New Music Friday - August 18, 2017

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

The Duke Spirit - Sky Is Mine I hear woefully little about The Duke Spirit from music publications. Anymore, I know they're releasing new music because I'm on their mailing list. They may have reached the peak of their popularity, stateside at least, around 2009, but they're still releasing spectacular music. Their fifth album is more ballad-focused than prior releases, but still a spectacular showcase for frontwoman Leila Moss' vocals and the band's range of alternative rock influences. Watch: "Magenta" Watch: "Houses"

Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins It's been five years since Grizzly Bear's last record, 2012's spectacular Shields. Around that time, many were lauding the band as the quintessential indie band of the late 2000s/early 2010s. A lot has changed since, though. Formerly "indie" acts have enjoyed some crossover success and there's been a rise of bedroom acts and the software to support that type of creation. The new album feels more rooted in the existing sounds the band have developed, a move that offers a bit of familiarity in the ever-changing music landscape. Watch: "Neighbors" Watch: "Mourning Sound"

Other Full-Length Releases

Cloakroom - Time Well Watch: "The Sun Won’t Let Us Go" Watch: "Concrete Gallery"

Dent May - Across the Multiverse Watch: "Picture on a Screen" Watch: "Across the Multiverse" (featuring Frankie Cosmos)

Everything Everything - A Fever Dream Watch: "Desire" Watch: "Can’t Do"

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Sketches of Brunswick East Listen: "The Book" Listen: "Sketches of Brunswick East I"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

A$AP Ferg - Still Striving Listen: "Olympian" (featuring Dave East) Listen: "Trap and a Dream" (featuring Meek Mill)

Alice Glass - Alice Glass Watch: "Without Love" Listen: "Forgiveness"

inc. no world - Living Watch: "Living" Listen: "Complete"

Interpol - Our Love to Admire Reissue Watch: "The Heinrich Maneuver" Watch: "Mammoth"

Samantha Urbani - Policies of Power EP Watch: "Go Deeper" Listen: "1 2 3 4"

New Music Friday - May 13, 2016

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Corinne Bailey Rae - The Heart Speaks in Whispers I was a pretty big fan of Corinne Bailey Rae when she released her self-titled debut album in 2006, but lost interest sometime after the 2010 follow-up, The Sea. I have a renewed interest with this third album, which comes after a long break for the artist and a shift in her sound. It's a welcome departure from guitar-driven pop; more upbeat and funky, garnering comparisons to other R&B greats like Erykah Badu. Watch: "Green Aphrodisiac" Watch: "Been to the Moon"

The Duke Spirit - KIN It's been a little while since we last heard from The Duke Spirit; five years since the release of Bruiser. This album was announced way back in the fall of last year and was supported by a Pledge Music campaign to help fund its release. The welcome return from the band follows a side project, Roman Remains, from Toby Butler and Leila Moss. Watch: "Hands" Watch: "Wounded Wing"

Eagulls - Ullages There's been a good post-punk resurgence in Europe over the past several years and Eagulls have been one of the pillars of that movement. They released their debut self-titled album in 2014 to acclaim. They take inspiration from The Smiths and Cocteau Twins on the follow-up, which was recorded in their hometown of Leeds with producer Craig Silvey. Watch: "Skipping" Listen: "Velvet"

Jessy Lanza - Oh No Oh No is the sophomore album from this Canadian electronic and R&B performer. She's following up a well received debut, Pull My Hair Back, released three years ago, and is once again working with Junior Boys' Jeremy Greenspan. Watch: "It Means I Love You" Listen: "VV Violence"

Other Full-Length Releases

Adia Victoria - Beyond the Bloodhounds Watch: "Dead Eyes" Listen: "Stuck in the South"

Aerial East - Rooms Watch: "Crazy Now"

Head Wound City - A New Wave of Violence Watch: "Scraper" Listen: "Born to Burn"

Karl Blau - Introducing Karl Blau Watch: "Fallin’ Rain" (featuring Jim James) Watch: "That’s How I Got to Memphis"

Mark Pritchard - Under the Sun Watch: "Sad Alron" Listen: "Beautiful People" (featuring Thom Yorke)

Michaela Anne - Bright Lights and the Fame Listen: "Luisa" (featuring Rodney Crowell) Listen: "Worrying Mind"

Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow Watch: "Eaten by Worms" Watch: "Vertigo Flowers"

Pinkwash - Collective Sigh Watch: "Gumdrop" Listen: "Sigh"

Sylvaine - Wistful Listen: "Earthbound" Listen: "A Ghost Trapped in Limbo"

Twin Peaks - Down in Heaven Watch: "Walk to the One You Love" Watch: "Butterfly"

Young Magic - Still Life Watch: "Default Memory" Watch: "Lucien"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book Watch: "No Problem" (featuring 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne) Watch: "Angels" (featuring Saba)

Colleen Green - Colleen Green EP Listen: "Between the Lines" Listen: "Green My Eyes"

Faye - Faye EP Listen: "Yellow Canary" Listen: "Ancient Bones"

Gordi - Clever Disguise EP Watch: "Can We Work It Out" Listen: "Nothing's As It Seems"

Lil Silva - Jimi Watch: "De Ja" (featuring Kent Jamz) Listen: "Caught Up" (featuring Cosima)

Miles Davis - The Complete Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection Listen: "Miles Ahead"

New Order - Complete Music Listen: "The Game" (Extended Mix) Listen: "Plastic" (Extended Mix)

The Staves - Sleeping in a Car Watch: "Sleeping in a Car"

Surfer Blood/Lil Bub - "Evil Cat"/"Bob the Builder"

Toothless - Terra Watch: "Terra" Listen: "Kairos"

Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary Reissue Watch: "I’ll Believe in Anything" Listen: "You Are a Runner and I Am My Father’s Son"

Upcoming Album of the Week (Ending September 12)

Head over to my Upcoming Releases page to see a bigger list of albums, soundtracks, singles and more that I'll be looking forward to over the coming months!

It seems I've been posting a lot of albums with incomplete information, but I'm going to have to do it again. This week, The Duke Spirit released a new song and announced a new album, KIN.

@dukespirit

I never thought I would get into a band that I was first exposed to in an American Eagle fitting room, but that's exactly where I first heard The Duke Spirit's unique brand of garage rock. I immediately fell in love with Liela Moss' raspy voice and the band's throwback style, which reminded me in part of Blondie.



It's been a little while since we've heard from them, kind of. Their last album as The Duke Spirit was 2011's Bruiser. However, band members Liela Moss and Toby Butler released an album as Roman Remains just last year. There's just a certain magic that created when they entire band is together though, and I'm excited to hear this new album, which is set for release sometime next year.

Also announced this week:

Big Boi + Phantogram - Big Grams (September 25)
Dave Gahan & Soulsavers - Angels & Ghosts (October 23)
The Decemberists - Florasongs EP (October 9)
Elvis Costello - Unfaithful Music & Soundtrack Album (October 9)
Iron & Wine - Archive Series Volume No. 2 7” (October 15)
Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy Anniversary Edition (December 4)
Raury - All We Need (October 16)
Soldiers of Fortune - Early Risers (November 6)
Sweet Spirit - Cokomo (October 16)
This Record Belongs to____ (November 6)
Ugly Casanova - Sharpen Your Teeth Reissue (October 30)