I remember when I first started getting into music and it felt like every song I heard was speaking directly to me. It was a great era in my life because everything seemed to carry unprecedented weight, as if the artists were sitting down at a table with me and hashing out my emotions on paper. As the years progressed that feeling obviously fell by the wayside – I mean you can only be awestruck by everything you hear for so long, right? Music soon became more about the technical aspects – did that bridge really work?would this song have been better if they amped up the guitars and pushed the vocals back in the mix a little? There’s something to be said for any level of music appreciation, but the older I got, the more everything started to sound like an imitation of something I’d already heard. For lack of a better description, music’s meaning in my life just hollowed out a little bit.
Enter Frightened Rabbit’s Painting of a Panic Attack. Now, I haven’t even finished listening to this album yet but I can already tell you that there are certain songs on here capable of totally wrecking me at any given moment. I know this because it’s been forever since I’ve felt my eyes getting misty upon first listen of a track, or felt a lump in…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of Apil 8, 2016. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
April Towers – Silent Fever (LAB Records Ltd) The Dandy Warhols – Distortland (The Dandy Warhols) –Raul Stanciu
Ben Watt – Fever Dream (Unmade Road)
Black Peaks – Statues (Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited)
Camp Claude – Swimming Lessons (Believe Recordings)
Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas – Mariner (Cult of Luna)
Deftones – Gore (Reprise Records)
Drose – boy man machine (Orange Milk)
Ed Prosek – Truth EP (Ed Prosek Music)
Filter – Crazy Eyes (Wind-up Records)
The Frances Desire – Persona (Out of Step)
Frightened Rabbit – Painting of a Panic Attack (Atlantic Records UK)
The Glorious Rebellion – Euphoric (Magnetic Eye Records)
Gracepoint – Echoes (Independent)
Heidemann – Detectives (Fabrique Records)
HIGHS – Dazzle Camouflage (Indica Records)
Holy Pinto – Congratulations (Soft Speak Records)
Ihsahn – Arktis (Tanglade Ltd)
Inherit Disease – Ephemeral (Unique Leader Records)
The Lumineers – Cleopatra (Dualtone Music Group) M83 – Junk (M83 Recording Inc) –Rudy K.
Moving Units – Damage With Care (Metropolis Records)
Ommadon – Ommadon (Burning World Recordings)
Palace of Worms – The Ladder (Broken Limbs Recordings)
Parquet Courts – Human Performance (Rough Trade)
Shy Shape – Out at Night (Noisy Poet Records)
Tax The Heat – Fed to the Lions (Nuclear Blast Entertainment)
Viot – Astana (Langage Records) Woods – City Sun Eater…
Explosions In The Sky isn’t exactly a band that strikes joy into the heart of every post-rock aficionado anymore, and it has nothing to do with the band’s talent level. After all, nobody questions that these guys can play, and some of the crescendos that they’ve crafted over the years will stand tall as historical examples of the heights to which the genre can aspire. The problem, recently anyway, has been a perceived lack of imagination. It seemed that following The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place, each successive release was merely a retread of that incredible experience – only with diminished satisfaction for every additional time we heard sparkling guitars, clashing cymbals, and earth-shattering drums. It was quite simply time for a change, and even though basically any change would have sufficed, The Wilderness presents us with a road that is both less traveled and far more scenic than the one we’ve watched them retread for approximately ten years. In an album full of brooding ambience and eclectic stylistic ambition, ‘Landing Cliffs’ feels like the perfect ending to a record that, at this point in Explosions’ career, has the potential to be groundbreaking. The song feels like a breath of new life, shimmering with gorgeous piano notes while pirouetting in a light, spacey atmosphere that is immersive but not oppressive. The beauty of the actual wilderness will come to mind immediately:…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of Apil 1, 2016. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
#N/A – Nisennenmondai (Beat Records)
Alexander Durefelt – In the Grace of the Woods (Daughters and Son Records)
