Author Archive
By Sowing
Thursday April 4, 2024
Sputnikmusic Staff’s Q1 Playlist 2024
Welcome to the first installment for our 2024 quarterly playlist! Feel free to jam while reading what some of our newest staff writers as well as other longtime Sputstaffers had to say about their picks. Tell us what your favorites are in the comments, any new artists you may have discovered here, or let us know what we missed!
Tracklist:
Allie X – “Girl With No Face”
Girl With No Face
On an album loaded with mid-tempo mad-bops, “Girl with No Face” truly takes the cake. A new-wave beat and sassy bass lines revel in the humid dark before venomous guitars crash through the bridge and fully kick shit into gear. The resulting finale is a noiry powertrip with surprising muscle and a killerrr groove. –neekafat
Anatole Muster – “blip blop”
blip blop
The alliterative onomatopoeia “blip blop” seems to cleave a space between the digital and the natural — the ‘blip’ indicating an ontology rooted in electronic music, the ‘blop’ indexing the kind of reverberation brought forth by the movement of an object in real space. Anyways, this vaguely hyperpop-ish song by very promising German accordion prodigy Anatole Muster (“Layers”, “auntie mabel”) and pretty-damn-good South African cornball M Field (“Andrew”, “Block Universe”) is beautiful and expansive and catchy and has a chorus in falsetto to show that softness can…
By Sowing
Monday February 12, 2024
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of new releases for the week of February 16, 2024. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: February 16, 2024 –
Art of Anarchy: Let There Be Anarchy
Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
Label: Pavement Entertainment
The Boxer Rebellion: Open Arms
Genre: Indie-Rock
Label: Universal
Darkspace: Dark Space – II
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Chromeo: Adult Contemporary
Genre: Funk/Disco
Label: BMG
Einar Solberg: The Congregation Acoustic
Genre: Progressive Rock/Art Pop
Label: InsideOutMusic
Eternal Storm: A Giant Bound to Fall
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Grandaddy: Blu Wav
Genre: Indie-Rock/Lo-Fi
Label: Dangerbird
IDLES: TANGK
Genre: Punk/Post-Punk
Label: Partisan
Ihsahn: Ihsahn
Genre: Progressive/Black Metal
Label: Candlelight
Illumishade: Another Side of You
Genre: Metal/Gothic
Label: Napalm
Jason Derulo: Nu King
Genre: Pop/R&B
Label: Atlantic
Jennifer Lopez: This Is Me… Now
Genre: Pop/R&B
Label: BMG
Laura Jane Grace: Hole In My Head
Genre: Folk/Punk
Label: Polyvinyl
Middle…
By Sowing
Thursday January 4, 2024
2023 :: Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4
Sputnikmusic Staff’s Q4 Playlist 2023
Welcome to the fourth and final installment of our 2023 quarterly playlist! Feel free to jam the playlist below while reading what our writers had to say about each selection. Tell us what your favorites are in the comments, any new artists you may have discovered here, or let us know what we missed!
Next week: stay tuned for the Sputnikmusic community’s Top 50 LPs (and Top 10 EPs, Live Albums, and Compilations) of 2023 — cheers!
