As we mentioned in today's Music News round-up, Prince has returned with not one, but two new albums this week: a solo album titled Art Official Age, and one with his band 3rdEyeGirl called PlectrumElectrum.
Famed Scottish indiepop duo The Vaselines also return today with the album V For Vaselines. KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes the album "finds them adopting a bigger, punchier sound and bringing a brasher, Ramones-inspired punk edge to their jangly twee-pop, with loud, fuzzy guitars and energetic rhythms bolstering the duo’s effervescent harmonies, sparkling pop hooks and often-dark lyrics."
Former Girls frontman Christopher Owens shares his second solo album, which "finds him hooking up with some of his former bandmates while also blending elements of R&B, country and gospel into his wistful pop-rock for a strong set of rootsy tunes combining acoustic and electric guitars, pealing pedal steel and occasional gospel backing vocals with Owens’ breathy vocals and heartfelt, deeply personal lyrics of love, regrets and redemption." (Owens will be LIVE on KEXP on Tuesday, October 7th at 1:00 PM PST.) UK band The History Of Apple Pie share their sophomore serving of "‘90s-influenced fuzz-pop with distorted shoegazerish guitars, atmospheric keyboards, soft vocals and sugary pop melodies." JEFF the Brotherhood release their covers EP, Dig the Classics. The third album from The Rural Alberta Advantage "features a bigger, more polished sound for their anthemic folk-pop, combining acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and prominent percussion with stirring melodies, sing-along choruses and heartfelt lyrics of love and loss." And the debut from duo Electric Youth "is a promising set of moody electro-pop with twinkling synths, ethereal vocals and wistful melodies."
It's the first day of Autumn, and the new releases are falling all over the place. The sophomore release from Alt-J is finally officially out. KEXP's Music Director Don Yates notes, "this English band carries on with their second album, a generally more subdued, organic and atmospheric take on the …