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Thousands upon thousands of albums, EPs, mixtapes, compilations, and songs are released weekly. You might not be aware of the existence of 99% of those releases, but they’re there. So when each song released to the public is simply a drop in a pool that dwarfs even the Pacific Ocean, it can be hard to navigate the current music scene: it’s always moving and impossible to keep up with its speed. That’s where Share Some Singles comes into the picture. This series was formed to highlight songs released in 2017 that might not have been discovered by other listeners otherwise. I, alongside other Sputnikmusic users, have pulled together dozens of singles released in the recent past that we felt needed to be heard by the world. Or at least the Sputnik reader base.

Artists are listed in alphabetical order with corresponding YouTube, Soundcloud, and/or Bandcamp links. A Spotify playlist is also embedded below if the singles are available through that service. Enjoy! –wtferrothorn

Algiers – “The Underside of Power”

On their self-titled debut, Algiers came through with a blend of genres that was a breath of fresh air, but definitely could have been improved upon with later releases. That’s exactly what happened here: Franklin James Fisher’s soulful vocals are as passionate as ever, and this time around, his vocal style meshes with the punk…


Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 26, 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.


 – Full List of Releases: May 26, 2017 –

 Denen die wir waren

8kids: Denen Die Wir Waren
Genre: Hard Rock/Metal // Label: Napalm

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No Grave But The Sea

Alestorm: No Grave But The Sea
Genre: Power Metal/Folk // Label: Napalm

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Different Days

The Charlatans [UK]: Different Days
Genre: Alternative Rock // Label: BMG Rights Management

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color-of-nothing-10-x-10-300

Collide: Color of Nothing
Genre: Electronic/Industrial // Label: Independent

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Black Laden Crown [Explicit]

Danzig: Black Laden Crown
Genre: Doom/Gothic Metal // Label: Nuclear Blast

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Six

Dream Evil: Six
Genre: Power/Heavy Metal // Label: Century Media

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Warfare

Evo: Warfare
Genre: Punk/Metal// Label: High Roller

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Corner

Football, etc: Corner
Genre: Emo/Indie-Rock // Label: Community Records

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Hi Vis High Tea

Frenzal Rhomb: Hi-Vis High Tea
Genre: Punk/Pop-Punk // Label: Fat Wreck Chords

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Kids In The Street

Justin Townes Earle: Kids In The Street
Genre:…


Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 19, 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: Linkin Park: “One More Light”

Image result for linkin park One More Light

Genre: Pop // Label: Warner Bros.

Background:

If you ever – whilst wandering the halls of your middle school in 2000, blasting “Papercut” into one of your earbuds – wondered what Linkin Park would sound like in the year 2017, you would have likely envisioned every scenario except what we’re actually presented with here.  A transition away from nu-metal and into straightforward rock?  Seems plausible.  Electronic experimentation?  Sure, why not.  Melodic pop…Ehh what?  Linkin Park are using their seventh full-length LP to explore the boundaries of their pop abilities, and regardless of the fact that this will in all likelihood be really good or really bad – with little wiggle room in between – One More Light is sure to be the talk of most musical circles this week for better or worse.  It’s entirely possible that the members of Linkin Park resurrect their stagnant musical careers with this 180 degree departure, but it had better be damned good.  Otherwise, it will be all too easy for them to plummet from stagnant to the laughingstock of…


Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 12, 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: Paramore: “After Laughter”

After Laughter

Genre: Pop-Rock/Punk // Label: WEA/Fueled by Ramen

Background:

2013 saw what many claimed to be the demise of Paramore: their pop-leaning, self-titled fourth LP Paramore that was also the first to forego the presence of the Farro brothers.  Even though the pair left on less-than-amicable terms back in 2010 following the release of Brand New Eyes, drummer Zac Farro has returned to reconcile the new trio consisting of Hayley Williams, Taylor York, and Zac Farro.  The homecoming has sparked some optimism around the future of the band, despite the fact that they continue to push mainstream pop frontiers as their pop-punk roots fade even further into the rear view mirror.  Like it or not, this is very much Hayley Williams’ band and regardless of the dismay that Paramore was met with among longtime fans, the record was a commercial success.  They have no reason to alter their course for After Laughter; expect a solid pop-rock record (heavy on the pop) with a handful of earworm singles to bolster it on the radio. …


Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 5, 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 Afghan Whigs: “In Spades”

