New Music Friday - May 15, 2020

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

ALMA - Have U Seen Her? This is the debut album from this Finnish singer who started her career on the country's version of Idol, where she finished fifth. She spent the past couple of years working with fellow Nords MØ and Tove Lo, as well as Charli XCX and Miley Cyrus. Watch: "Have U Seen Her?" Watch: "LA Money"

The Magnetic Fields - Quickies This new album from The Magnetic Fields follows 2017's 50 Song Memoir. Their albums usually have some interesting concept to them, and this is no different. As the title suggests, the album is made up of super-short songs, none longer than two minutes 35 seconds. Watch: "Kraftwerk in a Blackout" Watch: "I’ve Got a Date with Jesus"

Moses Sumney - græ This seems to be the year of releasing albums in pieces. Hayley Williams released half of her debut album several months before the full release, and Moses Sumney has done something similar for his follow up to 2017's Aromanticism. The first half of græ was released February. Now, we get the full release of the beautiful new record. Watch: "and so I come to isolation" Watch: "Bystanders"

Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately Perfume Genius has steadily released one incredible album after another. His latest may be his best, receiving the highest average ratings for his career. Inspiration for the album came out of Mike Hadreas' 2019 dance collaboration with Kate Wallich. Watch: "Describe" Watch: "On the Floor"

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - Temple To introduce their fifth album, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down set the standard for great quarantine music videos. I know that I've mentioned the "Phenom" video before, but it is just such a great show of creativity in our new reality.  Watch: "Temple" Watch: "Phenom"

Other Full-Length Releases

Charli XCX - How I’m Feeling Now Watch: "Forever" Watch: "anthems"

The Dears - Lovers Rock Watch: "The Worst in Us" Watch: "Heart of an Animal"

Future - High Off Life Watch: "Hard to Choose One" Listen: "Solitaires" (featuring Travis Scott)

Jess Williamson - Sorceress Watch: "Wind on Tin" Watch: "Infinite Scroll"

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - The Music of Transformation Watch: "The Steady Heart" Watch: "Expanding Electricity"

Memory Pearl - Music for 7 Paintings Watch: "Number 28, 1950" Watch: "Red and Brown Scene, 1961"

The Neverly Boys - Dark Side of Everything Watch: "Never Come Down" Listen: "Burn Hollywood"

Nick Hakim - WILL THIS MAKE ME GOOD Watch: "QADIR" Listen: "WTMMG"

Peaking Lights - E S C A P  E Listen: "EVP (DKMNTL081)" Listen: "The Damned"

Porcelain Raft - Come Rain Watch: "Come Rain" Watch: "Out of Time"

Public Practice - Gentle Grip Watch: "Compromised" Watch: "Disposable"

Retirement Party - Runaway Dog Watch: "Runaway Dog" Watch: "Compensation"

Sparks - A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip Watch: "Self-Effacing" Watch: "Lawnmower"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Becoming - Music from the Netflix Original Documentary

Brain - The World EP Listen: "Boss"

Charlie Cunningham - Pieces Listen: "All This" Listen: "Pieces"

Henry Jamison - Tourism Watch: "Still Life" (featuring Joseph) Listen: "Tourism" (featuring Fenne Lily)

Parsnip - Adding Up Watch: "Treacle Toffee World" Listen: "Adding Up"

Sleaford Mods - All That Glue Watch: "Second" Listen: "Reef of Grief"

My Favorite Things of the Week

The future of live music seems uncertain right now. While numerous tours and festivals are being canceled or postponed and we're dealing with massive companies refusing to refund tickets already purchased, a new type of live concert seems to be emerging, the video game concert. Travis Scott recently performed on Fortnite, and Massive Attack, HEALTH, and Pussy Riot are set for the Block by Blockwest virtual concert sponsored by Minecraft in May.

There are a lot of artists still planning album releases for this year, we'll have to keep an eye out whether any more of them opt for the virtual model for promoting the records.

Self-isolation has continued to be a boon for new covers performed from the comfort of the artists' homes, including more home shows from Ben Gibbard, an entire Nirvana tribute concert from Post Malone, and a variety of karaoke-style covers from Rosalía. My favorite recently came from Bedouine, who covered an artist that I was previously unfamiliar with. The folk artist posted a cover of "The Hum," from Margo Guryan.

Self-isolation has also meant that a lot of new music videos are being filmed and produced by artists at home. There have been quite a few duds, including the video for a John Legend and Kane Brown collaboration, but one recent really stood out for its creative use of web-conferencing software. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down's "Phenom" takes advantage of the grid-view of Zoom to present a cohesive choreographed product.

It's not a brand new song, but Deerhoof's latest single has stuck around in my head since it was released a couple of weeks ago. I've listened to Deerhoof for a number of years, but can sometimes find their music hard to really get into. Occasionally, they make a song that finds the perfect balance of their experimental music and a pop groove. "Future Teenage Cave Artists," from their upcoming album of the same name (out May 29), is just that song!

And finally, here are some albums announced over the past week that I'm looking forward to!

