Ono, as we all should know, has had a long career. She released her first album, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, in 1970, though she really got her start years earlier as a conceptual and performance artist. She has hardly stepped away from that aspect of her career, most recently debuting a permanent art installation, Skylanding, in Chicago just two years ago.
That's more recent than her last album, 2013's Take Me to the Land of Hell. Her latest sees her reworking tracks from previous releases. She announced the album and released its title track on July 24.
Warzone is set to be released on October 19.
Also recently announced:
Calvin Johnson - A Wonderful Beast (October 13)
Dntel - Hate in My Heart (out now)
Elvis Costello - Look Now (October 12)
The Field - Infinite Moment (September 21)
Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams (October 5)
GABI - Empty Me (October 5)
GØGGS - Pre Strike Sweep (September 28)
Helena Deland - From the Series of Songs "Altogether Unaccompanied" Vol. III (October 19)
Helena Deland - From the Series of Songs "Altogether Unaccompanied" Vol. IV (October 19)
Iron & Wine - Weed Garden (August 31)
Kikagaku Moyo - Masana Temples (October 5)
Moses Sumney - Black in Deep Red, 2014 (August 10)
Petite Noir - La Maison Noir / The Black House (October 5)
Phosphorescent - C’est La Vie (October 5)
Pixies - Come on Pilgram…It’s Surfer Rosa (September 28)
Pond - “Burnt Out Star” (out now)
Protomartyr & Spray Paint - Irony Prompts a Rat Party 7” (August 17)
Santigold - I Don’t Want: The Gold Fire Sessions (out now)
Silk City - “Feel About You” (out now)
Silk City - “Loud” (out now)
Sleaford Mods - Sleaford Mods EP (September 14)
Swearin’ - Fall into the Sun (October 5)
Tim Hecker - Konoyo (September 28)
Tom Morello - The Atlas Underground (October 12)
Travis Scott - Astroworld (out now)
We Were Promised Jetpacks - The More I Sleep the Less I Dream (September 14)
Such a lofty band name! The Amazing is a Swedish psychedelic and jazz rock band. Picture You is their third studio album, following 2012's Gentle Stream.
Carl Barat recently reunited with co-frontman Peter Doherty for a Libertines reunion. Before we get any new music from that reunion, he is releasing his first album with his latest band, The Jackals.
Since starting as Muggabears in 2007, Grooms has been much influenced by Sonic Youth in their sound. They continue on that path on their fourth album. The record is not the only new project that they are embarking on; the band's drummer Steve Levine has a role on Better Call Saul alongside his twin brother. Steve can also be seen in the band's video from "Cross Off."
Ibeyi is the Yoruba language word for twins, which is exactly what Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz are. The duo are also the daughters of the late Anga Diaz, the percussionist for Bueno Vista Social Club. The girls combine their Yoruba culture with the Cuban jazz sound their father helped pioneer, along with some electronic influences from their adopted home of France, in their own sound. This is their debut album.
It's been eight years since José González's last solo album, In Our Nature. In the time since, he reunited with his band Junip for two full-length albums, Fields and Junip. This year, he's back to working as a solo artist, with his third album.
Christian Letts is a British/American musician who became known in recent years as the lead guitarist for Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Hold Fast is his first solo album and features production from Marcus Mumford.
Transfixiation is the fourth album from this New York noise rock band, and their first with new drummer Robi Gonzalez. The band had intended to start work on the album right out of touring in 2013 and 2014, but hit a wall early in the recording process. After a couple of months off, they were able to get back to work and complete the record.
Pops Staples is the patriarch of The Staple Singers and passed away in 2000. He left behind some unfinished work, so his daughter, Mavis, worked with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy (who has produced her last albums), to complete the final album.
Sundfør is a Norwegian singer-songwriter who has worked with M83 and Röyksopp. Ten Love Songs is her sixth studio album and is her first foray into creating a pop record.
Virgin Forest is fronted by Scott Stapleton, who tours with Phosphorescent playing keyboard. He formed Virgin Forest with members of Deer Tick while he was taking a break due to a broken hand. The band is already three albums in; the third adds electronic elements to their established rock and roll sound.
To celebrate her 82nd birthday, Yoko Ono is releasing a pair of 10" singles, the first with Antony Johnson. On this one, the two present a new version of her song "I Love You Earth," which originally appeared on 1985's Starpeace.
Cat’s Eyes - The Duke of Burgundy Original Soundtrack
Cat's Eyes was started as a side project for Farris Badwan of The Horrors with Rachel Zeffira. They released an album in 2011, but have seemed to be relatively silent since. This year, they're returning to with the soundtrack of the British film The Duke of Burgundy.
Dead Heavens - "History in My Hands"/"36 Chambers"
Dead Heavens is made up of former members of a diverse variety of other bands, ranging from the indie pop of Cults to the heavy metal of White Zombie. Together, they've created something reminiscent of 70s-era classic rock. "History in My Hands" is the debut single from this new group.
Drake's latest release toes the line between mixtape and album. It was released with little forewarning on iTunes, though it was initially intended to be a free mixtape available through DatPiff. Since it was commercially released, it's actually acknowledged as an album by his label, Cash Money. There's no word yet if its title indicates that we should be worried about him, though.