Image result for the afghan whigs in spades

Genre: Indie-Rock/Grunge/Alt-Rock // Label: Sub Pop Records

Background:

The Afghan Whigs returned to the scene after 16 years back in 2014 with Do To The Beast, an album that proved the band’s return was more than just a feel-good reunion.  Playing some of their best music, the record found its way onto many rock fan’s best of 2014 lists.  With In Spades, the band keeps that momentum rolling with what feels like an even bigger record.  The Afghan Whigs’ latest sees them hitting their stride full speed, creating a through-and-through rock album with plenty of eastern influence.  The band has been around long enough now to know when to use restraint, and In Spades feels like the ideal balance of riff-filled, in-your-face rockers and quieter, more reserved ballads.  Modern rock bands everywhere should take note of The Afghan Whigs, because this is what the genre should sound like in 2017.

Listen to “Arabian Heights” below:


 – Full List of Releases: May 5, 2017 –

Image result for album art A Lot Like Birds: Divisi

A Lot Like Birds: Divisi
Genre:…


An interview for the ages.

An interview for the ages.

He needs no introduction. But here’s the quick and dirty: Anthony Fantano, aka TheNeedleDrop, is one of the most prevalent music resources on the net. He has nearly a million YouTube followers. He’s been blogging for a decade, and vlogging for roughly eight years. Fantano has an impressive output, and uploads videos at a voracious pace. He’s a busy man. I reached out to him for a few words.

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Tristan: Kicking off with the burning question: did Sam Hyde ever get around to beating up your dad?

Anthony: Nah, he pussed out. Sam is a lotta bark, but not a lotta bite. He’s a big softy beyond his abrasive, disorienting outer shell. His odd behavior is more like a test to see who is truly with the shit. It’s like he’s testing you for a fight club that exists in his mind. It’s all as a means to weed out the normies who can’t take his bullshit, and entertain himself by attempting to take the piss out of any situation he finds himself in. It’s all harmless fun for him. However, I wouldn’t wanna be there to witness the moment Lena Dunham makes him feel like he’s in physical danger.

That being said, there are ideological views Sam holds that I vehemently disagree with, but I personally don’t see that as a reason to trash or silence his artistic endeavors. There have been much bigger scumbags to climb up…


Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 28, 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: Gorillaz: “Humanz”

Image result for Gorillaz: Humanz

Genre: Trip-Hop/Electronic // Label: Parlophone Records/Warner

Background:

It’s been 7 years since Gorillaz dropped Plastic Beach and The Fall, and the demand for a new record from these guys probably couldn’t be any higher than it is at this point.   With a handful of new tracks already released to varying levels of acclaim, the virtual quartet seems primed to cast all other mainstream releases under its shadow this week.  With Humanz – an album that paints a fresh gleam on the group’s core sound – has them entering the chaotic and uncertain times of 2017 sounding both vibrant and purpose-driven.  Time will tell if it lives up to the best Gorillaz albums, but no matter what it will be an interesting listen worthy of just about anyone’s time.

Listen to “Ascension” below:

 


 – Full List of Releases: April 28, 2017 –

Image result for album art Aethere: Adrift

Aethere: Adrift
Genre: Death/Progressive Metal // Label: Tragic Hero

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Image result for album art All That Remains: Madness

All That Remains: Madness
Genre: Metalcore // Label: Razor & Tie

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​Anamai Announce 'What Mountain' LP, Share "Hailstorm"

Jay Gambit is the driving force behind L.A.-based experimental noise/metal/everything project Crowhurst, and feverishly produces noise music as a solo artist. He has dozens of albums to his name, and has collaborated with the likes of Today is the Day, Tanner Garza, The Body, Oxbow, Black Leather Jesus, and countless others. Last year, I reviewed II, an album featuring members of Ævangelist and Caïna. The third album in that instalment features “guest appearances by King Dude, Tony Wakeford (Death In June, Sol Invictus), Tara Vanflower (Lycia), Justin Pearson (The Locust/Head Wound City) and Ethan Lee McCarthy (Primitive Man),” and is slated for next year.

I felt compelled to reach out to Jay for a few words, so I did, and here’s the result. We discussed a bit of the noise scene, his influences, mental health, and what we can expect from Crowhurst in the future, or in the past when combing through his discography.

