New Music Friday - January 13, 2017

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Flo Morrissey & Matthew E. White - Gentlewoman, Ruby Man Flo Morrissey is a young British singer with one album under her belt and Matthew E. White is an American singer and producer with just two solo records, but scores of collaborations and production work. Morrissey's and White's collaborative album is a collection of covers, with songs originally performed by Frank Ocean, Little Wings, and Frankie Valli. Listen: "Grease" Listen: "Look at What the Light Did Now"

Run the Jewels - RTJ3 Killer Mike and El-P are always welcome voices to hear, but the release of their third records is perfectly timed. With just one week until the inauguration of a new president, their angry, direct, and fiercely political music provides a needed response to both the real and feared social landscape. There will be many voices of opposition over the next four years, but few will be as unapologetically brash as those of Run of Jewels. Listen: "Legend Has It" Listen: "Down" (featuring Joi)

The xx - I See You The xx suffered one of the common sophomore curses with the release of 2012's Coexist; they'd released an album too similar to their debut. In the five years since that album, one of the group members, Jamie xx, released a celebrated solo record, one that informed the sound of his group's third album. While still identifiable as a The xx record, the sound is more expansive with the style of In Colour taking the band into a new direction. Watch: "On Hold" Listen: "Say Something Loving"

Other Full-Length Releases

Bonobo - Migration Watch: "Kerala" Listen: "No Reason" (featuring Nick Murphy)

The Flaming Lips - Oczy Mlody Watch: "How??" Watch: "Sunrise (Eyes of the Young)"

PnB Rock - Goin’ Through the Motions Watch: "Alone" Watch: "Selfish"

Sohn - Rennen Watch: "Hard Liquor" Watch: "Conrad"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Foxing - Two

Mr. Tophat - Trust Me Listen: "Right Time" (featuring Robyn) Listen: "Trust Me" (featuring Robyn)

Nirvana - Incesticide Listen: "Dive" Listen: "Sliver"

of Montreal - Rune Husk EP Listen: "Internecine Larks" Listen: "Widowsucking"

Merry Christmas from 50% Hipster!

I wanted to take a moment out this holiday season to wish everyone out there a merry Christmas! It's also a time of year for many artists and musicians to share special holiday songs and surprise recordings. Here's a sampling of what we got this year:

- Bill Murray has a new Netflix holiday special, A Very Murray Christmas. It was directed by Sofia Coppola and features appearances from other comedians and even a few musicians like Miley Cyrus, Jenny Lewis, and the band Phoenix. Phoenix got together with Murray to record a cover of the Beach Boys' "Alone on Christmas Day."

- Amazon released their Indie for the Holidays compilation, including songs from Avid Dancer, YACHT, and Langhorne Slim, along with many others.

- Sondre Lerche continued his tradition of recording a cover of one of the year's biggest hits as a gift for his fans. This year, he took on Drake's "Hotline Bling."

- Run the Jewels started a 12 Days of Christmas advent calendar, giving fans the chance to win special prizes everyday!

- Kelela released a collection of remixes from her latest EP, Hallucinogen, today. It includes reworks from Sporting Life, Kahn, and Airmax.

- A number of artists released new Christmas and holiday themed EPs and albums, including: Ariana Grande, Cassie Ramone, and Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings.

- And, as usual, a number of one-off tracks were released by a wide variety of artists, enjoy them below!

Run the Jewels - "Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)"

It seems that, recently, tensions between law enforcement and people of color have been at an especially high level. Many artists have tackled the issue through their work, and Run the Jewels are among the latest to allude to those tensions both in their music and their videos.

They present a bit of a twist on the concept, though. We are presented with two men, a white police officer and a black suspect. At first, it appears that the cop is attempting to arrest an uncooperative suspect, but the fight stretches beyond the course of the afternoon and into the night, far longer than one would expect before an arrest is made, backup is called, or someone is dead. By the end, we're left questioning the nature of the relationship between the men.

Run the Jewels released their amazing sophomore album, Run the Jewels 2, last year. This particular track, a standout from the record, features a guest verse from Zack De La Rocha, formerly of Rage Against the Machine.

