Saturday, September 26, 2015

New Music Friday - August 14, 2015

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases



The Good Life - Everybody’s Coming Down

Tim Kasher is known for his work in Cursive, an emo band who released their first album in 1997. Slightly more recently, he has been involved in The Good Life, whose first album was released just three years later. That project has been hiatus for eight years, but is back this year with a new album. It's the first from the band that was recorded as a more collective effort, lending it a broader range of styles and ideas than previous efforts.

Watch: "The Troubadour’s Green Room"
Listen: "Everybody"




Talib Kweli - Fuck the Money

Talib Kweli is all about the surprise releases in the back half of this year. A few weeks ago, he released a first volume of b-sides and rare tracks with very little warning. This release comes with the same amount of forewarning, none. The album, with featured appearances from Miguel, Patrick Stump (of Fallout Boy), and Ab-Soul, seeks to warn of the evils of money. It is, as would only be appropriate, available as a free download here.

Watch: "Fuck the Money" (featuring Casper Nyowest)
Listen: "Nice Things"


Other Full-Length Releases



Teen Daze - Morning World

Watch: "Morning World"
Listen: "Along"


Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.



2 Chainz - Trapavelli Tre

Watch: "Everything I Know"
Listen: "Watch Out"


Chance The Rapper + Lil B - Free

Listen: "We Rare"
Listen: "What’s Next"


Jamie Woon - "Sharpness"

Listen: "Sharpness"


jj - Death

Listen: "Fuck It"
Listen: "Truce"


FKA twigs - M3LL155X EP

Listen: "Figure 8"


Lana Del Rey - "High By the Beach"

Watch: "High By the Beach"


Lemonade - "Dancer on the Shore"

Listen: "Dancer on the Shore" (featuring Dee Dee)


Pavement - The Secret History, Vol. 1

Listen: "Summer Babe"
Listen: "Here"


Wondaland Presents: THE EEPHUS

Watch: Janelle MonĂ¡e - "Yoga"
Watch: Jidenna - "Classic Man"

Upcoming Album of the Week (Ending September 26)

If you're interested in seeing a fuller list of upcoming albums, EPs, soundtracks, singles and more, head on over to my Upcoming Releases page!

This week's anticipated release comes from one of at least four British men named Jamie or James who expertly mix R&B and electronic sounds, Jamie Woon (the others are Jamie Lidell, Jamie xx and James Blake, though I'm sure there are many others).


Woon, whose sound leans less experimental than the others', released his first album, Mirrorwriting, way back in 2011. While he got less attention from the blogosphere than contemporaries like The xx and James Blake, it was an excellent record and one of my favorites that year.

Unfortunately, Woon seemed to drop off the face of the earth following the album's release. Aside from news that he had cancelled several shows in 2012, there was next to no news about him or new music from him. It was easy to assume that he simply chosen to leave the music industry. He disproved that assumption in March with a collaboration with Portico. He released the first bit of new solo work in August, and on Monday announced Making Time for release on November 6.



Also announced this week:

Adele - 25 (November 20)
Arcade Fire - The Reflektor Tapes (October 16)
Bob Dylan - The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12 (November 6)
Drake & Future - What a Time to Be Alive (out now)
The Duke Spirit - “Blue and Yellow Light” (October 23)
The Flaming Lips - Heady Nuggs 20 Years After Clouds Taste Metallic (November 27)
Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat Reissue (January 29)
Hurricane #1 - Find What You Love and Let It Kill You (November 20)
Kurt Cobain - “And I Love Her”/“Sappy” (November 20)
Tindersticks - The Waiting Room (January 22)
A Tribe Called Quest - People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm Reissue (November 13)
Le Volume Courbe - I Wish Dee Dee Ramone Was Here with Me (October 30)
YG, Blanco, & DB Tha General - California Livin (out now)
Weezer - “Thank God for Girls” (October 27)

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Upcoming Album of the Week (Ending September 19)

Be sure to click over to my Upcoming Releases page to see a more comprehensive list of albums and such coming up in the ensuing months.

This was a fairly quiet week for new album announcements; perhaps getting towards the end of year and the massive number of releases set in the coming weeks has slowed down any mention of planned new music. There is one that stands out, due to both the artist's talent and the novelty of what he is doing. Ryan Adams officially announced the release of his full album cover of Taylor Swift's 1989.
stereogum.com
Adams announced his intention to record and release this covers album in early August and has shared a few snippets from the studio in the time since. Still, it didn't feel like something that would actually happen. Sure, covers are nothing new; there are even artists who have released entire albums of covers dedicated to a single artist (see: the bird and the bee's Interpreting the Masters). It seems new for one prominent artist to dedicate themselves to covering the entire album of another prominent artist.



