It hasn’t been a full year since Manchester Orchestra dropped the gorgeous and moving A Black Mile to the Surface, but the band is already offering us new music. Of course, new is a relative term when you consider the process of writing, recording, and releasing – per frontman Andy Hull, “I Know How To Speak” is a song that originated several years ago. It would have made the final cut for Black Mile had it reached the full, finished form that Hull and his bandmates had envisioned back in the summer of 2017; but because that time did not arrive until now, we have what amounts to a rather impressive b-side on our hands.
“I Know How To Speak” is centered around resplendent acoustic guitars, delicate piano notes, and “the impending weight of the future” – a lyrical topic made all the more relevant by the birth of Hull’s son on the horizon. At six minutes in length, the track has ample time to change its pace and direction, but opts for more of a direct and soft-spoken approach. It works its way in slowly, but it’s a comforting kind of predictability – like waves on the shore of a lake splashing up against the rocky shoreline. It’s not really until the final minute-and-a-half that it ramps up the intensity, allowing for fiery electric riffs to rain down on the unassuming classical pianos, which continue unbothered by the mayhem swirling…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 08, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the artwork (if we remember…) so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
– List of Releases: June 08, 2018 –
Dead Sara: Temporary Things Taking Up Space
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Atlantic Records
Dierks Bentley: The Mountain
Genre: Country
Label: Capitol Nashville
Flasher: Constant Image
Genre: Pop Punk/Indie Rock
Label: Domino Recording Co.
The powers of capitalism that be forced my hand when Yelderbert’s neon shine burst onto my Facebook feed. I seldom click on advertising campaigns, but I’m pretty happy I did because this Melbourne producer has been working away at some rather unique flavours of experimental pop in a way that’s both invigorating and wonderfully homely. And just as well; while getting lost in Canada recently, I reached out to Yelderbert to breathe some Aussie air and learn about the man behind the button pushing. —ramon.
Ramon: Kicking things off, Yelderbert. Dope name. Give me the what, why, who, when, and how when it comes to your origin story.
Yelderbert: Well, to be honest, it means absolutely nothing, and that’s more or less the point. I don’t want to attempt to be trendy. I’m also aware that, as a white Australian, I’m fairly devoid of rich cultural context, so I wanted something that didn’t mean anything. Yelderbert was just a word I came up with one time and it means nothing. It doesn’t really sound close to anything else; there wasn’t even anything on Google when I searched it. And while it’s pretty clunky, I just thought, “That’s my word, it came organically out of me, and it’s not trying to be anything except itself,” which is fairly analogous to the way I make music.
Very interesting. That brings up a few different pathways, but let’s start from the top. You brought up your own cultural…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 01, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the artwork (if we remember…) so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Featured Release
Mazzy Star: Still
Genre: Indie Pop/Dream Pop
Label: Rhymes of an Hour Records
Mazzy Star: Quiet, The Winter Harbor
– List of Releases: June 01, 2018 –
Ben Howard: Noonday Dream
Genre: Indie Folk/Folk
Label: Universal Island Records
Circle Of Dust: Alt_Machines
Genre: Industrial Metal
Label: FiXT
Father John Misty: God’s Favorite Customer
Genre: Indie Folk/Folk
Label: Sub Pop Records
The Flaming Lips: Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Genre: Psychedelic/Dream Pop
Label: Warner Bros.
