Below is a smattering of new releases for September 6th, 2024. Exclusions not intentional because seeing new comments is a dopamine hit. Feel free to request reviews from staff and/or contributors, inform the people about what’s unintentionally missing from the list, and let us know what you plan on jamming this release week.
– List of Releases: September 6th, 2024 –
40 Watt Sun – Little Weight Genre: Slowcore Label: Fisher’s Folly
A Swarm of the Sun – An Empire Genre: Post-Metal / Atmospheric Sludge Metal Label: Pelagic
The Airborne Toxic Event – Glory Genre: Indie Rock Label: Little Tokyo
Amy Allen – Amy Allen Genre: Indie Pop Label: Kenny + Betty
Ashe – Willson Genre: Alt-Pop / Americana Label: [independent]
Black Sites – The Promised Land? Genre: Progressive Metal / Heavy Metal Label: [independent]
Bleachers – A Stranger Desired Genre: Acoustic renditions of 2014’s Strange Desire Label: Dirty Hit
blink-182 – ONE MORE TIME… PART-2 Genre: Pop-Punk / Alternative Rock Label: Columbia
Boston Manor – Sundiver Genre: Alternative Rock / Post-Hardcore Label: SharpTone
Welcome back to another edition of the Weekly Releases feature, where everything is made up and the points don’t matter! That’s right — the points matter as much as pants to a toll booth operator or why your obscure Transylvanian dungeon synth band with 3 bandcamp followers didn’t make the list (because it will probably be in the comments). Feel free to request reviews from staff and/or contributors and let the people know what’s missing from this intentionally-not-thorough list.
– List of Releases: August 30th, 2024 –
Alora Crucible – Oak Lace Apparition Genre: Chamber Music / Neoclassical New Age Label: House of Mythology
Anciients – Beyond the Reach of the Sun Genre: Progressive Metal / Sludge Metal Label: Season of Mist
AWOLNATION – The Phantom Five Genre: Alternative Rock / Indietronica Label: Better Noise
Bent Knee – Twenty Pills Without Water Genre: Art Rock / Chamber Pop Label: Take This to Heart
CHELSEA WOLFE – Undone (EP) Genre: Darkwave / Witch House Label: Loma Vista
Deliver the Galaxy – Bury Your Gods Genre: Melodic Death Metal Label: Massacre
Destroy Lonely – LOVE LAST FOREVER Genre: Trap / Southern Hip-Hop Label: Opium /…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of August 23rd, 2024. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
This feature is part of a hopefully ongoing series aimed at exploring the discographies of interesting and/or important bands whose wider body of work is often overlooked on this site. There will be lots of words and a few pictures, but the main deal is that if a band features here, they are good and you should listen to them! And if you already jam them, hit up the comments and explain where and why this is wrong! Get going!
The news broke today that Tore Ylwizaker, member of Ulver since 1997, died three days ago on his 54th birthday. Though credited as a ‘keyboardist’, Ylwizaker was absolutely essential to everything the group made since he joined: without his contributions, it’s unthinkable that Ulver would have emerged from their early years as a metal band as a such a stunningly proficient juggling act between IDM and downtempo — and then onto drone, onto classical, onto full-tilt synthpop, and anything they could fold into the margins of their umpteen strong suits. Ulver’s name has practically become a by-word for versatility, but for me this was always underpinned by a rigorous sense of competence, which, in turn, I viewed as practically synonymous with Ylwizaker. His passing marks a great loss for forward-thinking music as a whole, and we are privileged to be able to hear his talent across so many guises.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of August 16, 2024. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: August 16, 2024 –
Blind Pilot: In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain
Genre: Indie Folk/Rock Label: ATO Records
Charly Bliss: Forever
Genre: Indie Rock/Pop Rock/Pop Punk Label: Lucky Number
Dark Tranquillity: Endtime Signals
Genre: Melodic Death Metal Label: Century Media
dayaway: ghost beach(EP, Aug 14th release) Genre:Dream Pop Label: Turn To Wind
Falling In Reverse: Popular Monster
Genre: Post-Hardcore/Pop Rock/Pop Punk Label: Epitaph Records
Foster The People: Paradise State Of Mind
Genre: Indie Pop Label: Atlantic
Hamish Hawk: A Firmer Hand Genre:Sophisti-Pop/Post-Punk/Indie Rock Label: So Recordings/Fierce Panda
State Faults’ newest album Children of the Moon is so immediately classic that it’s hard to put into words. The evolution of this band from the lofi, unhinged sound of Desolate Peaks to where they are in 2024 is staggering. At their core they’re still that emotionally draining band, hitting you with songs fueled by distorted riffs and banshee shrieks such as (my personal favorite) Divination and Transfiguration, but now also being able to pull off a 10+ minute behemoth such as No Gospel. A track that takes you through every high and low, every desolate peak (pun?) to every epic mountain top with influences from prog rock to post-hardcore. Or a ballad such as Bodega Head that REALLY gets you in your feels with its soft acoustics and melodic vocals. State Faults have crafted a perfect album that will indeed go down as one of the best screamo albums of all time. But to pigeonhole Children of the Moon as just “screamo” would be a huge disservice. This album transcends any genre tag. So get off your ass and jam this beast. You will not regret it!