It seems the perfect topper for Adams' prolific run over the past couple of years (though I'm sure he'll keep going), and validation for Swift's songwriting, considering Adams himself has long been regarded as an excellent songwriter.

Ryan Adams' 1989 will be released on Monday!

Also announced this week:

A-Trak - “We All Fall Down” (October 2)
Arcade Fire - “Get Right”/“Crucified Again” (September 25)
Jessica Care Moore - Black Tea: The Legend of Jesse James (October 2)
Johnny Marr - Adrenaline Baby (October 9)
Norman Westberg - 13 (November 13)
Zomby - Let’s Jam EP1 (October 9)
Zomby - Let’s Jam EP2 (October 9)

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

New Music Friday - August 7, 2015

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases



Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss

Chelsea Wolfe's music lies at the intersection of folk and metal, with  a distinctive dark folk sound honed over five albums. Her latest was inspired by a story of a worker's suicide at a Foxconn factory (Foxconn is a company which manufactures many of our electronics). Wolfe and her cowriter, Karlos Ayala, tried to explore the feelings of frustration and desperation that the worker must have felt.

Watch: "Carrion Flowers"
Listen: "After the Fall"




La Luz - Weirdo Shrine

"Surf noir" band La Luz released their debut album, It's Alive, in 2013. Shortly thereafter, the band was involved in a serious car accident (which they all survived with minimal injuries), but didn't let that derail them. They got back on the road and returned to the studio to record a follow-up. 2015 has been a good year for all-girl rock bands so far; these girls are just making it even better.

Watch: "Black Hole, Weirdo Shrine"
Listen: "Don’t Wanna Be Anywhere"




Langhorne Slim and The Law - The Spirit Moves

The Spirit Moves is the sixth album from Langhorne Slim and just the second to be credited to him and his longtime backing band, The Law. The album follows some changes in his personal and professional lives. The musician is now sober and has made his first move from his home studio in New York City to record in Nashville. These changes are reflected on the album, which he describes as simultaneously raw and relatable.

Listen: "Changes"
Listen: "Spirit Moves"




Public Enemy - Man Plans, God Laughs

Given Flavor Flav's focus on the world of reality TV and the rise of another new group of hip hop artists, it's easy to forget that Public Enemy has been going strong since the early 1980s. Their 13th album comes just three years after the release of The Evil Empire of Everything. On this latest album, the group was inspired by those who came after, including Kanye West, Run the Jewels, and Kendrick Lamar.

Watch: "No Sympathy from the Devil"
Watch: "Man Plans, God Laughs"


Other Full-Length Releases



Dr. Dre - Compton: A Soundtrack By Dr. Dre

Listen: "Lost" (featuring Dawaun Walker)



Gangrene - You Disgust Me

Watch: "Driving Gloves"
Watch: "Sheet Music"


GEoRGiA - GEoRGiA

Watch: "Nothing Solutions"
Watch: "Move Systems"


The Mynabirds - Lovers Know

Watch: "Semantics"
Watch: "Wildfire"


Night Beds - Ivywild

Watch: "Tide Teeth"
Listen: "Corner"


Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.



Danny Brown & Clams Casino - "Worth It"

Listen: "Worth It"


The Diary of a Teenage Girl Soundtrack

Listen: Nate Heller - "Dreamsong" (featuring Amber Coffman)
Listen: The Stooges - "Down on the Street"


GRiZ - For the Love (Remix) EP

Listen: "For the Love" (featuring Talib Kweli) (Big Wild Remix)
Listen: "For the Love" (featuring Talib Kweli) (Autograf Remix)


Iggy Pop - Search and Destroy: Live in Chicago 1988




Mac DeMarco - Another One

Watch: "Another One"
Listen: "The Way You’d Love Her"


Mastodon - The Hunter Reissue

Watch: "Curl of the Burl"
Watch: "Black Tongue"


Miles Davis - Live in Tokyo 1975




Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique - Love Is Free

Watch: "Set Me Free"
Listen: "Love Is Free" (featuring Maluca)

Sunday, September 13, 2015

TV on the Radio - "Trouble"


In their video for the Seeds cut "Trouble," TV on the Radio show a series of poignant portraits of a variety of individuals. There's a sense of melancholy in each shot, everyone seems sad or worried about something. Then, the song's message comes in: "here comes trouble," but "everything is going to be ok." It's a simple video, but the song's lyrics seem to be just the message that the figures in the video, and perhaps the viewer, needs to hear.


