Album Announcement
Shamir Basks in Independence on New Song “On My Own”: Stream
Earlier this year, Shamir dropped a mini-album called Cataclysm. Now, he’s back with a poppy new song called “On My Own”. The track is the lead single from an upcoming album that will supposedly be his most accessible since his 2015 debut, Ratchet. After emerging as a glitzy disco and dance-pop artist on XL Recordings, Shamir became disillusioned with mainstream stardom and retreated to making lo-fi, insular indie rock for many years. “On My Own” isn’t a return to the glossy club music of Ratchet, but it is the most outwardly catchy and upbeat song he’s released in a long time. Over peppy drums, a sprightly bassline, and guitar riffs that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Cherry Glazerr LP, the Philly-based songwriter sings defiantly about regaining independence after a breakup. Conven...
Omar Rodríguez-López Announces Triple Vinyl Box Set The Clouds Hill Tapes
A Mars Volta reunion may be in the near future, but in the meantime, guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López is keeping himself preoccupied with a massive new release. This summer, he will put out a triple vinyl box set called The Clouds Hill Tapes. The 3xLP collection consists of 20 past solo songs from Rodríguez-López, all newly rearranged and produced by Johann Scheerer at the famed Clouds Hill Recording Studio in Hamburg, Germany. These new versions were performed by Rodríguez-López with assistance from a variety of guest musicians. Clouds Hill studio is considered to be Rodríguez-López’s “creative second home” and in the past has also hosted acts like The Killers, Nicolas Jaar, and Pete Doherty. The specific Clouds Hill Tapes sessions took place in late 2018 and early 2019, while the At T...
Japandroids Announce First-Ever Live Album Massey Fucking Hall
Canadian rockers Japandroids will usher in the summer season with their first-ever live album. Titled Massey Fucking Hall, it’s due out June 19th digitally and on vinyl October 2nd. The forthcoming album is named after Massey Hall, the renowned Toronto venue where it was recorded. There are 12 songs altogether, culled from the duo’s three different albums. Included are “No Known Drink or Drug” and “Arc of Bar”, off the most recent Japandroids LP, 2017’s Near to the Wild Heart of Life. There’s also “Younger Us” and “The House That Heaven Built”, a favorite off 2012’s Celebration Rock and one of the best songs of the last decade. Additionally, the band’s now-classic 2009 debut, Post-Nothing, is well-represented with singles like “Heart Sweats” and “Young Hearts Spark Fire”. “We never thought...
Joyce Manor Announce New Rarities Album, Share “House Warning Party”: Stream
Joyce Manor have announced a new rarities album called Songs from Northern Torrance. It’s due out digitally this coming Friday, May 29th, with a vinyl release to follow on September 19th. Named after the band’s hometown of Torrance, a city about 20 miles south of Los Angeles, the album collects early material from the band when it was just starting out as an acoustic duo. Dating back to 2008-2010, the recordings previously only existed in a live setting, or on rare demo CDs. Among the included tracks are “DFHP?”, which originally came out on a split release with Summer Vacation, and “Who Gave You a Baby”, a song that later appeared on a Hard Times charity compilation. The entirety of Joyce Manor’s self-released Constant Headache EP also appears on the final tracklist. Editors’ P...
Lana Del Rey Announces New Album, Rejects Critics Who Say She “Glamorizes Abuse”
Lana Del Rey has been teasing a spoken word record for the last few months, but apparently she has even more up her sleeve. In an Instagram post early Thursday, she announced she will release a new album on September 5th, the follow-up to last year’s stellar Norman Fucking Rockwell!. Del Rey also appeared to shade major pop stars of color like Beyoncé and Cardi B in a lengthy discussion about the glamorization of abuse and feminism’s place in pop music. Del Rey’s social media post was predominantly focused on rejecting the criticisms that her music glamorizes abuse. “I’m fed up with female writers and alt singers saying that I glamorize abuse when in reality I’m just a glamorous person singing about the realities of what we are all now seeing are very prevalent abusive relationships all ov...
Disclosure Announce New Album ENERGY, Featuring slowthai, Kehlani, Common, and More
Disclosure returned in February with an EP called Ecstasy. Now, the electronic music duo is prepping a proper full-length album for August. It’s dubbed ENERGY and sees the Lawrence brothers collaborating with rappers for the very first time in their decade-long career. ENERGY follows up on 2015’s Caracal and serves as the group’s third LP overall. It boasts guest contributions from hip-hop acts like slowthai, Common, Mick Jenkins, Aminé, and Channel Tres. Also slated to make cameos are Kelis, Syd of The Internet, Fatoumata Diawara, and Blick Bassy. According to a statement, recording sessions for the new album yielded upwards of 200 (!) potential tracks, which Disclosure eventually whittled down to 11. “The thing that decided which songs made it and which songs didn’t was that on...
