This Month's Picks
Alligator Bites Never Heal [Translucent Hazel Vinyl] (LP)
Doechii
The rapper’s third mixtape earned her three Grammy nominations for its quirky beats, clever lyrics, and incorporation of genres like jazz rap, EDM, and soul. “Boom Bap” is a highlight with its funny lyrics criticizing the supposed rules of the hip-hop genre. “Denial is a River” has a fun throwback vibe with equally witty rhymes, while “WAIT” is a smoother R&B-inflected number.
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Genre:
Hip Hop
Spiral In A Straight Line [Rose-Tinted Color Vinyl] (LP)
Touché Amoré
It’s been 4 long years since post-hardcore heroes Touché Amoré have dropped an album, but that comes to an end with Spiral In A Straight Line . With super producer Ross Robinson returning at the helm, both the band and producer deftly channel their personal turmoil and struggles during the creation of Spiral into a sonic therapy session of emotion. Spiral also features appearances by indie luminaries Lou Barlow on “Subversion (Brand New Love)”, and Julien Baker on the closing track, “Goodbye For Now.”
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Genre:
Rock
The Night The Zombies Came [Crystal Clear/Red Smoke Vinyl] (LP)
Pixies
The legendary Pixies are back with another excellent and intriguing new LP. The Night the Zombies Came is as imaginative and unexpected as its goofy title. The tracks incorporate a number of genre flourishes into the band's edgy, electrifying rock 'n' roll sound. Traces of beguiling British folk, moody murder ballads, gospel-like choruses, relentless punk rock, and twangy Spaghetti Western imbue the album with a scintillating darkness that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. This is an album you won't be able to get enough of.
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Genre:
Rock
BETA (LP)
Peter Cat Recording Co.
Indian rock band Peter Cat Recording Co. deliver the psych rock goods on their new album BETA . Brimming with ‘60s and ‘70s grooves, these melodic tracks are helmed by Suryakant Sawhney’s smooth vocals, and tinged with bossa nova, psychedelia, and Indian folk pop. The opening track, “Flowers R. Blooming,” is a whimsical, experimental mashup of sounds, while “Foolmuse” could be a loungier Arctic Monkeys tune. Elsewhere, “Black and White” incorporates an unexpected disco beat on this eclectic, absorbing album.
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Genre:
Easy Listening
Wild God (CD)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
The latest from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds is as ecstatic, strange, and questing as life itself. Wild God runs the gamut from the rollicking and picaresque to the poignant and extraordinary. The album feels radical in its belief in beauty and transcendence after the darkest nights; the power of the band's earlier excursions into the murk and the mire still rumbles beneath these compositions, even as they showcase the surprising twists and turns of our time here on this mortal coil. Cave has said that "joy" was considered as a title for this album and while the phrase "Wild God" packs in more of the mystery and awe of the experience, joy is certainly an appropriate descriptor of the way you'll feel while listening.
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Genre:
Rock
No Obligation (CD)
The Linda Lindas
The Linda Lindas prove once again that they are one of the coolest, most rock 'n' roll bands in music today. On No Obligation , the band serves up scathing punk and irresistible power pop, informed by riot grrrl, indie rock, new wave, post-punk, and garage. The Linda Lindas set the tone right out the gate with the title track, a blistering basement punk jam, before somehow seamlessly shifting to a gorgeous yet gritty, droll and catchy mode via "All in My Head." As the album progresses, the energy never stops, with the band joyfully experimenting (and succeeding) with genre after genre. No Obligation is a thoroughly enjoyable, full-speed-ahead odyssey through underground rock 'n' roll.
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Genre:
Rock
Paradise Pop. 10 [Yellow Vinyl] (LP)
Christian Lee Hutson
The third album from indie folk singer/songwriter Christian Lee Hutson was inspired by his move from L.A. to NYC, and the welcome new perspective he gained. Featuring collaborations with artists like Phoebe Bridgers (“Flamingos”) - who also produced the record - and Maya Hawke (“Carousel Horses”), Paradise Pop. 10 offers gentle introspection and a relatable wistfulness. Highlights include the shimmering ballad “After Hours” and the lively closing track “Beauty School,” featuring Katy Kirby.
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Genre:
Rock
Manning Fireworks [Red Vinyl] (LP)
MJ Lenderman
The much-buzzed about MJ Lenderman returns with some of the finest work of his brief yet dazzling career. Manning Fireworks is autumnal and essentially lonesome, a record that feels warm, gracious, and ever-so-slightly optimistic, even as Lenderman chronicles the unrepentant foibles and failures of his songs' characters. The music is twangy, fuzzed out, and gritty: it's the sound of epic yet angsty nights out where the lines blur between melancholic hedonism and letting the good times roll. Going nowhere fast has never sounded so good.
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Genre:
Rock
Polaroid Lovers (CD)
Sarah Jarosz
Sarah Jarosz seventh studio album, Polaroid Lovers , delivers her viscerally potent and resplendent brand of folk-rock, while exploring the ephemeral moments that indelibly shape our lives. The alchemy of Jarosz's finely wrought lyricism, gorgeous vocal work, and virtuosic yet unfettered musicality creates an album-long meditation on love and longing.
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Genre:
Folk
Capricorn (CD)
Eddie 9V
Taking its name from the infamous Georgia recording studio, Capricorn is a big step in the evolution of Atlanta bluesman Eddie 9V. Whether it’s the N’awlins funk of lead single “Yella Alligator” or the simmering ‘70s soul of “Are We Through” or “How Long,” Eddie 9V spreads his wings and flies across the genres and decades on Capricorn .
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Genre:
Blues