Ghost B.C.: Prequelle
Genre: Doom/Heavy Metal/Psychedelic
Label: Concord Loma Vista
Joan Of Arc: 1984
Genre: Post Rock/Indie Rock
Label: Joyful Noise Recordings
Kataklysm: Meditations
Genre: Death Metal/Melodic Death Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Lump: Lump
Genre: Indie Folk
Label: Dead Oceans
Mazzy Star: Still
Genre: Indie Pop/Dream Pop
Label: Rhymes of an Hour Records
Natalie Prass: The Future and the Past
Genre: Indie Pop/Indie Folk
Label: ATO Records…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 25th, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the artwork (if we remember…) so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Featured Release
Chvrches: Love Is Dead
Genre: Indie Pop/Electronic
Label: Glassnote
Chvrches return with their third full-length LP after opening their discography with back-to-back well-received electronic/indie-pop albums. Continuing to push the pop boundaries defined by Every Eye Open, Love Is Dead figures to continue honing the band’s well-established approach. On the heels of successful singles such as ‘Get Out’ and ‘My Enemy’ (featuring The National’s Matt Berninger), it figures to be yet another commercially successful venture. On the record’s sound, the band was quoted as saying that they opted for “more universal topics instead of introspection”, and that Love Is Dead is “the most pop stuff we’ve done and also the most aggressive and vulnerable at the same time.” Check the record’s lead single below.
– List of Releases: May 25th, 2018 –
Aisha Burns: Argonauta
Genre: Folk
Label: Western Vinyl
Bernice: Puff: In the Air Without a Shape
Genre: Indie/Folk/Psychedelic
Label: Arts & Crafts
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 18th, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the artwork (if we remember…) so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Featured Release
Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel
Genre: Alternative/Indie-Rock
Label: Mom+Pop
The Melbourne singer-songwriter/guitarist’s second album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, stands as one of indie-rock’s most anticipated albums of 2018. 2015’s sometimes i sit and think, and sometimes i just sit was released to widespread critical acclaim, garnering praise for its storytelling ability and potent expression despite a relatively straightforward songwriting approach. Her sophomore effort keeps up the driving rhythms and catchy riffs, resulting in another strong album that may not be as immediate as her debut, but possesses the layers worthy of an album due to grow over time.
– List of Releases: May 18th, 2018 –
Alkaloid: Liquid Anatomy
Genre: Death/Progressive Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Amorphis: Queen of Time
Genre: Death/Progressive/Doom Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Ash: Islands
Genre: Indie-Rock/Punk
Label: Infectious Music
It’s been a hectic 2018 for everyone’s least favorite mod, and it’s proven to be a rather large undertaking to keep up with everything I’d like to do around here. But because I already tried retiring (twice), I’ve decided to go the opposite route this time and just push my nose even harder against the grindstone and hope that real life/work/marriage makes way for the obvious priority: the Sputnik blog.
My 4 fans here (5, if Irving is reading this) will remember that at the beginning of the year, I vowed to divorce mainstream releases in favor of reviewing exclusively under-the-radar albums. To be fair, I never expected to make 100% good on this promise because the alluring potential of a surprise Taylor Swift Reputation Pt.2 album always looms large — so I’ve compromised. I’m still going to cover as much new obscure material as I can (hence this Hype Machine series), but I’m also still going to review the super popular stuff that brings me joy. Because at the end of the day, who gives a fuck.
It’s been since February since I’ve had time to do something other than train hard at my new real life job, so here we are months removed from Sowing’s Hype Machine #2 — which featured the likes of The Republic of Wolves, Endless Heights, and Lo Moon (all of which…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 11th, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the artwork (if we remember…) so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Featured Release
Beach House – 7
Genre: Dream Pop / Neo-Psychedelica
Label: Sub Pop
The ethereal, sensual nature felt in many of 7‘s tracks is certifiable Beach House, with the darker, moodier tones complementing Victoria Legrand’s ephemeral vocals as she maneuvers in and out of each channel. The record is also masterful in its juxtaposition: black and white, bright and dim, glamour vs. simplicity. Swells of hazy distortion, pulsating percussion, and captivating Aphex Twin-meets-My Bloody Valentine guitars and synths coalesce for a seamless listen from cinematic start to alluring finish. Beach House are renowned for their consistency, and the additional brushstrokes incorporated into 7 help elevate their dream pop sensibilities to even greater heights.
– Sample List of Releases: May 11th, 2018 –
Abraham – Look, Here Comes the Dark!
