Essential Full-Length Releases
 BANKS - The Altar BANKS had a break-out album with her 2014 debut, Goddess. The record charted respectably and earned her praise from a number of music critics. She's looking to continue the magic on her sophomore follow-up. It's a more personal affair, as she lays herself bare. So far, the album has charted fairly well, though it hasn't yet hit the same level as her debut. Watch: "Fuck with Myself" Watch: "Gemini Feed" |
 Bon Iver - 22, A Million It's been a little while since we last heard from Justin Vernon in the form of his Bon Iver project; five years have passed since the last record, though there have been one-off songs and shows since. Vernon has focused on other projects including The Shouting Matches, Volcano Choir, Jason Feathers, and a new label, Chigliak. With 22, A Million, he returns to the project that made him famous, with a collection of oddly-named, but still spectacular, songs. Watch: "33 ‘God’" Watch: "00000 Million" |
 Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition Danny Brown is a bit of a hip-hop outlier. His style, influences, and personality makes him stand apart from his contemporaries, but he has flow to rival any of them. His fourth record, and first for Warp Records, has him rejoining with producer Paul White. He mines influences like Talking Heads and Joy Division (the album is named for one of their songs), but works with other celebrated hip-hop artists like Earl Sweatshirt, Kelela, and Kendrick Lamar. Watch: "When It Rain" Watch: "Really Doe" (featuring Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, & Earl Sweatshirt) |
 Regina Spektor - Remember Us to Life Regina Spektor may always be best known for her 2006 single, "Fidelity," but she was an active and consistent artist before and has remained so after. Remember Us to Life is her seventh album. The record doesn't see her straying far from her distinctive voice and sound, though she does record for the first time with a full orchestra. Watch: "Small Bill$" Listen: "Bleeding Heart" |
 Solange - A Seat at the Table Following the release of this third album from Solange, the Knowles sisters made history. Both released number one albums this year. Beyoncé topped the charts with Lemonade in April, an album with immensely personal subject matter. Solange went number one last month with this record, one that is at times deeply personal and at other, taking on broader themes. Both sisters have released spectacular work this year. Watch: "Cranes in the Sky" Watch: "Don’t Touch My Hair" |
Other Full-Length Releases
 Aldous Harding - Aldous Harding Watch: "Stop Your Tears" Watch: "No Peace" |  Bob Weir - Blue Mountain Listen: "Only a River" Listen: "Lay My Lily Down" |
 DJ Mustard - Cold Summer Watch: "Want Her" (featuring Quavo & YG) Listen: "Party" (featuring Young Thug & YG) |  Emma Ruth Rundle - Marked for Death Watch: "Real Big Sky" Listen: "Marked for Death" |
 EZTV - High in Place Watch: "Racing Country" (featuring Jenny Lewis) Listen: "Reason to Run" (featuring Martin Courtney) |  The Growlers - City Club Watch: "Going Gets Tough" Listen: "City Club" |
 Itasca - Open to Chance Listen: "Buddy" Listen: "No Consequence" |  Jenny Hval - Blood Bitch Watch: "Conceptual Romance" Watch: "Female Vampire" |
 Kestrels - Kestrels |  Machinedrum - Human Energy Watch: "Tell U" (featuring Rochelle Jordan) Watch: "Celestial Levels" (featuring Jesse Boykins III) |
 Mr. Oizo - All Wet Watch: "Hand in the Fire" (featuring Charli XCX) |  Nicolas Jaar - Sirens Listen: "No" Listen: "Three Sides of Nazareth" |
 Pixies - Head Carrier Watch: "Tenement Song" Watch: "Classic Masher" |  Tycho - Epoch Listen: "Epoch" Listen: "Horizon" |
 Van Morrison - Keep Me Singing Watch: "Too Late" Listen: "Keep Me Singing" |
Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.
 ~j~ - Will2Change |  Alex Frankel - Negative Space Listen: "Negative Space" Listen: "Get Back" |
 Blonde Redhead - Masculin Féminin Listen: "Slogan Attempt" Listen: "Not Too Late" |  Cashmere Cat - "Trust Nobody" Listen: "Trust Nobody" (featuring Selena Gomez & Troy Lanez) |
 Cut Copy - January Tape |  Fucked Up - The Mother Forever |
 La Sera - Queens EP Listen: "I Really Need an Angel" Listen: "Queens" |  Low - The Exit Papers Reissue Listen: "Untitled 1" Listen: "Untitled 4" |
 Marissa Nadler - Bury Your Name Listen: "The Best You Ever Had" Listen: "Give Me Your Gun" |  Moses Sumney - Lamentations Watch: "Lonely World" Listen: "Ascension" |
 Pional - When Love Hurts Listen: "The Way That You Like It" (featuring Empress Of) Listen: "Casualty" |  Wyclef Jean - J’ouvert Watch: "Hendrix" |