My Favorite Albums of 2014

20. Spoon - They Want My Soul
19. Lykke Li - I Never Learn
18. The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers
17. Jessie Ware - Tough Love
16. Tennis - Ritual in Repeat
15. D'Angelo & The Vanguard - The Black Messiah
14. tUnE-yArDs - Nikki Nack
13. Peter Matthew Bauer - Liberation!
12. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
11. Afghan Whigs - Do to the Beast

10. Chet Faker - Built on Glass

I wish I had become acquainted with this Australian artist with the release of his first EP, Thinking in Textures, and his incredible cover of Blackstreet's "No Diggity." I came in earlier this year, though, just before the release of this debut album. I listened to, and watched the video for "Talk Is Cheap;" I was immediately reminded of Jamie Lidell at his best (around 2005's Multiply). Faker does a similarly masterful job of blending electronica, trip hop, and R&B. Watch: "Talk Is Cheap" Watch: "1998" Watch: "Gold"

9. Mac DeMarco - Salad Days

Prior to this year, I had dismissed Mac DeMarco as little more than a goofball with a guitar. However, after seeing how much praise his previous album, 2, received on 2012 year-end lists, as well as the praise heaped on this record when it was released, I decided I would be wise to check him out. While I have found a silly, irreverent attitude (and sometimes just gross) in many of his interviews, and especially in his music videos, I've also found laid-back, well-written work. I certainly regret underestimating this guy in the past, he's proof that a goofy persona doesn't equate to goofy music. Watch: "Chamber of Reflection" Watch: "Passing Out Pieces"

8. FKA twigs - LP1

This young lady has had quite the year. Some interesting things have happened in her personal life, but her music has been supremely impressive. She often gets pigeon-holed with the label of R&B (perhaps because of her race), but her music incorporates elements of trip hop, experimental, electronic, even choral music. All of that combines to make slow-burning, ethereal, and sensual songs. Her music didn't quite strike me on first listen; it's subtle, but over time I was able to parse out her influences and intricacies and ultimately come to love the release. Watch: "Two Weeks" Watch: "Video Girl"

7. Lia Ices - Ices

I loved Lia Ices' previous album, 2011's Grown Unknown, and found this to be a worthy follow-up, perhaps even more loved than that record. She took what she's done so well in the past and built upon it, while displaying more levity and a bit of international flair. This one of the few albums this year that, after listening through, I would allow to start back over at the beginning and listen through again. Watch: "Thousand Eyes" Watch: "Higher"

6. Adult Jazz - Gist Is

Adult Jazz is one of my absolute favorite new finds of the year. This Leeds band shows that the British do experimental rock just about the best. There are elements of so many things that I love here; vocals sometimes reminiscent of Yellow Ostrich, other times of Wild Beasts, and the occasional jangly guitar that reminds me of WU LYF. Oh, and trombones (if you know anything about me, you know that was my instrument of choice in high school and college). However, this also sounds like almost nothing else I've heard before. There was perhaps no other album this year that I was so excited to share with other people. Watch: "Springful" Watch: "Am Gone"

5. Sylvan Esso - Sylvan Esso

I'm sometimes a bit wary when musicians make a major shift from the genre in which they started. In Mountain Man, Amelia Meath created harmonious folk music. Her work here, with Megafaun's Nick Sanborn, is very different. The sound is a electronic-tinged indie pop. The backgrounds of the two musicians keep the output interesting and artsy, while Amelia's smoky vocals completely seal the deal. The album's opener "Hey Mami" was my own personal song of the summer. Watch: "Coffee" Watch: "Play It Right" Watch: "Dreamy Bruises"

4. Future Islands - Singles

It's not usually a live television performance that interests me in a band, but after hearing so much about Future Islands' Letterman appearance (and after an interesting NPR interview), I had to check this band out. I was not disappointed; the band looks so unassuming in pictures and, at first glance, their music seems to be the same way. But then, much as lead Samuel Herring busts into an odd dance move, he lets out a metal-style growl. The music is great, but it's those surprising touches that make it just a little more memorable. Watch: "Seasons (Waiting on You)" Watch: "A Dream of You and Me"

3. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2

So many of today's hip hop talent is so young, with many artists having been born in the 1990s, but these two (El-P and Killer Mike are both pushing 40) set out to prove that it's not just a young man's game. They succeed, easily showing just about everyone else up. No album this year has made me feel so many emotions; anger, joy, sadness. Just for good measure, the duo also throws in a good amount of humor and sexuality. This could easily be my favorite hip hop album ever and another record that I would let repeat and listen to multiple times in a row. Watch: "Blockbuster Night Part 1" Watch: "Oh My Darling (Don't Cry)"

2. Hamilton Leithauser - Black Hours

At first, the announcement that The Walkmen were talking an "extreme hiatus" was terrifying news to me. No sooner than that news was released, though, several members had already announced their own solo records. They're all great, but frontman Hamilton Leithauser's stood out the most for me. His album could have come across as bare, lacking the band's other members, but he gets help from a number of other great musicians, and some of his bandmates are featured, as well. I still miss The Walkmen, but the solo albums are great to have in their absence. Watch: "11 O'Clock Friday Night" Watch: "I Don't Need Anyone" Watch: "Alexandra"

