CDs:

The 1975 – The 1975 CD (Vagrant)

The 1975 are an English, Manchester-based alternative rock band from Wilmslow in Cheshire. This album is their self-titled debut. Vinyl version due September 24. “Their sound is hard to pin down; while it’s primarily built around guitars, bass and drums, there are synths underpinning nearly every song, and the rhythms have a bounce lifted from urban pop. Their major-key melodies and ’80s guitar sounds avoid the moody post-punk dress-up games played by too many current bands, recalling instead new wave-era outfits like General Public, Fun Boy Three and Wang Chung.” – Alternative Press 

2Chainz – B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time CD (Def Jam)

B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time (stylized B.O.A.T.S. II #METIME) is the second studio album by the rapper, and is the sequel to his gold certified debut album Based On A T.R.U. Story, released in 2012. Guests include Pharrell, Drake, Lil Wayne, Fergie, Lloyd, Ma$e, T-Pain, Chrisette Michele, and others. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe edition adds three bonus tracks.

Abouretum – Gourd Of Gold CD/LP (Latitudes)

Arbouretum offer up four cover versions of songs by Gordon Lightfoot, the oft-overlooked Canadian singer/songwriter who helped define the folk-rock sound of the ’60s and ’70s. These are exactly what cover songs should sound like — immediately familiar, reverent yet fresh and worthy. Available on CD and limited edition gold vinyl packaged in a die-cut custom jacket with foil blocked inner sleeve and color insert.

The Albertans – Dangerous Anything CD (Ernest Jenning)

The Albertans have emerged from the studio for a third time more confident in themselves, more cohesive as a group, and with a new album that explores deeper territory than the off-kilter pop hooks they’re known for. Dangerous Anything offers a sound that’s dark and often challenging while still making previous comparisons to MGMT, Can, and Sparks as appropriate as ever.

Arctic Monkeys – AM CD/LP (Domino)

Eleven new songs and the Record Store Day single “R U Mine?” with guest appearances from Josh Homme, Pete Thomas and Bill Ryder-Jones.

Balance And Composure – The Things We Think We’re Missing CD (No Sleep)

According to Balance And Composure, they can be loud, quiet and everything in between. A pretty apt description in a nutshell. They return once again to push the boundaries of their music with driving riffs and intensely passionate vocals on the band’s long-awaited second studio album.

Willis Earl Beal – Nobody Knows CD/LP (Hot Charity/XL)

Nobody Knows is either Willis’ debut or the natural follow up to Acousmatic Sorcery. His previous release was recorded on a karaoke machine, using found instruments. It worked as raw, no-fi introduction to Beal’s life as a songwriter and outsider artist. Nobody Knows aims to deliver on the promise of his evolved live show, combining soul-baring vocals with arrangements rooted in everything from orchestral blues to ambient R&B, gentle lullabies to pure cacophony.

Carla Bley/Andy Sheppard/Steve Swallow – Trios CD (ECM)

Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow revisit classic Bley compositions on an exceptional album recorded in Lugano last year by Manfred Eicher. Included here are spirited new versions of “Utviklingssang” and “Vashkar,” and the suites “Les Trois Lagons,” “Wildlife” and “The Girl Who Cried Champagne.”

Body/Head – Coming Apart CD/2xLP+MP3 (Matador)

Body/Head are an electric guitar duo comprised of Kim Gordon (CKM, Sonic Youth, Free Kitten, etc.) and Bill Nace (X.O.4, Vampire Belt, Ceylon Mange, etc.) The pair began working together in various loose formats years ago, but the Body/Head concept evolved more specifically in early 2012. Their songs create a dream narrative of undeniable power and visionary reach featuring lots of built-in improvisational space.

Bowling For Soup – Lunch. Drunk. Love. CD (MRI)

With heartfelt breakup songs like “Since We Broke Up” and “Envy,” upbeat pop-culture/name dropping songs that only BFS can pull off such as “Normal Chicks,” and a surprising cover of Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians song “Circle,” this could actually prove to be Bowling For Soups most well rounded album to date. Vinyl version due October 1.

bvdub – Born In Tokyo CD (n5MD)

The longing in the piano work that highlights the album sets the stage for Van Wey’s various songstress’ to weave through the near deep house rhythmic passages that come and go throughout the album’s 70+ minute runtime.

[Read more…] about New Releases for September 10, 2013

CDs:

Bastille – Bad Blood CD/LP (Virgin)

The debut album from this UK quartet includes the breakout single “Pompeii,” alongside other standout tracks like “Things We Lost In The Fire,” “Flaws,” and “Laura Palmer” (all of which have managed to chart in their homeland, where the album reached #1). This US version features three studio tracks not found on the original import release.

Sandra Boynton – Sandra Boynton’s Frog Trouble CD (WB)

Grammy nominated and bestselling children’s author, songwriter and music producer, Sandra Boynton, presents her first country album, Frog Trouble. The album features 12 original songs by Boynton, arranged and mixed with Michael Ford. Boynton produced the tracks mostly in Nashville, with renowned session musicians and an all-star roster, including Dwight Yoakam, Fountains of Wayne, Mark Lanegan, Kacey Musgraves, Ryan Adams, Ben Folds, Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss, Josh Turner, Darius Rucker, Linda Eder, and Falls Mountain Cowboys.