Andrew Bird – Are You Serious (Wegawarm Music Co)
Autolux – PUSSY’S DEAD (Columbia Records)
Babymetal – Metal Resistance (Amuse Inc)
The Bendal Interlude – Reign of the Unblinking Eye (Black Bow Records)
Black Stone Cherry – Kentucky (Mascot Music Productions)
Coves – Peel (1965 Records Ltd)
Doro – Love’s Gone To Hell (Nuclear Blast)
Ensiferum – Two Decades of Greatest Sword Hits (Universal Music Oy)
Entheos – The Infinite Nothing (Artery Recordings)
Explosions In The Sky – The Wilderness (Temporary Residence Ltd)
Faintest Idea – Increasing The Minimum Rage (Faintest Idea)
Goetic Equivalent – Goetic Equivalent (Ordo MCM)
Hammock – Everything and Nothing (Hammock Music)
Haxen – Haxen (Eternal Death)
Hein Cooper – The Art of Escape (Indica Records)
Hot Coffin – Hot Coffin (Triple Eye Industries)
Ill Omen – Æ.Thy.Rift (Abyssic Commune)
It Lives, It Breathes – Silver Knights (Stay Sick Recordings)
Japanese Breakfast – Psychopomp (Yellow K Records)
Lake Of Violet – The Startling Testimony of Plumb Lines (Gilead Media)
Lukas Graham – Lukas Graham (Warner Bros. Records Inc)
The Last Shadow Puppets – Everything You’ve Come To Expect (Domino Recording Co Ltd)
Lower Automation – Maps (Independent)
Mogwai – Atomic (Temporary Residence Ltd)
Moonsorrow – Jumalten Aika (Century Media…
O’Brother’s latest post-hardcore conquest Endless Light is a sweeping triumph. It’s a prolific enough record that at some point in 2016, you’ll probably have no choice but to hear about it. Reminiscent of both Thrice and Manchester Orchestra, the album bestows a level of grit and atmosphere that is rarely combined so successfully. The guitars are fiery and scorch the air, the drums and vocals have a presence that fills the room, and the songwriting is so tight that each song feels like a continuation of the one that preceded it. Amidst an album that is practically devoid of flaws, “Complicated End Times” stands out as the clear pinnacle. Everything about it is ominous, from the terrorizing reverberated guitars during the opening sequence to the breathy and mysterious ooh‘s that effortlessly bring the swirling walls of flame to a cool, soothing close. Like the album, the way the song progresses within itself is a thing of beauty…and it’s something you can only begin to appreciate by immersing yourself in every aspect of O’Brother’s sprawling, free-flowing rock aura.
Welcome back! Below is our compilation of staff picks from March 21-25 of 2016. Thanks to Jacquibim, whose tastes exceed the outer limits of Spotify, I was forced to break convention and use Youtube (look at this guy…a few weeks on staff and he’s already sticking it to the man). Anyway, the layout looks nicer but the playback is less convenient. See what you missed last week by checking out our third installment of this feature, and as always, enjoy our diverse and (hopefully) enjoyable selections!
1) Fracture: “Makin’ Hype Tracks” [Monday, submitted by BroStep]
One of the most genuinely fun tunes released this year on Exit (though their other release this year, a Zed Bias EP, is also phenomenal), “Makin’ Hype Tracks” is exactly why Fracture’s become one of the most popular names in drum & bass over the past few years, and it’s great to see his decade-plus of hard work become recognized. —BroStep
2) The Strumbellas: “Spirits” [Tuesday, submitted by Sowing]
Remember in 2006 when My Chemical Romance launched the single/video “Welcome To The Black Parade”, and it was so wildly over-the-top that, on some levels anyway, it actually worked? Or way back to 1967 when The Beatles had done pretty much the same thing withSgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band except it actually did work? Well subtlety be damned, here’s your folk installment. —…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of March 25, 2016. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
American Head Charge – Tango Umbrella (Napalm Records)
Amon Amarth – Jomsviking (Mwtal Blade Records)
Asking Alexandria – The Black (Sumerian Records)
Beastmaker – Lusus Naturae (Rise Above Records)
Birdy – Beautiful Lies (Jasmine Van Den Bogaerde)
Bloodsweat – Plague Vendor (Epitaph)
Caliban – Gravity (Century Media Records Ltd)
Cameron AG – Way Back Home (Independent)
Cobalt – Slow Forever (Profound Lore)
Demonstealer – This Burden is Mine (Demonstealer Records)
The Joy Formidable – Hitch (C’mon Let’s Drift)
