Here’s a list of significant new releases for the week of November 17th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 17th, 2023 –
Aeternus: Philosopher Genre: Death/Black Metal Label: Agonia
Celeste: Epilogue(s) Genre: Black Metal/Hardcore Label: Nuclear Blast
Ceremonial Bloodbath: Genesis Of Malignant Entropy Genre: Death/Black Metal Label: Sentient Ruin
Danny Brown: Quaranta Genre: Hip-Hop/Experimental Label: Warp
Earthside: Let The Truth Speak Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal Label: Mascot Label Group
Emeli Sandé: How Were We To Know Genre: Pop/Soul/R&B Label: Venus Records
Kurt Vile: Back to Moon Beach Genre: Folk/Americana Label:overnite kv incorporated
Iron & Wine: Who Can See Forever Soundtrack Genre: Indie-Folk/Americana Label: Sub Pop
Julie Byrne: Julie Byrne With Laugh Cry Laugh Genre: Folk/Psychedelic Label: Ghostly International
Lacey Sturm: Kenotic Metanoia Genre: Pop Rock/Hard Rock Label: Lacey Sturm
Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz: Welcome 2 ColleGrove Genre: Hip-Hop Label: Polyvinyl
MAUL: Desecration And Enchantment Genre: Death Metal/Hardcore Label: 20 Buck Spin
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 10th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 10, 2023 –
Aesop Rock: Integrated Tech Solutions
Genre: Hip-Hop/Experimental Label: Rhymesayers
AJR: The Maybe Man
Genre: Pop/Rock Label: AJR Productions
Beirut: Hadsel
Genre: Indie-Folk/Rock Label: Pompeii
Broadside: Hotel Bleu
Genre: Alternative / Pop Punk Label: Self released
For me, Thurnin’s new record, Utiseta, is easily one of the best albums of the year. Coming as a recommendation, Thurnin’s sophomore album blindsided me with its incredibly astute songwriting, rich instrumentation, and resonant Pagan aesthetics. Given my obsession with this LP since its release in September, it seemed only logical I get some discourse going with Jurre Timmer – the project’s mastermind – to discuss the thought processes behind the project, his sudden success with Thurnin’s debut LP Menhir back in 2021, and how he approached moving forward with a successor.
Give us a bit of background on yourself.
Jurre: I started doing mostly metal back in 2015, which was when I was really getting into songwriting. I released two albums under a previous project [Algos], but I drifted away from that because it’s a really expensive and difficult genre to produce in if you’re doing everything solo. So after that I shifted my attention and made a doom album under the moniker I, Forlorn, but then all my equipment broke, so I decided to go back to what I had originally started doing, which was acoustic music. I wrote this demo which ended up being “A Lament for the End” – which was the only song on Menhir that was completely improvised – and showed it around to some friends, who encouraged me to go down this path and make more of it. So I set out to make this really chill album without any stress or…
In advance of the release on Friday, November 3rd of their third LP, Summer Moon, all five members of There Will Be Fireworks took some time to answer some questions posed by Sput’s own Sunnyvale. Yes, you’re not going crazy, there was indeed another interview with two members of the band posted on this site last week, but the more the merrier!
For ease of reading, please find the initials of each band member below.
NM – Nicholas McManus (vocals, guitar, synthesisers, piano)
SD – Stuart Dobbie (guitar, piano)
November 3rd, 2023 marks a day many fans doubted would ever come – the release of a long-awaited follow-up album to The Dark, Dark Bright. Anything you can share on how things transpired/how the creative process unfolded between the 2013 release of that record through the finished product of Summer Moon?