Ex-Cult is a post-punk band out of Memphis with more stylistic relation to 80s London punk than to more domestic styles of music. Their latest EP follows their debut and sophomore albums, released in 2012 and 2014 respectively.
Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like a Bell (Remixed)
Hundred Waters released their sophomore album, The Moon Rang Like a Bell, in May of last year, and recently saw an uptick in popularity after the album track "Show Me Love" was featured in Coca Cola's Super Bowl commercial this year. They released a remix EP for the track "Down from the Rafters" in October of last year. They are following that up with a new remix album covering all of the studio album's tracks.
Jack White's Lazaretto track "That Black Bat Licorice" is getting a single release with a cover of Harry Connick Jr.'s "Blue Light, Red Light." In addition to the new single release, the track has been given an interactive music video (link below).
Mortdecai is one of those movies that presented no compelling reason to make a trip to the theater. However, like so many films these days, it comes with a pretty impressive soundtrack. Composed by Geoff Zanelli and Mark Ronson, it also features contributions from Rose Elinor Dougall and Miles Kane.
Nedelle Torrisi is a California singer-songwriter who's been active as a performer since 2003. She released a self-titled album two years ago, which is getting reissued here. The name change comes from the title of an advice column she runs on Tumblr.
Phosphorescent released in incredible sixth album, Muchacho, in 2013. He toured for the record over much of the past two years, and has even had some shows earlier this year. He landed in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in December of 2013, playing four shows at the Music Hall. The performances to were compiled for this Hard Rain-inspired live album.
S. Carey released his latest album, Range of Light, in April of last year and is following that up with a new EP with alternative versions of several of the album's tracks, along with a few new tracks.
This is the second collaborative 10" Yoko Ono is releasing in celebration of her birthday. This one was recorded with composer John Zorn and puts to record the collaborative improvisational work "Blink," which was performed at WNYC back in 2012.
It looks like The Roots are becoming the latest kings of the collaborative album. Their first was 2010's Wake Up with John Legend. That album was somewhat expected, since soul and R&B was already an established part of their sound. This collaboration comes a bit more out of left field. In contrast to The Roots' hip-hop; Costello started out recording new wave music, but moved to alternative country later in his career. I like the idea of this collaboration and hope that the result is great!
It's amazing the effect that Apple ads has on the effect of featured artists. After Grouplove's song "Tongue Tied" was featured in a commercial for the iPod Touch two years ago, the single shot to number 1 on the Billboard Alternative chart and their album hit 75 (not extremely high, but still respectable). It's easy to create one catchy song, the challenge is in creating memorable albums (or at least another good song). Grouplove certainly did that with their upbeat debut, I expect a continuation on the follow-up.
MGMT made a big splash with their debut album, Oracular Spectacular, which featured two certified hit singles, "Electric Feel" and "Kids," both of which were insanely catchy songs. They followed it up however, with an album that didn't even seem to try to be memorable. I have a little more confidence that this album will be a better one from them. I already like the lead single, "Your Life Is a Lie;" while its sparse instrumentation is in sharp contrast to the singles that made them big, the melody is almost as immediate.
Association is a powerful thing for me. If it weren't for the predilections of a member of one of my favorite bands, I probably wouldn't know of Royal Bangs. The band became a favorite of Black Keys drummer Pat Carney. Their first two albums were released on his Audio Eagle label. He also produced this latest album. His love of their music is easy to understand; they're able to produce experimental rock that is still listenable and, more importantly, rocking!
Yoko Ono is a very divisive musician. Many blame her for the end of The Beatles and many more struggle to understand her arrhythmic experimental music. I've come to dig it, though it took a while to get there. John Lennon's last album, Double Fantasy, was a double album recorded with Ono. Her half intrigued me, and I soon checked out more of her work. I discovered that she is a well-established, prolific and much respected artist, with work well worth a listen.
I've never been a huge Alabama fan, though who doesn't know and love the song "Why Lady Why." What caught my eye about this tribute album was one of the artists chosen to cover one of their classic songs. Jessica Lea Mayfield (another Black Key favorite) was brought in to cover "I'm in a Hurry (And I Don't Know Why)."
Junip released an excellent self-titled sophomore album earlier this year. The record included some excellent tracks, though "Walking Lightly" was certainly one of the standouts. It's getting the single and remix treatment this week; this release includes several reworkings of the song.
Los Porcos - "Sunshine"/"Classically Feminine Woman"
I got into the band WU LYF a couple of years ago, intrigued by their harsh vocals and jangly guitar. As soon as I got into them, though, they were no more. Lead singer Ellery Roberts suddenly left the band and released a solo single in the same breath. The remaining members regrouped as Los Porcos and have released a number of singles this year.
Songs from Montague Terrace - A Tribute to Scott Walker
Another tribute album this week! This one is dedicated to Scott Walker, who's been a bigger name in England and among more adventurous listeners. This tribute includes tracks recorded by Coves, Nightlands and Sondre Lerche.
Toro Y Moi started a tour on Saturday in Mexico City. This single is a tour-exclusive release from the artist. He's coming to Columbus in October, so hopefully I can get my hands on it then!
