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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of July 21st, 2023.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

– List of Releases: July 21, 2023 –

Agriculture: Agriculture

Genre: Black Metal
Label: The Flenser

Akercocke

Akercocke: Decades of Devil Worship (Live)

Genre: Death/Black Metal
Label: Peaceville Records Ltd

Bloc Party

Bloc Party: The High Life

Genre: Indie-Rock/Post-Punk
Label: BMG

Blur

Blur: The Ballad Of Darren

Genre: Britpop/Alt-Rock
Label: Parlophone Records

Greta Van Fleet

Greta Van Fleet: Starcatcher

Genre: Rock
Label: Republic Records

Guided By Voices

Guided by Voices: Welshpool Frillies

Genre: Indie-Rock/Lo-Fi
Label: Matador Records

jennifer lopez this is me now album 2023 release

Jennifer Lopez: This is Me … Now

Genre: Pop/R&B
Label: Hitco

Johnny Booth

Johnny Booth: Moments Elsewhere

Genre: Hardcore/Metalcore
Label: Booth Records

Mizmor

Mizmor: Prosaic

Genre: Doom/Black Metal
Label: Profound Lore

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Molly Tuttle: City of Gold

Genre: Indie-Rock/Folk/Country
Label: Nonesuch Records

Mort Garson

Mort Garson: Journey to the Moon and Beyond

Genre: Ambient/Electronic/New Age
Label: Emanay Music

Nathanael Larochette: Old Growth

Genre: Folk/Ambient/Classical
Label: Anamnesis Arts

ODESZA & Yellow House

ODESZA & Yellow House: Flaws in Our Design

Genre: Electronic/Ambient
Label: Foreign Family Collective

Outer Heaven

Outer Heaven: Infinite Psychic Depths

Genre: Death Metal/Hardcore
Label: Relapse

Oxbow

Oxbow: Love’s Holiday

Genre: Noise Rock/Experimental/Blues
Label: Ipecac

Restraining Order: Locked In Time

Genre: Hardcore
Label: Triple B Records

Strange Ranger

Strange Ranger: Pure Music

Genre: Post Punk/Indie-Rock/Post Rock
Label: Fire Talk

Voivod

Voivod: Morgoth Tales

Genre: Thrash/Progressive Metal
Label: We Are Connected Music

Yellowcard

Yellowcard: Childhood Eyes

Genre: Pop-Punk
Label: Equal Vision Records

The Zenith Passage

The Zenith Passage: Datalysium

Genre: Progressive/Death Metal
Label: Metal Blade Records


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2020 | 2021 | 2022

2023 :: Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4

Sputnikmusic Staff’s Q2 Playlist 2023

Welcome to the second 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:

Alfa Mist – “BC”
Variables

If you’re a sucker for tricksy, stuttering drumwork, “BC” will have a firm hold on your nether regions from the jump. If you need to be wined and dined first, well, stick around for seven minutes worth of wild soloing and nimble comping before that final reprisal of the starting motif makes you want to spark a cigarette and stare at the ceiling, fully-satisfied and maybe just a little hungry. Go ahead and eat — you’ll need the energy. Those sheets aren’t gonna change themselves. –Milo

Allie Kelly – “Gunshy”
GUNSHY

Like Big Thief, Allie Kelly cognizes the value of a touch of the insolite among pop structures; like Sheryl Crow, she wants her guitars to shimmer like the sun; like both, she’s capable of knocking it out of the park — 2022’s excellent Menthol with Thumpasaurus…

Welcome back! Those who have been following along know that I’ve already covered CDs on two other installments (Vol. 1 & Vol. 2) and apparel in the most recent publication (Vol. 3). I’m back with some more CDs that I hope you will find interesting/alluring; let me know what you think in the comments, and as always, feel free to share pictures of your own collections. Thanks for reading!


(1) The Republic of Wolves – Shrine

Aside from being one of my favorite bands, The Republic of Wolves are also a group that I feel a sense of closeness to. I’ve been reviewing their material since their 2009 debut EP when they were virtually unknown, and have conversed on a semi-regular basis with both their lead singer and drummer. They always have the coolest themes and artwork, and the above captures their essence: mysterious & ominous, yet full of purpose.

While the cover art shows people marching and wielding torches, the CD shows a building burning to ruins.

Signed by every member of the band; this is definitely a favorite keepsake.