Chicago, 2016

Chicago, 2016

Tristan: Artists you’ve collaborated/played with include Tanner Garza, The Body, Water Torture, Steve Austin, and plenty more. Any stories come to mind that you’d like to share? Humorous anecdotes? Heart-to-hearts?

Jay: I think everyone you’ve mentioned have all been super nice. Steve is a great dude and I think Tanner doesn’t get nearly as much credit as he deserves. He’s one of the better underground ambient artists of the past decade.

Tanner Garza’s “Give Up the Ghost” with Vomir got a bit of a burst in popularity on


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The last day of the weekend, as is tradition, came in searing hot with temperatures hovering around mid-90s. Fairly balmy as far as the desert goes (I seriously do not know how Weekend 2 does it), in fact, but for a Coachella with some of the best weather I’ve ever experienced – no wind storms! – this must have been penance. Those who shook off the accumulated dust, depleted serotonin and residual hangovers of 2+ days were rewarded with the finest lineup of the weekend, all surging to King Kendrick’s closing set that you could feel as a palpable anticipation over the grounds. The rapper’s coming out party had some serious competition beforehand, though, thank to two shockingly lovely sets on the Outdoor Stage from an old favorite from Ed Banger and a fish-out-of-water composer better known from the red carpet.

First, though, I made it a point to play through the pain and get to the festival earlier rather than later to catch the indoor set from under-appreciated Brooklyn indie band Caveman. The Fat Possum rockers remain firmly under the radar after last year’s War on Drugs-aping Otero War, but their live show showed a band ready to take the next step. The same goes for singer-songwriter Ezra Furman, whose rough-and-tumble set on the Outdoor Stage not only made dancing under the sun somewhat tolerable for a few minutes, but was also the only artist I saw all weekend who had the balls to call…


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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 21, 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: Woods: “Love Is Love”

Image result for Woods: Love Is Love

Genre: Indie-Folk/Psychedelic // Label: Woodsist

Background:

Woods have evolved quite a bit since they first formed twelve years ago, slowly turning their minimal indie-folk approach into more of an elaborate, psychedelic experience.  With Love Is Love, the band continues trekking down that path with the added thematic twist of some post-election themes that the band has cited as their primary inspiration for creating the LP.  Just one year after the release of City Sun Eater In The River Of Light, Woods figure to once again make a splash in indie, psychedelic, and folk circles as they continue to emerge as a prominent leader within their musical niche.

Listen to the title track below:

 


 – Full List of Releases: April 21, 2017 –

Image result for album art Ancient Ascendant: Raise The Torch

Ancient Ascendant: Raise The Torch
Genre: Death/Black Metal // Label: Spinefarm/Candlelight

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Image result for album art Angaleena Presley: Wrangled

Angaleena Presley: Wrangled
Genre: Country // Label: Mining Light Music

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Artificial Brain: Infrared Horizon
Genre: Experimental…


The best day of the festival almost turned out to be a disaster. Those aforementioned clear paths from the parking lots and sweet, smooth walks through a security staff with light hands did not extend to actually getting to the festival. Indio and Riverside County police turn the warren of gated communities and golf courses and miles-long blocks that surround the polo fields into a frustrating maze of blocked-off streets and unintuitive one-way turns that had me doubling back and retracing my drive more than once. And by the time I finally found a way to a parking lot, the line to get in was absurd and poorly directed. Note to Goldenvoice: please put a GPS address on your parking directions that actually works, and preferably more than one, so that I don’t have to miss all of Shura, Mitski, and Local Natives.

I did manage to see the tail end of Icelandic rock band Kaleo, a group that is appearing more and more to be the next Black Keys in terms of arena headlining potential. The group’s muscular delta blues rock is nigh indistinguishable from their American counterparts, and with a hit single that already went gold on the Billboard chart, likely only to get more and more omnipresent. A lot of the credit should go to frontman JJ Julius Son, whose deep vocals complemented the band’s deft, rootsy work with a showmanship that seems already a decade earned. Easy contender for band most…


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The American way can be described with any number of clichés, but Coachella has rapidly taken to heart one of the most obnoxious: bigger is better. Bigger artists; bigger stages; bigger crowds; bigger tolerance of alcohol, drugs, and generally seeing who looks the most fucked up; bigger vendors selling bigger fries with bigger amounts of curry mustard, sriracha, pickled onions, pork belly and other gastropub fetishes all over the festival. As the preeminent festival in North America and, Goldenvoice would argue, the world, Coachella should be applauded for taking the initiative in all aspects of its operations, but its seemingly relentless expansion has had its downsides. The addition of a new stage this year in the Sonora provided a blessedly air conditioned arena for a series of up-and-coming punk, garage and indie bands, as well as old fogies Guided by Voices and T.S.O.L., and the re-orientation of the various stages improved sound bleed problems and helped with traffic low.

