This week features a gold mine of amazing new releases hailing from legendary musicians to up-and-coming, best new artists of the year contenders. Brooklyn band Yeasayer released their second album, Odd Blood, the followup to their breakthrough debut, All Hour Cymbals. While the hallucinatory pop maestros still remain within the mish mash realm of Eastern-flavored experimental, Odd Blood is definitely more bizarre, festive and serious; a work of men that have seen the world (check out their recent live in-studio 2/2, also re-broadcasted this morning. The boys are playing Neumos 4/20).
One of the most significant American poets of the past century, 60-year-old Gil Scott-Heron released I’m New Here, his first album in 16 years. The Godfather of proto-rap is still speaking revolution, but this time, he trades in his signature jazzy-blues for cover songs and spoken-word over dark, electronic soundscapes. Street beat, trip pop duo Phantogram releases their delicious, digitalized debut, Eyelid Movies after a taunting year of mind blowing performances. Fellow trip hoppers Massive Attack once again create impressive panoramic ambiance with Heligoland, but it’s the cameos that make this record pure artwork including artists Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio, Adrian Utley of Portishead and Damon Albarn of Gorillaz to name a few.
German producer Pantha du Prince (a.k.a. Hendrik Weber) creates an icy kingdom of chilly synths and crystal chimes with his third album, Black Noise. London hot shots Hot Chip put out another beatastic classic with One Life Stand. The Minneapolis rapper Dessa (the only female in hip hop collective Doomtree) lays out her dense and inspiring poetry on her new album Badly Broken Code (playing the Nectar Lounge with P.O.S. 2/12). Twin country-folk sisters The Watson Twins took a bold leap with their third album, Talking to You, Talking to Me, incorporating more groove heavy tunes to their organic twang. And, DC brother duo Bluebrain, formerly of the band The Epochs, released their dancey electro debut Soft Power.
Make sure to take a look at Largehearted Boy’s list before heading to your local record shop.
from Future Sons & Daughters on Filter U.S.
Ben + Vesper ‒ LuvInIdleness (MP3)
from LuvInIdleness on Sounds Familyre
Kath Bloom ‒ Heart So Sadly (MP3)
From Thin Thin Line on Caldo Verde Records
Bluebrain – Ten By Ten (MP3)
from Soft Power on Lujo Records
Drew Danburry ‒ Many Are Cold (MP3)
from Goodnight Gary on Emergency Umbrella
Dessa ‒ Dixon’s Girl
from A Badly Broken Code on Doomtree Records
Galactic – Heart of Steel (MP3)
from Ya-Ka-May on Anti-
Gil Scott-Heron – Me and the Devil
from I’m New Here on XL Recordings
Hot Chip – One Life Stand
from One Life Stand on Astralwerks
Massive Attack – Splitting the Atom
from Heligoland on Virgin
Allison Moorer – Broken Girl
from Crows on Rykodisc
Pantha Du Prince ‒ The Splendour (MP3)
from Black Noise on Rough Trade
Phantogram ‒ When I’m Small (MP3)
from Eyelid Movies on Barsuk
Screaming Females ‒ I Do (AIF)
from Singles on Don Giovanni Records
Shellshag ‒ Resilient Bastard (MP3)
from Rumors in Disguise on Starcleaner Records
Smile Smile ‒ Beg You to Stay (MP3)
from Truth on Tape on Kirtland Records
Schooner ‒ Feel Better (MP3)
from Duck Kee Sessions EP from Cytunes.org
Spy Island ‒ Vegan Witch Wars (MP3)
from At the Vegan Witch Trials on Ginger Gorilla Records
Theodore – Half-Pint
from Hold You Like a Lover on Moon Jaw Records
Undersea Poem – Menina Que Corre
from Undersea Poem on Six Degrees Records
Vinca Minor ‒ At Arms Length (MP3)
from Isolation on Second Shimmy Digital
The Watson Twins – U-N-Me (MP3)
from Talking to You, Talking to Me on Vanguard
Yeasayer – O.N.E. (MP3)
from Odd Blood on Secretly Canadian
2 Comments
I loved Yeasayer’s new album. It’s like the kind of sound that Pitchfork tries to force on us the last few years, but actually listenable. :-)
I also bought Phantogram’s album. Pretty good too.
Another two releases that worth mentioning, also released today which I bought:
Hollerado ‒ “Message in a bag”
The Moon And Her Mother ‒ “The Moon And Her Mother”
Both very good, have a listen.
I totally agree about Yeasayer! I think amping up their keyboard really served them well, but I’m curious to see how the world will react to such a change. Most people have a hard time letting bands evolve and grow, but we’ll see.
Thanks for the two suggestions! Hollerado especially seems like they’d put on one chaoticly fun show.