Each week, KEXP’s Music Director Don Yates shares brief insights on new and upcoming releases. See what's coming up this week below, including reviews for new releases from Better Oblivion Community Center, Business Of Dreams, Sneaks, and more.
Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center (Dead Oceans)
Better Oblivion Community Center is the new project from Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst. Their debut album under that name is a strong set of expansive, world-weary folk-pop for these difficult times, combining acoustic and electric guitars and warm keyboards with intimate harmonies and often-dark lyrics of struggle, broken dreams, and resilience.
Business Of Dreams – Ripe For Anarchy (Slumberland)
The debut album from this project led by Corey Cunningham (Terry Malts, Smokescreens, Magic Bullets) is an impressive set of wistful, ‘80s-steeped indie-pop with jangly guitars, shimmering keyboards and often-poignant lyrics of loss, regret, and resilience.
Sneaks – Highway Hypnosis (Merge)
The third album from this New York-via-DC artist (aka Eva Moolchan) is an adventurous, minimalist blend of hip hop and post-punk with moody synths, fuzzy bass and hypnotic beats accompanying her mesmerizing, shape-shifting vocals, and playful lyrics.
Guided By Voices – Zeppelin Over China (Guided By Voices, Inc.)
The latest album from this veteran band led by Robert Pollard is one of the stronger latter-day Guided By Voices releases. Featuring 32 songs stretched over 75 minutes, it’s a mammoth set of sharply crafted guitar rock ranging from pounding hard-rock and crunchy The Who-style power-pop to hook-filled psych and delicate folk.
Spielbergs – This Is Not The End (By The Time It Gets Dark)
This Norwegian trio’s debut album is a potent set of lo-fi garage-pop reminiscent at times of Japandroids and No Age, combining fuzzy, squalling guitars, and punchy rhythms with anthemic choruses and catchy song hooks.
DAWN – New Breed (Local Action)
The latest album from this LA-based, New Orleans-bred artist (aka Dawn Richard) is an expansive blend of R&B, hip hop, funk, electro-pop and more, combining spacy synths, chunky funk guitar and a variety of beats with her dynamic vocals and often New Orleans-referencing lyrics of love, lust, and empowerment.
The Delines – The Imperial (El Cortez)
The second album from this Portland-based project featuring former Damnations co-founder Amy Boone on lead vocals is another excellent set of dark, country-soul story songs written by Richmond Fontaine frontman (and acclaimed novelist) Willy Vlautin, combining a spare, intimate sound with guitars, warm keyboards, pedal steel and soaring trumpet with Boone’s aching vocals and Vlautin’s sharply crafted, often-poignant lyrics of people living on the margins.
Nicola Cruz – Siku (ZZK)
This Ecuadorian DJ/producer’s second album is another well-crafted blend of traditional Ecuadorian styles with hypnotic electronic grooves, combining Andean wind instruments with propulsive beats and subtle electronic textures.
Junius Meyvant – Across The Borders (Glassnote)
This Icelandic artist’s second album is a well-crafted set of soul-inflected folk-pop ranging from lush orchestral pop to buoyant funk and disco grooves.
Swervedriver – Future Ruins (Dangerbird)
This veteran British band’s sixth album (and second since reuniting in 2007) is a potent set of shoegazer psych-rock with fuzzy guitars, muscular rhythms, dreamy melodies, gauzy vocals, and dystopian lyrics.
Eerie Wanda – Pet Town (Joyful Noise)
The second album from this Netherlands-based Dutch-Croatian artist (aka Marina Tadic) is an often-transportive set of dreamy, lo-fi folk-pop combining an intimate, homespun sound with reverbed vocals, wistful lyrics, and nostalgic melodies.
Mozes and the Firstborn – Dadcore (Burger)
This Dutch band’s latest album is a fun, irreverent blend of power-pop and grunge, combining grimy guitars, whimsical lyrics, and catchy song hooks.
William Tyler – Goes West (Merge)
The fifth album from this Nashville guitarist (and member of Lambchop) is a well-crafted set of dreamy, folk-tinged instrumentals fleshed out with an impressive supporting cast including Bill Frisell, Meg Duffy, and Tucker Martine.
Sunflower Bean – King of the Dudes EP (Mom+Pop)
This New York trio’s latest release is a potent four-song EP ranging from crunchy power-pop and anthemic dance-pop to sparkling New Wave.
Buke and Gase – Scholars (Brassland)
This New York duo’s third album (and first in six years) finds them mostly leaving behind their self-designed namesake instruments of the buke (a bass ukulele) and the gase (a hybrid guitar/bass) in favor of the “Arx,” a multi-instrument electronic control system that brings a stronger electronic bent to their fractured experimental pop.
Skullbot – Power Loader (Strange Earth)
This Stanwood, WA trio’s third album is an aggressive blend of thrash metal, heavy prog, moody, psych-tinged hard-rock and more.
Pavo Pavo – Mystery Hour (Bella Union)
This British duo’s second album is a solid set of richly textured indie-pop combining a variety of instrumentation with dreamy melodies and lyrics of lost love.
Each week, KEXP’s Music Director Don Yates shares brief insights on new and upcoming releases. See what's coming up this week below, including reviews for new releases from Sharon Van Etten, James Blake, Deerhunter, and more.
Each week, KEXP’s Music Director Don Yates (joined this week by KEXP DJ Abbie Gobeli) shares brief insights on new and upcoming releases. See what's coming up this week below, including reviews for new releases from Pedro The Lion, Lost Under Heaven, and more.
Each week, KEXP’s Music Director Don Yates (this week by KEXP DJ Alex Ruder) shares brief insights on new and upcoming releases. Check out reviews for new releases from from angelic milk, jk, Televangel, and more.
