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By Sowing
Monday October 9, 2023
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Here’s a list of notable new releases for the week of October 13th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 13th, 2023 –
+++(Crosses): Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete
Genre: Alternative Rock/Electronic
Label: Warner
Amorphis: Queen of Time (Live at Tavastia 2021)
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Atomic Fire
Anna Hillburg: Tired Girls
Genre: Indie-Pop
Label: Speakeasy Studios
Beartooth: The Surface
Genre: Hardcore/Metalcore
Label: Red Bull Records
Beastwars: Tyranny of Distance
Genre: Sludge Metal/Stoner Rock
Label: Destroy Records
Blue October: Spinning the Truth Around Part 2
Genre: Alternative Rock / Pop
Label: Up/Down Records
Body Void: Atrocity Machine
Genre: Sludge Metal/Doom Metal/Hardcore
Label: Prosthetic Records
Boygenius: The Rest
Genre: Indie-Folk/Indie-Rock
Label: Interscope
CMAT: Crazymad, For Me
Genre: Country/Indie-Pop
Label: CMATBABY
Creeper: Sanguivore
Genre: Gothic/Indie-Rock
Label: Spinefarm
Free Throw: Lessons That We Swear to Keep
Genre: Emo/Indie-Rock
Label: Triple Crown
Geese: 4D Country
Genre: Post-Punk/Indie-Rock/Country
Label: Partisan Records
Goat: Medicine
Genre: Psychedelic/Folk
Label: Rocket…
Just in time for the start of pumpkin spice spooky season, here’s a list of notable new releases for the week of October 6th, 2023. Genres/labels are best guesses based on cursory Googling and should not be taken seriously. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. Or don’t, whatever. I’m not your mom.
– List of Releases: October 6th, 2023 –
Carnifex – Necromanteum
Genre: Deathcore / Symphonic Black Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Citizen – CALLING THE DOGS
Genre: Alternative / Post-Punk Revival
Label: Run For Cover
Claire Rosinkranz – Just Because
Genre: Bedroom Pop
Label: Republic
Colbie Caillat – Along the Way
Genre: Country Pop
Label: Blue Jean Baby
The Dear Hunter – Migrant Returned
Genre: Art Rock
Label: Equal Vision
Dogstar – Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees
Genre: Alternative Rock / Garage Rock Revival
Label: Dillon Street Records
Dorian Electra – Fanfare
Genre: Hyperpop
Label: Dorian Electra Inc.
Drake – For All the Dogs
Genre: Alternative R&B / Trap Soul
Label: OVO, Republic
Ethan P. Flynn – Abandon All Hope
Genre: Art Pop / Indietronica
Label: Young
EXEK – The Map and The…
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By Sowing
Monday October 2, 2023
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2023 :: Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4
Sputnikmusic Staff’s Q3 Playlist 2023
Welcome to the third installment for our 2023 quarterly playlist! Feel free to jam the playlist below while reading what our writers had to say about each selection. 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:
Angelo De Augustine – “Memory Palace”
Toil and Trouble
Proving himself as more than just the best Sufjan knockoff ever, De Augustine has now successfully built the cutest little unique kingdom all to himself, perfected on his 4th LP, and you should visit. The melancholic ivy spiraling around “Memory Palace”, in particular, is surprisingly warm. More than that: it’s the slow-burning summer HIT that never was. –Asleep
Bearings – “Howie, You’re a Freak”
The Best Part About Being Human
Every once in a while I delude myself into thinking that I have outgrown pop punk. Next thing you know, “Howie, You’re a Freak” deploys its incredibly infectious chorus to work its way into my head and overtake my summer. Dammit. At least pop punk will never outgrow me, either. –jesper
Big Thief – “Vampire Empire”
Vampire Empire…
KILL or KEEP Vol.12
Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
someone walks into a bar. It’s someone. I am johnnyoftheWell. It was a slow afternoon, and there we were. KILL or KEEP? Aye, why not – which record? Several meaningful opuses were teased, all of them beyond the space of our timeslot. Where does gravity default to on a slow afternoon? Well… has anyone ever listened to Phoebe Bridgers on a fast afternoon? Is such a thing even possible? Please do contact us immediately if you have pulled this off. We signed our rights away. It was time: time to get punished! Has her downer norm-magnet SowingSeason “5.0 Classic” passport to all of social media all the bloody time throughout the whole pandemic aged well? Time to find out…
Rules
The team is johnnyoftheWell, and someone.
