Music Monday (3/30): This Week's New Albums + Videos
This week's new album releases
Each title listed below will go on sale beginning Tuesday, March 31 unless otherwise indicated.
8:58
8:58
Electronic music pioneers Orbital recently disbanded (again) after 25 years in the business, but one half of that brother duo, Paul Hartnoll, has restarted his solo career under the name 8:58. (A previous solo LP, The Ideal Condition, was released under his given name in 2007.) His first 8:58 album, out today in the UK, features a new version of one of that previous album's tracks, "Please," with vocals from The Cure's Robert Smith and Witchknot's Lianne Hall. Other contributors on 8:58—which, unlike the more acoustic Ideal Condition, doesn't sound all that different from Hartnoll's work with Orbital—include Ed Harcourt, The Unthanks (guesting on a cover of The Cure's "A Forest"), and actor Cillian Murphy.
Death Cab for Cutie
. Kintsugi LISTEN (NPR)
The band's first album since 2011's Codes and Keys marks their final recordings with founding guitarist/producer Chris Walla, who has left the band after 17 years. He did, however, stick around long enough to contribute every one of Kintsugi's 11 tracks—though it's the first DCFC album he didn't produce (with those duties falling to Rich Costey instead).
Death Grips
the powers that b LISTEN–Pt. 1 (YouTube) LISTEN–Pt. 2 (YouTube)
For a group that broke up last year, Death Grips remain remarkably prolific. This week (following a leak last week) brings The Powers That B, a new album which combines a previously released digital album (the Björk-sampling Niggas on the Moon) with the new companion set Jenny Death.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
. Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress LISTEN (Guardian)
The acclaimed Canadian post-rock band's follow-up to 2012's 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! (and 6th album overall) is a four-song LP clocking in at just 40 minutes—the band's shortest album since their 1997 debut.
Sufjan Stevens
. Carrie & Lowell LISTEN (NPR)
Billed as a return to his "folk roots," Carrie & Lowell is also a return, period: it'll be Stevens' first proper album since 2010's The Age of Adz, ending an unusually long absence for the once-prolific artist. (Not that he has been away completely; he has been working with his side project Sisyphus, among other endeavors.) The new 11-song set is titled after Stevens' mother and stepfather and features contributions from artists like Laura Veirs and Sean Carey. Critics think it's his best album yet.
Additional releases
- The Apartments The Evening Visits ... and Stays for Years
- Arling & Cameron Good Times LISTEN (3voor12) First album in 9 years [out digitally Friday 3 Apr]
- Boxed In Boxed In
- Dead Sara Pleasure to Meet You
- The-Dream Crown EP One of two mini-albums due this spring
- Elsa Never Come Down EP LISTEN (AV Club)
- Faith Healer Cosmic Troubles LISTEN (Rookie)
- Föllakzoid . III LISTEN (Stereogum)
- Robben Ford Into the Sun
- Fort Romeau Insides
- Geronimo! Buzz Yr Girlfriend: Vol. 4 – Why Did You Leave Me? EP
- Grandbrothers Dilation
- Hall & Oates Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live in Dublin Blu-ray/DVD+2xCD
- Hollywood Undead Day Of The Dead
- Houndstooth No News From Home
- iLoveMakonnen Drink More Water 5 MIXTAPE
- Jerry Paper Carousel
- Johnny Jewel Lost River OST LISTEN (YouTube) [30 Mar] Soundtrack to Ryan Gosling's forthcoming directorial debut features original music by Jewel and his various projects (including Chromatics and Glass Candy)
- Jodeci The Past, The Present, The Future First new album for the R&B act since 1995
- Simon Joyner Grass, Branch & Bone LISTEN (Stereogum)
- Angelique Kidjo Sings with the Orchestre Philharmonique Du Luxembourg LISTEN (NY Times)
- King Mono Bump In The Night
- Lost Boy ? Canned LISTEN (Stereogum)
- Lower Dens . Escape From Evil LISTEN (NPR)
- Ludacris Ludaversal
- Madeon Adventure The 20-year-old French producer's debut album features appearances by Passion Pit's Michael Angelakos, Bastille's Dan Smith, and Foster The People's Mark Foster
