The third week of May releases is looking pretty exciting. Take a look at my curated breakdown of the album — info and links for the ones I think you want to know about most below, plus some other ones you may not have heard of (but should know) – with hyperlinks, info, audio & video for your listening and viewing pleasure. Click here to see releases from the past several weeks…
Ceremony, The L-Shaped Man (Matador)
Coal Chamber, Rivals (Napalm)
Bryce Dessner and Sō Percussion, Music For Wood And Strings (Brassland)
Diamond Youth, Nothing Matters (Topshelf Records)
Baltimore's Diamond Youth present a power pop-grungy debut that vaguely evokes Weezer, OK Go and Queens of the Stone Age all at once without really sounding like any of them. Check out "Thought I Had it Right" below.
Du Blonde, Welcome Back To Milk (Mute)
The new project from singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and visual artist Beth Jeans Houghton, who hails from Newcastle upon Tyne and draws on elements of hard rock, psychedelia, punk-blues. She's rad. I'd very loosely compare her to a female Kevin Barnes, with more bite. Check out the video for "Black Flag" below.
Faith No More, Sol Invictus (Reclamation/Ipecac)
You see this, you think, 'Hey, new album from Faith No More. Cool." But likely you didn't realize that the alt metal outfit hasn't delivered any new material since 1997's Album of the Year. Probably because frontman Mike Patton has been so damn profuse with all his myriad of other projects — Tomahawk, Imperial Teen, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, Peeping Tom, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Lovage — not to mention all the production work that's kept the dude busy as well. 'Course, nothing quite approaches the bad-assness of Faith No More. "Superhero" below; check out "Motherfucker," too.
Filligar, Keepsakes of the Interior (Decade Records)
Brandon Flowers, The Desired Effect (Island Records)
Fool’s Gold, Flying Lessons (ORG)
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Bright Days (Easy Star)
It's an Americana album from the band previously known for their reggae jam sensibilities. Upon first listen, not sure I can gel with the sound change. So, is everybody jumping on the roots wagon now? Yeesh.
Glockabelle, Wolf BBQ EP (self-release)
This is some of the weirdest shit I've heard in a while. Experimental pop on a mix of acid and amphetamine, at a carnival, in Europe? New York City’s Annabelle Cazes is the artist behind it. She sings in English and in French. She rocks out on two Casio VL-Tones (pocket calculator keyboards) as well as displaying choppy glockenspiel use, playing with 8 thimbles on her fingertips, applying her classical piano training to modern synth-pop sounds. She appeared on The Go! Team's latest, The Scene Between, and has also toured with Fiery Furnaces. Listen to the title track below.
The Helio Sequence, The Helio Sequence (Sub Pop)
Hot Chip, Why Make Sense? (Domino)
Joanna Gruesome, Peanut Butter (Slumberland)
The Milk Cartons Kids, Monterey (Anti-)
Holly Miranda, Holly Miranda (Dangerbird)
Moullinex, Elsewhere (Discotexas/!K7)
Nocturnal Sunshine, Nocturnal Sunshine (I/AM/ME)
Northern American, Modern Phenomena (Heist Or Hit Records)
There's something about this debut from a new LA quartet; breezy slide guitar-soaked Americana with a shoe-gazey lazy feel. Listen to "Elysian" below.
Part Time, Virgo's Maze (Burger Records)
Psymon Spine, Psymon Spine EP (Axis Mundi Records)
I almost didn't include this at all, until I heard "Shocked" — this album was produced by Axis Mundi Records founder and Crystal Fighters member Graham Dickson. Fuzzy synths, charming vocal harmonies, sci-fi grooving beats; psych pop with teeth. Listen below.
Saun & Starr, Look Closer (Daptone)
Shamir, Ratchet (XL)
Shark Week, Beach Fuzz (PaperCup Music)
You know when you expect a band to sound a certain way, and they do, but they also surprise with quality and catchiness? Washington DC-based Shark Week has that surfy/jangly/vaguely retro rock thing going on, but add a little trippiness, good guitar hooks and vocal harmonies, and an inherent sort of grooving appeal. Check out second single "Why Did I Let You Go" below.
Tanlines, Highlights (True Panther Sounds)
Total Babes, Heydays (Wichita)
twenty one pilots, Blurryface (WEA/Fueled by Ramen)
Weedeater, Goliathan (Seasons of Mist)
Paul Weller, Saturns Pattern (Warner Bros.)
Whitesnake, The Purple Album (Frontiers)
WHITESNAKE deliver a major surprise to their fans with 12th studio album, The Purple Album. Comprised of songs from the three Deep Purple studio albums that David Coverdale appeared on, Burn, Stormbringer and Come Taste The Band, the album is a respectful tribute to Coverdale s former colleagues who started him on his musical journey over 40 years ago.
Adrian Younge, Linear Labs: Los Angeles (Linear Labs)
A comp featuring Younge's production, composition and instrumental work on tracks with Ghostface Killah, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab), his Venice Dawn band, and more. Check out the stream here, and listen to "Memories of War" featuring Sadier below...
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
Remy Banks, Higher
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, Far From Men Soundtrack
DMA, DMA EP
Vaadat Charigim, Sinking As A Stone
Holly Herndon, Platform
Idlehands, Dena Mora,
Jim O'Rourke, Simple Songs (Drag City)
Old Again Grey, Sky State Of Mind
Orthy, Listen To Her Heart EP
Graham Parker and the Rumour, Mystery Glue
Pet Symmetry, Pet Hounds
Shadow Age, Silaluk EP
Megan Slankard, Running on Machinery
The Story So Far, The Story So Far
Strange Names, Use Your Time Wisely
Talk In Tongues, Alone With A Friend
Tau Cross, Tau Cross
A Troop Of Echoes, The Longest Year On Record
Zedd, True Colors
