Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 20, 2017. 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.
– Full List of Releases: October 20, 2017 –
Amenra: Mass VI
Genre: Post/Sludge Metal // Label: Neurot Recordings
Soundtracks have always played a big role in my enjoyment of music. Often I find myself paying more attention to the various melodies in the background of whatever film is playing, imagining how the soundtrack’s producers decided to match certain moods with specific frames. I don’t know, it’s just fascinating to me. I watch a lot of indie-romances and stuff that the average guy actively avoids, but one thing that frustrates me is that even in the so-called indie flicks, they always seem to draw from the same pool of hip artists. I guess I was just tired of hearing the same types of scenes matched up with the same types of musicians, every time. It’s like they’re getting lazy; either that or they all just want to emulate successful indie soundtracks of the past without actually attempting to go through the requisite discovery of unknown artists that makes an indie soundtrack worth exploring. I wanted something that would make me feel like Garden State did when I first heard it, before I knew of The Shins, Remy Zero, or Nick Drake — but that was a long time ago, and my musical depth and breadth has more than tripled. I needed outside help to dig a little deeper.
So when I did my brief little rec competition (thanks to everyone who offered a song!), I was trying to fashion a “sputnik indie-flick romantic comedy” type of soundtrack that would (1) turn myself…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 13, 2017. 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.
St. Vincent: MASSEDUCATION
Genre: Indie-Pop/Indie-Rock// Label: Loma Vista Recordings
Background:
St. Vincent’s fifth full-length LP MASSEDUCATION (pronounced “mass seduction”) marks Annie Clark’s follow-up to her celebrated self-titled 2014 venture into art-pop. Jack Antonoff (of Bleachers) is credited as a co-producer with Clark and there is a range of special guests featured on the album including Kamasi Washington, Jenny Lewis, and Thomas Bartlett.
Check out the music video for “New York” below:
– Full List of Releases: October 13, 2017 –
Altarage: Endinghent
Genre: Death Metal // Label: Season of Mist
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Ancient VVisdom: 33
Genre: Rock // Label: Magic Bullet
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Antisect: The Rising Of The Lights
Genre: Punk // Label: Rise Above
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Beck: Colors
Genre: Folk/Experimental/Alt-Rock // Label: Capitol Records
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Bigfoot: Bigfoot
Genre: Alternative Rock // Label: Frontiers Music
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 6, 2017. 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.
– Full List of Releases: October 6, 2017 –
Alex Lahey: I Love You Like A Brother
Genre: Indie-Rock // Label: Dead Oceans
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Andrew Hung: Realisationship
Genre: Drone/Electronic/Psychedelic // Label: Lex
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Antarktis: Ildlaante
Genre: Post Metal // Label: Agonia Record
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August Burns Red: Phantom Anthem
Genre: Metalcore/Progressive Metal // Label: Fearless
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The Black Dahlia Murder: Nightbringers
Genre: Melodic Death Metal // Label: Metal Blade
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Blue Hawaii: Tenderness
Genre: Indie/Dream-Pop // Label: Arbutus
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Carbon Based Lifeforms: Derelicts
Genre: Ambient/Downtempo/Electronic // Label: Blood Music
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Citizen: As You Please
Genre: Emo/Grunge/Post-Hardcore // Label: Run For Cover
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Courtney Farren: Nothing Like It
Genre: Indie-Pop/Folk // Label: Courtney Farren
If the first half of Brand New’s career is what brought them into the public eye, then it was the second half that elevated them into the conversation of of being one of indie-rock’s greatest new millennium bands. While Your Favorite Weapon and Deja Entendu saw them master the art of pop-punk/pop-rock, it wasn’t until 2006 that many began to view them as serious innovators. For as large of a maturity leap as Deja represented on the heels of its relatively juvenile predecessor, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me marked an even more colossal evolution. Gone were the cheap feeling pop-punk chords and tongue-in-cheek self awareness, replaced with long, winding song progressions that culminated in and seething, searing riffs and lyrics that represented both an existential crisis and a total loss of innocence. It was the band properly coming into its own; the logical if unanticipated destination of Your Favorite Weapon‘s anger and Deja‘s biting cynicism.
The trials that the band endured during the recording process only fueled the record’s overarching sense of anger and depression: from a multitude of deaths and illnesses that befell band members’ friends and families to the leaking of a good portion of the album’s material midway through, it was probably the most difficult record that Brand New recorded. The album title itself came from a conversation Lacey had with a friend regarding Daniel Johnston, a musician who suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Lacey and the rest of the band felt…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 29, 2017. 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.
The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die: Always Foreign
Genre: Post-Rock/Emo/Indie // Label: Epitaph
Background:
With a warm blend of post-rock, emo, and indie stylings, The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die return with their third full-length LP, and their follow-up to 2015’s Harmlessness. Early singles seem to indicate that their genre trajectory will continue down the indie-laden path of its predecessor, but with the lush moments of beauty and the intricate guitar work displayed on that effort, few will likely find fault with that decision.