1. St. Vincent - St. Vincent

My number one favorite album for last year was a pretty easy choice to make. I've loved St. Vincent for a number of years and she hasn't has a misstep of an album yet. Her latest is probably her best yet. She's spent her career as the quintessential cool indie girl, but transformed herself in 2014; starting with an unexpected hair bleaching. She's become an almost superhuman figure, with music and a live persona to match. Albums released towards the beginning of the year tend to get forgotten once December rolls around,  this one was released in February, but I kept returning to this one all year long. Watch: "Birth in Reverse" Watch: "Digital Witness"

Honorable Mentions:
Alvvays - Alvvays
Azealia Banks - Broke with Expensive Taste
Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else
Marissa Nadler - July
Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams

New Music Tuesday - October 28, 2014

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

New Full-Length Releases

Creepers - Lush Creepers is a side project from Deafheaven's Dan Tracy and Shiv Mehra, who produce a mix of psychedelia, shoegaze, and prog rock. The band has been playing in San Francisco and the Bay area for some years, but the success of Deafheaven's Sunbather has allowed that band to further promote related projects. This album is being released on Deafheaven frontman George Clark's All Black Recording Company label. Watch: "Take You There" Listen: "Vanishing"

The Flaming Lips - With a Little Help from My Fwends The Flaming Lips have always been strange, but they seem to have allowed themselves to get to downright WTF-levels of weird in the past couple of years. The music itself has gotten stranger, but they've also chosen strange ways in which to release their music (gummy fetuses, for example), and have had some interesting bedfellows (like Miley Cyrus). Even as a full album of Beatles covers, their latest release is the most straightforward they've been in a while. Watch: "Lucy in the Sky" Listen: "A Day in the Life"

French for Rabbits - Spirits French for Rabbits is a dream pop band out of Waikiku Beach, New Zealand, who have been active since 2012. Over the past couple of years, they have built up their name primarily through touring in their home country and across Europe. This is their debut album. Watch: "The Other Side" Listen: "Woke up to a Storm"

HAERTS - HAERTS HAERTS is a truly international band. Members hail from Germany, England and the US, met at school in Iceland, but became a band in Brooklyn. This is their debut album, which follows an EP, Hemiplegia, which was released in 2013. They are an indie pop band, though they pull in some old school classic rock elements. Watch: "Giving Up" Listen: "Hemiplegia"

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - Dust This gothic/classic rock band first got together in 2003, but took an eight-year break following the release of their 2006 debut album Fear Is on Our Side. Despite the amount of time that has passed, the band has not sacrificed anything; they maintain a similar sound, the same record label (Secretly Canadian) and the same producer (Paul Barker) for their sophomore release. Listen: "Faust" Listen: "Come Undone"

Nick Oliveri's Uncontrollable - Leave Me Alone Nick Oliveri is the former bassist for Kyuss, Dwarves, and, perhaps most famously, Queens of the Stone Age. His break away from QotSA has not been negative (he still sometimes performs with the band), but has merely served as an opportunity to explore his sound outside of the band. He has previously released music as the frontman for Mondo Generator, but this is his first release with this project. Listen: "Keep Me in the Loop" Listen: "Luv Is Fiction"

Pianos Become the Teeth - Keep You This is the third album from the Baltimore post-hardcore band. However, even after guesting on hardcore punk band United Nation's The Next Four Years earlier this year, they are dialing back their sound a bit. The band is part of the "The Wave" movement in punk music, which aims to produce music with "emotionally-centered lyrical content, dual musical emphasis on both melody and distorted intensity." Their latest album sees them pulling that intensity back some, and focusing more on the lyrics and melody. Watch: "Repine" Listen: "Late Lives"

Restorations - LP3 Restorations is a punk rock band out of Philly, who seem to embody the working class ethos that has come to define much rock music out of the city. As the album's title suggests, this is the third album from the band. Their latest sees them further pulling some of the heartland rock elements that were previously lurking in the background on prior releases. Watch: "Separate Songs" Listen: "Misprint"

Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2 This is easily already my favorite hip hop album of the year, and one of my favorites all-around. It's the second go-around as Run the Jewels for Killer Mike and El-P, who released Run the Jewels last year. Both are amazing artists on their own, but create something special when they get together. Their sophomore record deals heavily with issues of police brutality and redemption, but manages to find lighter moments with sex, love, and more than a few vulgar jabs. Watch: "Blockbuster Night Part 1" Listen: "Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)"

