New Music Friday - May 11, 2018

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Though the Arctic Monkeys were one of the core bands of the post-punk revival movement of the early-to-mid aughts, they've changed their sound with nearly every record. Their last, AM, recalled psychedelic and blues rocks sounds. This one, as best as I can describe it, is skeezy 70s lounge singer. It's the band at their least immediate, but the sound has grown on me since the record was released. Watch: "Four out of Five" Watch: "Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino"

Beach House - 7 The seventh album from this duo follows a closet-cleaning B-sides release and a departure from their longtime producer, Chris Coady. While still identifiably a Beach House record, it does see them progressing their sound and making a more adventurous album than any of their previous work. Watch: "Lemon Glow" Watch: "Dark Spring"

Jess Williamson - Cosmic Wink Coming just a couple of years after her sophomore album, Heart Song, Williamson's third covers an unlikely trio of life events. On the album, she sings of new love, moving cross country, and the aging of her canine friend. Watch: "I See the White" Watch: "Wild Rain"

La Luz - Floating Points Floating Points is the third album from this LA-based band. A prominent theme of the album is dreams, subtly inferred by the album's title. They combine this with the "surf noir" sound they've already become known for. Watch: "Cicada" Watch: "Mean Dream"

SSION - O SSION is the project of Cody Critcheloe and covers music, as well as visual and live performance. His more than 20 year career includes artwork design and direction for artists ranging from Charli XCX and the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs. O is his third solo record. Watch: "At Least the Sky Is Blue" (featuring Ariel Pink) Watch: "Comeback"

Other Full-Length Releases

Ament - Heaven/Hell Watch: "Safe in the Car" Listen: "The Noise, the Noise"

The Body - I Have Fought Against It, but I Can’t Any Longer Listen: "Can Carry No Weight" Listen: "Nothing Stirs"

Mark Kozelek - Mark Kozelek Listen: "The Mark Kozelek Museum" Listen: "My Love for You Is Undying"

The Sea and Cake - Any Day Listen: "Any Day" Listen: "These Falling Arms"

Simian Mobile Disco - Hey Sister Watch: "Caught in a Wave" Watch: "Hey Sister"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Mount Kimbie - Love What Survives Remixes Part 1 Listen: "Blue Train Lines" (Nina Kraviz Main Mix)

Mount Kimbie - Love What Survives Remixes Part 2 Listen: "Four Years and One Day" (Marcel Dettmann Remix) Listen: "Four Years and One Day" (Gerd Janson Remix)

Ty Dolla $ign - "Clout" Watch: "Clout" (featuring 21 Savage)

New Music Friday - July 7, 2017

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Broken Social Scene - Hug of Thunder Hug of Thunder is the fifth album from this Canadian collective, which counts Kevin Drew, Emily Haines, and Amy Millan as members. The album came about following a spate of festival performances for the band from 2013 to 2015. They were inspired to "get the band back together", so to speak. Interestingly, the new album comes in around the same time that several of the band's members also have new solo records out, including Feist, Emily Haines, and Brendan Canning. Listen: "Halfway Home" Listen: "Hug of Thunder"

HAIM - Something to Tell You The Haim sisters broke out in 2013 with Days Are Gone. A good album, but not one that really blew me away. The early singles from this follow-up got me pretty excited for the record, which I think is better that their debut. The band re-entered the studio soon after completing their tour for Days and worked with a great set of producers, George Lewis Jr. (Twin Shadow), BloodPop, Rostam, Ariel Rechtshaid, and themselves! Watch: "Want You Back" Listen: "Right Now"

This Is the Kit - Moonshine Freeze This Is the Kit is Kate Stables, who released her debut album, Krulle Bol, in 2008. Moonshine Freeze is her fourth record. She has always worked with a wide variety of musicians on her albums. Her follow-up to 2015's Bashed Out sees the return of The National's Aaron Dessner providing guitar and piano. Listen: "Bullet Proof"