Trisagion | Ethereal Shroud

(2) Ethereal Shroud – Trisagion

Another artist that I feel a sense of connection to. Ethereal Shroud is fronted by a fellow Sputnikmusic member, and his most recent 2021 LP, Trisagion, earned him critical accolades from several different publications. It’s…

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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 30th, 2023.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

– List of Releases: June 30, 2023 –

Anberlin

Anberlin: Convinced

Genre: Post-Hardcore/Alt-Rock
Label: Equal Vision Records

Angelo De Augustine: Toil And Trouble

Genre: Indie-Folk/Lo-Fi
Label: Asthmatic Kitty

Before the Dawn

Before the Dawn: Stormbringers

Genre: Melodic Death Metal/Gothic
Label: Napalm Records

Bdrmm

Bdrmm: I Don’t Know

Genre: Post-Punk/Indie-Rock
Label: Rock Action Records

The Body

The Body: I Shall Die Here / Earth Triumphant

Genre: Sludge Metal/Drone
Label: RVNG

Brigid Mae Power

Brigid Mae Power: Dream From The Deep Well

Genre: Folk/Country
Label: Fire

Cover art for After Angel by death's dynamic shroud

death’s dynamic shroud: After Angel

Genre: Electronic/Dream Pop
Label: 100% Electronica

death's dynamic shroud - Darklife Anthology

death’s dynamic shroud: Darklife Anthology

Genre: Electronic/Dream Pop
Label: 100% Electronica

Delacey

Delacey: The Girl Has A Dream

Genre: Pop/R&B
Label: Photo Finish Records

Dwellings

Dwellings: Little Gardens

Genre: Post-Hardcore/Progressive Rock
Label: Tragic Hero Records

East Of The Wall

East of the Wall: A Neutral Second

Genre: Post/Sludge Metal
Label: Translation Loss Records

Frank Zappa

Hello again! I’m back to break up the monotony of CD artwork/packaging with my band apparel. It’s not as diverse band-wise as I remembered, and it turns out I’ve only really bothered to buy (or, at least keep) apparel merch from four bands: Yellowcard, Brand New, mewithoutYou, and Manchester Orchestra. In a way this makes sense, as they represent favorite bands of mine at different junctures within my lifetime.

Disclaimer: I did not, nor would I ever have the desire to, iron or even dry all this stuff just to make a blog post, so please excuse the massive wrinkle epidemic as well as any dog/cat hairs that appear. They know not what they do.  If you missed the previous installments in this series, you can check out Vol. 1 and Vol.2 by clicking the links.


Yellowcard

Of the bands in this post, Yellowcard was my first love. Nothing makes me feel more ready for summer than sporting a shirt featuring this band’s name or logo, although sometimes I do feel a little self-conscious being a 30-something dude wearing stuff promoting a pop-punk band that peaked 20 years ago. But, as they say, you gotta do you.

Ocean Avenue era T-shirt. Can’t remember when I bought this but I’m fairly sure it was long after OA was released.

One of my favorite band shirts

Hello readers of Sputnik! Those who’ve been following along are aware that I’m in the midst of a deep dive into all things physically related to music – from CDs to apparel and random memorabilia – and right now I’m here to deliver the second installment within the CD category. If you missed it, Vol. 1 can be read here.

I’ve been trying to limit this series to CDs that (A) have a great deal of personal meaning to me, (B) have particularly alluring packaging/art, or both A & B. A lot of these check both boxes, so without any additional pointless stalling, here is the next batch of CDs that I view as treasure.


 

(1) David Bowie – Blackstar

The CD release for the legendary David Bowie’s final album does the music, and him, justice. There’s a dark/shadowy/reflective theme and color scheme that really sells the whole “black star” concept. This is one of my all-time favorite CDs to hold in-hand as I reflect upon his legacy. It’s a thick booklet, full of mysterious images with lots of layers to the art/conceptual meaning.

The man, the myth, the legend.

Ground control to Major Tom…

Notice the reflective quality of the images and words

Look up here, I’m in heaven…I’ve got scars that can’t be seen

Sue, I pushed you down beneath the weeds…Endless

Preface: So much of listening to music in 2023 feels…impersonal. We consume and discard songs/albums/entire artists at an unprecedented rate, and thus lose out on a lot of what, at least in my experience, makes music special. At the risk of divulging my approximate age, CDs were the most popular means of listening to music for the majority of my life-to-date. I’d save up whatever money I could from my minimum wage job(s) as a kid and go buy my favorite artists’ albums from places like FYE, Walmart, Target, Sam Goody, or my local record store. There’s something about holding a CD (or, for those into it, Vinyl) in your hands that increases your connection to the music, and I think it goes beyond the mere financial investment. There’s a sense of pride in ownership, and with that comes a sense of duty to give the music the time and attention it deserves. This is far from a preaching moment – I’m now an avid streamer of music – but when it comes to the artists that I care about the most (especially those who have had some sort of nostalgic hold or notable impact on my life), there’s no substitute for having that music on me and being able to look through the pictures and/or display them.