Genre: Post-Metal
Label: Pelagic
Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino
Genre: Psychedelic Pop
Label: Domino
Bad Wolves – Disobey
Genre: Groove Metal / Alternative Metal
Label: Eleven Seven…
Based in Vancouver, B.C., Anchoress are a band who have formulated a unique sound rooted in melodic hardcore and post-hardcore. If I were to describe their distinguishing features, it’d be their reflectiveness and unmatched ability to warm the heart – there’s a perfect combination of fighting spirit and wit going on. Their most recent record, a full-length album called Anchoress is Ruining My Life, was released in 2016 and can be found free on Bandcamp; they also have other albums and singles available on the platform. I talked to Anchoress; singer, Rob Hoover, about a variety of topics, ranging from the band’s ethos to to challenges that they face as a modern-day independent band. —Claire
Claire: Your last album, Anchoress is Ruining My Life, showed a marked stylistic shift: it’s less abrasive, more controlled, than prior releases. For instance, T.E.P.F.K.A.L., released just 5 months before, is noticeably more fiery. How would you describe the process that led to the distinct style of Anchoress is Ruining My Life?
Rob: Yeah, absolutely. It was very intentional on our part that we wanted something a lot more precise when we were working on this record. Our previous record Crime & Compass was written and recorded very quickly to fit into a timetable with a tour we had planned, and as a result it felt kind of hectic and we made some choices for expedience sake that we felt made parts of that album suffer.
May the 4th be with you. As Gandalf said: we hope you live long and prosper or whatever.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 4th, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Featured Release
Frank Turner – Be More Kind
Genre: Folk Punk / Pop Rock
Label: Xtra Mile / Polydor / Interscope
As evidenced by the album art and title, the central theme of Frank Turner’s newest release is one of empathy and compassion in a time of ever-pervasive social and political turmoil. Be More Kind has several tracks that seem tailor-made for radio or your local Target – think more along the lines of “The Way I Tend to Be” from Tape Deck Heart, less anything pre-England Keep My Bones – with the hardest-hitting songs being “1933” and possibly album highlight “Brave Face”. Turner’s pop sensibilities are still strong, though, thanks to his backing band The Sleeping Souls sounding better than ever. In songs like “Little Changes”, “21st Century Survival Blues”, and even “Make America Great Again” (which might otherwise be a throwaway song without the humorous video – see 4:08 for an example), the warmer tones envelop like a blanket, and…
In the spirit of the NFL draft, we’ve asked Boomer to help us out with the news this week.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 27th, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Featured Release
Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
Genre: Art Pop / Contemporary R&B
Label: Bad Boy
Almost five years after the genre-bending The Electric Lady, Ms. Monae continues her marvelous run. In a BBC Radio 1 interview with Annie Mac, Monae disclosed about Prince: “It’s hard for me to talk about him. But I do miss him, and his spirit will never leave me.” Prince’s presence can be heard throughout the record, and sure enough, that delectable synth line in single “Make Me Feel” was allegedly penned by The Purple One, per his DJ, Lenka Paris. Other highlights on the record include “Americans” – arguably the best politically-tinged song since the last American presidential election – along with “I Got the Juice” (featuring Pharrell Williams) and “PYNK” (in collaboration with Grimes).
It’s a sad fact of life that, after two full days and nights of festing and after partying in 90+ degree desert heat and an inordinate amount of substances willingly or unwillingly consumed, I’m not always going to be in tip top shape by the time Sunday of Coachella rolls around. I tell myself every year: it’s a marathon, not a spring. Rarely do I listen. So apologies, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Hannah Wants, Noname, and Japanese Breakfast – I wanted to see you, I really did, but my body had other ideas. It didn’t help that my prediction that Sunday would an easy ride in proved horribly, horribly wrong. For no discernable reason whatsoever, event staff allowed concertgoers to wait in line for over an hour at various parking lots that ended up already being full, thus necessitating subsequent re-routing and even longer waits at other overflow lots. Not sure how this happened given the relative fluidity of previous days, but maybe there’s a lot more Eminem fans than I thought.
