The first week of new releases out this June. Info and links for the ones you want to know about most below, plus some other ones you may not have heard of (but should know), with audio & video for your listening and viewing pleasure. Click here to see releases from the past several weeks…50 Cent, Animal Ambition (G-Unit)
Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin, Common Ground (Yep Roc)
Mark Barrott, Sketches From An Island (International Feel)
Andrew Bird, Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of... (Virtual Label)
The whistle-savvy multi-instrumental folk pop singer-songwriter (oh, how I love his dear distinctive croon) presents a covers album of tracks by a band he loves — one I imagine few others outside his sonic realms have heard of: husband-and-wife duo The Handsome Family. You might remember his previous rendition of one of their tracks, 2003's ''Don't Be Scared''— he includes an updated version in this set as well as his take of "Far From Any Road,'' the main theme song from HBO's True Detective. He and his band The Hands of Glory (Tift Merritt, Alan Hampton, and Eric Heywood) recorded the songs in May 2014 and present them only four weeks later. Video preview below. I want to hear this.
Blackbird Blackbird, Tangerine Sky (Om Records)
Album streaming in full now at The Hype Machine. San Francisco’s dream pop purveyor mixes hip-hop/R&B, space-age folk, and house and techno into his latest foray. He also stops at Crowbar on Wed., June 25.
Camper Van Beethoven, El Camino Real (429 Records)
I was a big fan of 2013's La Costa Perdida, Camper Van Beethoven's first album of new material in something like a dozen years and by all four core members — David Lowery (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), Greg Lisher (lead guitar), Jonathan Segel (violin, guitar, mandolin, keys, backing vox) and Victor Krummenacher (bass, baritone guitar). That album was inspired by Northern California. This year's companion album and follow up is rooted in the southern half of the state and stretches all the way down to Baja California. "It Was Like That When We Got Here" below.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Only Run (self-release)
The dark, synth aggressive trajectory of the self-produced, self-released latest from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is littered with melodic sonic sparkle and broken up by slower-paced contemplative interludes. No jangle pop sensibility, and less David Byrne vocal influence from singer-guitarist Alec Ounsworth, who's seen the exit of three original members. He still has those distinctive pipes, though, if he's a bit more restrained in his use of them. The band hits Orpheum this Thurs., June 5.
Die Antwoord, Donker Mag (Zef)
Dinowalrus, Complexion (Personal Projects)
The Donkeys, Ride the Black Wave (Vanguard/Universal)
Echo & The Bunnymen, Meteorites (429 Records)
I've always loved Echo & the Bunnymen. Can't help it, something so Dark Wave about their sound that hits on all the right nostalgic notes of my youthful gothic moodiness. Probably tied to my love of The Lost Boys and Monday nights at The Castle. This is their 12th studio album, produced by Youth (Killing Joke, The Verve). Check out "Lovers On The Run" below.
Fucked Up, Glass Boys (Matador)
Gold-Bears, Dalliance (Slumberland)
Lucy Hale, Road Between (Hollywood)
Of Pretty Little Liars fame.
Curtis Harvey, The Wheel (FatCat)
Joe Henry, Invisible Hour (Work Song)
Gabriel Kahane, The Ambassador (Sony Masterworks)
Kan Wakan, Moving On (Verve)
Sultry female vocals, light big beat jazz appeal, lush and classy orchestrations.
Karikatura, Eyes Wide (Ropeadope)
Klaxons, Love Frequency (Akashic Rekords)
The British rave-psych dance band presents their first new outing in four years. "There Is No Other Time"
Led Zeppelin, I, II, III Remasters 2014 (Atlantic)
Remastered by noneother than Jimmy Page himself, over eight years. Supposed to sound stellar. Guess we have to buy these all over again, right?
Hamilton Leithauser, Black Hours (Ribbon)
The next member of the currently on-hiatus Walkmen to issue a solo album. So far, each and every one seem to have rather unique and distinctive vision on his own. This one is twangy in a most appealing way, vintage Americana and rockabilly flavor. Seriously impressive that I haven't heard something I haven't liked from any of these guys yet... And I'm not even a fan of The Walkmen. Check out the lyric video for "I Retired" below.
Matisyahu, Akeda (Elm City/Universal)
Taylor McFerrin, Early Riser (Brainfeeder)
The Brooklyn-based producer, composer, pianist, DJ and live musician collabed with Robert Glasper, Thundercat & Marcus Glimore on the track "Already There" (listen below), which automatically piqued my interest. And, the track itself doesn't disappoint, meaty jazz fusion meets lush lounge-y electronic soniscapes. The rest of his debut is apparently influenced by '60s/'70s soul, the Beat Generation, Golden Era hip hop, free form jazz and electronic music. He plays all the instruments on his productions as well as generous sampling and chopping up of live take. And in case you were wondering, yes, he's the song of Bobby McFerrin, who also appears for a cut on the album.
Bob Mould, Beauty & Ruin (Merge)
Hüsker Dü's primary presents another solo outing.
Peter Murphy, Lion (Nettwerk)
The "Godfather of Goth" and Bauhaus primary presents his 10th full-length solo album and follow-up to 2011's Ninth. He returns to Orpheum in support on Wed., Aug. 6.
Nightmares, Suspiria (Rise)
Meshell Ndegeocello, Comet, Come To Me (Naïve)
The Orwells, Disgraceland (Atlantic)
Buzz Osborne, This Machine Kills Artists (self-release)
The Melvins frontman presents a solo acoustic album that he insists is not "a crappy version of James Taylor or a half-assed version of Woody Guthrie."
Parquet Courts, Sunbathing Animal (What's Your Rupture)
Brian Reitzell, Auto Music (Smalltown Supersound)
Rich Robinson, The Ceaseless Sight (The End)
Teleman, Breakfast (Moshi Moshi)
There is just too much interesting stuff coming out this week. This one's a dreamy synth/psych pop foursome from London that's supported the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Metronomy, and Maximo Park. Check out latest single "Mainline" below; it reminds me simultaneously of ELO, MGMT, The Kinks and something else I can't quite put my finger on - Ape School maybe?
Tigers Jaw, Charmer (Run for Cover Records)
Tijuana Panthers, Wayne Interest (Innovative Leisure)