Tracklist:
Beastwars – “Waves”
Tyranny of Distance
Beastwars rightfully turned a folk song about murder and suicide into their own sludgy brand of metal. This scorching affair hits as hard as the lyrics, easily becoming a highlight in their catalog. –Raul
Casey – “How to Disappear”
How to Disappear
Casey’s reunion and subsequent slow-dripping of singles have been a pleasant surprise, with the title track (and album closer) being my favorite of the bunch. The Welsh quintet’s sonic palette brings to mind Keep You-era Pianos Become the Teeth with some of Moving Mountains’ most meditative moments, and the slow-burning crescendo into the song’s cathartic final chorus is refreshing despite the somber lyrical backdrop. –Jom
Danny Brown – “Bass Jam”
Quaranta
I have my…
By Sowing
Thursday December 21, 2023
50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1
 [Official site] // [Spotify]
Young Fathers have never shied away from jubilation — see “Nest”, “Only God Knows”, and even Tape Two‘s cover art — but it’s never been as transparent as it is on Heavy Heavy. This album is joyful, heartfelt, affirming, powerful, and overwhelmingly sincere, miles past the conversation of irony at this point. It’s the sound of your second wind as you near the end of the longest hike you’ve ever been on, a mix of accomplishment, vigor and encouragement. Like their previous work, it incorporates a variety of genres and styles, a sort of psychedelic, noisy, and spiritual pop. It seems this may be a pivotal moment in their artistic evolution, as the bleeding and passionate heart of their music is no longer just being used to create a beautifully contrasting emotional dichotomy, but has taken over entirely, spinning all their previously identifiable influences into an even more unclassifiable tornado of percussion, keyboards, and particularly the human voice. Even their hooks have gotten stronger, with each song demonstrating masterful pop instincts, filled with rhythms that you’ll wish were stuck in your head for even longer.
None of this means that they have lost their edge. Just because this is the Young Fathers project you could probably play in front of your parents with the least complaints doesn’t mean the music isn’t fighting for something. What it means…
By Sowing
Wednesday December 20, 2023
50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1
 [Official site] // [Spotify]
Looking back on this year’s biggest highlights, it’s apparent to me the folk genre has resonated the loudest with a handful of truly exemplary albums — all disparate in approach, but equal in their excellence. And so, with 2023 putting a spotlight on just how incredible this genre is, it seems only fitting that the Finnish legends should return and put their two-cents in on the matter. Serendipitously, I started listening to Tenhi in the same year the band decided to break their twelve-year recorded silence, affording me just enough time to get familiar with their incredible discography. To my surprise, given the length of time the band have been away from recording new music, Valkama effortlessly slots into the canon with minimal disruptions. This is because Valkama isn’t here to ruffle the status quo, but rather astutely refine the band’s modus operandi. Ultimately, it’s a tight discussion on whether this is better than Maaaet, but regardless of the hair-splitting, a band couldn’t hope to come back with a better-sounding album. Valkama‘s lush instrumentation, poignant atmosphere and gripping arrangements make it a stellar piece of work, but add Tenhi’s inimitable personality into the equation and you’ve got a very unique offering indeed. Valkama does have a couple of conditions in order to get the most from it — being that it’s seventy minutes long, and has to be heard in its…
By Sowing
Tuesday December 19, 2023
50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1
 [Official site] // [Spotify]
At the start of this decade, The National went through a rough patch, struggling with the new material they were working on. Perhaps those difficult times led to the placidness of First Two Pages of Frankenstein, but in hindsight, it was a necessary step in order to shake things off. As a result, Laugh Track, whose songs were mostly finished and recorded on tour at a much faster pace, ended up more diverse and energetic. The album doesn’t carry the heavy load its predecessor got almost crushed under. It’s the most alive The National have felt in years, and it feels like the members are excited again to work together on new music. –insomniac15
 [Bandcamp] // [Spotify]
Frenetic tremolo picking, shotgun-sounding snare alongside cataclysmic blast beats, and guttural malevolence are ubiquitous throughout Fossilization’s premier LP. A logical progression from the Brazilian duo’s first EP and subsequent split release with Ritual Necromancy, those favoring the ‘death doom’ side of the spectrum will enjoy “Once Was God”‘s hostile opening deluge and the equitable balance of melody and malice found in “Oracle of Reversion” and Leprous Daylight‘s title track. Meanwhile, listeners preferring a ‘doom death’ alignment will appreciate the sludgy dissonance heard in “Eon” and especially “Wrought in the Abyss”‘ closing moments. An…
By Sowing
Monday November 27, 2023
Well, it’s that time of year again when I compose a needlessly elaborate blog post highlighting my favorite (and least favorite) musical happenings of the year. You and your extended family know it as Sowing’s Music Awards, and it’s been an on-and-off tradition for NINE years now, thus proving that I do not quite have the quality of life I thought I did. Take a gander at the past winners, all of whom have been enshrined in immortality:
2014 – Low Roar: 0
2015 – Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell
2016 – Yellowcard: Yellowcard
*2017 – Manchester Orchestra: A Black Mile to the Surface
2018 – mewithoutYou: [Untitled]
2019 – Lana Del Rey: Norman Fucking Rockwell!