Check out the 7-minute single “Marine Tigers” below:
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 22, 2017. 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: Godspeed You! Black Emperor: “Luciferian Towers”
The fathers of post-rock are back at it. Two years removed from ‘Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress’, an album that for all intents and purposes reinvented Godspeed’s core philosophy (drone/ambient, shorter overall length), the band finds itself trudging further down that path while adding precious few wrinkles in the process. It’s once again shorter than some of their gargantuan efforts of the past, and it opts for emotive string sections and concise, calculated progressions over the sprawling, free-form drone passages of this album’s predecessor. Interjecting their fair share of political imagery, GY!BE ultimately prove that amid the minor tweaks this is still the same embittered, eccentric band that conceptualized the end of the world in 1997’s F♯ A♯ ∞. As our very own contributing reviewer LandDiving surmised in his review, “although previous Godspeed releases have spun sprawling post-apocalyptic narratives imbued with pathos, this new record engenders a last-ditch effort to prevent the end of the world from occurring, as if it plays out before both F#A# and…
Although it will inevitably frustrate non-fans of Brand New, especially in the midst of incessant discussion surrounding the group’s finale Science Fiction, there is no better time to reflect back upon one of the most important indie-rock bands of the new millennium. I say it not as a hyperbolic exaggeration designed to garner interest, but just for what it is at this point – a pretty indisputable fact. If Science Fiction reaching Billboard’s #1 chart spot isn’t an indicator of the cult following that Brand New has accumulated, then I’m not quite sure what would serve as evidence of their far-reaching influence. This pair of articles will likely end up reading as a eulogy, although that isn’t really my intention. I’d prefer that it be taken as a retrospective – a look back at the band’s noteworthy accomplishments, defining moments, and an overall distillation of what it all meant. The band has made it clear that 2018 marks the resolution of this almost two-decade long run, and as dramatic as it sounds, it’s a void that a lot of listeners won’t know how to fill.
As far as I’m concerned, Brand New’s existence can be separated into two distinct eras. Certainly, their progression was more intricate and fluid than that, but in terms of splitting up their anthology, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me was the clear divider. I’m not going to talk much about that record here though, because it resides on the other side of the line. Before Brand New…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 15, 2017. 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: Foo Fighters: “Concrete And Gold”
Genre: Rock/Grunge // Label: RCA Records
Background:
Foo Fighters are one of the few traditional 90’s rock/grunge bands whose relevance and longevity has extended all the way into 2017. That alone speaks volumes about the quality of their product, as they’ve remained the best and most consistent mainstream rock band around for well over two decades. Never groundbreaking yet almost always impressive, Dave Grohl and company return with their ninth LP – and for those who have taken a long vacation from Foo Fighters, this may mark a good point to start listening again. Easily their most enthralling and adventurous record in years, it is more Wasting Light than it is Sonic Highways, and there’s an exquisite balance between their trademark rock roots and a more sonically explorative curiosity. There’s a long list of reasons why these guys sit atop the throne of contemporary rock n’ roll, but Concrete and Gold is more than just another bullet-point; it’s a highlight.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 8, 2017. 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: The National – “Sleep Well Beast”–
At this stage in their career, The National are established leaders in their scene. They have yet to produce an album that was not critically well-received, and they boast an array of masterpieces to their name: particularly Alligator, Boxer, and High Violet.With Sleep Well Beast, we see them on the verge of continuing their trend of excellence, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Introducing a few new wrinkles to their sound, like the vibrant electric guitars in “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”, only serves to whet the appetite of an already hungry fanbase. So at this point the only thing to really say about this is that it’s The National; they are in and of themselves their most boastful asset. Here’s to another incredible outing by one of indie-rock’s most consistently flooring artists.
Listen to “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” below:
There’s been a lot already said about the latest Taylor Swift single from critics and fans, and not a lot of it has to do with the actual music. There’s been drama expounded upon and personality quirks analyzed, but I unfortunately keep as many tabs on celebrity feuds and lifestyle happenings as I do my cat’s bowel movements – and to be honest they mean about the same to me. Thus, this little blog post has less to do with what fiery quip Katy Perry just came back with and more to do with a flawed, but pretty good, pop single. I’m sorry to disappoint the frequenters of Consequence of Sound, who are no longer capable of actually writing about music.
(What did Sowing just say about another popular music website ? Click here to read more!)
Anyway – the music.
So Taylor Swift has sort of run out of places to go already. She’s played the innocent country girl and the pop star, and unless she soon decides to whip out an electric guitar and start shredding, her scope is sort of self-limiting. She could, of course, revisit the success of 1989 – but that record was so overwhelmingly successful on a commercial level that writing a new piece in the same voice would effectively begin to stale her appeal. It’s the same reason that Red forced her to start wading into pop waters, because Fearless and Speak Now covered every…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 1, 2017. 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.