It dawned on me that so much of my experience with music is centered around things that I physically own – from CDs to apparel – so I…

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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 9th, 2023.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

– List of Releases: June 9, 2023 –

063143The Bleeding: Monokrator

Genre: Death/Thrash
Label: Redefining Darkness Records

The Boo Radleys

The Boo Radleys: Eight

Genre: Britpop/Shoegaze
Label: Boostr

a2826938217_16Christine and the Queens: Paranoia, Angels, True Love

Genre: Trip Hop / Pop
Label: Because Music

Claustrum

Claustrum: Claustrum

Genre: Death Metal
Label: Avantgarde Music

Cynic

Cynic: ReFocus

Genre: Progressive/Death Metal
Label: Cynical Sphere, LLC

Dehumanizing Itatrain Worship

Dehumanizing Itatrain Worship: Otakuslam​♡​Animecide

Genre: Death Metal/Grind
Label: Stillbirth Records

Dream Wife

Dream Wife: Social Lubrication

Genre: Punk/Indie Pop
Label: Lucky Number Music Limited

Extreme

Extreme: Six

Genre: Hard Rock/Funk
Label: earMUSIC

False Memories

False Memories: Hybrid Ego System

Genre: Alt-Rock/Metal
Label: Frontiers Records

Purge

Godflesh: Purge

Genre: Industrial/Sludge Metal
Label: Avalanche Recordings

Janelle Monáe

Janelle Monáe: The Age Of Pleasure

Genre: Funk/Soul/Art Pop
Label: Wonderland Productions LLC

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Jason Isbell: Weathervanes

Genre: Country/Folk/Americana
Label: Southeastern Records…

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Here’s a list of notable new releases for the week of May 26th, 2023.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

– List of Releases: May 26th, 2023 –

AJJ

AJJ: Disposable Everything
Genre: Folk-Punk/Indie Rock
Label: Hopeless

Arlo Parks

Arlo Parks: My Soft Machine
Genre: Dream Pop/Soul
Label: Transgressive Records

The Dirty Nil

The Dirty Nil: Free Rein to Passions
Genre: Punk/Rock
Label: Dine Alone Records

Gia Margaret

Gia Margaret: Romantic Piano
Genre: Indie-Folk/Lo-Fi
Label: Jagjaguwar

Heart Attack Man

Heart Attack Man: Freak Of Nature
Genre: Post-Hardcore/Emo
Label: Many Hats Distribution

Incendiary

Incendiary: Change the Way You Think About Pain
Genre: Hardcore/Metalcore
Label: Closed Casket Activities

Immortal

Immortal: War Against All
Genre: Thrash/Black Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast

The Intersphere

The Intersphere: Wanderer
Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: OMN

Kalmah

Kalmah: Kalmah
Genre: Melodic Death Metal/Power Metal
Label: Ranka Kustannus

Kevin Morby

Kevin Morby: More Photographs (A Continuum)
Genre: Indie-Folk/Rock
Label: Dead Oceans

Kostnatění

Kostnatění: Úpal
Genre: Death/Doom/Black Metal
Label: Willowtip

Matchbox Twenty

Matchbox 20: Where the Light Goes
Genre: Pop/Rock
Label: Atlantic

Congregation Of Annihilation

Metal Church: Congregation of Annihilation
Genre: Power/Thrash/Heavy Metal
Label: Rat Pak…

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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 28th, 2023.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

– List of Releases: April 28, 2023 –

Corrosion Of Hearts - Grey/Black Marble
Austere: Corrosion of Hearts
Genre:
Black/Doom Metal
Label: Prophecy

Bebe
Bebe Rexha: Bebe
Genre:
Pop/R&B
Label: Warner Records

Belgrado
Belgrado: Intra Apogeum
Genre:
Post-Punk/Gothic
Label: La Vida Es Un Mus Discos