*2020 – Honey Harper: Starmaker
2021 – Iosonouncane: IRA
*2022 – Domestic Terminal: All The Stories Left to Tell
*Denotes AOTYs on years when the SMAs did not formally take place.
WHO will take home the coveted AOTY trophy in 2023 and join such esteemed company? Scroll down to find out, but don’t forget to wipe as you read along, seeing as our data analysis team has determined that bathroom breaks are the best (and most symbolically congruent) time for reading…
By Sowing
Monday November 27, 2023
Here’s a list of major new releases for the entire month of December 2023. These releases have been condensed into one post as, historically at least, December is a slower time for new musical releases. In the meanwhile, our staff will be working on compiling their highly anticipated “Top Albums of 2023” feature, so stay tuned to see what we anoint as the album of the year. With regards to the below releases, please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums. From our staff and userbase to you, we wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season. We’ll see you in January!
– List of Releases: December 1, 2023 –
Bjørkø: Heartrot
Genre: Metal/Experimental
Label: Svart Records
CZARFACE: Czartificial Intelligence
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label: Silver Age
Full of Hell and Nothing: When No Birds Sang
Genre: Hardcore/Shoegaze
Label: Closed Casket Activities
Health: Rat Wars
Genre: Noise Rock/Electronic
Label: Loma Vista
Neil Young: Before And After
Genre: Folk/Rock/Country
Label: Reprise
Paradise Lost: Icon 30
Genre: Doom / Goth /Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Peter Gabriel: i/o
Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: Real World Productions
Plini: Mirage
Genre: Jazz Fusion/Progressive Rock
Label: SharpTone
Stengah: Downward Mechanic
Genre: Death/Progressive Metal
Label:…
By Sowing
Thursday November 23, 2023
Here’s a list of notable new releases for the week of November 24th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 24th, 2023 –
Burden Of Grief: Destination Dystopia
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Massacre Records
Busta Rhymes: BLOCKBUSTA
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label: Conglomerate Ent.
Cruciamentum: Obsidian Refractions
Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Label: Profound Lore
Ephemeral: Into Being
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: These Hands Melt
Fetty Wap: King Zoo
Genre: Hip-Hop/R&B
Label: A RFG Productions
Guided by Voices: Nowhere To Go But Up
Genre: Indie-Rock/Lo-Fi
Label: Gbv Inc
Midnight Odyssey: Biolume Part 3 – A Fullmoon Madness
Genre: Ambient Black Metal
Label: I, Voidhanger Records
Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS: the Secret Tracks
Genre: Pop/Rock/Punk
Label: Interscope
Panopticon: The Rime of Memory
Genre: Black Metal/Folk/Bluegrass
Label: Panopticon
The Sleeping Souls: Just Before The World Starts Burning
Genre: Folk/Rock/Punk
Label: Xtra Mile Recordings
Spector: Here Come The Early Nights
Genre: Alt-Rock
Label: Moth Noise
Zak Kusz: The Brother and the Bridge
Genre: Instrumental Progressive Rock
Label: Self-Released
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By Sowing
Monday November 13, 2023
Here’s a list of significant new releases for the week of November 17th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 17th, 2023 –
Aeternus: Philosopher
Genre: Death/Black Metal
Label: Agonia
Celeste: Epilogue(s)
Genre: Black Metal/Hardcore
Label: Nuclear Blast
Ceremonial Bloodbath: Genesis Of Malignant Entropy
Genre: Death/Black Metal
Label: Sentient Ruin
Danny Brown: Quaranta
Genre: Hip-Hop/Experimental
Label: Warp
Earthside: Let The Truth Speak
Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal
Label: Mascot Label Group
Emeli Sandé: How Were We To Know