The Twilight Sad - Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave A couple of weeks ago, I said I love a good Scottish brogue in regards to We Were Promised Jetpacks' latest record. True, those guys employ a good brogue, but this band turns that up to 100. I first got into the band after the release of their incredible third album, No One Can Ever Know. While maintaining their dark, brooding, and emotional lyrics, this album may be even better. Watch: "Last January" Listen: "There's a Girl in the Corner"

Other New Releases

The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen at 21 Anniversary Edition After a 16-year hiatus, The Afghan Whigs regrouped last year and released the incredible Do to the Beast. They don't want us to forget the amazing music that they released in the past, though. Their fourth album is finally old enough to drink and is getting reissued to celebrate that milestone. Watch: "Gentlemen" Watch: "Debonair"

Cass McCombs/Meat Puppets - "Night of the World"/"(Hey Baby) Que Paso" Cass McCombs and the Meat Puppets are currently in the middle of a tour together. They have also gotten together to record a split 7" with two new songs from each artist. Listen: Cass McCombs - "Night of the World" Listen: Meat Puppets - "(Hey Baby) Que Paso"

HAIM - "My Song 5" 7" HAIM released their debut album, Days Are Gone, in October of last year. Their latest single shows just how big they've become leading up to and since that release. A new version of the track features A$AP Ferg, and its video features cameos from Ferg himself, Ezra Koenig, Vanessa Bayer, Grimes, and Kesha. Watch: "My Song 5" (remix featuring A$AP Rocky)

How to Dress Well - “What Is This Heart?” Reissue This may be one of the quickest reissue flips yet, Tom Krell released his third album in June of this year, so this reissue comes after just four months. There are no real changes in the album itself, though the reissue will come packaged with a remix compilation, detailed below. Watch: "Face Again" Watch: "Childhood Faith in Love"

How to Dress Well - “What Is This Heart?” Remixes This is the collection of remixes coming with the reissue of How to Dress Well's latest album. Tracks from the record are reimagined by A.G. Cook, The Range, Dubbel Dutch, and Cyril Hahn. Listen: "Repeat Pleasure" (A.G. Cook)

Led Zeppelin - House of the Holy Reissue This has been a busy year for Led Zeppelin reissues, though this is the last batch for the year. House of the Holy was the band's fifth album, originally released in 1973. Listen: "Dancing Days" Listen: "No Quarter"

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV Reissue Led Zeppelin IV was probably Led Zeppelin's most famous album containing the tracks "Rock and Roll," "Black Dog," and "Stairway to Heaven." As the name indicates, it was their fourth record, and saw its original release in 1971. Watch: "Rock and Roll" Listen: "Stairway to Heaven"

Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West Reissue Another reissue for this week, this time from a more contemporary band. Modest Mouse formed just over 20 years ago and released The Lonesome Crowded West, their second album, in 1997. The album is often considered to be one of their best and one of the best indie rock albums of that decade. Listen: "Heart Cooks Brain" Listen: "Doin' the Cockroach"

Paul McCartney - New Reissue At 72, Paul McCartney remains one of the most enigmatic performers alive, putting many of those even a third of his age to shame. Despite having released his 16 solo records, it should be no surprise that he's still got a lot of new material left in him. His latest album's reissue includes three new tracks, as well as a few live cuts. Watch: "Early Days" Watch: "Appreciate"

Panda Bear - Mr Noah EP Noah Lennox has made incredible music both as a member of Animal Collective and as a solo artist under the name Panda Bear. He will be releasing his fifth album, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper, in January, but first we get a little tease of new material from him. Watch: "Mr Noah"

Ryan Adams - Vampires 7" Ryan Adams is still going strong with new material for 2014. This is the latest in his Pax Am EP series, featuring a great new track, "Vampires," along with a few others. Listen: "Vampires"

Swans - Filth Reissue Swans have all but positioned themselves for a place in many year-end best-of lists with the release of To Be Kind earlier this year. But right now, they're looking back to their beginnings by re-releasing their very first record, first put out in 1983. Listen: "Weakling" Listen: "Stay Here"

The Who - The Who Hits 50! It's been a long career for iconic British rock band The Who, 50 years since the beginning! Their new album celebrating their time time together, The Who Hits 50!, isn't a typical greatest hits release. While it does include many of their top singles, it also brings in less popular singles, unreleased cuts, b-sides and even a new song. Listen: "Be Lucky"

Run the Jewels - "A Christmas Fucking Miracle"

Run the Jewels gave us the most awkward and awesome Christmas card of 2013. Their video for "A Christmas Fucking Miracle" shows El-P and Killer Mike in a variety of ugly holiday sweaters and awkward photo poses.

Run the Jewel's eponymous debut album was released in June of last year.