A lot has happened since the release of Brand New’s presumed swan song, Science Fiction. Released just about one year ago (August 17, 2017), the record was initially received to widespread acclaim. It shot to #1 on the Billboard chart, a first in band history despite nonchalantly dropping the album – unannounced – after an eight year absence. It garnered rave reviews. Noisey published an article entitled I Will Fight for Brand New to Be Crowned the Best Band of a Generation. Pitchfork named it Best New Music. The list of accomplishments go on and on. We all know how fleeting that success was though; Brand New’s legacy came to a screeching halt on November 10th when allegations of sexual misconduct arose against front man Jesse Lacey, which were all but confirmed by him a day later when he issued a lengthy response that vaguely acknowledged wrongdoing ( “I am sorry for how I have hurt people, mistreated them, lied, and cheated…”), spoke on the help he has sought since the time of those actions (the claims are from when he was 24…Lacey is now 40), and spoke on repentance (“The fact remains that none of us get to put a wall up between who we are and who we were. I need to earn forgiveness”). Then, just like the eight years that led up to Science Fiction, the band went radio silent. And so did most of their fans.
So why dredge this topic up again? It’s not to force victims to relive their anguish, and it’s…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of August 3, 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: August 3, 2018 –
Amanda Shires: To The Sunset
Genre: Pop/Country/Americana
Label: Silver Knife
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of July 27, 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
White Ring: Gate of Grief
Genre: Electronic/Indie Rock
Label: Rocket Girl
Now this is just creepy. There’s such an unsettling vibe to this whole thing, from the band name to the artwork to the massive industrial groove beats that throw me all the way back to The Downward Spiral (or, more recently, Crystal Castles). Oh, and those shrill, shouted vocals, followed by by the low, distorted Frank the Rabbit (Donnie Darko) spoken passage. Yikes. This thing just feels monumental. I get the feeling from the tracklist that there could be some serious political vibes on this thing as well. They have only released one other album and it was all the way back in 2010. Apparently, Gate of Grief has been 7 years in the making. I have a feeling it will be well worth the wait, and one of those albums that catches everyone off guard when it comes out of nowhere. Listen to “Leprosy” below:
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of July 20, 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
Meg Myers: Take Me to the Disco
Genre: Indie-Pop/Alternative Rock/Indie-Rock
Label: 300 Entertainment
Myers crashed 2015 as one of the best up-and-coming female rockers, jolting listeners to attention with her powerful vocals. Singles such as ‘Sorry’ and ‘Desire’ brought her a great deal of exposure, and now she is looking to capitalize on that early success with Take Me to the Disco. She has a lot to live up to on her sophomore release, and not all of the singles released to-date have convinced eager fans, but it would be unwise to sleep on a record whose creator has such a raw, obvious skill set. Listen to one of Take Me to the Disco‘s singles, ‘Numb’, below:
– List of Releases: July 20, 2018 –
Distorted Harmony: A Way Out
Genre: Progressive Metal/Rock
Label: n/a
Epica: Epica vs. Attack on Titan
Genre: Power Metal/Gothic/Death Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of July 13, 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.
The experimental indie group Dirty Projectors are unveiling their 10th proper LP, a more hopeful sounding follow-up to the dejected, self-titled, and essentially solo Dave Longstreth record. For as shattered as he was during that album, Longstreth employed some of his most experimental production ideas to date, en route to possibly the group’s most interesting – even if divisive – release. In stark contrast to forlorn, reflective singles like ‘Keep Your Name’ or ‘Little Bubble’, ‘Break-Thru’ is a bouncy, sunny pop tune that retains the the experimental and R&B qualities of Dirty Projector’s preceding release. If it’s any sign of what is to come, then we can expect Lamp Lit Prose to be another stud in Longstreth’s vastly growing collection of odd but fun indie pop.
– List of Releases: July 13, 2018 –
Amy Shark: Love Monster
Genre: Indie Pop
Label: Wonderlick
Now this is just creepy. There’s such an unsettling vibe to this whole thing, from the band name to the artwork to the massive industrial groove beat that throws me all the way back to The Downward Spiral. Oh, and those shrill, shouted vocals, followed by by the low, distorted Frank the Rabbit (Donnie Darko) spoken passage. Yikes. This thing just feels monumental. I get the feeling from the tracklist that there could be some serious political vibes on this thing as well. The band itself has 25k Facebook likes, so this is very much a fringe “under the radar band” (sure, they don’t have hundreds of thousands of followers)…but they have only released one album (as far as my knowledge and a cursory google search can tell) and it was all the way back in 2010. Apparently, Gate of Grief has been 7 years in the making. I have a feeling it will be well worth the wait, and one of those albums that catches everyone off guard when it comes out of nowhere. Consider me as hyped as I’ve been for anything so far in 2018.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of July 6, 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. Also, for those who missed it, our collective staff ranked the Top 10 Songs by The National – just in case you need something to argue about.