American Dream is LCD Soundsystem’s first album in seven years, following 2010’s This Is Happening. Featuring the band’s most vibrant and colorful album artwork to date, American Dream also feels warmer and more expansive than past records. A lot of the tracks, especially the lead single ‘Call The Police’, seem to be heavily channeling James Murphy’s inner David Bowie/U2. In a year filled with high-profile comebacks, LCD Soundsystem stands proudly near the top of the totem pole, boasting a must-hear record for fans of electronic-influenced rock and post-punk.
Listen to “Call The Police”, below:
– Full List of Releases: September 1, 2017 –
Anubis Gate: Covered in Black
Genre: Progressive/Power Rock & Metal // Label: Nightmare Records
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Cloud Control: Zone
Genre: Indie-Pop/Psychedelic, Dream-Pop // Label: Votiv Music
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Epica: The Solace System
Genre: Power Metal/Classical/Goth // Label: Nuclear Blast
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of August 18, 2017. 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: Steven Wilson – “To The Bone”–
Genre: Progressive Rock/Experimental/Psychedelic // Label: Caroline International
Background:
Steven Wilson is among the most consistent artists and producers in the progressive rock scene. Having worked with Opeth extensively, and not to mention spearheading his own successful outfit in Porcupine Tree, Wilson’s most impressive feats may have actually come on the solo front. To The Bone marks his fifth full-length solo LP, coming on the heels of 2015’s Hand. Cannot. Erase and 2013’s The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories). To The Bone is, thematically, a grave look at modern times – however, it is also a nod to the musical influences of his youth. Regarding To The Bone, Wilson has gone on record stating: “My fifth record is in many ways inspired by the hugely ambitious progressive pop records that I loved in my youth…I grew up listening to a lot of very smart pop records by artists like Kate Bush, Talk Talk, Peter Gabriel, Prince, Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, The The…It struck me that there aren’t too many albums made like that these…
It’s not like we needed any additional reasons to crown Ella as the queen of pop. At just 20 years old, she’s stolen that crown from Ariana who stole it from Carle Rae who stole it from Taylor. Well, that’s if you ask me.
But personal and irrelevant opinions aside about who owns pop (when it’s really the record companies and producers), Melodrama was – and is – a stone cold classic. If you try and find a poorly constructed or unimaginative tune on it, you can’t. It’s art-pop at it’s best, and it is everything that the industry should be striving for.
…And then there’s moments like this that go even further above and beyond what you’d expect. Lorde must already be bored getting showered with accolades, because she has gone to work creating six incredible live re-imaginings of some of Melodrama‘s best songs: “Hard Feelings/Loveless” (see above), “Writer In The Dark”, “Sober”, “Supercut”, “Homemade Dynamite”, and “The Louvre.” The above is one of my early favorites – there’s just something about the way she gets down to her own music that is both adorable and admirable. You can tell she loves what she does.
In a brief interview with Vevo, Lorde states,
I don’t really do, like, acoustic sessions or anything, but with this record, it had roots in acoustic instruments and live musicianship.”
She also discusses working with Jack Antenoff (of Bleachers) and how the record centered…
Anyone on this site is, by now, well aware of my affinity for melodically-inclined music. There’s just something effortless and uplifting about songs that don’t require you to completely submerge yourself within them – and dedicate considerable time and emotional resources to – in order to understand. That isn’t to say that I haven’t spent tons of time getting lost in music with real, gritty depth and meaning, but lately the line between the genres I’d expect to pack that punch and those that I’ve traditionally viewed as reprehensibly artificial have actually begun to blur. From my perspective it feels like pop music is getting better, but that’s pretty clearly a hypersensationalized hot-take based on the opinion of someone who has ignored quality pop music for the better part of his life. As recently as three years ago I recall scoffing at the genre, aligning myself to a more elite standard as I’d quickly turn off the car radio to plug my ipod in and get lost in the music of The Antlers or The National. The reality, of course, is that quality pop music has always been there…I’ve just been isolating myself from it out of a fear of being subjected to the worst that the genre has to offer. But that’s no way to critique music, because by the same standards I ought to be repulsed by indie-folk considering the remarkable attention that bands such as Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers attract.
Or maybe I’m just getting old and my music taste has regressed to…
![Masseduction [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41on99Y3BzL._SS500.jpg)
![Colors [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/416JKsKKpQL._SS500.jpg)
![Realisationship [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61IzYzuqjjL._SS500.jpg)
![Pinewood Smile (Deluxe) [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61masRu38lL._SS500.jpg)
![Concrete and Gold [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51WmOGprqnL._SS500.jpg)