Bernice
Bernice: Cruisin’
Genre:
Indie-Pop
Label: Telephone Explosion Records

Euphoric Recall
Braids: Euphoric Recall
Genre:
Electronic/Psychedelic
Label: Secret City

Trouble And Their Double Lives
Cradle of Filth: Trouble And Their Double Lives
Genre:
Black Metal/Gothic
Label: Napalm

DOGMA
Crown The Empire: DOGMA
Genre:
Metalcore/Post-Hardcore
Label: Rise Records

The Damned
The Damned: Darkadelic
Genre:
Punk/Gothic
Label: earMUSIC

Defiled
Defiled: The Highest Level
Genre:
Death Metal
Label: Season of Mist

Enforced
Enforced: War Remains
Genre:
Thrash/Hardcore
Label: Century Media

Fires in the Distance
Fires in the Distance: Air Not Meant For Us
Genre:
Melodic Death Metal/Doom
Label: Prosthetic Records

Graveworm
Graveworm: Killing Innocence
Genre:
Black Metal/Gothic
Label: AFM

Great Lake Swimmers
Great Lake Swimmers: Uncertain Country
Genre:
Indie-Folk
Label: Great Lake Swimmers

Illenium
ILLENIUM: ILLENIUM
Genre:
Electronic/Dubstep
Label: Illenium, LLC

Indigo de Souza
Indigo De Souza: All of This Will End
Genre:
Indie-Rock
Label: Saddle Creek

That! Feels Good!
Jessie Ware:

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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 7th, 2023.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

– List of Releases: April 7, 2023 –

Siren To Blight

Asystole: Siren To Blight

Genre: Death Metal
Label: I, Voidhanger Records

Covet

Covet: Catharsis

Genre: Math/Progressive Rock
Label: Triple Crown

Daniel Caesar

Daniel Caesar: Never Enough

Genre: R&B/Soul
Label: Hollace Inc.

Daughter

Daughter: Stereo Mind Game

Genre: Indie-Rock/Dream Pop
Label: Glassnote Entertainment Group

Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding: Higher Than Heaven

Genre: Indie Pop/Electronic
Label: Universal Music

Fire-Toolz

Fire-Toolz: I am upset because I see something that is not there.

Genre: Experimental/Electronic
Label: Fire-Toolz

Frenzal Rhomb

Frenzal Rhomb: The Cup Of Pestilence

Genre: Hardcore/Punk
Label: Frenzal Rhomb

HMLTD

HMLTD: The Worm

Genre: Post-Punk/Electronic
Label: Lucky Number Music

Stars & Embers

ISON: Stars & Embers

Genre: Ambient/Drone/Shoegaze
Label: Avantgarde Music

Linkin Park: Meteora 20th Anniversary Edition

Genre: Nu-Metal/Rock
Label: Warner Records

Mudhoney

Mudhoney: Plastic Eternity

Genre: Grunge/Punk/Alt-Rock
Label: Sub Pop

NF

NF: Hope

Genre: Hip-Hop
Label: NF Real…

2020 | 2021 | 2022

2023 :: Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4

Sputnikmusic Staff’s Q1 Playlist 2023

Welcome to the first 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:

Acid Arab – “Habaytak”
٣ (Trois)

Acid Arab continue to infuse techno with Arabian music to great effect, with “Habaytak” offering a more aggressive groove sprinkled with catchy vocals and hypnotic keyboard leads. It might seem like an absurd mix at first, but the song (and the entire album) becomes addictive. –Raul Stanciu

Algiers – “A Good Man”
Shook

I like Algiers when they let loose and let that bit of Bad Brains take over. This is where this band shines. Their latest record Shook is an impressive display of experimental post punk — sometimes hard to follow, sometimes hard to let go — but it’s in short bursts like “A Good Man” where this band really proves there’s a wildfire still burning inside of them. –Dewinged

Asian Glow & sonhos tomam conta – “hangthemall”

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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of March 10, 2023.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

– List of Releases: March 10, 2023 –

Altin Gün
Altin Gun: Ask
Genre:
Psychedelic/Folk
Label: ATO

Portrayals
Ane Brun: Portrayals
Genre:
Indie-Rock/Folk
Label: Balloon Ranger

Delerium
Delerium: Signs
Genre:
Electronic/Ambient/New Age
Label: Metropolis

Dutch Uncles
Dutch Uncles: True Entertainment
Genre:
Indie-Pop/Alternative Rock/Post-Punk
Label: Memphis Industries

