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”

Genre: Post-Rock/Ambient/Drone // Label: Constellation

Background:

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…

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.

Listen to “The Sky Is A Neighborhood” below:

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”–

Genre: Indie-Rock/Post-Punk/Alternative // Label: 4AD

Background:

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:

– Full List of Releases: September 8, 2017 –

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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.

–Featured Release: LCD Soundsystem – “American Dream”–

Genre: Post-Punk/Electronic // Label: DFA Records/Columbia

Background:

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

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