Tamar Braxton – Love & War CD (Epic)

Sophomore solo album from the television star/R&B vocalist and younger sister of Toni Braxton.

Richard Buckner – Surrounded CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)

In the time since Our Blood was released and after a few long tours, Richard Buckner attempted to work on writing short stories but found himself drawn back into the music room. The evidence of his time in the writer’s chair is clear in the dense, lovely prose of Surrounded. The album’s liner notes include text-embedded lyrics, a technique Buckner employed on his earlier albums Since and Impasse, but this marks the first time he used the songs’ extended story to construct the album’s overall view and track sequence.

Caged Animals – In The Land Of Giants CD/LP (Lucky Number)

Caged Animals is the strangely life-affirming bedroom project of songwriter Vincent Cacchione, a New Jersey-born Italian living in Brooklyn. Known previously for the nearly folk-rock of his former band Soft Black, Cacchione carries a strong traditional gene in his band of glitch-friendly pop — as inspired by the classic songwriting of Jeff Magnum or John Lennon’s solo material as the melancholic R&B twist of James Blake or Frank Ocean, or the perfect fusion of Chad Van Gaalen’s raw pop sensibilities.

Califone – Stitches CD/LP (Dead Oceans)

Stitches, the new album Califone touches on all permutable definitions of the word, its episodes of discomfort and healing rendered with exquisite beauty and craftsmanship. Archetypes and mythological figures rub shoulders with bruised civilians throughout this odyssey. Intimate timbres garage sale drum machines, slack guitar strings, hushed vocals offset the album’s cinematic inclinations. The listener moves through a landscape of Old Testament blood and guts, spaghetti Western deserts and Southwestern horizons, zeroing in on emotions and images that cannot be glanced over.

Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You CD/2xLP+CD (Anti)

It’s been four years since the great alt-country wailer Neko Case posed with the sword on the car hood on her Middle Cyclone album cover, and she hasn’t released a solo album since. That changes now with her new LP The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You. Decemberists producer Tucker Martine helmed the album, and Case’s contributors this time around included Kelly Hogan, M. Ward, and New Pornographers frontman A.C. Newman. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks. Also available on gatefold double-vinyl featuring three bonus tracks, an etched D-side, and a tattoo sheet.

Coachwhips – Hands On The Controls [Reissue/2002] CD (Castle Face)

This reissue of the debut album from early ’00s band lead by John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees) adds six bonus tracks not on the original CD release. “Known for their raw, primal, stripped-down approach, Coachwhips have epitomized rock & roll at its most basic. Their infectious, riff-driven recordings of the 2000s have combined garage rock with punk and alternative rock.” – All Music

Cowboy Mouth – This Train CD (Elm City)

As frontman Fred LeBlanc says, “If The Neville Brothers and The Clash had a baby, it would be Cowboy Mouth.”

[Read more…] about New Releases for September 3, 2013

CDs:

August Alsina – Downtown: Life Under The Gun CD (Def Jam)

August is a 20-year-old R&B singer from New Orleans that has been groomed by Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter The Dream. His form of edgy, melodic music will turn heads and open ears. Eager to follow in the footsteps of the NOLA music legends that paved his way, look for August to make 2013 his official coming out party.

AMSG – Anti Cosmic Tyranny CD (Profound Lore)

AMSG’s debut full-length is a testament of the real essence of black metal—the sonic interpretation of a Satanic ritual replete with layered whispers, chants and other subliminal sounds that honor the endless dark Aeon and the chaotic black light.

A$AP Ferg – Trap Lord CD (RCA)
A$AP Ferg may hail from a block in Harlem notoriously known as ”Hungry Ham” (Hamilton Heights), but that never completely defined him. Whether it be launching clothing and jewelry lines or attending art school, he constantly bobbed and weaved past expectations. As a rapper, unpredictability remains his only calling card. The next member of the A$AP Mob collective to have a solo project, he can slip from gruff, gritty rhymes to soaring singing, and he does so seamlessly. Vinyl version due September 10.

Bob Baldwin – Twenty CD (City Sketches)

Twenty celebrates a humble milestone in the career of New York native/arranger/producer/entrepreneur Bob Baldwin and represents 20 discs in 25 years, which has been a great journey for Baldwin, also radio host of NewUrbanJazz Lounge, now over 453,000 listeners weekly. 

Julianna Barwick – Nepenthe CD/LP (Dead Oceans)

Julianna Barwick’s art is equal parts force and beauty. Her music finds its motor in significant events in her own life, but they are abstracted into a sense of sonic wonderment, a radiance that you could say is her signature sound. That radiance has been taken to new zeniths with Nepenthe, her third full-length album, which was recorded in Reykjavík, Iceland, in the dark cold days of February.