Fever Ray
Fever Ray: Radical Romantics
Genre:
Electronic/Pop/Experimental
Label: Rabid Records

Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly: Til the Anarchy’s Restored
Genre:
Folk Punk
Label: Quiet Man LLC

For The Fallen Dreams
For the Fallen Dreams: For the Fallen Dreams
Genre:
Metalcore/Hardcore
Label: Arising Empire

Frankie Rose
Frankie Rose: Love as Projection
Genre:
Indie/Dream Pop
Label: Slumberland

Frozen Crown
Frozen Crown: Call of the North
Genre:
Power Metal
Label: Scarlet Records

The Orb | GOROD
Gorod: The Orb
Genre:
Death/Progressive Metal
Label: Gorod

Isole
Isole: Anesidora
Genre:
Doom/Progressive Metal
Label: Hammerheart

Judiciary
Judiciary: Flesh + Blood
Genre:
Hardcore/Thrash Metal
Label: Closed Casket Activities

Juice WRLD's Manager Reveals 'The Party Never Ends' Details
Juice WRLD: The Party Never Ends
Genre:
Hip-Hop/Emo
Label: Interscope

Manchester Orchestra
Manchester Orchestra: The Valley of Vision
Genre:
Indie-Rock
Label: Loma Vista

Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus: Endless Summer Vacation
Genre:
Pop/R&B/Psychedelic
Label: Smiley Miley Inc.

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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of February 10, 2023.  Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.

–List of Releases: February 10, 2023–

The Academic
The Academic: Sitting Pretty
Genre:
Indie-Rock
Label: Universal Music Operations

Amber Arcades
Amber Arcades: Barefoot on Diamond Road
Genre:
Indie-Pop
Label: Fire Records

Andy Shauf
Andy Shauf: Norm
Genre:
Alt-Rock/Indie-Folk
Label: Anti


Black Belt Eagle Scout: The Land, The Water, The Sky
Genre:
Indie-Folk
Label: Saddle Creek

The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre: The Future is Your Past
Genre:
Psychedelic/Shoegaze/Indie-Rock
Label: ‘a’ recordings


Cadaver Shrine: Benighted Desecration
Genre:
Death/Doom Metal
Label: Chaos Records

a4057406571_16Carnosus: Visions of Infinihility
Genre:
Tech Death
Label: Independent

Delain
Delain: Dark Waters
Genre:
Metal/Gothic
Label: Napalm

Distant
Distant: Heritage
Genre:
Metalcore/Death Metal/Deathcore
Label: Century Media

ELYOSE: Deviante (MELODIC METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves
Elyose: Deviante
Genre:
Industrial/Metal/Gothic
Label: Independent

In Flames
In Flames: Foregone
Genre:
Melodic Death Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast

Isole
Isole: Anesidora
Genre:
Doom/Progressive Metal
Label: Hammerheart

Kelela
Kelela: Raven
Genre:
R&B/Electronic/Garage
Label: Warp

Klone
Klone: Meanwhile
Genre:
Progressive Rock/Metal
Label: Kscope

Maps
Maps: Counter Melodies
Genre:
Post-Rock/Shoegaze/Electronic
Label: Mute Artists Ltd.

Narrow Head
Narrow

50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1 | EP/Live/Compilation

10. He Is Legend – Endless Hallway

[Label site] // [Spotify]

“It’s not unheard of, but certainly rare when a band 25 years old and eight albums deep into their career create a record that could be in contention as their best, but if there was any group who could it, it would be He Is Legend. And guess what? That’s exactly what they’ve done with Endless Hallway. Tonally, it suggests one of their most divisive efforts since Suck Out the Poison — it’s dark, heavy, sludgy, and one of their most narrative driven releases — but it has all of the finesse of their post-reunion material. Speaking of heavy, Endless Hallway may be their most brutal outing to date, oscillating between near djent riffcapades and slower, churning swamp metal throwdowns — there is no shortage of headbanging moments strewn throughout the record. However, this uptick in viciousness does little to deter Schuylar Croom from crafting some of the most memorable hooks of his career. As always, the frontman has a very distinct sense of melody, writing passages that make use of odd harmonies but are still impossibly catchy. Endless Hallway is somehow He is Legend at their peak, and I can’t see any fan of the band being disappointed with this one.” —Brandon Scott / TheSpirit

It’s hard to write about this album without letting Brandon’s words really describe it. The day Brandon left was a tough one –one that is sure

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