It’s been years since I’ve last done one of these, and it’s certainly the first since I’ve been a staffer, so welcome to the first official blog post for “Neek’s 1st Listen”!
As a reminder for those new to this long-dormant series, this closer to a stream-of-consciousness series of rants that flow from my very very tired brain edit-free onto the page the very first time I hear the album in question. So please forgive my ridiculous comparisons and questionable turns of phrase.
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS Aghori Mhori Mei
Full disclosure:
The Smashing Pumpkins are one of my favorite bands, and while I was an apologist for their post-breakup era a good long while, the most recent run of albums left me completely cold. I didn’t even bother checking ATUM: Act III, and this is someone who ranked all 200-something of their songs in 2018. But after skimming Johnny’s excellent review and peeping the opening track, Edin I decided it was about time to finally break out this blog feature (and all the formatting fun that comes with it).
Without further ado…
“Edin”:
Johnny’s line about Tool and Kyuss is spot on; these fuckin riffs are buttery but sharply wielded. Corgan’s vocals kinda shatter the fun—even on his better moments in these late albums his performance sounds AI-generated. You could predict his cadence by…
Guys, gals, and non-binary pals, please find an intentionally non-exhaustive list of new releases for August 9th along with some already-released records. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors; plus, feel free to add to the not-full-scale list by letting the people know in the comments what else should be on the community’s radar. Please comment. Please clap. Thank you.
– List of Releases: August 9th, 2024 –
Acrid Tomb / Tomb of Annihilation – Hermetic Invocations (Split) Genre: Death Metal / Black Metal Label: Iconoclasm Conquest
Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters – The Ones That Stay Genre: Alt-Country / Americana Label: Mule Kick
Here’s a sampler of new releases set to debut on August 2nd. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors; additionally, feel free to add to the list by letting the people know in the comments what else should be on the community’s radar.
– List of Releases: August 2nd, 2024 –
A Night in Texas – Digital Apocalypse Genre: Deathcore / Technical Death Metal Label: Unique Leader
Anberlin – Vega Genre: Alternative Rock / Pop-Punk Label: Equal Vision
Blues Pills – Birthday Genre: Blues Rock Label: BMG
Carnophage – Matter of a Darker Nature Genre: Brutal Death Metal / Technical Death Metal Label: Transcending Obscurity
Chrystabell & David Lynch – Cellophane Memories Genre: Ambient Pop / Ethereal Wave / Drone Label: Sacred Bones
Ella Langley – Hungover Genre: Contemporary Country / Country Pop Label: Columbia
G.O.O.N. – God’s Only Option Now Genre: Hardcore Punk Label: Convulse
Hey everyone! Welcome back to Weekly Releases. Below is a list of notable new releases set to premiere on July 26th, 2024. Feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. Cheers!
– List of Releases: July 26th, 2024 –
Abbie Ozard – Everything Still Worries Me Genre: Indie Pop / Bedroom Pop Label: House Anxiety
A Wake in Providence – I Write to You, My Darling Decay Genre: Deathcore / Blackened Death Metal Label: Unique Leader Records
Category 7 – Category 7 Genre: Heavy Metal Label: Metal Blade
Crack Cloud – Red Mile Genre: Post-Punk / New Wave / Experimental Label: Jagjaguwar
Cults – To the Ghosts Genre: Indie Pop / Indie Rock/ Dream Pop Label: Imperial
Dream Evil – Metal Gods Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal Label: Century Media
Empire of the Sun – Ask That God Genre: Electropop / Synthpop Label: EMI / Capitol
Falling in Reverse – Popular Monster Genre: Post-Hardcore / Metalcore Label: Epitaph
Ghost – Rite Here Rite Now (Soundtrack) Genre: Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Label: Loma Vista
Hakushi Hasegawa –Mahogakko Genre: Art Pop / Glitch /…
Hey everyone! Welcome back to Weekly Releases. Below is a list of notable new releases set to premiere on July 19th, 2024. Feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. Cheers!