Andrew Belle – Black Bear CD (Elm City)

Andrew Belle is a Chicago based singer/songwriter. His last album, The Ladder (2010), sold over 25,000 completely independently. Black Bear is his highly anticipated follow-up. Produced by Chad Copelin (Ivan & Alyosha) Black Bear highlights nuanced melodies and thoughtful, contemplative lyrics. Andrew’s music has previously been used on Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, Castle, and Vampire Diaries.

blessthefall – Hollow Bodies CD (Fearless)

Fourth album from the Phoenix, AZ metalcore band.

Blue October – Sway CD/LP (Up/Down)

New album from the San Marcos, TX-based band known for shimmering rock songs and haunting lyrics. With lush, atmospheric songs such as “Bleed Out,” “Angels In Everything,” and “Fear,” and the edgy rocker “Put It In,” the Texas four piece comes back strong with a revitalized energy and a positive outlook.

Born Of Osiris – Tomorrow We Die Alive CD/LP (Sumerian)

Third full-length album by the American deathcore band.

Braids – Flourish // Perish CD (Arbutus)

“Hailing from Calgary Canada, Braids band broke the music scene with their lighter, shoe-gaze debut, Native Speaker in 2011, scoring points and finding devoted fans almost instantly. Having logged well-earned touring hours of over 18 months and even recovered from the departure of a fellow band member, the now three-piece holed up for an entire year to write, heal and record their follow up. Flourish // Perish offers a soul-reaching contrast through its complex rhythms and structured melodies, affirming the trios collective strength. Finding a harmonic balance between structure and delicacy, it encompasses much-loved older-material roots with raw electro exploration” – Gigwise. Vinyl version due September 17.

Kurt Braunohler – How Do I Land? CD (Kill Rock Stars)

Kurt Braunohler is an “adult” male comedian, who enjoys skywriting jokes in the sky and altering greeting cards. Kurt was recently named one of Variety’s “Top 10 Comics To Watch” as well as Time Out NY’s “50 Funniest New Yorkers.” He was even named another “Comic To Watch” by Comedy Central and the New York Comedy Festival.

Buffalo Killers – Ohio Grass CD/LP (Alive)

“This collection of atmospheric psychedelia is laced with the swamp blues of the Killers’ first three outings, coupled with a mature, melodic folk nuance sure to have you reaching for your lava lamp. (…) Brilliantly sequenced, organically produced, and genuinely executed, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. cements Buffalo Killers’ reputation for ’70s-infused tunes in a postmodern package and plants the seeds for growth on new musical horizons.” – John Castino/Innocent Words

Jimmy Buffett – Songs From St. Somewhere CD (Mailboat)

Featuring 15 brand new recordings plus a bonus track, Songs From St. Somewhere was recorded this spring in various locals including Key West, Nashville, Austin, Miami, and St. Barts.

The first single “Too Drunk to Karaoke” is a duet with Toby Keith.

Carousel – Jeweler’s Daughter CD/LP (Tee Pee)

Carousel’s music incorporates many elements, most notably the harmonized guitar lines of Thin Lizzy, the bombast of Mountain and the rhythmic propulsion of Diamond Head, Motörhead and other bands whose names include the word “head.”

Chicago Jazz Orchestra With Cyrille Aimée – Burstin’ Out CD (Origin)

Now entering its 35th year, the Chicago Jazz Orchestra has built a resume that ranks it among the greatest artistic institutions in the city, if not the United States. For their latest recording, director Jeff Lindberg teams the CJO with the quickly emerging vocalist Cyrille Aimée for a diverse album of great jazz classics.

Crocodiles – Crimes Of Passion CD/LP (Frenchkiss)

Crimes Of Passion is bursting with sounds inspired by the likes of The Soft Boys, Street Hassle-era Lou Reed, the Notorious Byrd Brothers, the Jackson 5 and even Glenn Branca.

Destruction Unit – Deep Trip CD (Sacred Bones)

Destruction Unit is an American band formed in the Sonoran desert of Arizona. Formed by Ryan Rousseau, D. Unit was initially a synth-heavy three piece whose other members were Jay Reatard and Alicja Trout (Lost Sounds); likewise Rousseau was also in the Reatards before Jay went solo. Morphine boogie for the 21st century noise addict. Aggressive psychedelic sprawl at its finest. Vinyl version due September 3.

Lee DeWyze – Frames CD/2xCD/LP (Vanguard)

Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a disc of acoustic versions. DeWyze played guitar, piano, mandolin, banjo and drums during the recording sessions, during which he collaborated with renowned producer/songwriters Toby Gad, Drew Pearson, Matthew Wilder and Phil Allen, as well as mixer extraordinaire Jim Scott.

Diana – Perpetual Surrender CD/LP (Jagjaguwar)

Comparisons traverse eras and genres; from the soft-focus soft rock and pop of Roxy Music to the dreamy production of jj and Chromatics, topped off with the Balearic disco swirl of Studio.

[Read more…] about New Releases for August 20, 2013