Watch: "Sea of Clouds" Listen: "Card House" |
 Deer Tick - Vol. 2 Watch: "It’s a Whale" Watch: "Jumpstarting" |
 Human Heat - All Is Too Much Listen: "I Need My Space" Listen: "Close to My Chest" |
 Hundred Waters - Communicating Watch: "Wave to Anchor" Watch: "Fingers" |
 Lee Ranaldo - Electric Trim Watch: "Circular (Right as Rain)" Watch: "New Thing" |
 The Lone Bellow - Walk into a Storm Watch: "Time’s Always Leaving" Listen: "Walk into a Storm" |
 Prophets of Rage - Prophets of Rage Watch: "Living on the 110" Watch: "Unfuck the World" |
 BATYA - "What’s My Name" Watch: "What’s My Name" |
 The Bottom Line Archive Series: In Their Own Words with Vic Scelsa Listen: Lou Reed - "Sweet Jane" Listen: Lou Reed - "Strawman" |
 Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Son of a Lady Listen: "Sleep" Listen: "Son of Lady" |
 Michael Nau - The Load Listen: "Diamond Anyway" (featuring Natalie Prass) Listen: "The Load" |
 Philip Selway - Let Me Go: Original Music from the Film By Polly Steele Listen: "Let Me Go" |
 Coldplay - A Head Full of Dreams Watch: "Adventure of a Lifetime" Watch: "Birds" |  Deantoni Parks - Technoself Listen: "Our Shadows" |
 Leo Abrahams - Daylight Watch: "The Chain" Watch: "Halo Effect" |  Matmos - Why Pay More |
 Pimp C - Long Live the Pimp Listen: "Friends" (featuring Nas & Juicy J) Listen: "3 Way Freak" (featuring Lil Wayne) |  Plaitum - Plaitum Watch: "LMHY" Listen: "Carousel" |
 Rick Ross - Black Market Watch: "Sorry" (featuring Chris Brown) Listen: "D.O.P.E." (featuring Future) |  Sunn O))) - Kannon Listen: "Kannon 2" |
 Bloodshot Six Pack to Go Listen: Deer Tick - "If I Should Fall Out of Grace with God" |  Fleetwood Mac - Tusk Reissue Listen: "The Ledge" Listen: "Tusk" |
 Johnny Cash - Live in Denmark 1971 Watch: "Sunday Morning Comin’ Down" Watch: "I Walk the Line" |  Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy Anniversary Edition Listen: "For Real" Listen: "So Come Back, I’m Waiting" |
 Phoenix - "Alone on Christmas Day" Listen: "Alone on Christmas Day" (featuring Bill Murray) |  Polo - "Visions of Fortune" Listen: "Visions of Fortune" |
 Ringo Starr - Ringo Starr: The Lifetime of Peace & Love Tribute Concert Listen: Ben Folds - "Oh My My" Listen: The Head and the Heart - "Octopus’s Garden" |  Swans - Love of Life Reissue Listen: "Love of Life" Listen: "God Loves America" |
 Swans - White Light from the Mouth of Infinity Reissue Listen: "Song for Dead Time" Listen: "Power and Sacrifice" |  Them - The Complete Them Listen: "Gloria" (demo) |
 Boxed In - Boxed In Boxed In is the project of songwriter and producer Oli Bayston. He has worked with Rosie Lowe, The Voyeurs, and The 2 Bears in the past, but after so many years of working behind the scenes in the British music industry, he is moving out front. This is his debut album. Watch: "Mystery" Watch: "Foot of the Hill" |
 Death Cab for Cutie - Kintsugi Death Cab's last record, Codes and Keys, was just about the worst-received of their career. Many accused the album of being too happy; it was recorded in the midst of frontman Ben Gibbards' marriage to Zooey Deschanel. Now, four years after their divorce, it seems like some of the bitterness and angst has returned. While they may never replicate the music they were releasing ten years ago, this seems like a return to something a bit better. Watch: "Black Sun" Watch: "No Room in Frame" |
 Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress is the fifth album from this influential and cult-popular Canadian band. It follows their Polaris-winning 2013 album, Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!. Though the band sticks with the epically long tracks that they've become known for (the shortest song on this one is six minutes long), this is only their second album to clock in at under 45 minutes. Listen: "Peasantry Or ‘Light! Inside of Light!’" Listen: "Piss Crowns Are Trebled" |
 Jesse Malin - New York Before the War Jesse Malin is a rock and roll performer who has fronted the bands D Generation and Heart Attack. He has also also had a long solo career, releasing his first EP, 169, in 2000. While he built his career working with Ryan Adams, on his latest record (his seventh overall) he gets some help from R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, who plays guitar on "I Would Do It for You." Watch: "Addicted" Listen: "Heart of Gold" |
 Lower Dens - Escape from Evil Although I've enjoyed Lower Dens' music, I've always compared them to Beach House both on overall style and on the Jana Hunter's vocals. It was, however, a comparison on which they came up a bit short. I think their latest record finally differentiates them from that other band. While it's still dream pop, it seems more assertive than their past work. Watch: "To Die in L.A." Watch: "Ondine" |
 Madeon - Adventure In recent years, young British artists have taken over the electronic and house scene. Madeon (aka Hugo Leclercq) is looking to bring it back south to France. The young producer from Nantes has previously worked with the likes of Zedd, deadmau5, and Two Door Cinema Club. Like many studio albums from producers, his debut features of bevy both popular and independent guest vocalists. The artists featured here range from Nicholas Petricca (of Walk the Moon) to Mark Foster to Passion Pit. Watch: "Pay No Mind" (featuring Passion Pit) Watch: "You’re On" (featuring Kyan) |