- Jesse Malin New York Before the War
- Marching Church This World Is Not Enough Debut LP for new band led by Iceage frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt
- Missy Mazzoli Vespers for a New Dark Age LISTEN (NPR)
- Merchandise (Strange Songs) In The Dark Reissue of out-of-print 2010 debut album
- Nightwish Endless Forms Most Beautiful
- Only Real Jerk at the End of the Line LISTEN (YouTube)
- The Prodigy . The Day Is My Enemy Sleaford Mods and Flux Pavilion guest on the UK electronica act's 6th studio album and first since 2009
- Reptar Lurid Glow
- Darius Rucker Southern Style
- Runaway Brother Mother
- Boz Scaggs A Fool to Care
- Ron Sexsmith . Carousel One
- The Soft Moon Deeper LISTEN (NPR)
- The Sonics This Is the Sonics First new album in 48 years for the Washington state garage rockers
- Speak Low If You Speak Love Everything But What You Need
- Ringo Starr Postcards From Paradise
- The Staves . If I Was LISTEN (Stereogum) Justin Vernon produces
- Teenage Bottlerocket Tales From Wyoming
- Three Days Grace Human
- Ufomammut Ecate
- Van Halen Tokyo Dome Live In Concert 2xCD The band's first live album with David Lee Roth as frontman was recorded during a 2013 tour
- Violent Reaction Marching On LISTEN (Blow the Scene)
- Wale The Album About Nothing
- Ryley Walker . Primrose Green LISTEN (NPR)
- We Are Harlot We Are Harlot
- Scott Weiland Blaster Former Stone Temple Pilots frontman's first album with his new band, the Wildabouts
- William Elliott Whitmore Radium Death
- Zero 7 EP3 EP
Stream upcoming albums and new tracks
- Jessie Baylin ALBUM Dark Place streaming until its 4/7 release at NPR.
- The Darkness TRACK "Open Fire" streaming at YouTube.
- Tom DeLonge TRACK "The Invisible Parade" streaming at YouTube (lyric video).
- Drenge ALBUM Undertow streaming until its 4/7 release at NPR.
- Dutch Uncles TRACK "Realm" (new B-side) streaming at NME.
- Earl Sweatshirt & Action Bronson TRACK "Warlord Leather" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Glass Candy TRACK "Shell Game" streaming at SoundCloud.
- How to Dress Well TRACK "Pour Cyril (Live With Orchestra)" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Hudson Mohawke TRACK "Very First Breath" (feat. Irfane) streaming at SoundCloud.
- Jamie xx TRACK "Gosh" streaming at YouTube.
- Leftfield TRACK "Universal Everything" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Memory Tapes TRACK "Fallout" streaming at SoundCloud.
- The Mountain Goats ALBUM Beat the Champ streaming until its 4/7 release at NPR.
- Róisín Murphy TRACK "Exploitation (Single Edit)" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Muse TRACK "Dead Inside" streaming at YouTube (lyric video).
- Prurient TRACK "Dragonflies To Sew You Up" streaming at YouTube.
- Roots Manuva TRACK "Facety 2:11" (prod. by Four Tet) streaming at SoundCloud.
- Royal Thunder ALBUM Crooked Doors streaming until its 4/7 release at NPR.
- Say Lou Lou ALBUM Lucid Dreaming streaming until its 4/6 release at NPR.
- SBTRKT TRACK "FLAREtWO" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Son Lux TRACK "Change Is Everything" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Omar Souleyman TRACK "Enssa El Aatab" (prod. by Modeselektor) streaming at SoundCloud.
- Mavis Staples TRACK "Your Good Fortune" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Tanlines TRACK "Invisible Ways" streaming at YouTube.
- Toro Y Moi TRACK "Run Baby Run" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Turbo Fruits TRACK "No Reason to Stay" streaming at SoundCloud.
- WATERS TRACK "What's Real" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Patrick Watson TRACK "Places You Will Go" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Waxahatchee ALBUM Ivy Tripp streaming until its 4/7 release at NPR.
- Paul Weller TRACK "Saturns Pattern" streaming at YouTube.
TRACK "nO less" streaming at SoundCloud.
TRACK "Roulette" streaming at SoundCloud.
ALBUM What For streaming until its 4/7 release at NPR.
