I never would have expected Tame Impala to be on Rihanna's radar, yet she covered "New Person, Same Mistakes" on her latest album, Anti. Similarly, I did not think The Kills would be paying much attention to Rihanna.
The duo covered one of her new tracks, "Desperado," on a SiriusXMU live session. Unlike Rihanna's almost-too-true-to-the-original Tame Impala cover, The Kills fully make the Rihanna track their own, turning it into a moody, blues rock tune.
Both artists had new music out earlier this year: Rihanna released Anti in January and The Kills put out Ash & Ice earlier this month.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Well, the concert list for the Ticketmaster lawsuit was released this week...and, it's underwhelming. Right now, I'm looking at one show that I'd be interested in, but it's in another city on a weekday, but I can make it work. Perhaps, as artists tour around some Upcoming Releases, more good shows will be added to the list!
This week, Venezuelan-American folk singer Devendra Banhart announced his ninth studio album, Ape in Pink Marble.
Banhart specializes in a brand of folk with heavy Latin influences. His previous album, Mala, was released in 2013, though my favorite of his was 2004's Rejoicing in the Hands.
He co-produced the album with previous collaborators Noah Georgeson and Josiah Steinbrink. The album marks an even further departure from the freak folk sound that was his signature early on. He released the album's first single, "Middle Names," along with the album's announcement on Friday.
Ape in Pink Marble is set to be released on September 23.
Also announced this week:
1-800 DINOSAUR - 1-800 DINOSAUR Presents Trim (July 29)
Belle and Sebastian - The Jeepster Singles Collection (October 21)
Brendan Canning - Home Wreaking Years (August 12) The Childhood of a Leader Soundtrack (August 19) Day of the Dead 12” (August 2)
Giraffe Tongue Orchestra - Broken Lines (September 23)
Katy Goodman & Greta Morgan - Take It, It’s Yours (August 26)
Mild High Club - Skiptracing (August 26)
New Order - “People on the High Line” (July 29)
New Order - Singles (September 9)
Nice as Fuck - Nice as Fuck (out now)
Nite-Funk - Nite-Funk EP (July 1)
Psychic Twin - Strange Diary (September 9)
Teenage Fanclub - Here (September 9)
Tyondai Braxton - Oranged Out EP (out now)
White Sea - “Ellipses” (out now)
You may have heard about the class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster. Well, the rewards went into effect this week and I, for one, came out pretty nicely! Hopefully, with some of my favorite artists touring around recent and upcoming albums, I'll get to see many of them for free or at a discounted price. Check out some of those coming records here, at my Upcoming Releases page!
This week, El Perro del Mar (aka Sarah Assbring) announced her sixth album, KoKoro.
On her first album since 2012's Pale Fire, Assbring finds inspiration in Chinese and Japanese instrumentation, and Ethiopian rhythms. She touches upon a number of social issues in the lyrics, including capitalism and the environment.
Earlier this year, she released the album's first single "Breadandbutter." With the new album announcement, she also released the song's video.
Director: Duke Johnson, Charlie Kaufman Writer: Charlie Kaufman Stars: David Thewlis (Michael Stone), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Lisa Hesselman), Tom Noonan (Everyone else)
In Anomalisa, Michael Stone is a customer service expert and author in Cincinnati to promote his latest book. Unhappy in marriage and life, he begins to see everyone around him as having the same face and voice, regardless of age or gender. His first few hours in the city are disappointing, punctuated by an unsuccessful attempt to reunite with an old flame. He finds hope, however, when he hears a different voice, that belonging to Lisa Hesselman. It may just be a fling, but for a moment, she becomes to most important person in the world to him.
The animation in this was stunning, but the story itself was not my favorite. While I like the concept, I was never fully able to sympathize with the characters. It just felt that Michael was only taking advantage of Lisa, but Lisa was too simple and insecure for me to feel that bad for her.
However, I think it is an excellent film. Characters aren't always supposed to be likable or admirable, and the writers did a good job of developing Michael's temporary psychosis. I always appreciate animated films targeted to an older audience. It gives film-makers greater agility in their storytelling, and, in this film's case, allows for otherworldly touches that aren't immediately notable. The story and characters may have fallen a bit short for me, but as a whole, the movie is extremely well-done.
Bonnaroo was this past weekend and I'm starting to regret not maintaining it as my yearly tradition, especially now that they have flushable toilets (that was always my least favorite part of the festival). Regardless, there are many more fests to come over the summer that I will be making my way to in order to see some of my favorite artists, many of whom have albums coming out soon! Check those out over at my Upcoming Releases page!
This week, folk/indie chanteuse Angel Olsen announced her third album, My Woman.
Olsen first landed on my radar late in 2014, long after the release of her sophomore record, Burn Your Fire for No Witness, when she re-released the album and put out a music video for "Windows."
In ways, she reminded me of another of my favorites, Sharon Van Etten; similar enough to appeal to the same tastes, but unique enough to stand out on her own.
Earlier this month, she released a new song and video, "Intern," and followed that up on Monday with the announcement of the new album.
My Woman is set to be released on September 2.
Also announced this week:
Banks & Steelz - Anything But Words (August 26)
Blood Orange - Freetown Sound (July 1)
Deap Vally - Femejism (September 16)
Lisa Hannigan - At Swim (August 19)
Local Natives - Sunlit Youth (September 9)
Steven Tyler - We’re All Somebody from Somewhere (July 15)
Wye Oak - Tween (out now)
ANOHNI has had a long career spanning more than fifteen years. She has previously performed as Antony and the Johnsons, releasing four albums over then years. Hopelessness is her first solo album, and first under a new name. The album covers a range of social and political issues, from drone strikes, to the environment, and the culture of masculinity.
You can't always believe a band when they say they're done. Even though they announced their "disbandment" in 2014, Death Grips has released an album, a soundtrack, and an EP since then. Now, they've released yet another album. The release follows their Interview 2016 EP, released with a strange long-form music video, earlier this year.
While I'm often annoyed by surprise releases, sometimes they're just about the best news I can get. That was the case when James Blake announced his third album for release just hours later. On the album, he continues his blend of ambient, post-dubstep, and soul, and he sounds better than ever. The record features old collaborators like Bon Iver and new, Frank Ocean, as well as artwork from Sir Quentin Blake.
Julianna Barwick has made a career out of using her own voice as an orchestral instrument, looping and layering it in ways that make you forget that she doesn't use much traditional instrumentation. She continues this work on her third full-length, with contributions from Mas Ysa and Chairlift drummer Jamie Ingalls.
I really don't remember how or when I first heard of Little Scream, aka Laurel Sprengelmeyer, but I know that absolutely loved her debut album, The Golden Record. It's been quite a while since that album, five years to be exact. She strays a bit from the sound on that first album. She started with a fairly traditional folk style, but adds elements of pop, avant garde, and funk on Cult Following.