Toro Y Moi - Boo Boo Boo Boo comes just two years after Chaz Bundick's last record as Toro Y Moi, What For?. It's not his first release this year. In March, he teamed up with The Mattson 2 as Chaz Bundick Meets the Mattson 2 for Star Stuff. The new album under his most well-known moniker was inspired by a variety of other artists, including Travis Scott and Daft Punk, and was made to help Bundick deal with his own growing popularity. Watch: "Omaha" Watch: "You and I"

Other Full-Length Releases

Mark Kozelek & Sean Yeaton - Yellow Kitchen Listen: "The Reasons I Love You" Listen: "Time to Destination"

Pawns - The Gallows Listen: "Damascus" Listen: "The Cross"

Sarah Jaffe - Bad Baby Watch: "Bad Baby" Listen: "Synthetic Love"

Tristen - Sneaker Waves Watch: "Glass Jar" (featuring Jenny Lewis) Watch: "Got Some"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

DJ Shadow - The Mountain Has Fallen Watch: "Systematic" (featuring Nas) Watch: "Corridors" (featuring Steven Price)

Olga Bell - America Watch: "Special Leave" Listen: "America"

So Many Singing: A Compilation to Benefit Immigrant Rights Listen: Half Waif - "Cary"

New Music Friday - May 27, 2016

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

Kristin Kontrol - X-Communicate Kristin Welchez (née Gundred, aka Dee Dee) is primarily known for the Dum Dum Girls, a band for whom she has been the frontwoman since 2008. This year, she's breaking out on her own under the name Kristin Kontrol. Taking inspiration from a number of female musicians from the 80s and 90s, it's meant to be a non-genre-specific record, and serves as a way for her to reclaim her artistic identity. Listen: "X-Communicate" Listen: "Show Me"

Leyla McCalla - A Day for the Hunter, a Day for the Prey Leyla McCalla is an American-born singer and cellist of Haitian descent. She was a member of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, but left to start her solo career. Her first album, Vari-Colored Songs, was a tribute to Langston Hughes, consisting of interpretations of his poems. The follow-up album continues on the same themes from her debut, though without the Hughes poems as the starting point. Watch: "A Day for the Hunter, a Day for the Prey" Listen: "Little Sparrow"

Maria Usbeck - Amparo Usbeck is also stepping away from a band to begin a solo project. She was formerly the lead singer of Selebrities. Though she's of Ecuadorian descent, she's never sung in her native Spanish. Her solo debut is also her first Spanish-language album. The album was co-produced by Chairlift's Caroline Polachek. Watch: "Uno De Tus Ojos" Watch: "Moai Y Yo"

Olga Bell - Tempo Olga Bell is a Russian-born American composer and musician who has performed with Chairlift and Dirty Projectors. For her third album she is turning her talents towards electronic music. The album follows her 2014 Russian-language album, Krai, and last year's Incitation EP. Watch: "Randomness" Watch: "ATA"

Yumi Zouma - Yoncalla Yumi Zouma is a band out of New Zealand, fronted by Christie Simpson, and this is their debut album. The album incorporates a variety of pop styles, from 70s-style disco pop to the goth pop of fellow Kiwi Lorde. Listen: "Keep It Close to Me" Listen: "Barricade (Matter of Fact)"

Other Full-Length Releases

Band of Skulls - By Default Watch: "Killer" Watch: "So Good"

Beth Orton - Kidsticks Watch: "Moon" Listen: "Snow"

Flume - Skin Watch: "Never Be Like You" (featuring Kai) Listen: "Wall Fuck"

Mark Kozelek - Mark Kozelek Sings Favorites Listen: "Win" Listen: "Amanda"

Mistah F.A.B. - Son of a Pimp 2 Listen: "Survive" (featuring Kendrick Lamar) Listen: "What Yo Hood Like" (featuring Jadakiss)

Nicholas Allbrook - Pure Gardiya Watch: "Advance" Watch: "A Fool There Was"

PUP - The Dream Is Over Watch: "If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will" Watch: "DVP"

Sonny & the Sunsets - Moods Baby Moods Watch: "Well but Strangely Hung Man" Listen: "Moods"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Brenda’s Friend - House Down Listen: "House Down" Listen: "Horoscope"