– List of Releases: July 19th, 2024 –
Act of Creation – Moments to Remain Genre: Thrash Metal Label: Massacre Records
Alburnum – The Withered Roots of Reality (July 20th release) Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal/Folk Label: Independent
Ashenheart – Faded Gold Genre: Black Metal Label: Independent
Assemble the Chariots – Ephemeral Trilogy Episode 1: Unyielding Night Genre: Symphonic Metal/Deathcore Label: Independent
Avery Anna – Breakup Over Breakfast Genre: Singer-Songwriter Label: Warner Music
Beachwood Sparks – Across the River of Stars Genre: Alt-Country/Psychedelic/Indie Pop Label: Curation Records
Bizhiki– Unbound Genre: Powwow Music Label: Jagjaguwar
Ceremony of Silence– Halios Genre: Blackened Death Metal Label: Willowtip Records
Childish Gambino– Bando Stone & the New World Genre: Hip-Hop/Soundtrack Label: RCA
Curren$y & Monsta Beatz– Radioactive Genre: Hip-Hop Label: Jet Life
Deep Purple– =1 Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Label: earMUSIC
Denzel Curry– King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2 Genre: Hip-Hop Label: PH, Loma Vista
Dr. Dog – Dr. Dog Genre: Indie Rock/Psychedelic Label: We Buy Gold
The collective of Aaron Turner (ISIS), Nick Yacyshyn (Baptists), and Brian Cook (Botch) have once again proven there is such a thing as beautiful bleakness.Too often as bands progress through their careers they take the comfortable, digestible, and tried-and-true elements of their sound and pair them down into cohesive, intimate, and relatable vignettes of their former selves. SUMAC has achieved the opposite with The Healer, a sprawling 75 minute behemoth built on the assumption the listener is both patient enough to allow the band to stretch out, and eager enough to explore alongside the musicians as they dig down deep into chasms of dissonance, dread, and finally catharsis.
Welcome to the second installment for our 2024 quarterly playlist! Having Canada D’eh and Independence Day during the same week had some of us partying hard. Feel free to jam while reading what participating staffers had to say about their picks. 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:
Arooj Aftab – “Aey Nehin” Night Reign
Perhaps the most heatproof antidote I’ve heard this year to everything sweaty and inconvenient about summer, Arooj Aftab’s stellar new record opens in a revelation of cleansing harp tones and dusky croons. Her hazy weave of textures effortlessly trots out everything palatable you could ask of a current-year chamber jazz, earning a rare for all music fans badge of approval from practically anyone whose opinion you should care to ask. Literally better than sunscreen. –JohnnyoftheWell
ARTMS – “Virtual Angel” <DALL>
Charli XCX might be sitting on pop’s most obvious AOTY ticket, but this right here is the flyaway headrush single of (maybe) the year, affirming everything gauzy and effortless about pop, living and dying on the sheer gratification of breezy production and the featherweight delivery of knockout hooks. If that’s not enough (and your Korean is up to it), ARTMS’ lyrics offer a wholesome take on…
Hey everyone! Welcome back to Weekly Releases. Below is a list of notable new releases set to premiere on July 12th, 2024. Feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. Cheers!
– List of Releases: July 12th, 2024 –
Amorphis – Tales from the Thousand Lakes (Live at Tavastia) Genre: Melodic Death Metal Label: Atomic Fire Records
Ani DiFranco – Unprecedented Sh!t Genre: Alternative Rock / Indie Rock Label: Righteous Babe
Black Lava – The Savage Winds to Wisdom Genre: Blackened Death Metal Label: Season of Mist
Cassandra Jenkins – My Light, My Destroyer Genre: Indie Pop / Indie Rock Label: Dead Oceans
Cigarettes After Sex – X’s Genre: Dream Pop / Ambient Pop Label: Partisan
Clairo – Charm Genre: Indie Pop / Folk-Pop Label: Self-Released
Eminem – The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace) Genre: Hip-Hop Label: Shady / Aftermath / Interscope
Future Utopia – Django’s High Genre: Psychedelic Rock Label: 70Hz Recordings
Graphic Nature – Who Are You When No One Is Watching? Genre: Nu-Metalcore Label: Rude
Hannah Mohan – Time Is a Walnut Genre: Indie Rock / Indie…
Happy American Independence Day. Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of July 5th, 2024. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: July 5, 2024 –
Aeons: The Ghosts of What We Knew
Genre: Progressive Metalcore Label: Sliptrick Records
Akhlys: House of the Black Geminus
Genre: Black Metal / Ambient Label: Debemur Morti Productions
Fink: Beauty in Your Wake
Genre: Alternative / Downtempo Label: R’COUP’D
Horned Almighty: Contagion Zero
Genre: Black Metal Label: Soulseller Records
Kasabian: Happenings
Genre: Indie / Psychedelic Label: Columbia Records
Kiasmos: II
Genre: Electronic / Ambient Label: Erased Tapes Records
Kokoko!: Butu
Genre: African / Electronic / Alternative Label: Transgressive Records
Liminal Shroud: Visions of Collapse
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Label: Willowtip Records
Nyktophobia: To the Stars
Genre: Blackened Death Metal Label: Napalm Records