It’s the first day of Autumn, and the new releases are falling all over the place. The sophomore release from Alt-J is finally officially out. KEXP’s Music Director Don Yates notes, “this English band carries on with their second album, a generally more subdued, organic and atmospheric take on the band’s quirky, expansive prog-pop, combining intricate, unpredictable arrangements with Joe Newman’s warbling, high-pitched vocals and cryptic lyrics.”
We just had a live in-studio session with local artist Perfume Genius, whose third album, Too Bright, hits stores today. “Co-produced by Portishead’s Adrian Utley along with Ali Chant, Too Bright features a fuller, edgier and more dramatic sound than his previous releases, combining stately piano, buzzing synths and guitars and ominous noise with his tremulous vocals and intimate, often-biting lyrics.”
Yesterday’s in-studio guest S (a.k.a. Jenn Ghetto of Carissa’s Wierd) worked with Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla as producer on her fourth album, and as a result, “Cool Choices is an excellent set of emotionally cutting indie pop-rock with a crisp, clean sound combining jangly guitars, propulsive rhythms and occasional piano and synths with her breathy vocals and intimate lyrics of a failed relationship.”
Aphex Twin shares his first album in 13 years, “a typically masterful set of acid techno flavored with funk, hip hop, jungle and other styles, with intricately arranged jams combining squiggly synths, funky breakbeats, jittery bass lines and warm melodies.” Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy teams up with his son, Spencer, for a new project, Tweedy, whose debut is “a 20-song double album ranging from hook-filled psych-pop and subdued folk-rock to sprawling prog-influenced jams.” Mr. Twin Sister (the band formerly known as simply “Twin Sister”) release an “impressive, beautifully executed blend of club-friendly electro-pop and reflective dream-pop, combining glittering synths, sleek guitars and propulsive rhythms with smooth vocals and lyrics revolving around identity and isolation.” Legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen celebrates his 80th birthday with a new album, “ranging from bluesy ballads to slinky funk-pop, combining a mostly spare sound with his deep, growling vocals and evocative lyrics ranging from personal concerns of love and mortality to reflections on 9/11 and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.”
And there’s a ton more: just scroll down and check it out.
Alt-J - “Every Other Freckle”
from This Is All Yours on Canvasback / Infectious Music
Aphex Twin - “minipops 67 [120.2][source Field Mix]“
from Syro on Warp
Bonnie “Prince” Billy - “It’s Time To Be Clear”
from Singer’s Grave a Sea of Tongues on Drag City
Chuck Prophet - “Wish Me Luck”
from Night Surfer on Yep Roc Records
Dntel - “If I Stay a Minute”
from Human Voice on Leaving Records / Stones Throw
The Drums - “Magic Mountain”
from Encyclopedia on Universal
Dustin Wong & Takako Minekawa - “She He See Feel”
from Savage Imagination on Thrill Jockey
Dwarves - “Hate Rock”
from Dwarves Invented Rock & Roll on Recess Records/Greedy Records
Empires - “How Good Does It Feel”
from Orphan on Chop Shop/Island Records
Erasure - “Stayed A Little Late Tonight”
from The Violet Flame on Mute
Fiancé - “Ivy”
from EP1 EP on SQE Music
Foxes In Fiction - “Shadow’s Song”
from Ontario Gothic on Orchid Tapes
Gary Clark, Jr. - “When My Train Pulls In”
from Live on Warner Bros.
George Harrison
from The Apple Years 1968–75 on CMG
Girl Tears - “Tension”
from Tension on Lolipop Records
GOAT - “Hide From The Sun”
from Commune on Sub Pop
Groundislava - “Girl Behind The Glass Ft. Rare Times”
from Frozen Throne on Wedidit Records
The Growlers - “Chinese Fountain”
from Chinese Fountain on Everloving
Holy Sons - “All Too Free”
from The Fact Facer on Thrill Jockey
Information Society - “The Prize”
from _hello world on Hakatak
John Coltrane
from Offering: Live at Temple University on Impulse!/Resonance
Julian Casablancas + The Voidz - “Human Sadness”
from Tyranny on Cult Records
Kasper Bjørke - “Rush (feat. Tobias Buch)”
from After Forever on HFN
King Tuff - “Black Moon Spell”
from Black Moon Spell on Sub Pop
Laetitia Sadier - “Ceci Est Le Cœur”
from Something Shines on Drag City
Leonard Cohen - “You Got Me Singing”
from Popular Problems on Columbia
LIGHTS - “Up We Go”
from Little Machines on Warner Bros. Records
Lower Plenty - “Life/Thrills”
from Life/Thrills on Mexican Summer
LVL UP - “I Feel OK”
from Hoodwink’d on Double Double Whammy
Markéta Irglová - “This Right Here”
from Muna on Anti-
Mary Lattimore / Jeff Zeigler - “The White Balloon”
from Slant of Light on Thrill Jockey
Mr Twin Sister - “Blush”
from Mr Twin Sister on Infinite Best / Twin Group
Nada Surf - “No Quick Fix”
from B-Sides on Barsuk
Otis Brown III - “You’re Still The One” ft. Gretchen Parlato”
from The Thought of You on Blue Note
Perfume Genius - “Queen”
from Too Bright on Matador
Purling Hiss - “Forcefield of Solitude”
from Weirdon on Drag City
S - “Losers”
from Cool Choices on Hardly Art
SBTRKT - “Wonder Where We Land (Ft. Sampha)”
from Wonder Where We Land on XL Recordings
Smashing Pumpkins - “Ava Adore”
from Adore reissue on Virgin/UMe
Sondre Lerche - “Sentimentalist”
from Please on Mona
Sun Ra & His Arkestra - “Plutonian Nights” (Original Tape Master)
from In the Orbit of Ra on Strut
Terror Pigeon
from Live It Up Before You Die It Up! on Stay Magical
Terry Malts - “Don’t”
from Insides EP on Slumberland
TOKiMONSTA - “Steal My Attention”
from Desiderium on Young Art Records
Tweedy - “I’ll Sing It”
from Sukierae on Anti-
Walter TV - “Master Ludi”
from Appetite on Sinderlyn
Weird Womb - “Luxury Punks”
from Laziness EP on Midriff Records
Whirr - “Mumble”
from Sway on Graveface Records
Youth Code - “Consuming Guilt”
from A Place to Stand EP on Dais Records