Genre: Pop/Soul/R&B
Label: Venus Records
Kurt Vile: Back to Moon Beach
Genre: Folk/Americana
Label: overnite kv incorporated
Iron & Wine: Who Can See Forever Soundtrack
Genre: Indie-Folk/Americana
Label: Sub Pop
Julie Byrne: Julie Byrne With Laugh Cry Laugh
Genre: Folk/Psychedelic
Label: Ghostly International
Lacey Sturm: Kenotic Metanoia
Genre: Pop Rock/Hard Rock
Label: Lacey Sturm
Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz: Welcome 2 ColleGrove
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label: Polyvinyl
MAUL: Desecration And Enchantment
Genre: Death Metal/Hardcore
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Nicki Minaj: Pink…
By Sowing
Tuesday November 7, 2023
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 10th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 10, 2023 –
Aesop Rock: Integrated Tech Solutions
Genre: Hip-Hop/Experimental
Label: Rhymesayers
AJR: The Maybe Man
Genre: Pop/Rock
Label: AJR Productions
Beirut: Hadsel
Genre: Indie-Folk/Rock
Label: Pompeii
Broadside: Hotel Bleu
Genre: Alternative / Pop Punk
Label: Self released
Chris Stapleton: Higher
Genre: Country/Blues/Americana
Label: Mercury Nashville
Cold War Kids: Cold War Kids
Genre: Indie Rock/Indie Folk
Label: Downtown Records
funeral: asphyxiated
Genre: Doom Metal/Gothic
Label: siqaeda
Gama Bomb: Bats
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label: Prosthetic
Lonely The Brave: What We Do to Feel
Genre: Alt-Rock
Label: Easy Life
Meshuggah: Chaosphere (25th Anniversary Edition)
Genre: Progressive Metal/Djent/Thrash
Label: Warner Chappell Music
Night Crowned: Tales
Genre: Black/Death Metal
Label: Noble Demon
PinkPantheress: Heaven knows
Genre: R&B/Garage
Label: Warner
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets: Fronzoli
Genre: Psychedelic/Stoner Rock
Label: What Reality?
Rick Ross & Meek Mill: Too Good To Be True
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label: Atlantic
Shylmagoghnar: Convergence
Genre: Death/Black/Progressive Metal
Label: Napalm
Vastum: Inward To Gethsemane
Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Label: 20 Buck Spin
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By Sowing
Monday October 9, 2023
Here’s a list of notable new releases for the week of October 13th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 13th, 2023 –
+++(Crosses): Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete
Genre: Alternative Rock/Electronic
Label: Warner
Amorphis: Queen of Time (Live at Tavastia 2021)
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Atomic Fire
Anna Hillburg: Tired Girls
Genre: Indie-Pop
Label: Speakeasy Studios
Beartooth: The Surface
Genre: Hardcore/Metalcore
Label: Red Bull Records
Beastwars: Tyranny of Distance
Genre: Sludge Metal/Stoner Rock
Label: Destroy Records
Blue October: Spinning the Truth Around Part 2
Genre: Alternative Rock / Pop
Label: Up/Down Records
Body Void: Atrocity Machine
Genre: Sludge Metal/Doom Metal/Hardcore
Label: Prosthetic Records
Boygenius: The Rest
Genre: Indie-Folk/Indie-Rock
Label: Interscope
CMAT: Crazymad, For Me
Genre: Country/Indie-Pop
Label: CMATBABY
Creeper: Sanguivore
Genre: Gothic/Indie-Rock
Label: Spinefarm
Free Throw: Lessons That We Swear to Keep
Genre: Emo/Indie-Rock
Label: Triple Crown
Geese: 4D Country
Genre: Post-Punk/Indie-Rock/Country
Label: Partisan Records
Goat: Medicine
Genre: Psychedelic/Folk
Label: Rocket…
By Sowing
Monday October 2, 2023
2023 :: Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4
Sputnikmusic Staff’s Q3 Playlist 2023
Welcome to the third installment for our 2023 quarterly playlist! Feel free to jam the playlist below while reading what our writers had to say about each selection. Tell us what your favorites are in the comments, any new artists you may have discovered here, or let us know what we missed!