NM: A lot has changed for us since 2013! We released The Dark, Dark Bright in November 2013 and played a few shows around that time and in 2014. We had a clutch of other songs at that point that we loved but that just didn’t feel right for The Dark, Dark Bright. And, to be honest, I think we need that little natural break from writing for a bit. We all had a lot of life stuff going on too – starting out in our careers, some…
Here’s a list of significant new releases for the week of November 3rd, 2023. Please note that your idea of “significant” might not align with this list: some of you may die, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. 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.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 27th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 27, 2023 –
Aegrus: Invoking the Abysmal Night
Genre: Black Metal Label: Osmose Productions
Angie McMahon: Light, Dark, Light Again
Genre: Singer Songwriter Label: Gracie
Autopsy: Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts
Genre: Death Metal Label: Peaceville
Closure In Moscow: Soft Hell
Genre: Alternative / Progressive Rock Label: Self released
This interview was conducted and formatted by user Slex
After a ten year hiatus in which the band remained hard at work, beloved (at least on Sput) alternative rock band There Will Be Fireworks have finally returned with a follow-up to the cult classic The Dark Dark Bright. Ahead of the impending release of Summer Moon on November 3rd I was able to correspond with Nicholas McManus (vocals, synths, guitar) and Adam Ketterer (drums).
The first question I have is, did you guys ever feel burdened by the legacy of The Dark Dark Bright? At least on Sput it was hailed by many as an instant classic, did that shadow ever loom as you guys worked on Summer Moon?
NM: I think it’s all relative. We’re aware that there are these amazing little pockets online that still love The Dark, Dark Bright – and we’re really appreciative of that and humbled by it – but we’re equally aware that in the grand scheme of things we’re a little DIY band self-releasing records to a small audience. To be honest, we kind of thought everyone would have forgotten about us anyway. It wasn’t until we re-released The Dark, Dark Bright on vinyl earlier this year that we realised how many people still cared. There’s a certain freedom that comes from all that. Also, we don’t do this for a living, we’re not actively involved in any scene and we’ve not been playing shows, so for most of the last ten…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 20th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 20th, 2023 –
Afterbirth: In But Not Of
Genre: Progressive Death Metal Label: Willowtip Records
The Amenta: Plague of Locus
Genre: Industrial / Blackened Death Metal Label: Independent
Angelus Apatrida: Aftermath
Genre: Thrash Label: Napalm Records
Asagraum: Veil of Death, Ruptured
Genre: Black Metal Label: Edged Circle Productions
Blink-182: One More Time
Genre: Pop Punk / Alternative Label: Columbia Records
Bombay Bicycle Club: My Big Day
Genre: Indie Pop / Indie Rock Label: Mmm… Records
The Callous Daoboys: God Smiles Upon the Callous Daoboys
Genre: Mathcore / Metalcore Label: Independent
Catch Your Breath: Shame On Me
Genre: Alternative / Metal Label: Thriller Records
Cirith Ungol: Dark Parade
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal Label: Metal Blade Records
City Girls: Raw
Genre: Hip-Hop Label: Capitol Records
Daria Zawialow: Dziewczyna Pop
Genre: Electronic / Pop Label: Sony
Dreamwell: In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You
Genre: Post Hardcore Label: Prosthetic Records
Duff McKagan: Lighthouse
Genre: Rock Label: The World
I was introduced to yeule through last year’s enigmatic Glitch Princess, an ethereally digitized outpouring of self-doubt and alienation consistently channeled through the prettiest of vocal melodies. I absolutely positively did not think it could be improved upon with… of all things… the addition of electric guitars to yeule’s warped palette. What makes softscars feel like such a jump is how yeule is able to push their sophisticated songwriting into a more approachable direction while maintaining their elusive aura. They can turn what is essentially an indie guitar ballad like “software update” into one of the most over-stimulating pieces of music you’ll hear this year with no sweat. The striking amount of detail hiding within these seemingly skeletal nostalgia-laden alt instrumentals almost acts as a mirage for the sharp stabs of nihilism and the longing for real connection in the digital age within yeule’s lyrics. Contrasted with Glitch Princess, where pitch-corrected existential dread threatened to swallow them whole, softscars sees yeule finding a little solace in the struggle of being human, expressed through rawer yet familiarly chameleonic vocal stylings and all the reverb an android can process. softscars is endlessly catchy and infinitely layered and potentially the best album of 2023.
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
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
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
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…
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.
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…