Hammerfight – Profound and Profane. (Napalm Records)
Irkallian Oracle – Apollyon (Nuclear War Now Productions)
Lelkem – All Four Seasons in One Day (Panta R&E)
Like Rats – II (Southern Lord Records)
Lontalius – I’ll Forget 17 (Partisan Records)
Marathonmann – Mein Leben gehort Dir (Century Media Records Ltd)
Metalchurch – XI (Rat Pak Records)
Museyroom – Pearly Whites (Grind Select)
Necronomicon – Advent of The Human God (Season of Mist)
Night Moves – Pennied Days (Domino Recording Co Ltd)
NilExistence – Existence in Revelation (Independent)
O’Brother – Endless Light (Triple Crown Records)
Phazm – Scornful of Icons (Osmose Productions)
Plague Vendor – BLOODSWEAT (Epitaph)
Radical Face – The Family Tree: The Leaves (Radical Face)
Ragnarok –…
Remember in 2006 when My Chemical Romance launched the single/video “Welcome To The Black Parade”, and it was so wildly over-the-top that, on some levels anyway, it actually worked? Or way back to 1967 when The Beatles had done pretty much the same thing with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band except it actually did work? Well subtlety be damned, here’s your folk installment. “Spirits”, The Strumbellas’ lead single to Hope, seems to have it all: a huge chorus with a melody that sticks, harmonized crowd chants, clashing cymbals, a tender bridge heavy on the piano, and even some subtle brass. Maybe we didn’t ask the band to parade through the streets while performing, but that’s where the element of grandiosity – for as often as it feels out of place in music – almost seems fitting here. As The Strumbellas sing out proudly “But something inside has changed, and maybe we don’t wanna stay the same” and “I don’t want a never-ending life, I just want to be alive while I’m here”, there’s this sense that they’re speaking to a larger purpose worthy of such demonstrative celebration. Subtlety may be lacking all around, but I can promise you that even if you only listen once, it won’t the the last time it plays through your head.
Another week in the books, and another set of 5 songs added to the track-of-the-day vault. This week’s EP highlights the gleeful ‘Born Again Teen’, the mysterious dance vibes of ‘Consumes You’, the hypnotizing ‘Running With The Wolves’, our throwback to Alanis Morissette’s heyday via ‘Mary Jane’, and the quirky, ever so odd ‘Old Man Skies.’ Our second ever weekly compilation can be streamed via Spotify below, and each blog post can be revisited by clicking on the song/artist name.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of March 18, 2016. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
Alice on the roof – Higher (Label & Labet)
Boris and Merzbow – Gensho (Relapse Records Inc.)
Brett – Mode (Cascine)
Causa Sui – Return To Sky (El Paraiso)
Cilver – Not the End of the World (Entertainment One U.S.)
Circus Maximus – Havoc (Frontiers Records)
Daddy – Let Me Get What I Want (We Are Daddy, LLC)
Deathkings – All that is Beautiful (Independent)
Defecto – Excluded (Elevation)
The Drones – Feelin Kinda Free (Tropical Fuck Storm Records)
Éohum – Ealdfaeder (Mycelium Networks)
Forks – II (Forks)
Glitterbust – Glitterbust (Burger Records)
Gloria Morti – Kuebiko (Willowtip Records)
Gwen Stefani – This Is What the Truth Feels Like (Interscope Records)
Heiress – Made Wrong (The Mylene Sheath)
Highrider – Armageddon Rock (The Sign)
Iggy Pop/Josh Homme – Post Pop Depression (Loma Vista Recordings)
The Last Vegas – Eat Me (AFM Recordings)
Light Up The Sky – Nightlife (Rise Records)
Killerpilze – High (Nordpolrecords)
K-X-P – III Part 2 (Svart Records)
Liima – II (2016 4AD)
Lords of Black – II (Frontiers Records)
Primal Scream – Chaosmosis (SCRM Ltd)
North – Light The Way (Prosthetic Records)
Rapheumetas Well – The Exile (Test Your Metal)
Red Eleven – Collect Your Scars (Lifeforce Records)
Rexy – Running Out of Time (Lucky Number Music Limited)
Sacrilegium – Anima Lucifera (Pagan Records)
Sam…
With the first full week of the Sputnikmusic Staff’s “Track of the Day” feature in the books, I thought it would be a cool idea to, as often as possible, put together a small 5-track EP consisting of the staff selections from that week. It’s kind of a “here’s what you missed” opportunity for those of you who don’t religiously follow the blog updates (although you should!) as well as a gift to our readers and userbase (take it or leave it, we won’t be offended!)