– List of Releases: July 6, 2018 –
A Shoreline Dream: Waitout
Genre: Shoegaze/Psychedelic/Alt-Rock
Label: Latenight Weeknight
Asylums: Alien Human Emotions
Genre: Pop/Rock
Label: Cool Thing Records
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 29, 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
Florence + The Machine: High As Hope
Genre: Indie-Pop/Alternative Rock
Label: Republic
Few artists have as recognizable of a voice as Florence Welch, one of the most respected frontwomen in alternative rock. While Lungs and Ceremonials launched her career to stardom, wielding hits such as ‘Dog Days Are Over’ and ‘Shake It Off’, the more understated How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful still managed to keep the magic alive with prevalent acoustics and a slightly more uptempo atmosphere. While no one is certain as to what tricks – if any – that High As Hope holds up its sleeve, you can count on Welch delivering another vocal masterpiece. That alone makes High As Hope worth investigating, regardless of whether this album treads the same lighter path as its predecessor or returns to the booming, anthemic way of Lungs.
– List of Releases: June 29, 2018 –
Bells Atlas: Be Brave
Genre: Indie-Pop/Soul
Label: None Records
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 22, 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
Kamasi Washington: Heaven And Earth
Genre: Jazz/Soul
Label: Young Turks
Washington made a huge splash in 2015 with The Epic – a three volume, three hour masterpiece that brought soul and jazz fusion back into the spotlight of modern music. By comparison, Heaven And Earth is merely two parts, and closer to two-and-a-half hours long. Either way, we get it – the man is capable of writing towering, lengthily intimidating albums. But the thing is, Washington’s records never feel that long. Boasting impeccable flow and nary any filler, Kamasi’s works draw you in while keeping you engaged. If The Epic was any indicator, we may be in for an album of the year candidate right here.
Listen to the below song samples for ‘Fists of Fury’ and ‘Space Travelers Lullaby’:
– List of Releases: June 22, 2018 –
5 Seconds of Summer: Youngblood
Genre: Pop
Label: Capitol
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 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…
That moment when you first hear a song, and you can’t fight the beginning of a smile. Uplifting music has sort of become a lost art, at least to me. I’m always searching for the next earth-shattering revelation, as if a song is going to help me understand the universe or something. I don’t often take the time to stop and appreciate the most basic benefit of music: making you feel good.
For me, I don’t ask for much: I just want something upbeat, catchy, and entertaining. I’m not sure why, but lately I can’t seem to stop finding these kinds of tunes – and in places I wouldn’t necessarily expect. These are not radio staples or bangers from female pop stars…they’re mostly intriguing pop-rock tracks from artists that haven’t really made it “big time” yet, which is perfect because it keeps with my theme of discovering under-the-radar music in 2018. Here’s 3 songs that lately have been making me want to dance through the day – or at the very least, be okay with the shitty realities of everyday life.
Enjoy.
(1) Mother Mother – “Love Stuck”
It’s like a ‘Mr Blue Sky’ or ‘You Make My Dreams’ for this generation. I dare you to listen to this and have a shitty day.
The first month of 2018 proved to be a little slow for under-the-radar releases, as it typically is for any music in general. When We Land’s Introvert’s Plight was a pleasant surprise, offering up a very consistent indie-rock record that contained moments of lush folk amidst more sprightly, upbeat melodies. I initially gave that a hype rating of 7 (70%), and it actually earned a 3.8 (76%). On the other hand, EDEN’s Vertigo was underwhelming in just about every way. It did have some unique draw-ins, but they were never successfully strung together in a way that would make it worth revisiting. That album came in just short of it’s 5 (50%) projection, garnering just a 2 (40%) in my recent review of it. All The Luck In The World’s Blind Arcade is still set for a 2/23 release, and it’s very much near the top of my radar. Expect a review for that album soon after it drops!
Anyhow, it’s time for another batch of albums that I have at least some level of interest in. If you’ll recall, I am limiting my 2018 reviewing scope to artists who could be categorically “under-the-radar” – be it on Sputnik or in general. Some of the below artists do have more name recognition that what I’d typically aim for, but none of them are by any means popular and will likely only end up with a handful of reviews across the greater web. Thus, without further ado, here’s Sowing’s Hype Machine…
![Rituals [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61SY61ys72L._SS500.jpg)
![Love Monster [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41Eil4YAB5L._SS500.jpg)
![Ocean Machine - Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/610jgTAhcDL._SS500.jpg)
![Trench Foot [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51AyBKVtlyL._SS500.jpg)
![Palo Santo [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BQalsI9xL._SS500.jpg)
…
![Youngblood [Explicit] (Deluxe)](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/613qFutVvmL._SS500.jpg)
![Puff: In The Air Without A Shape [LP]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1WAvbzPBRL._SX522_.jpg)
![Islands [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61YMAq6lhdL._SS500.jpg)
