Another big wave of new music in April, first releases out on April 16, then the big indie store celebration with Record Store Day on April 20. But first, today’s releases; stay tuned for details about noteworthy RSD releases at cltampa.com/music... 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.
Anika, Anika (Stones Throw)
Art Brut, Top of the Pops (The End Reords)
The quirky Berlin-based English/German indie rock band presents a double album compilation. (FYI, Art Brut has decided henceforth to classify itself as a 'classic rock band.') Here's how they describe it: "CD1 contains the best and most popular songs from our career in chronological order. So you can see clearly that we have followed the CLASSIC ROCK blueprint exactly - Album One, Excited; Album Two, Confused; Album Three, Angry; Album Four, Experimental. Plus, two brand new tracks. They’re about enjoying natural disasters and making pop music. Optimistic rebirth. This is textbook CLASSIC ROCK BAND stuff ... CD2 contains rare songs that Freddy Feedback rescued from our vaults including live songs, covers we finally got round to asking for permission to release, hard to acquire b-sides and unreleased demos from our recording sessions for ‘Its A Bit Complicated’ that took place with Pulp's Russel Senior (who is not mad, I promise)."
Born Ruffians, Birthmarks (Yep Roc)
Stephen Brodsky, Hit or Mystery (Little Black Cloud Records)
Carla Bruni, Little French Songs (Verve)
Charli XCX, True Romance (IAMSOUND)
Coma, In Technicolor (Kompakt)
Damon & Naomi, The Wondrous World of Damon & Naomi: Bootleg Edition (20/20/20)
Dead Can Dance, In Concert (PIAS Recordings)
Disappears, Kone EP (Kranky)
Steve Earle & The Dukes (& Duchesses), The Low Highway (New West)
Electric iLL, Twisted Light EP (Amore!Phonics)
The debut recording from Viva Voce's Kevin Robinson aka Kaylee Rob, with Ragen Fykes to create an 'Illumination of Electric'-themed music, which mixes hip-swinging electro funk and twangy rock n' roll with acid-sci fi electronics and vocals effected to robotic proportions, or rising in simple boy-girl harmony. Listen to "" below.
Evenings, Yore (Friends of Friends)
Eyeconoclast, Drones of the Awakening (Prosthetic Records)
Farewell 2 Fear, New Blood (Silent Majority Group)
The Flaming Lips, The Terror (Warner Bros.)
Finally, a follow-up to Embryonic that doesn't call on a large cast of guests nor cover an album in its entirety. The psych-experimental behemoth's first album of new material since 2009 and their 13th overall was produced by long-time collaborator Dave Fridmann and is described as a "bleak, disturbing record" by frontman Wayne Coyne. It is. Not sure if I like it yet; the dreariness isn't too pleasant. Check out a medley for the album after the jump and judge for yourself... then see what else is out this week.