But it also extended travel times around the festival by significantly expanding the size of the size of the grounds (by 41 acres) as well as creating some impossible to navigate blockages for certain anticipated acts. With the festival at capacity with 125,000 fans attending Weekend 1 (an increase of 25,000 by most estimates) and only so much room and personnel to go around, it’s perhaps inevitable that Coachella may not always get to have it both ways. Then again, Goldenvoice likely doesn’t care too much: gross…


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Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 14, 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: Kendrick Lamar: “DAMN.”

Image result for kendrick lamar damn.

Genre: Hip-Hop/Jazz/Funk // Label: Aftermath/Interscope

Background:

DAMN. marks Lamar’s first extended release since last year’s collection of demos (untitled unmastered), and his first formal album since 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly.  Unlike past releases that have featured a host of impressive guest musicians, DAMN. has only three announced guest stars: U2, Rihanna, and Zacari – setting this record up to perhaps be his most straightforward, down-to-earth unveiling.  For an artist of Kendrick’s stature, DAMN. makes for an automatically required listen.  Garnering critical acclaim throughout his career, particularly with good kid, m.A.A.d city and To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar figures to keep a firm grasp on his reign atop hip-hop/rap with this latest record.

Listen to “HUMBLE.” below:

 


 – Full List of Releases: April 14, 2017 –

Image result for Actress: AZD

Actress: AZD
Genre: Techno/House/idm // Label: Ninja Tune

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Image result for All Hell: The Grave Alchemist

All Hell: The Grave Alchemist
Genre: Punk/Thrash/Death Metal // Label: Prosthetic Records

Stream The Grave Alchemist here.

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Image result for Barenaked Ladies And The Persuasions: Barenaked Ladies And The Persuasions

Barenaked Ladies And


I missed the boat on the staff-wide feature thanks in part to a hectic work week, a desire not to cut-paste from my track reviews, and general laziness.  In retrospect, that turned out pretty awesome (thanks in a large part to Jom’s orchestration of the feature) so I’ll have to do better and contribute to the Q2 playlist.   But for now, I’d just like to get my favorite 10 songs from Jan.-Mar. 2017 out there for your consumption.  I’d consider them all to be essential listens if you stay current week-to-week, especially in the indie-rock / indie-folk scene.   I tend to be long-winded with everything I do, so below each track/artwork I’ve included 3 simple notions that represent feelings, memories, or lyrics I associate with experiencing that particular piece.  Anyway, without further ado, here are my top 10 tracks of the year’s first quarter.


#10 – Teen Daze: “Cycle”

Image result for teen daze themes for dying

Genre: Indie-Folk  |  Listen if you like: Immersing your senses in nature


Melting snow

Leaves blowing in a spring breeze

“You are the only one that speaks into me”


#9 – SUSTO: “Far Out Feeling”

Image result for susto: & i’m fine today

Genre: Indie/Americana  |  Listen if you like: Unexpected string sections

Misty mornings

Lost in


Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 7, 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: Father John Misty: “Pure Comedy”

Image result for father john misty pure comedy

Genre: Indie-Folk/Americana // Label: Sub Pop Records

Background:

Few artists have enjoyed as much hype and general chatter surrounding a new release as Father John Misty in 2017.  On the heels of 2015’s hit album I Love You, Honeybear, this week we will observe an even darker and more theatrical side of Josh Tillman.  Embracing the piano and his penchant for sarcasm-riddled balladry, Pure Comedy offers a very different, often bitter view on mankind.  Certain to be divisive (seeming the only way he knows), we’re not sure quite what to expect from this 74-minute behemoth of an album.  All we know is that it is going to be talked about.  A lot.

Listen to the title track, “Pure Comedy”, below:


 – Full List of Releases: April 7, 2017 –

Arca: Arca
Genre: Electronic // Label: XL Recordings

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Andrew Combs: Canyons Of My Mind
Genre: Singer-Songwriter/Country // Label: New West Records

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STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS // CONTACT US

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