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New Music Releases Thread


I'm slowly working my way through things. The Metallica Blacklist is hard going, partly because they've stuck to the original track list so you get 8 versions of one song then 5 of another etc.

Will post my usual weekly thing once I've given everything a listen. Agreed about the Liminanas/Garnier thing though, excellent as is the Matthew E White album.
 
I'm slowly working my way through things. The Metallica Blacklist is hard going, partly because they've stuck to the original track list so you get 8 versions of one song then 5 of another etc.

Will post my usual weekly thing once I've given everything a listen. Agreed about the Liminanas/Garnier thing though, excellent as is the Matthew E White album.
Not sure there’s any band/musician I like that much to put up with all that :)
 
Not really taken with it on first listen, perhaps I’m not in the mood for the low down sound, over use of distortion doing nothing for me either. Low by name, low by nature I guess.

me too. I didn’t mind ‘hey’ or ‘don’t walk away’ but the rest I struggled with.
 
My weekly round up as usual:

Home In This World: Woody Guthrie’s Dustbowl Ballads: a compilation to start with. The title is fairly self explanatory. It's generally high quality stuff. Artists include The Felice Brothers, Mark Lanegan, Wazahatchee, Shovels & Rope.
Andrew WK: his first album for Napalm Records, home of eccentric metal variants, from Mr WK. It's okay. A bit patchy but closes strongly. At times a bit symphonic German metal.
Songs Without Authors (Vol. 1): another compilation. Broadly folk based and old songs that, well, don't have authors. Pretty good. A mix of artists again, Yorkston/Thorne/Khan are probably the most high profile of them. There's some lovely Indian music on here.
Matthew E White: this is excellent. A bit more rocking than his earlier albums but maintaining their groove. Well worth seeking out.
Laurent Garnier & The Limiñanas: more excellence. To these ears, it's Limiñanas album with a bit more electronic stuff on it, which is a fine thing!
Saint Etienne: a bit more esoteric than their previous albums. Seems more Wiggs and Stanley than Cracknell. Very good though!
The Metallica Blacklist: a mammoth 53 tracks. I mentioned it earlier in the thread. Some tracks are great, some less so. A lot of artists have done their covers quite straight. The Hu, Miley Cyrus and some of the jazz types star a bit. Also, the Mexican Institute of Sound.
We Were Promised Jetpacks: not entirely dissimilar to their previous releases, maybe a bit smoothed over and a bit duller than earlier albums. Ho hum!
Sleigh Bells: it's Sleigh Bells album. It sounds like Sleigh Bells. If you like previous Sleigh Bells albums, you'll like this. I like Sleigh Bells so I like this.
Manic Street Preachers: I really like this. They've turned into quite an elegant, understated rock band over the years.
Low: continuing on the move toward more obvious noise and soundscapes that Double Negative started, this is, again, excellent. They're top quality and continue to get better.
Amyl and the Sniffers: intense Aussie rock and roll from start to finish. A cracking album!
Riddy Arman: great voice. Quite the country crooner. Highly promising!
Pete Aves: he's a former member of The High Llamas who now makes slightly leftfield, elegant British pop (in the old school sense of the word). Really good.
Kacey Musgraves: she gets a lot of praise and column inches but, to me, this just seems a bit Taylor Swift lite. Nice voice but a bit too smooth.

Album of the week: I'll say Low but Matthew E, Laurent Garnier & The Limiñanas, the Manics, Amyl & the Sniffers and Pete Aves run them close.
 
Saint Etienne: a bit more esoteric than their previous albums. Seems more Wiggs and Stanley than Cracknell. Very good though!
Fantastic use of the word esoteric !
I prefer SE when their more electronica and less poppy and on this Cracknell is effectively a backing singer to the music.
It rather appeals to my esotericism which is why I think it’s so good an album…
 
Apparently Saint Etienne had began working on a studio based album when the pandemic struck and they could no longer go to the studio so work on this current release began instead. Hopefully the former will get finished and released in not distant future.
Martina Topley Bird's new album was released on Friday but physical formats aren't out yet. I had high hopes after I really liked a couple of the songs I heard a few months back but I was a bit disappointed on first listen. Might work better late at night.
 
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Injury Reserve - By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Great experimental hip hop album out today. Samples both BCNR and Black Midi for those interested.
 
There are new albums this week from Carly Pearce, Cynthia Erivo, Jose Gonzalez, Lil Nas X, Lindsey Buckingham, Lizzie Loveless, Melissa Etheridge, Moor Mother, Thrice, Bob Dylan (the Srpingtime in New York Bootlegs series thing), Stick in the Wheel, Charley Crockett, Alexis Taylor, Alicia Walter, The Felice Brothers and Adia Victoria.
 
Saw a couple of positive comments on here about the Manics album. I thought it was awful. Usually when I hear the demos that the Manics include on the deluxe editions I appreciate their albums more, but that wasn't the case this time.
I know the album has been heavily discounted this week (5.99 for CD) in an effort to beat Steps to Number 1. Been a few bands adopting that tactic this year (Mogwai and Maximo Park come to mind).
 
Read a few people raving about the Yebba album. On first listen there a couple of decent tunes, but not sure if it’s a bit too pop.
 
There’s a new Lost Dog Street Band release today. It’s not their new studio album (as they keep stressing on social media - that’s out this winter) - it’s a collection of covers, their own material and a couple of new tracks, all recorded outside in rural America to an audience of crickets (which can be heard quite clearly in the background). I’ve enjoyed it a lot today.
 
Joy Formidable - can't see it mentioned back on the week of August 20 but they had a new album out

Come Play With Me - another compilation of up-and-coming stuff from across Yorkshire is available on the CPWM bandcamp today
 
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