Every song must either be KILLed or KEEPed.
There is no minimum KILL threshold.
Every time a song is KILLed, the KILLer must name a vaguely Boygenius-adjacent artist whomst’ve the youthes should be consuming instead.
Okay.
Starting Impressions
jotW: Um, I expect little from this album and am ready for anything? It has disappointed me many times and probably aged more than anyone including me is/was prepared to admit. This is very exciting boy I can’t wait to see what someone does to it.
someone: I remember listening to the record a bunch back in the…
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By Dewinged
Wednesday September 27, 2023
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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 29th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: September 29, 2023 –
’68: Yes, And…
Genre: Noise Rock
Label: Pure Noise
Animal Collective: Isn’t It Now?
Genre: Alternative
Label: Domino Recording Co.
Beverley Knight: The Fifth Chapter
Genre: r&b
Label: BMG
Blackbriar: A Dark Euphony
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Black Stone Cherry: Screamin’ at the Sky
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Mascot Label Group
Blonde Redhead: Sit Down For Dinner
Genre: Indie Rock
Label: Section 1
Blood Command: World Domination
Genre: Punk Rock
Label: Hassle
Caged: From Roving About the Earth
Genre: Death Doom
Label: Translation Loss
Cherry Glazerr: I Don’t Want You Anymore
Genre: Indie Rock
Label: Secretly Canadian
Code Orange: The Above
Genre: Metalcore
Label: Blue Grape Music
Ed Sheeran: Autumn Variations
Genre: Singer Songwriter
Label: Gingerbread Man
 …
Who doesn’t like a good documentary? Me personally, I’m a stickler for watching anything so long as the production values are there and the editing and pacing is done well. For me, I know of Justin Pearson and his label Three One G, as well as some of his most recent projects (the excellent Deaf Club and Satanic Planet being a couple of them), but I’d only ever heard of The Locust in passing. The point I’m making here is that, Don’t Fall in Love with Yourself is one of those excellently put together documentaries where you don’t have to be a fan to enjoy the movie. For any The Locust fan or Justin Pearson follower out there however, you’re in for a real treat. Don’t Fall in Love with Yourself is a 90-minute documentary that follows Justin’s life and career – from his turbulent upbringing, right through to his bands and how he came to establish the record label Three One G. The film delves into the social landscape during his formative years in San Diego, and where he saw potential in an under-utilised music scene; the impetus for The Locust and how they came to be, following the band through Europe, Japan and the UK on their crazy shows; and all the surprising bits in between, like voice acting for cartoons and acting in movies. There’s extensive archive footage that follows all of this, but the meat of the film follows The Locust on their tours and the crazy stuff that happened…
An interview with BaselineOOO
Music has had a bad year. Sputnik has had a bad year. Awful things have happened, and the jury is still out on who to blame — silly jury! They should spend less time pointing their fingers and more time clapping their hands at the one user who can save us. After a randomised selection of noble volunteers, it was determined by fated that this user would none other than the site’s longtime dismantler of philosophies, distorter of diets, shredder of manchildren, encourager of all the most unlikely and profane interests, BaselineOOO! Here she is! There will be no images: hush and look at Baseline’s words.
* * * * *
jotW: Greetings BaselineOOO, lucky winner of the Sputnik Interview Raffle. You have appeared before us today to save Sputnik. How does this feel?
BaselineOOO: Hello, Sputnik! Baseline at your service, or should I say, at your rescue? Honestly, I’m resonating with this whole “saviour” thing, my messianic syndrome is tingling. It feels like finding a glitch in reality and riding it. Saving Sputnik? Don’t I do that every day with my succulent comments? Should be like just another day at the office for me!
jotW: Let me explain the rules: I will write in italics and you will not write in italics, otherwise the interview will break and you can’t save Sputnik. I will ask you questions and you will try to answer them. You may ask me questions in response and…
Hail the Sun-Divine Inner Tension
Swancore has become a rather hot topic over the years, either met with thunderous applause or with largely exasperated groans. The one group that has stayed strong and avoided fan burnout is Hail the Sun. Their 2021 effort was met with critical acclaim, and their latest endeavor might somehow be even better. Divine Inner Tension is a showcase of divine (haha, like the album title!) power and energy that only they seem to be able to achieve anymore. With every technically driven lead and riff, there comes a beautiful transition to a much-needed respite of calm textures and melodies straight from the mouth of their virtuoso Donovan Melero. This group has had a long time to craft and perfect their sound, which they may have just accomplished. Hail the Sun have not only become veterans of a scene they once adored, they’ve grabbed their rightful seat on the throne.