On TV this week (new episodes only)
Monday: Børns (Meyers), Mac DeMarco (Conan), Hundred Waters (Carson Daly), The Suffers (Letterman), Van Halen (Kimmel), Wale (Fallon)
Tuesday: Alt-J (Fallon), Dead Sara (Meyers), Echosmith (Corden), Hidden Ritual (Carson Daly), Houndmouth (Letterman), Van Halen (Kimmel)
Wednesday: Death Cab for Cutie (Kimmel), Milky Chance (Fallon), Olly Murs (Corden), Waters (Conan), The Wolf (Carson Daly)
Thursday: Above & Beyond (Carson Daly), Calexico (Conan), Fat White Family (Letterman), The Smashing Pumpkins (Fallon), Van Halen (Ellen), Brian Wilson (Kimmel), Years & Years (Meyers)
Friday: Banks (Letterman), Elle King (Fallon)
Saturday: Carly Rae Jepsen (Saturday Night Live)
Recent artist and industry news
Jay Z (along with Kanye West, Arcade Fire, Daft Punk, Rihanna, Jack White, Beyoncé, and other artists revealed today as co-owners of the company) has launched Tidal, a new streaming music service that costs $19.99/month but provides higher quality audio than some of its competitors. Billboard rounds up a bit of industry reaction to the new service.
The Elliott Smith documentary Heaven Adores You will screen at a number of theaters worldwide on select dates in May; check the official site for theaters and showtimes.
Radiohead's OK Computer is among the recordings selected this year for preservation in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
Apple is working on a revamped music streaming service (a successor to Beats Music) with the help of Trent Reznor. - NY Times
As previously reported, the worldwide release day for albums will shift to Fridays later this year. Now we know when the change will happen: Friday, July 10th.
The latest music videos
Run The Jewels feat. Zack de la Rocha, "Close Your Eyes (And Count To F**k)":
Death Grips, "I Break Mirrors With My Face in The United States":
Built to Spill, "Living Zoo":
Dan Deacon, "When I Was Done Dying":
tUnE-yArDs, "Wait for a Minute":
Passion Pit, "Lifted Up (1985)":
Jamie xx feat. Romy, "Loud Places":
Martin Gore, "Europa Hymn":
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, "Multi-Love":
Torche, "Annihilation Affair":
The Smashing Pumpkins, "Drum + Fife":
Brandon Flowers, "Can't Deny My Love":
In the studio / coming soon
The xx's Jamie xx will release his solo debut album, In Colour, on June 1st. Members of The xx guest, along with Four Tet and Young Thug.
De La Soul have turned to Kickstarter to fund a new album that will feature collaborations with David Byrne, Damon Albarn, Little Dragon, 2 Chainz, and more.
Put together Danny Seim of Menomena and The National's Bryan Devendorf, plus horn player Dave Nelson, and you have the new band Pfarmers. Their debut, Gunnera, arrives May 12. - Pitchfork
Though Modest Mouse's Big Boi collaboration will apparently remain in the vault, their work with Krist Novoselic will surface on the next Modest Mouse album, which is expected to arrive in the first half of 2016. - CoS
A reunited System of a Down have written new music and could return to the studio soon to record their first album since 2005. - CoS
Omar Souleyman's next album (Bahdeni Nami, out 7/28) will once again feature production from Four Tet, this time joined as well by Modeselektor and Gilles Peterson.
Electronica outfit Leftfield will release Alternative Light Source, their first album since 1999, on June 8th. - Rolling Stone
Visit Metacritic's Album Release Calendar for a full listing of upcoming release dates, updated daily.
Tours and festivals
The lineup for this summer's Lollapalooza includes Paul McCartney, Metallica, and Florence + The Machine.
San Francisco's Outside Lands festival in August will feature Elton John, Mumford and Sons, the Black Keys, Sam Smith, Kendrick Lamar, and more.
Action Bronson will be on the road into the fall. - CoS
Neko Case has new dates in April and June. - CoS
Death Grips will tour this summer (despite recently breaking up). - Pitchfork
Hamilton Leithauser has a 17-date solo tour planned for late spring. - CoS
Van Halen's summer tour stretches from July into October. - Billboard