New Music Releases Thread

Right, since getting back from Accra (curry for breakfast, yeah!), I've been frantically catching up with two week of new releases, aided and abetted by the fact that my assistant is off sick so I have the office to myself. Quite a lot to get through so, in no particular order:

Robert Sotelo - quirky, literate indiepop. Highly recommended!
Gruff Rhys - marvellous, as expected! Beautiful, summery 30 minutes or so.
Alex Cameron - pleasant enough but not as strong as his previous album.
Iggy Pop - unlike others on here, I quite like his spoken word weirdness. Not as good as the EP with Underworld though but.
Miss June - a very accomplished debut from the New Zealand indie rockers. Think Hole, the late lamented Those Darlins etc.
Adam Green - some good songs, at 22 minutes, it hardly overstays its welcome.
Belle & Sebastian - best album they've made in many a year! Of course, a couple of tracks are reworkings of classics but they've gone back to their quirky, literate indiepop roots a bit.
Devendra Banhardt - best album he's made in many a year! None of the tracks are reworkings of classics and he's gone back to his quirky, literate indiefolk roots a bit.
Future Pilot AKA - bloody marvellous! First in 12 years from them/him. I suspect it was a lost recording (but maybe not?). Features Robert Wyatt, Emma Pollock from The Delgados and others. Defies genreisation.
Jerkcurb - it's good, this. Laidback guitar rock. Rough Trade Shops album of the week last Friday.
Mike Patton & Jean-Claude Vannier - the singer from Faith No More and a French composer/arranger make for unlikely bed fellows but they've made an excellent album! Mostly ballads, slightly weird, worth a listen.
Bat For Lashes - some good songs but there's an 80s production sheen I don't like. A tad disappointing, given the generally glowing reviews!
Frankie Cosmos - 21 songs in 40 minutes. If you've listen to a Frankie Cosmos album before, you'll kind of know the deal. It's good. Nothing outstays its welcome.
Jenny Hval - a lot less abrasive than some of her earlier work, in fact, quite marvellously lovely! Kind of reminds me of last year's Virginia Wing album. Very dreamy!
Metronomy - an odd one. There are some exceptional songs on here but some incidental filler. I still like their slightly oddball career path.
Tinariwen - as expected, as always, some tremendous desert blues. Quite guest heavy on the face of it but the guests blend in and they're people like Warren Ellis and Cass McCombs.
Sandro Perri - not a name I'm overly familiar with but he would seem to have had a convoluted and eclectic career covering post-rock, folk, electronica and things in between. I was quietly impressed by a track on the last Uncut CD. This is, er, laidback, eclectic and really good.
Pixies - thud, clang, shout! Tired, yawn, bored... sounds like they're going through the motions. The fact that this is the best of their three comeback albums doesn't say much! Kim Deal was clearly the talent.
Alasdair Roberts - another year, another marvellous album from Skinny Al that nobody will listen to. As ever, it's a work of folk genius!
The Utopia Strong - 147!

Off the new stuff, the issue of Uncut that's out this week features a 17 track CD of Wilco covers (from people like Low, Kurt Vile, Courtney Barnett, Parquet Courts and Shuan Mendes).
 


After winning the highly coveted Mad Cyril 2017 album of the year, I’m disappointed with the new Alex Cameron record, it’s a bit wet and lost its big melodies.
 
Pixies - thud, clang, shout! Tired, yawn, bored... sounds like they're going through the motions. The fact that this is the best of their three comeback albums doesn't say much! Kim Deal was clearly the talent.
It isn't great and according to setlist fm they played every song off the new record in Birmingham last night. However, they did play 39 songs (25 of which were pre-split) so still looking forward to Saturday's gig in Newcastle.
 
Right, since getting back from Accra (curry for breakfast, yeah!), I've been frantically catching up with two week of new releases, aided and abetted by the fact that my assistant is off sick so I have the office to myself. Quite a lot to get through so, in no particular order:

Robert Sotelo - quirky, literate indiepop. Highly recommended!
Gruff Rhys - marvellous, as expected! Beautiful, summery 30 minutes or so.
Alex Cameron - pleasant enough but not as strong as his previous album.
Iggy Pop - unlike others on here, I quite like his spoken word weirdness. Not as good as the EP with Underworld though but.
Miss June - a very accomplished debut from the New Zealand indie rockers. Think Hole, the late lamented Those Darlins etc.
Adam Green - some good songs, at 22 minutes, it hardly overstays its welcome.
Belle & Sebastian - best album they've made in many a year! Of course, a couple of tracks are reworkings of classics but they've gone back to their quirky, literate indiepop roots a bit.
Devendra Banhardt - best album he's made in many a year! None of the tracks are reworkings of classics and he's gone back to his quirky, literate indiefolk roots a bit.
Future Pilot AKA - bloody marvellous! First in 12 years from them/him. I suspect it was a lost recording (but maybe not?). Features Robert Wyatt, Emma Pollock from The Delgados and others. Defies genreisation.
Jerkcurb - it's good, this. Laidback guitar rock. Rough Trade Shops album of the week last Friday.
Mike Patton & Jean-Claude Vannier - the singer from Faith No More and a French composer/arranger make for unlikely bed fellows but they've made an excellent album! Mostly ballads, slightly weird, worth a listen.
Bat For Lashes - some good songs but there's an 80s production sheen I don't like. A tad disappointing, given the generally glowing reviews!
Frankie Cosmos - 21 songs in 40 minutes. If you've listen to a Frankie Cosmos album before, you'll kind of know the deal. It's good. Nothing outstays its welcome.
Jenny Hval - a lot less abrasive than some of her earlier work, in fact, quite marvellously lovely! Kind of reminds me of last year's Virginia Wing album. Very dreamy!
Metronomy - an odd one. There are some exceptional songs on here but some incidental filler. I still like their slightly oddball career path.
Tinariwen - as expected, as always, some tremendous desert blues. Quite guest heavy on the face of it but the guests blend in and they're people like Warren Ellis and Cass McCombs.
Sandro Perri - not a name I'm overly familiar with but he would seem to have had a convoluted and eclectic career covering post-rock, folk, electronica and things in between. I was quietly impressed by a track on the last Uncut CD. This is, er, laidback, eclectic and really good.
Pixies - thud, clang, shout! Tired, yawn, bored... sounds like they're going through the motions. The fact that this is the best of their three comeback albums doesn't say much! Kim Deal was clearly the talent.
Alasdair Roberts - another year, another marvellous album from Skinny Al that nobody will listen to. As ever, it's a work of folk genius!
The Utopia Strong - 147!

Off the new stuff, the issue of Uncut that's out this week features a 17 track CD of Wilco covers (from people like Low, Kurt Vile, Courtney Barnett, Parquet Courts and Shuan Mendes).

I like the Jenny Hval record, Reminds me a bit of Fox Base Alpha era saint ettienne.
 
If anyone wants to old fashion great folk music, I recommend Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear. I am not exactly sure when it came out but I know it was this year. I just listened it for the first time this weekend when my dad played it for me. Great stuff
 
After winning the highly coveted Mad Cyril 2017 album of the year, I’m disappointed with the new Alex Cameron record, it’s a bit wet and lost its big melodies.
I still like it, but it's definitely not as strong. As you say, it feels a bit too sincere for me, prefer it when he's singing about utter bastards.
 
I still like it, but it's definitely not as strong. As you say, it feels a bit too sincere for me, prefer it when he's singing about utter bastards.

Yeah mate, I’m always incredibly dubious when somebody writes an album about their Mrs.
There’s some good stuff on it, just too much drivel. I think the input of Brandon Flowers on the last one may have been higher than what was let on also.
 
Double gig night tonight

Malkmus (early show) at Moth Club
and then
Julia Holter at Round Chapel

Gigtastic

That's dedicated. I once went to two gigs in Newcastle but only because I went to the wrong University.

I didn't think De La Soul had so many goth fans.

Lass just waived us through the first gig as I had tickets on my phone
 
Devendra Banhart is brilliant. A real return to form, lovely record.

I enjoyed the Metronomy new one on first listen. It's a bit weird. That salted ice cream song sounds like Mika...and I don't mind it.
 
Devendra Banhart is brilliant. A real return to form, lovely record.

I enjoyed the Metronomy new one on first listen. It's a bit weird. That salted ice cream song sounds like Mika...and I don't mind it.

It was on one of my spotify daily plays. It was canny. Not a band I've listened to but will delve more.
 
New releases this week from Blink 182, Brittany Howard (ex-Alabama Shakes), Cashmere Cat, Chastity Belt, Efterklang, Fitz and the Tantrums, Fly Pan Am, Hiss Golden Messenger, Keane, Liam Gallagher, M83, One True Pairing (Tom Fleming of WIld Beasts), Pieta Brown, Robbie Robertson, Samantha Fish, Skyzoo & Pete Rock, Vivian Girls, Zac Brown Band, Thurston Moore and One Eleven Heavy.
 
Thankfully Malkmus is doing two shows and first he is on at 7.

And the other is only a mile and a bit away
We’ve tkts for Roxy Girls/Spilt Milk next Wednesday at the sebright arms but I’m leaning towards witching waves/camp cope at Islington assembly halls on the same night. Camp Cope may not be back in the country for a while if ever and I love just about everything they’ve released and witching waves are decent anarl. Whereas Roxy Girls are local lads come to the big city.......decisions decisions......are Spilt Milk any good? If they are I don’t wanna be crying ower missing them in years to come. Ahem.
 

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