-SteakByrnes
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By Willie
Saturday September 16, 2023
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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 22nd, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: September 22nd, 2023 –
 3teeth: Endex
Genre: Industrial Metal / Alternative
Label: Century Media
 Annisokay: Abyss Pt. 1
Genre: Metalcore
Label: Arising Empire
 Bakar: Halo
Genre: Indie / Hip Hop / Electronic
Label: Black Butter Limited
 Cannibal Corpse: Chaos Horrific
Genre: Death Metal
Label: Metal Blade Records
 Chappell Roan: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
Genre: Pop
Label: Independent
 Dayshell: Pegasus
Genre: Post Hardcore / Alternative
Label: Independent
 Doja Cat: Scarlet
Genre: Hip Hop / Pop
Label: RCA Records
 Dominique Fils-Aime: Our Roots Run Deep
Genre: Soul / R&B / Dream Pop
Label: Ensoul Records
 Emily Kinney: Swimteam
Genre: Pop / Folk
Label: Julian Records
 Follakzoid: V
Genre: Psychedelic / Ambient
Label: Sacred Bones Records
 Grails: Anches en Maat
Genre: Psychedelic / Post Rock / Experimental
Label: Temporary Residence
 Grrl Gang: Spunky!
Genre: Indie Rock / Indie Pop
Label: Green Island Records
 K. Michelle: I’m the Problem
Genre: R&B / Pop
Label: Atlantic
…
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By Sowing
Monday September 11, 2023
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Here’s a list of prominent new releases for the week of September 15th, 2023. Genres/labels are best guesses based on cursory Googling. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: September 15th, 2023 –
30 Seconds to Mars: It’s the End of the World
Genre: Alt/Pop-Rock
Label: Concord Records
Alkaloid: Numen
Genre: Death/Progressive Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Baroness: Stone
Genre: Sludge/Progressive Metal/Stoner Rock
Label: Abraxan Hymns
The Beaches: Blame My Ex
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: AWAL Recordings
Chilly Gonzales: French Kiss
Genre: Experimental / Hip Hop
Label: Gentle Threat
Corey Taylor: CMF2
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: BMG
Corinne Bailey Rae: Black Rainbows
Genre: Pop/R&B/Soul
Label: Thirty Tigers
Danko Jones: Electric Sounds
Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
Label: AFM
Demi Lovato: Revamped
Genre: Pop/Rock
Label: DLG Recordings
Explosions in the Sky: End
Genre: Post-Rock/Indie-Rock
Label: Temporary Residence
Gridlink: Coronet Juniper
Genre: Grind/Metal
Label: Willowtip
K.Flay: Mono
Genre: Pop-Rock/Hip-Hop
Label: Giant Music
Kid Cudi: INSANO
Genre: Hip-Hop/Alt-Rock
Label: Wicked Awesome Records
Previous Diagnoses:
Paradise Lost|Primus|Faith No More|Paramore
Good day denizens of Sputnik, and welcome to the fifth instalment of Dr. Gonzo’s “Diagnosis Series”. Today’s issue will be on L.A. trio HEALTH; looking through their mainline LPs, with a couple of recommended supplements for you to check out, just because they’re too good to pass up. So let me put on my gloves and let’s check out what this band is all about.
Band/Artist: HEALTH
Origins: Los Angeles, California U.S.
Founded: 2005
Current Members:
Jake Duzsik: (vocals, guitar)
John Famiglietti: (bass, pedals, electronics)
BJ Miller: (drums)
Previous members:
Jupiter Keyes (guitar, synths)
Studio albums: 4
Active: Yes
Health (2007)
The Doctor’s rating: 4/5
Analysis: HEALTH’s 2007 debut is in stark contrast to what the band is producing these days, but in spite of the stylistic differences, the band’s first album is still incredibly enjoyable and displays their promising potential for the future. Since the band’s genesis was founded in the underbelly of the L.A. noise rock scene, their sound here is vastly experimental, albeit, never to the point of being obtuse. The album largely lends its sonic influences from bands like Ex Models’ Zoo Psychology or a mid-noughties Liars album, like They Were Wrong, So We Drowned, but the distinction between these examples and this is that Health…
Slowdive: A Sputnik Guide
This feature is part of a newly-rebooted 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 I went wrong! Get going!