Luckily, Sunday’s offerings were fairly sparse compared to the abundance of riches that flowed from noon to midnight Friday and Saturday. After catching a few minutes of raucous LA garage punks FIDLAR (a left-field choice for your average Coachella attendee, but good for some chuckles and some yells), I hurried over to the Outdoor stage to see the entirety of Jessie Ware. Although technical problems delayed the start of her set and Ms.…
Did you leave your milk and cookies out for Willie Nelson?
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 20th, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Featured Release
A Perfect Circle – Eat the Elephant
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: BMG
[Review]
“Why does Maynard look like he belongs in year 2000 Mudvayne?” –TheSpirit
Almost 15 years since Thirteenth Step (because nobody really wants to talk about eMOTIVe, right?), Maynard James Keenan, Billy Howerdel, and the rest of the band return with an appreciably moody offering, where themes of accountability, entitlement, and mortality percolate throughout the record. While Maynard acknowledged in a Rolling Stone interview that musicians might “not want to be too topical, because then you date your art”, his observations in contemporary times might continue to be just as applicable in another 15 years.
Apparently the latest trend for Sputnik darlings in their music videos is to stare at the camera at random intervals, although it’s unclear if “The Doomed” took inspiration of Steven Wilson. /s
I must confess that this is not my idea; having recently come across Tom Breihan’s ‘The Number Ones’ column for Stereogum, and in turn, Tom Ewing’s ‘Popular’ column for Freaky Trigger, I felt inspired to approach the format from my own geographical perspective; that is, review every single to reach number 1 on the ARIA Charts/Kent Report, and assign a numerical grade from 1-10. In the interest of brevity (and some pertinence), the column shall begin from July 1974, the date in which the initial Kent Report was first published commercially, and work forwards from there. Dependent upon time constraints and general interest, publishing of these articles will, similar to Ewing and Breihan’s columns, be daily. And now…
Billy Swan – “I Can Help”
27 January 1975 (1 Week).
Parallel to novelty songs are one-hit wonders; not always novel, yet always desperately grasping at the tendrils of good taste, and always indebted to whatever timeframe birthed them. Consider Billy Swan; a country troubadour who nevertheless saw “I Can Help” succeed as his only hit, better yet a hit that only lasted a week at the top of the charts. At no point does it dwell in the margins of camp, though it nevertheless sounds like a mid-‘70s record, all acoustic jangle and line-stepping waltz.
Compositionally, Swan admits that the whole thing came together in less than an hour; the lyrics are plucked at random, as evidence by the barrage of platitudes and odes to…
Upon closer examination, the Saturday lineup proved to be the most stacked of the day, a result that proved a fortuitous coincidence with another smooth day of sailing through parking, security, and the festival lines to arrive at the fest just in time for Big Thief around 3 p.m. While I’ve always been a fan of their somewhat off-kilter live show, Big Thief’s confessional, contrasting components – their guitarist’s uh, unique style has to been seen to be believed – was always going to be a bit of an odd fit at Coachella. Singer and frontwoman Adrianne Lenker always performs like she’d rather be anywhere else rather than on stage, but the small crowd was thrilled nonetheless.
As great as the lineup was, it presented a series of conundrums that have me seriously trying to finagle a wristband for weekend two just to go again Saturday (see that Missed Connections list *crying emoji*). I’d seen bands like First Aid Kit and Django Django before – in the interest of trying something new, I ventured to the Yuma tent for the first time all weekend to check out former Daft Punk manager and Ed Banger mascot Pedro Winter aka Busy P spin some old fashioned electro house to get out of the rapidly increasing temperatures. The Yuma tent remains the preeminent vibe for people younger than me to get fucked up in, and while I continued to enjoy the air conditioned environs and the relentless grooves, the…
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