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 LCD Soundsystem, Ladytron, Steve Earle & the Dukes, and more.
LCD Soundsystem – Electric Lady Sessions (DFA/Columbia)
The latest album from James Murphy and co. features live in-studio, full-band versions of six songs from their previous album (2017’s American Dream) along with three covers and three more originals from other LCD albums, recasting most of their material with a more muscular and bass-heavy sound. — DY
Ladytron – Ladytron (!K7)
This British band’s sixth album (and first in eight years) is a strong set of dark electro-pop with icy analog synths, propulsive rhythms, chilly vocals, hypnotic melodies and often-politically charged lyrics. — DY
Steve Earle & the Dukes – Guy (New West)
The veteran country-rocker's latest album is a well-crafted tribute to one of his songwriting mentors, the late Guy Clark. The album features a warm, rootsy sound that works beautifully on this diverse selection of Clark’s songs ranging from familiar classics to more obscure gems that deserve to be better-known. — DY
The Dip – The Dip Delivers (self-released)
This seven-piece Seattle band’s second album is a well-crafted set of ‘60s-steeped soul with a warm sound combining buoyant horns and chunky guitar lines with Tom Eddy’s soaring vocals. — DY
Leyla McCalla – Capitalist Blues (Jazz Village)
This New Orleans-based artist’s third album is a potent set of mostly politically charged songs, with the album’s diverse sound ranging from Calypso, Zydeco and New Orleans R&B and jazz.to brooding psych-rock and traditional Haitian styles. — DY
Holiday Ghosts – West Bay Playroom (PNKSLM)
This British band’s second album is a solid set of raw, Modern Lovers-style proto-punk inflected with surf, roots-rock and other styles, combining jangly guitars and driving rhythms with alternating lead vocals and bright song hooks. — DY
Los Bonsais – Hinoki (Elefant)
This Japanese duo’s debut full-length is a warm blend of jangly, surf-tinged indie-pop and shoegazerish dream-pop with glowing harmonies and sparkling melodies. — DY
Methyl Ethel – Triage (4AD)
The third album from this project spearheaded by Perth, Australia artist Jake Webb brings a more polished, ‘80s-steeped sound to Methyl Ethel’s arty, synth-driven psych-pop. — DY
Piroshka – Brickbat (Bella Union)
The debut album from this British band fronted by Lush’s Miki Berenyi (and also featuring members of Moose, Elastica and Modern English) is a well-crafted blend of driving post-punk and atmospheric dream-pop. — DY
Cherushii + Maria Minerva – Cherushii + Maria Minerva (100% Silk)
In 2013, Minerva emigrated from Estonia to the USA. She plotted a US tour with 100% SILK sister Chelsea Faith AKA Cherushii where they became great friends and dreamed of a proper collaboration. The Oakland fire of December 2016 cut short their plans (Faith passed away in the fire) but not before they’d written, recorded, and mixed a union of Faith’s sweaty dancefloors bonded with Minerva’s pop hooks that make up this special release. — AG
Herzog – Me Vs. You (Exit Stencil)
This Cleveland band’s fourth album is a potent blend of anthemic power-pop and shoegazer psych-rock with heavy guitars, punchy rhythms, and soaring song hooks. — DY
Last Import – Last Import (self-released)
This Minneapolis, MN-based surf punk trio began as a collaboration between friends Emily Bjorke (guitar, lead vocals), Grace Baldwin (bass, backing vocals), and Jane Halldorson (drums), at rock camp, She Rock She Rock in 2014. Now the trio daylights as full-time college students armed with their full-length debut rippling with surfy punk hooks and thumping melodies. — AG
Vandoliers – Forever (Bloodshot)
This Dallas/Fort Worth band’s second album is a fine set of anthemic, country-tinged roots-rock combining crunchy electric guitars and driving rhythms with fiddle and occasional keyboards and trumpet. — DY
Anemone – Beat My Distance (Luminelle)
The debut album from this Montreal band led by Chloe Soldevila is a well-crafted set of psych-tinged dream-pop with shimmering keyboards, fuzzy guitars, ethereal vocals, and hypnotic song hooks. — DY
Cochemea – All My Relations (Daptone)
The latest album from this New York-based saxophonist with the Dap-Kings is a hypnotic blend of percolating jazz-funk and Native American rhythms. — DY
Homeshake – Helium (Sinderlyn)
The fourth album from this Montreal-based artist (aka Peter Sagar) is a solid set of lo-fi, R&B-tinged electro-pop with a hazy, atmospheric sound, ethereal vocals, and dreamy melodies. — DY
Abjects – Never Give Up (Yippee Ki Yay)
The debut album from this London-based trio comprised of singer/guitarist Noemi from Spain, bassist Yuki from Japan and drummer Alice from Italy is a solid set of energetic garage-punk combining buzzing guitars and driving rhythms with catchy song hooks and lyrics of resilience. — DY
Guest Directors – Dream the Currents EP (Topsy)
This Seattle band’s third EP is a fine set of shoegazerish dream-pop. — DY
N0V3L – NOVEL (Flemish Eye)
Vancouver BC collective debut their first carefully assembled machine of an EP that playfully emanates frenetic post-punk complemented with sliding funk and jagged melodies to propel their political mantras. — AG