Jarvis Cocker - Music from Likely Stories

Joey Purp - iiiDrops Listen: "Girls@" (featuring Chance The Rapper) Listen: "Photobooth"

Mattie Safer - All We Are Listen: "Sea Change" Listen: "All We Are"

Miles Davis & Robert Glasper - Everything’s Beautiful Listen: "Ghetto Walkin’" (featuring Bilal) Listen: "I’m Leaving You" (featuring Ledisi & John Scofield)

My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves Reissue Listen: "Golden " (Original Demo) Listen: "One Big Holiday"

Peaches - Rub Remixes Listen: "Rub" (Paula Temple Remix) Listen: "I Mean Something" (JD Samson Remix)

The Strokes - Future Present Past EP Watch: "Drag Queen" Watch: "Threat of Joy"

Sunn O))) - NOLIFE: Alive in Moscow 11 August 2015

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "First World Problem" Listen: "First World Problem"

New Music Tuesday - May 26, 2015

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases

A$AP Rocky - At.Long.Last.A$AP Lord Flacko is back with his sophomore album. A$AP Rocky is the most prominent member of one of the newest rap groups, A$AP Mob. He released his debut album, Long. Live. A$AP, in 2013 to quite a bit of fanfare. In the time between, he began to ingratiate himself into the worlds of fashion and film (he has a starring role in the film Dope), but is back to the music game this year. Watch: "L$D" Listen: "Everyday" (featuring Rod Stewart, Miguel, Mark Ronson)

Little Wings - Explains Little Wings is the music project of musician Kyle Field. I started listening to his music a few years ago when I discovered his 2002 album, Light Green Leaves. I played the album on repeat for quite some time. Despite his talent, not many publications seem to know about him, or perhaps they are disinterested in his music. I missed announcements for his last two records, but thankfully I was able to catch this latest one! Listen: "Where" Listen: "By Now"

Robert Pollard - Faulty Superheroes Guided By Voices may be done as a band, but former lead singer Robert Pollard remains extremely prolific even as a solo artist. This is the second of three (so far) albums slated for this year, though it's the only one under his own name. He began a new solo project earlier this year, Ricked Wicky. He released I Sell the Circus in February and has one slated for next month under that name. Listen: "Up and Up and Up" Listen: "What a Man"

Thee Oh Sees - Mutilator Defeated at Last Thee Oh Sees are also a fairly prolific act, though they stick to just one album per year, which they have done since their 2004 debut. Their latest album is the first to feature a pair of new members; Tim Hellman and Nick Murray, who were brought in as a rhythm section for the band's tour last year. The addition of these members, along with the return of some former collaborators, helps to round out the band's sound. Listen: "Web" Listen: "Withered Hand"

The Vaccines - English Graffiti The Vaccines started out on the tail-end of the British post-punk revival and their first album reflected that sound. They've challenged that style with each subsequent release, though I didn't like the results as much. While there's still some element of experimentation on this release, it seems to be a better return to form for the band. Watch: "Minimal Affection" Watch: "Dream Lover"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.

Carpark Sweet Sixteen Basketball Picture Disc Listen: Skylar Pence - "Practice" Listen: TEEN - "Dylan and Chong Playing Basketball"

Devinyl Splits No. 2 Listen: Meredith Graves - "Took the Ghost to the Movies" Listen: Kevin Devine - "Geißen"

Mark Kozelek - Rock N' Roll Singer Reissue Listen: "Rock N' Roll Singer" Listen: "Metropole 47"

Remembering Mountains Listen: Sharon Van Etten - "Remembering Mountains" Listen: Marissa Nadler - "So Long Ago and Far Away"

The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers Reissue Watch: "Bitch" (Extended Version) Listen: "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" (Alternate Version)

Sondre Lerche - Despite the Night EP Listen: "Despite the Night" Listen: "Despite the Night" (Fancy Colors Remix)

Songs of Aloha Listen: Kurt Vile - "Take My Advice" Listen: Jónsi & Alex - "Midnight Mix"

Swans - Filth Reissue Listen: "Weakling" Listen: "Stay Here"