Julianna Barwick Announces New Album Healing Is a Miracle, Shares “Inspirit”: Stream
Julianna Barwick has announced a new album called Healing Is a Miracle just in time to help soothe our global anxiety. It’s her first record in four years and is due out on July 10th via Ninja Tune. To celebrate, she’s shared the lead single, “Inspirit”, along with a scenic music video that captures the mood. Healing Is a Miracle was built on improvisation, reflection, and collaboration. In particular, the latter takes shape in the form of some very notable guest features by Jónsi of Sigur Rós, Nosaj Thing, and Mary Lattimore. While this may appear like a departure from her past work, the press release assures that Healing Is a Miracle is a natural evolution from her previous albums, including 2016’s Will and 2013’s Nepenthe. Barwick began drafting ideas for Healing Is a Miracle last sprin...
Arca Announces New Album KiCk i, Featuring Björk, Rosalía, and More
Arca has formally announced her new album, KiCk i. The follow-up to 2017’s self-titled LP is due out June 26th via XL Recordings. The forthcoming 12-track effort sees experimental producer Alejandra Ghersi teaming up with prominent guests Björk and Rosalía, as well as SOPHIE and Shygirl. This fourth full-length continues a long-running collaborative streak for Arca and Björk; Arca previously contributed heavily to the Iceland icon’s albums Vulnicura (2015) and Utopia (2017). KiCk i represents a new and transformative chapter for Arca, who now identifies as a Latinx trans woman comprised of more than one “self-state.” “I’m asking for recognition that we have multiple selves without denying that there’s a singular unit,” she told Paper recently, “I want to be seen as an e...
Posthumous Jason Molina Album Eight Gates Due Out This Summer
Secretly Canadian has announced Eight Gates, a new posthumous album from Jason Molina. Due for release on August 7th, it’s believed to the final collection of solo material the lo-fi songwriter recorded before his death in 2013. The upcoming effort was recorded in 2008 while Molina was residing in London. According to a statement, the musician said he penned the album’s nine songs as he recovered from a “debilitating” spider bite. “I was in the hospital here in London,” the Songs: Ohia mastermind noted in a letter. “Saw six doctors and a Dr. House-type guy. They are all mystified by it, but I am allowed to be at home, where I am taking a dozen scary Hantavirus type pills a day that are all to supposedly help — but they make me feel like shit.” The same letter also saw Molina claim tha...
Madeline Kenney Announces New Album, Shares “Sucker” Featuring Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner: Stream
Madeline Kenney has announced her third studio album, Sucker’s Lunch. Set to arrive July 31st through Carpark Records, it’s being teased with a lead single titled “Sucker” featuring Lambchop frontman Kurt Wagner. For her first two full-lengths, Kenney enlisted the help of two special musicians; Toro y Moi produced 2017’s Night Night at the First Landing, while Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak handled production on the 2018 follow-up, Perfect Shapes. Kenney has again brought in outside talent for Sucker’s Lunch, this time turning to all of Wye Oak — both Wasner and Andy Stack. All three artists co-produced and pieced together the new album during quick studio sessions held in Durham, San Francisco, and Kenney’s hometown of Oakland. Musically, the forthcoming LP is said to lean more int...
Zoé Announce New Album Sonidos de Karmática Resonancia, Share “SKR”: Stream
Mexican alt-rockers Zoé have announced a new album called Sonidos de Karmática Resonancia. As a preview, they’ve shared its lead single, “SKR”, as well as a music video. Sonidos de Karmática Resonancia is the band’s seventh studio album to date. It follows their Grammy-winning record Aztlán, which came out back in 2018. While no tracklist has been revealed yet, at least we have “SKR” to tide us over. The song was written by frontman León Larregui and produced by Craig Silvey, who’s worked with fellow alt-rock stars like Arctic Monkeys and Arcade Fire. You can hear a bit of the former mixed in with The Strokes here, as the single uses a closely plucked guitar line to build tension before resolving it all in the chorus, sliding into melodic, drawn-out notes. Editors’ Pic...
Future Announces New Album High Off Life, Due Out This Friday
Future has released seven records in the last eight years, and he’s not about to let a pandemic put a stop to his prolific ways. Today, the Atlanta rapper has announced a new album called High Off Life and it’s due out this Friday, May 15th. Although a tracklist hasn’t been revealed, a press release promises A-list collaborations with Drake, Travis Scott, DaBaby, Lil Uzi Vert, and Young Thug, among others. The entire project was executive produced by DJ Esco, who’s worked extensively with Future and acts like Rich the Kid and Young Scooter. High Off Life follows up on Future’s two 2019 projects, his WIZRD full-length and his Save Me EP. In recent months, the MC has also dropped off solo single “Tycoon” and a joint effort with Jhené Aiko, as well appeared on Drake’s new Dark Lane ...