Without further ado, I present to you the very first Sputnik EP playlist spanning the week of 3/7/16 to 3/11/16. The tracklist can be found below, followed by the Spotify playlist. Thank you to all who contributed, commented, and/or read last week!
Lucius’ music plays like a never-ending sugar high. They’re always upbeat, creating catchy and captivating songs that make you want to get up and move. Their debut Wildewoman showcased their main strengths: the talented vocals of Berklee-educated singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, and the insane vocal harmonies that they can make together. Even considering how successful that album was within indie-pop circles, “Born Again Teen” obliterates any conceivable expectations with its sky-high chorus and dance-worthy beat. It’s the lead single for their freshly released LP Good Grief, and with good reason: it captures the energy and youthful bliss of the record like no other individual track could. It won’t change your life or anything, but I dare you not to tap your feet, sway in your chair, or even get up and dance like a complete idiot.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of March 11, 2016. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
3 Doors Down – Us and the Night (Republic Records)
Accuser – The Forlorn Divide (Metal Blade Records)
Anger as Art – Ad Mortem Festinates (Old School Metal Records)
Aniqatia – Luminous (Nefarious Industries)
Arcana 13 – Danza Macabra (Aural Music)
Aurora – All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend (Glassnote Entertainment Group LLC)
Bent Shapes – Wolves of Want (Slumberland Records)
Blood Youth – Closure [EP] (Rude Records) Brian Fallon – Painkillers (Island Records)— Jom
Cabal – Purge (Prime Collective)
Cardiknox – Portrait (Warner Bros. Records Inc.)
Criminal – Fear Itself (Metal Blade Records)
Desert Mountain Tribe – Either That or the Moon (Metropolis Records)
Drawing Circles – Sinister Shores (Eat The Beat Music)
Emmy the Great – Second Love (Bella Union)
Ephemera – Little Green Cars (Glassnote Entertainment Group LLC)
Gadget – The Great Destroyer (Relapse Records Inc.)
Glint – Inverter (Votiv Publishing LLC)
Heck – Instructions (NPAG Industries Ltd)
Holy Wave – Freaks of Nurture (Reverberation Appreciation) The Humble – Act Accordingly [EP] (The Humble)— Irving Tan
Jeff Buckley – You and I (Columbia Records)
Jukebox The Ghost – Thump Sessions [EP] (Yep Roc Records) Killswitch Engage – Incarnate (Roadrunner Records)
KVB – … Of Desire (Metropolis Records)
Laura J Martin – On…
Everyone has a set of bands or musicians that they hold dearly for some reason or another. Oftentimes, it’s not even an artist that you listen to anymore. Time placed a wedge between whatever it was that connected you so directly to their message and the place that you currently reside in life. It’s like losing touch with an old friend; you never actually stopped caring about the person, it’s just that life has led you in separate directions and it no longer makes sense to spend more than the occasional holiday catching up with them. For all intents and purposes, your friendships become ones of convenience. But just like those time-tested relationships, there’s this unspoken understanding that anytime or anywhere, you’ll be able to return to that album/song/artist and everything will return to being exactly like it was before. It’s a comfort that very few bands have been able to bestow upon me: Brand New, Yellowcard, and others do come to the forefront of my memory first – but then there’s Jimmy Eat World – the band that I too often tuck away, saying to myself, “I’ll give Clarity another listen once I’m finished with the new Sufjan.” Well, I’m here now to say thank you to a band that I probably haven’t listened to nearly as much as I’ve always wanted to.
We’ve all experienced that crystallizing moment when you hear an artist’s message and everything seems to click – it’s almost as if that…
“Loveland” caught me completely off-guard. At a glance, Wall of Death sounds like a modern day meshing of Pink Floyd’s psychedelic prowess with Coldplay’s pedestrian execution. That synopsis is fairly accurate across the vast majority of the band’s freshly minted LP Loveland – it’s an admirable, but not groundbreaking, effort in modern psychedelic rock that is still totally enjoyable. However, the self-titled track is in a league of its own. Sprawling across a mysteriously uplifting atmosphere, the song twists and tumbles through shimmering electronic soundscapes that are grounded in exceptionally executed guitar work and drumming. The midsection is a thing of beauty – sprightly bouncing along to gorgeous keyboards and synths that almost have an old school prog-rock feel to them. The way that “Loveland” flows from one idea to another is breathtaking, and it makes for quite the sparkling early-2016 gem…one that may even be worth stowing away for those best-of-2016 playlists.