Absolutely Free - Two Cares Due None (April 29)
Brain - The World EP (May 15)
Esther Rose - My Favorite Mistakes (May 29)
GUM - Go Out in the World (June 12)
Kali Uchis - To Feel Alive (out now)
Kehlani - It Was Good Until It Wasn’t (May 8)
Sam Prekop - Comma (July 10)
Thomas Wesley Pentz - Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley Pentz Chapter 1: Snake Oil (May 29)

New Music Friday - March 4, 2016

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Fatima Al Qadiri - Brute Fatima Al Qadiri is a Kuwaiti producer and artist who has built to strong solo career for herself starting with a 2010 mixtape for DIS Magazine under the name Ayshay. Last year, she partner with three other musicians as Future Brown and released a self-titled album with them. Incorporating sounds from protests, her sophomore album was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and her own experiences with demonstrators clashing with authority. Listen: "Battery" Listen: "Oubliette"

Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered Kendrick sure loves his surprise releases; last year's opus, To Pimp a Butterfly, was released in March with little forewarning and this follow-up is no different. The album consists of demos from the recording of To Pimp a Butterfly and contains many of the same themes. None of the tracks have names, they are just identified by a datestamp.

Loretta Lynn - Full Circle Loretta Lynn is a strong enough songwriter-singer (that's the order she prefers it) that I can overlook some questionable political endorsements. The legendary country star is 83 years old and in her sixth decade of creating music. She's slowing down just a little bit, this is her first album in 12 years, but she still shows the same prowess in the songs she's created. Listen: "Everything It Takes" (featuring Elvis Costello) Listen: "Who’s Gonna Miss Me?"

Poliça - United Crushers United Crushers comes after a bit of a whirlwind period for Poliça, and especially members Channy Leaneagh and Ryan Olson who got married and had a child last year. Through all of that, the band finished writing and recording the album. This is another record inspired by protest, as protests were erupting in the band's home city of Minneapolis as they were preparing the album. Watch: "Wedding" Watch: "Lime Habit"

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - A Man Alive Thao & The Get Down Stay Down's fourth album was produced by tUnE-yArDs' frontwoman Merrill Garbus. It's a move that marries Garbus' signature idiosyncratic funk with Thao Nguyen's unique brand of folk. The album is also a more personal outing for Nguyen, who has often tackled social issues in her music. Here, she deals with her own past and her relationship with her father. Watch: "Astonished Man" Watch: "Nobody Dies"

Other Full-Length Releases

Big Ups - Before a Million Universes Watch: "National Parks" Listen: "Hope for Someone"

Carter Tanton - Jettison the Valley Listen: "Through the Garden Gates" Listen: "Twentynine Palms" (featuring Sharon Van Etten)

The Coral - Distance Inbetween Watch: "Chasing the Tail of a Dream" Watch: "Miss Fortune"

Guerilla Toss - Eraser Stargazer Listen: "Diamond Girls" Listen: "Grass Shack"

Kano - Made in the Manor Watch: "3 Wheel-ups" (featuring Giggs) Watch: "Endz"

The Knocks - 55 Watch: "I Wish (My Taylor Swift)" (featuring Matthew Koma) Listen: "Best for Last" (featuring Walk the Moon)

La Sera - Music for Listening to Music To Watch: "10 Headed Goat Wizard" Watch: "I Need an Angel"

Låpsley - Long Way Home Watch: "Love Is Blind" Watch: "Cliff"

Lionlimb - Shoo Watch: "Bored Today" Listen: "Just Because"

M. Ward - More Rain Watch: "Girl from Conejo Valley" Watch: "Confession"

Melaena Cadiz - Sunfair Watch: "At the Symphony" Listen: "Last Night in My Dream"

Miike Snow - iii Watch: "Genghis Khan" Watch: "Heart Is Full"

Nada Surf - You Know Who You Are Watch: "Rushing" Watch: "Cold to See Clear"

Prince Rama - Xtreme Now Listen: "Bahia" Listen: "Now Is the Time of Emotion"

Ray LaMontagne - Ouroboros Watch: "Hey, No Pressure" Listen: "In My Own Way"

Robert Pollard - Of Course You Are Listen: "My Daughter Yes She Knows" Listen: "Of Course You Are"

Samiyam - Animals Have Feelings Listen: "Dartgun" Listen: "Mr. Wonderful" (featuring Action Bronson)

Sound of Ceres - Nostalgia for Infinity Watch: "Bryn Marina" Listen: "My Spiral Arm"

Tiga - No Fantasy Required Listen: "Planet E" Listen: "Don’t Break My Heart"

TOKiMONSTA - Fovere Watch: "Put It Down" (featuring Anderson .Paak & KRNE) Listen: "Giving Up" (featuring Jonny Pierce)

Violent Femmes - We Can Do Anything Watch: "Memory" Listen: "Issues"

Wussy - Forever Sounds Watch: "Dropping Houses" Watch: "She’s Killed Hundreds"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

The Big Pink - Empire Underground EP Watch: "Hightimes" Listen: "Beautiful Criminal"

Day Wave - Hard to Read EP Listen: "Stuck" Listen: "Hard to Read"

et aliae - Rose EP Listen: "Sober" (featuring D∆WN) Listen: "Only U"

Innerspace Orchestra - "One Way Glass" Listen: "One Way Glass"

Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation - "Sunny Afternoon" Watch: "Sunny Afternoon" Listen: "Lucid Sapphire"

The Little Flames - The Day Is Not Today Listen: "The Day Is Not Today" Listen: "Close My Eyes"

The Long Road Listen: Robert Plant - "The Blanket of Night" Listen: Kindness - "A Retelling"