The official second week of October releases. Info and links for the ones you want to know about most below, plus some other ones you may not have heard of (but should know), with audio & video for your listening and viewing pleasure. Click here to check out releases that dropped over the past few months.
A Loss For Words, Before It Caves (Rise)
Amos Lee, Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song (Blue Note)
This album did not, in fact, come out on Oct. 1; it comes out today.
The Answer, New Horizon (Napalm)
Bombay Dub Orchestra, Tales From The Grand Bazaar (Six Degrees Recordings)
Andrew T. Mackay and Garry Hughes, the visionaries behind BDO, drew on their respective experiences (Hughes scored award-winning HBO documentary Marathon Boy while Mackay worked on the music for Indian film Ballad Of Rustom and Pakistani film Josh). Together, the also collaborated on the music for Project Happiness, featuring the Dalai Lama and George Lucas. This album was recorded all over, including in Jamaica with Sly & Robbie. "Beauty and the East" below.
Born Gold, I Am an Exit (Art Control)
Danny Brown, Old (Fool’s Gold)
He might be a tad outrageous, and his style firmly within the alt hip hop realms, but you have to give it to Danny Brown – the dude is one of a kind. Check "Dip" after the jump. And he's not talking about the dance move nor tobacco. Take from it what you will…
V.V. Brown, Samson & Delilah (YOY)
Cage the Elephant, Melophobia (RCA)
Anna Calvi, One Breath (Domino)
Chase & Status, Brand New Machine (Casablanca Records)
Clara May, American Desi (self-release)
Miley Cyrus, Bangerz (RCA)
Actual release date Oct. 4, 2013.
Darkside, Psychic (Other Peope)
Nicolas Jaar & Dave Harrington
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., The Speed of Things (Warner Bros.)
The Detroit duo made up of Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott unveil a new sophomore album and follow-up to 2011's acclaimed debut, It's A Corporate World. Video for "If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)" below.
Deap Vally, Sistrionix (Cherrytree / Communion / Interscope/Island)
Diplo, Revolution EP (Mad Decent)
The 34-year-old DJ, producer and Twitter personality issues a new recording featuring collaborations with RiFF RAFF, Mike Posner, and Action Bronson, among others.
Earthless, From the Ages (Tee Pee Records)
Electric 6, Mustang (Metropolis)
Fast Romantics, Afterlife Blues (Pipe & Hat/Fontana North)
The Fratellis, We Need Medicine (BMG)
FRONDS, FRONDS (Do Not Disturb Records)
Ezra Furman, Day of the Dog (Bar/None)
Glasser, Interiors (True Panther)
Patty Griffin, Silver Bell (UMe)
Originally recorded 13 years ago and newly mixed by Glyn Johns, Patty’s Griffin’s in-demand “lost” album gets its long-awaited official release. The album features 14 tracks including “Top Of The World” and “Truth #2.”
Albert Hammond, Jr., AHJ EP (Cult Records)
The name is familiar because you know it; Hammond Jr. famously plays guitar and keys for The Strokes.
Dave Hause, Devour (Grandmaster Recorders LTD)
The Loved Ones frontman presents a second solo full-length.
His Clancyness, Vicious (FatCat Records)
Iggy Azalea, Change Your Life EP (Island)
Jonny Kaplan & The Lazy Stars, Sparkle And Shine (Reckless Grace)
Tim Kasher, Adult Film (Saddle Creek)
The Cursive frontman and Conor Oberst contemporary — who hits town on Nov. 1 — presents his sophomore solo album, with instrumental back-up by Sara Bertuldo (bass, vocals), Patrick Newbery (organ, keys, synths, horns), and Dylan Ryan (drums) as well as additional artists like Nate Kinsella (drums; of Make Believe and Birthmark) and Laura Stevenson (vocals), among others. "Truly Freaking Out" below.
The KickDrums, Thinking Out Loud (Hopeless Records)
Kodaline, In a Perfect World (US Release) (RCA)
Korn, Paradigm Shift (Caroline/Prospect Park)
First album to feature original guitarist Brian "Head" Welch in 10 years.
Lissie, Back to Forever (US Release) (Fat Possum)
Mayday Parade, Monsters In The Closet (Fearless)
of Montreal, lousy with sylvianbriar (Polyvinyl)
The 12th release from a psych pop/indie rock favorite from Athens, led by visionary mind, Kevin Barnes. For this album, Barnes veered away from his usual laptop orchestrations and went tape machine analog, amps and all to deliver an of Montreal-style throwback album driven by guitars and dwelling largely in garage-psych land. Likely has alot to do with Barnes' creative process this time around; he wrote much of it during an isolated sojourn in San Francisco, and it has a organic West Coast appeal that sounds like the contemporaries Barnes claims influenced the sound, namely Grateful Dead and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Check out "Fugitive Air" below.
Anders Osborne, Peace (Alligator Records)
Panic at the Disco, Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! (Decaydance/Fueled by Ramen)
PAPA, Tender Madness (Loma Vista Recordings)
Parquet Courts, Tally All The Things That You Broke EP (What's Your Rupture?)
Pusha T, My Name Is My Name (Decon)
Lee Ranaldo & The Dust, Last Night On Earth (Matador)
The Sonic Youth former presents a new record as a solo leading man.
RJD2, More Is Than Isn’t (Electrical Connections)
RJD2 drops his fifth full-length and latest on his own RJ's Electrical Connections label. His soulful, groove and beat-oriented hip hop sound is firmly intact, as is his knack for producing sci-fidelic sonicscapes that have a dramatic, cinematic quality. He's threaded some world textures throughout his latest mix. Love this dude. Check the new video for "Her Majesty's Socialist Request" below.
Kenny Rogers, You Can't Make Old Friends (Warner Bros. Nashville)
William Shatner, Ponder The Mystery (Cleopatra)
The man formerly known as Captain Kirk has dabbled in music several times in his life and this is his latest foray, a concept album in which Shatner waxes on themes of aging, depression, love and beauty with production assistance from Billy Sherwood brings and a guest list that includes Steve Vai, Rick Wakeman, jazz great Al Di Meola, country superstar Vince Gill, and others.
Sleigh Bells, Bitter Rivals (Mom + Pop)
St. Lucia, When the Night (Neon Gold/Columbia)
Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington, High Rise (13Star Records)
Suburban Legends, Dreams Aren’t Real But These Songs Are EP (Rock Ridge Music)
Summer Camp, Summer Camp (US Release) ((PIAS) America/Moshi Moshi)
SWF, Let It Be Told (Mecca Lecca)
SWiiiM, Cellophane Castle (Lightwave Records)
This is not the LA-by-way-of-Florida band we all know and love, but a California-based electro-pop fuzz artist, Danny Fujikawa, and this is his debut as Swiiim; Impose Magazine describes it as "contemporary dance music conventions produced like cannons firing at unpredictable times, and at unpredictable ranges." Check out the weirdness below in the "All My Things" video.
Tezeo, Tezeo (Dummy Records)
Various Artists, CBGB: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Omnivore)
Various Artists, Red Hot + Fela (Knitting Factory Records)
Wild Child, The Runaround (Self-Release)
This article appears in Oct 3-9, 2013.