Previously covered discographies:
Stereolab・Sweet Trip・Blonde Redhead
Everyone loves Slowdive! One of the rare bands to come out of shoegaze and dream pop playing both genres their own while playing them to the best of their potential, their value has gone up and up and up over the last decade, and neither the past decade’s outpouring of soppy bedroom artists through every pore of the internet nor shoegaze’s TikTok resurgence aren’t entirely to blame for it. Let’s all love Slowdive!
With Souvlaki‘s 30th anniversary back in June and Just for a Day’s 32nd just last week (along with a new LP, Everything is Alive), it is time to remember this greatest of it is time to dive once into the shoe, to gaze once more at the slow. I’m going to cover every individual release here (no comps!), and I ended up doing it so quickly that I entirely forgot that Frippertronics actually made his own version of this list in 2017 until I was 75% of the way through. Six years and…
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By staff
Tuesday September 5, 2023
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Here’s a list of prominent new releases for the week of September 8th, 2023. Genres/labels are best guesses based on cursory Googling. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. Or don’t, whatever. I’m not your mom.
– List of Releases: September 8th, 2023 –
(G)I-DLE – HEAT (EP)
Genre: K-Pop
Label: Cube Entertainment
Allison Russell – The Returner
Genre: Contemporary Folk
Label: Fantasy
Anjimile – The King
Genre: Avant-Folk / Art Pop
Label: 4AD
Ashley McBryde – The Devil I Know
Genre: Contemporary Country
Label: Warner Nashville
The Chemical Brothers – For That Beautiful Feeling
Genre: Alternative Dance / Progressive House
Label: Virgin EMI
Courtney Barnett – End Of The Day
(Music from the film Anonymous Club)
Genre: Ambient
Label: Milk!, Mom+Pop
Cryptopsy – As Gomorrah Burns
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Cyanotic – The After Effect
Genre: Industrial
Label: Glitch Mode
Dying Fetus – Make Them Beg for Death
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Label: Relapse
Finsterforst – Jenseits (EP)
Genre: Viking Metal / Folk Metal
Label: AOP
The Flower Kings – Look at You Now
Genre:…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 1st, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: September 1, 2023 –
Aviations: Luminaria
Genre: Math Rock / Emo
Label: The AV Collective
Eclipse: Megalomanium
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Frontiers
Empire State Bastard: Rivers of Heresy
Genre: Grindcore / Alt Rock
Label: Roadrunner
Frankie and the Witch Fingers: Data Doom
Genre: Rock / Funk / Prog
Label: The Reverberation Appreciation Society
Hey Colossus: In Blood
Genre: Post Punk / Post Rock
Label: Wrong Speed
Icona Pop: Club Romantech
Genre: Pop
Label: Record Company Ten
Imperial Crystalline Entombment: Ancient Glacial Resurgence
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Debemur Morti
Jeff Rosenstock: Hellmode
Genre: Punk
Label: Polyvinyl
Jessika: World Ain’t Ready
Genre: Pop
Label: BMG
Marduk: Memento Mori
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Century Media
The Natvral: Summer Of No Light
Genre: Folk
Label: Dirty Being
Outergods:…
Previous Diagnoses:
Paradise Lost|Primus|Faith No More
Good day denizens of Sputnik and welcome to the fourth instalment of Dr. Gonzo’s “Diagnosis Series”. Today I will be looking at Paramore, the Franklin, Tennessee outfit that captured the hearts and minds of an entire generation back in the mid-noughties, with their own brand of pop-punk. So, get out of the waiting room chair and observe the doctor, as I go through all six of their studio albums and conclude if they’re worth half a damn or not.
Band/Artist: Paramore
Origins: Franklin, Tennessee, U.S.
Founded: 2004
Current Members:
Hayley Williams: (vocals, keyboards)
Zac Farro: (drums, keyboards)
Taylor York: (guitar, keyboards)
Previous members:
Josh Farro (guitar)
Jeremy Davis: (bass)
Jason Bynum: (guitar)
John Hembree: (bass)
Hunter Lamb: (guitar)
Studio albums: 6
Active: Yes
All We Know is Falling (2005)
The Doctor’s rating: 3/5
Analysis: For me, All We Know is Falling is fine. It’s a decent first album that lays down the groundwork for future records. Hayley delivers some great performances on the likes of “Pressure”, “Emergency” and “Conspiracy”, and the music does a decent job of toeing the pop-punk line with some energetic drum work and infectious guitar melodies. Other than that, there’s not much else to say here.…
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