It's been almost two decades, but it's finally here: the latest from Australian band The Avalanches! KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes the album as "another impressive full-length of cut-and-paste collage-pop incorporating a dizzying multitude of samples, field recordings and guests vocalists ranging from Danny Brown and Biz Markie to Father John Misty and David Berman on a variety of buoyant, groove-driven songs with sunny textures and breezy melodies."
Another triumphant return, albeit with a much shorter time span, is from The Julie Ruin, project of Kathleen Hanna (ex-Bikini Kill, Le Tigre). Yates calls it "a potent, politically charged blend of urgent garage-punk, bouncy New Wave dance-rock, '60s girl-group pop and other styles, with personal, often-scathing lyrics aimed at abusers, sexists, narcissists and other deserving targets." UK band Martha avoid the sophomore slump with their latest, "an excellent set of anthemic power-pop and garage-punk that's reminiscent at times of Superchunk and Los Campesinos. Produced by MJ of Hookworms, the album combines crunchy guitars, energetic rhythms, boisterous male/female lead vocals, sing-along choruses and bright pop hooks juxtaposed with poignant lyrics of identity and sexuality."
Atlanta trio Omni -- comprised of former members of Deerhunter and Carnivores -- unleash their debut, "a promising set of lo-fi post-punk with angular guitars and jagged rhythms." LA-via-Seattle band Big Business pare back down to the original duo of Jared Warren and Coady Willis for their fifth album. Yates describes it as "a fine set of grungy metal with rumbling bass guitar riffs, pile-driving drums and strained, half-buried vocals." And Chicago artist Moon Bros. (aka Matt Schneider) release their sixth LP, a "beautifully crafted blend of atmospheric folk, psych-rock, post-rock and more, featuring a warm, acoustic-oriented sound with intricate, finger-picked guitars, gentle rhythms, spacy pedal steel and occasional harmonica."
Alex Somers – “Funeral Pyre”
from Captain Fantastic OST on Invada
Aphex Twin – “CIRKLON3 [ Колхозная mix ]”
from Cheetah on Warp
The Avalanches – “Colours”
from Wildflower on Astralwerks
BadBadNotGood – “Speaking Gently”
from IV on Innovative Leisure
Ben Trickey – “Chin Up, Kid”
from Choke & Croon on Anthem Breath
Biffy Clyro – “In the Name of the Wee Man”
from Ellipsis on 14th Floor
Big Business – “Father's Day”
from Command Your Weather on Joyful Noise
Black Dice – “Big Deal”
from Big Deal/Last Laugh on L.I.E.S
Boris – “Pink”
from Pink reissue on Sargent House
Brotzmann/Parker/Drake – “Song Sentimentale”
from Song Sentimentale on Otoroku
Cassy – “This Is How We Know”
from Donna on Aus Music
Chrissy & Hawley – “My Top Twenty”
from Chrissy & Hawley on The Nite Owl Diner
Dead Can Dance – “Ocean”
from Dead Can Dance reissue on 4AD Music
Dead Can Dance – “Advent”
from Spleen and Ideal reissue on 4AD Music
Dead Can Dance – “The Carnival Is Over”
from Into the Labyrinth reissue on 4AD Music
Dinky – “Casa”
from Casa on Crosstown Rebels
Emily Jane White – “Frozen Garden”
from They Moved in Shadow All Together on Talitres
Eric Copeland – “On”
from Black Bubblegum on DFA
Frameworks – “Tangled”
from Smother on Deathwish
Gone Is Gone – “Starlight”
from Gone Is Gone on Rise
Gonno & Nick Höppner – “Spocking Fivers”
from Fantastic Planet on Ostgut Ton
Heart – “Beautiful Broken”
from Beautiful Broken on Concord Music Group
Ian William Craig – “A Single Hope”
from Centres on 130701 / Fat Cat
Inter Arma – “Transfiguration”
from Paradise Gallows on Relapse
Alcatraz Harry – “Ode To Frankfurt”
from DJ-Kicks/Jackmaster on !K7
The Julie Ruin – “I Decide”
from Hit Reset on Hardly Art
Kelsey Lu – “Morning After Coffee”
from Church EP on True Panther Sounds
King Tuff – “Hole In My Head”
from Wild Desire reissue on Suicide Squeeze
Konx-om-Pax – “Caramel”
from Caramel on Planet Mu
Left Lane Cruiser – “The Pusher”
from Beck in Black on Alive Naturalsound Records
Lindstrøm – “Closing Shot”
from Windings EP on Smalltown Supersound/Feedelity
Mark Barrott – “Cascades”
from Sketches from an Island, Vol. 2 on International Feel Recordings
Martha – “Ice Cream And Sunscreen”
from Blisters In the Pit of My Heart on Dirtnap Records/Fortuna Pop!
Minus the Bear – “This Ain't A Surfin' Movie (IQU 06 Mix)”
from Interpretaciones del Oso reissue on Suicide Squeeze
Modest Mouse / 764-Hero – “Whenever You See Fit”
from Whenever You See Fit reissue on Suicide Squeeze
Moon Bros – “These Stars”
from These Stars on Western Vinyl
Mykal Rose – “Israelites”
from Rasta State on VP Records
Omni – “Wire”
from Deluxe on Trouble in Mind
Pedro the Lion – “Letter From A Concerned Follower”
from Progress reissue on Suicide Squeeze
Radio Moscow – “250 Miles/Brain Cycles”
from Live in California on Alive Naturalsound Records
The Rave-Ups – “Positively Lost Me”
from Town & Country reissue on Omnivore
Robert De Niro / Nils Frahm / Woodkid – “Winter Morning II”
from Ellis [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] on Erased Tapes Records
Róisín Murphy – “Mastermind”
from Take Her Up to Monto on Play It Again Sam
Schoolboy Q – “By Any Means”
from Blank Face on Top Dawg
Sean McConnell – “Holy Days”
from Sean McConnell on New Rounder
Shura – “Mastermind”
from Nothing's Real on Polydor
Slow Season – “Y'WANNA”
from Westing on RidingEasy
Tangents – “Jindabyne”
from Stateless on Temporary Residence
These Arms Are Snakes – “Prince Squid”
from Tail Swallower & Dove reissue on Suicide Squeeze
Towkio – “Feel Me Doe”
from Community Service 2 EP on self-released
TTNG – “A Chase Of Sorts”
from Disappointment Island on Sargent House
Will Downing – “Black Pearls”
from Black Pearls on Shanachie
Wymond Miles – “Divided In Two”
from Call by Night on Sacred Bones
Young Greatness – “Talk My Shit”
from I Tried To Tell Em 2 on Quality Control/Motown
This week, New Jersey producer Clams Casino hits a jackpot with his first official album. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls it, "a strong set of expansive hip hop and R&B with woozy soundscapes combining atmospheric synths, spacy ambient noise and trunk-rattling beats with an impressive guest…
There's some pretty great releases for a holiday weekend, like the third LP from Dev Hynes — a.k.a. Blood Orange. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the album "another masterful set of expansive, moody R&B blended with funk, synth-pop and other styles, combining a diverse sound and a variety o…