TV on the Radio released their fifth studio album, Seeds, in November of last year.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

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)

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

New Music Friday - July 31, 2015

Be sure to view a list of upcoming releases here!

Essential Full-Length Releases



Albert Hammond Jr. - Momentary Masters

When The Strokes got back together in 2009; I wasn't nearly as excited for it as teenage Joy would have been. During the years that they had been on break, several of the members released solo or side projects that were just incredible; including Albert Hammond Jr., who released a solo debut, Yours to Keep, in 2006. The albums that followed The Strokes' return were far from my favorites, so I am excited to see the members back in the solo game!

Watch: "Losing Touch"
Watch: "Born Slippy"




Lianne La Havas - Blood

Lianne La Havas is a British folk and R&B singer of Jamaican and Greek heritage who released her first album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, three years ago. She became a critical and commercial darling following its release and found other artists like Alt-J and Prince among her fans (she appears on both of their albums last year). Compared to her first album, her follow-up is more soulful and upbeat.

Watch: "What You Won’t Do"
Watch: "Unstoppable"




Titus Andronicus - The Most Lamentable Tragedy

Titus Andronicus have never been a band to shy away from conceptual albums. They've already made albums inspired by Seinfeld and the American Civil War, but this album may be their most ambitious yet. The Most Lamentable Tragedy is a "rock opera" following "Our Hero" over five acts; it's a statement on manic depression. They remain one of the few acts who make concept albums palatable and they've done it again!

Watch: "Fatal Flaw"
Watch: "Dimed Out"


Other Full-Length Releases



Adult Mom - Momentary Lapse of Happily

Listen: "Survival"
Listen: "Laying on My Floor"


Gunplay - Living Legend

Watch: "Wuzhanindoe"
Watch: "John Gotti Freestyle"

Singles, EPs, Soundtracks, etc.



BEAK - BEAK KAEB

Watch: "The Broken Window"
Watch: "There's No One"


Chet Faker - "1998"

Listen: "1998" (featuring BANKS)


Ibeyi - "Exhibit Diaz"

Watch: "Exhibit Diaz"


The Jesus and Mary Chain - Live at Barrowlands

Listen: "Reverence"


Led Zeppelin - Coda Reissue

Listen: "Sugar Mama" (Mix)
Listen: "Darlene" (Remastered)


Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door Reissue

Listen: "In the Evening" (Remastered)
Listen: "Fool in the Rain"


Led Zeppelin - Presence Reissue

Listen: "Achilles Last Stand"
Listen: "Hots on for Nowhere" (Reference Mix)


Les Mouches - You’re Worth More to Me Than 1000 Christians Reissue

Listen: "Cities Become Less Important"
Listen: "Carload of Whatever"


Noel Gallagher’s High-Flying Birds - High-Flying Birds in 3D

Listen: "The Right Stuff" (3D Remix - Version 1)


The Prophet: Music from the Motion Picture

Watch: Damien Rice - "Hypnosis"
Listen: Damien Rice - "On Children"


Thou - "Eyehatethou"

Listen: "Eyehatethou"

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Upcoming Album of the Week (Ending September 5)

Click on over to my Upcoming Releases page to see a fuller list of albums and such that I'm quite looking forward to.

The artist behind this week's featured announcement requires no introduction. She's a music industry veteran who's been making hits since 1982 and is a member of a show business family who first made a splash two decades before that. This week, Janet Jackson (Miss Jackson, if you nasty) finalized details on her upcoming 11th studio album, Unbreakable.

janetjackson.com

Now, this isn't technically a new announcement; Miss Jackson had already announced a new album for sometime in the latter half of 2015. She released the first single from the record, "No Sleeep," in June, confirmed the name in August, and this week she revealed the album artwork and release date.



Miss Jackson's first album in seven years will be released on October 2.

Also announced this week:

Animal Collective - Live at 9:30 (out now)
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - In No Particular Order: 2009-2014 (October 9)
Garbage - Garbage Reissue (October 2)
Jeezy - TBA (November 13)
Kelela - Hallucinogen EP (October 9)
Martin Courtney - Many Moons (October 30)
Miley Cyrus - Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz (out now)
Neko Case - Truckdriver, Gladiator, Mule Box Set (November 13)
Rick Ross - Black Dollar (out now)
Thunderbitch - Thunderbitch (out now)
Tinashe - Joyride (2015)