Tracklist:
Angelo De Augustine – “Memory Palace”
Toil and Trouble
Proving himself as more than just the best Sufjan knockoff ever, De Augustine has now successfully built the cutest little unique kingdom all to himself, perfected on his 4th LP, and you should visit. The melancholic ivy spiraling around “Memory Palace”, in particular, is surprisingly warm. More than that: it’s the slow-burning summer HIT that never was. –Asleep
Bearings – “Howie, You’re a Freak”
The Best Part About Being Human
Every once in a while I delude myself into thinking that I have outgrown pop punk. Next thing you know, “Howie, You’re a Freak” deploys its incredibly infectious chorus to work its way into my head and overtake my summer. Dammit. At least pop punk will never outgrow me, either. –jesper
Big Thief – “Vampire Empire”
Vampire Empire…
By Sowing
Monday September 11, 2023
Here’s a list of prominent new releases for the week of September 15th, 2023. Genres/labels are best guesses based on cursory Googling. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: September 15th, 2023 –
30 Seconds to Mars: It’s the End of the World
Genre: Alt/Pop-Rock
Label: Concord Records
Alkaloid: Numen
Genre: Death/Progressive Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Baroness: Stone
Genre: Sludge/Progressive Metal/Stoner Rock
Label: Abraxan Hymns
The Beaches: Blame My Ex
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: AWAL Recordings
Chilly Gonzales: French Kiss
Genre: Experimental / Hip Hop
Label: Gentle Threat
Corey Taylor: CMF2
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: BMG
Corinne Bailey Rae: Black Rainbows
Genre: Pop/R&B/Soul
Label: Thirty Tigers
Danko Jones: Electric Sounds
Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
Label: AFM
Demi Lovato: Revamped
Genre: Pop/Rock
Label: DLG Recordings
Explosions in the Sky: End
Genre: Post-Rock/Indie-Rock
Label: Temporary Residence
Gridlink: Coronet Juniper
Genre: Grind/Metal
Label: Willowtip
K.Flay: Mono
Genre: Pop-Rock/Hip-Hop
Label: Giant Music
Kid Cudi: INSANO
Genre: Hip-Hop/Alt-Rock
Label: Wicked Awesome Records
By Sowing
Monday August 21, 2023
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of August 25th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: August 25th, 2023 –
Alice Cooper: Road
Genre: Hard Rock/Metal
Label: earMUSIC
The Armed: Perfect Saviors
Genre: Hardcore/Noise Rock
Label: Sargent House
Ashnikko: Weedkiller
Genre: Hip-Hop/Pop
Label: Parlophone
Asking Alexandria: Where Do We Go From Here?
Genre: Metalcore/Post-Hardcore
Label: Better Noise Music
Blut Aus Nord: Disharmonium
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Debemur Morti Productions
Camille: Magie
Genre: Art Pop
Label: MOSTIKO
Candlebox: The Long Goodbye
Genre: Alt-Rock/Grunge
Label: Round Hill Records
Charlotte Cardin: 99 Nights
Genre: Pop
Label: Atlantic
Cinnamon Babe: Fatherless
Genre: Nu Metal
Label: N/A
Concrete Castles: Brand New Me
Genre: Alt-Rock/Pop-Rock
Label: Velocity
Dethklok: Dethalbum IV
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Turner Music Publishing
Filter: The Algorithm
Genre: Industrial/Alt-Rock/Metal
Label: Golden Robot Records
Heirloom: Romanticize
Genre: Math Rock/Indie-Folk
Label: Judge and Jury Records
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