 Marching Church - This World Is Not Enough Elias Rønnenfelt may have just release three albums in the span of four years with his band Iceage, but he's got more up his sleeve. He officially formed Marching Church as a band with other Danish musicians in 2013, though he's been performing solo under the name since 2010. While there are similarities to Iceage on this debut, Marching Church's sound feels more experimental and has an improvisational feel to it. Watch: "Hungry for Love" Watch: "King of Song" |
 Ringo Starr - Postcards from Paradise Starr always seems to be a somewhat forgotten Beatle. Though he's had a respectable solo career, he gets less attention than his former bandmates and was the last to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo work (though he did make it just this year!). His 18th album comes right in time to celebrate the milestone in his career. Watch: "Postcards from Paradise" Listen: "Not Looking Back" |
 Simon Joyner - Grass, Branch & Bone Simon Joyner is a Nebraskan singer and songwriter who's been active for over twenty years. He has not been a very prolific artist, preferring to stay quiet in between records. He releases a new album every few years; Grass, Branch & Bone is his 13th. Listen: "Nostalgia Blues" |
 The Soft Moon - Deeper The Soft Moon is the musical project of Luis Vasquez; the music combines a broad range of styles including EDM, dark wave, and krautrock. He's always been a solo act, but had previously intended for this third album to be a broader effort with more songwriters. His music is very personal, though, and he realized that The Soft Moon would always need to be a solo project. The result is an album that may be his most personal yet. Watch: "Far" Watch: "Black" |
 The Staves - If I Was Time to add another rung to the Bon Iver ladder. This band is one of the first who are not tied to his early days in the Wisconsin music scene. The Staves are a trio of sisters from Watford, England. For the sisters' sophomore album, Justin Vernon contributed production work, songwriting, and even some guest appearances. It's a combination that works extremely well, and it's always good to have a new artist to be excited about. Watch: "Black & White" Watch: "Blood I Bled" |
 Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell Much of the music that Sufjan Stevens has made throughout his career has been a kind of low-key folk. On his last album, 2010's The Age of Adz, he went far away from that sound with a much more experimental and electronic style. It became my favorite album of his. I was a little wary when it was announced that the next would be a return to the folk style (not that it wouldn't be good, I just really liked the last one). The album is a great, though somewhat difficult listen, and a wonderful follow-up. Watch: "Should Have Known Better" Watch: "No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross" |
 Upset - '76 Ali Koehler has not been hurting as an artist since her unceremonious departure from Best Coast in 2011. She formed Upset in 2013 with Patty Schemel (formerly of Hole) and released their debut album, She's Gone, that same year. The band is back with a sophomore album, on which they've expanded their line-up with members of Benny The Jet Rodriguez and Slutever. Listen: "Glass Ceiling" |
 iLoveMakonnen - Drink More Water 5 iLoveMakonnen likely scored his biggest hit with his ode to weekday clubbing, "Tuesday." He remains fairly prolific with a steady stream of EPs and mixtapes. This latest is the fifth just within the Drink More Water series; he's released many more mixtapes in addition. Listen: "Drink More Water 5" (freestyle) Listen: "Super Clean" |
 Memory Tapes - "Fallout"/"House on Fire" It's been a couple of years since Davye Hawk released his last album, 2012's Grace/Confusion. While no follow-up has been announced, he's making sure that fans don't forget him with a pair of new songs. Listen: "Fallout" Listen: "House on Fire" |
 Ride - OX4 Reissue Ride is a British band who formed in 1988 and included a future member of Oasis, bassist Andy Bell. They parted ways in 1996, but reunited for a bit in 2001. The came together again last year and are now reissuing their 2001 greatest hits compilation. Watch: "Chelsea Girl" Listen: "Drive Blind" |
 Ryan Adams - "Blue Light" 7" Ryan Adams continues his prolific streak with yet another 7" release. The inspirations for this one are varied, including The Strokes, Chris Farley, and smartphones. It's an interesting combination of influences, but if it keeps new music coming from the man, I'll make no complaints. Listen: "Blue Light" |
 Underworld - "Baby Wants to Ride" 12" Although they've been around consistently for more than 30 years, it seems that British band Underworld has had a bit of resurgence lately, perhaps due to frontman Karl Hyde's work with Brian Eno. This new single is their first release as a band in five years and is a cover of a song by the late Frankie Knuckles. Listen: "Baby Wants to Ride" |
