Here we are, face to face with September and it’s difficult to be upset. In most ways this summer has been incredibly good to us; we should be very grateful. There’ve been a surplus of incredible shows and events to check out in WNY all season long and all of that great momentum just seems to be carrying over into the fall as well. In many ways we perceive Autumn as a season of decline, but it’s also a period of renewal and harvest. While autumn carries a certain nostalgic weight, it is also a chance to start fresh and look ahead to new beginnings. And new music. There's a ton of new music.
Rudi Zygaldo gets the name of his first transfixing single “Melpomene” from the Greek Muse of Singing who later becomes the Muse of Tragedy, often depicted with a mask in one hand and a knife or club in the other. After discovering this, the image itself becomes nicely aligned with said single from his newest release Tragicomedies. The Scotland native’s sound can be attributed to a mix of pop, contemporary electronic, and a touch of dubstep. He has previous released an LP Great Western Laymen from Planet Mu records out of Kent, England. Tragicomedies is due out 9/24. Listen to "Melpomene" below:
The xx are a South London quartet who came to prominence in 2009 with their sparse, yet fresh sounding self-titled debut. The xx received raved reviews and their popularity has since skyrocketed, enough to get them the #15 spot on (the predictable) Pitchfork’s People’s List, a recent tally the site undertook to measure their readers’ top 200 albums since the media publication launched in 1996. Yes, you could call them a buzz band, but even if you aren’t blown away by their minimal take on indie-pop, it doesn’t hurt to see what they’re up to 3 years and millions of fans later. I already have a few opinions about the latest single “Angels”, but give it a listen and decide for yourself what you think. Their album Coexist is due out 9/11 via Young Turks.
In May I had the great opportunity of seeing St. Vincent at Town Ballroom as she set out on her Strange Mercy tour and it was easily one of the best shows I’ve seen this year. In between songs during her outstanding performance she chatted with the audience and told a few stories, and that’s when I first heard that she would be releasing an album with none other than David Byrne, who she claims is one of her greatest influences. The former Talking Heads frontman and her started this project back in 2009 when they met at a benefit concert called Dark Was The Night put on by Red Hot. The two hit it off and after being asked to collaborate for a similar event by Housing Works, the two agreed to make music together. What started as a small undertaking of writing a few songs together, the project blossomed and they quickly agreed it would be a good idea to release a full collaborative album, obviously an amazing idea. The songs are unique in that they center around horn instruments instead of their typical respective guitar ensembles, which you can especially pick up on in the latest single from the album Love This Giant called “Weekend in the Dust”. The album is due out 9/11 via 4AD and can be pre-ordered here.
Lo-fi surf-rockers Dum Dum Girls recently set out to develop a cleaner sound on their sophomore record, Only In Dreams, released last year, and now they’re checking in with a 5-track EP, End of Daze due out 9/25. The latest track from the short stack, “Lord Knows”, was featured a couple weeks ago on the blog, citing the track’s full and anthemic tone. Listen to the “Lord Knows” below:
The opening track of orchestral indie-rock outfit Efterklang’s fourth LP Piramida, is rhythmically captivating, beginning with spacey pings layered with choral harmonies fading in and out, and wild snares running ear to ear. Lead singer Casper Clausens belts a gentle intro, “It’s impossible and over mountain Doka / and I wonder, I wonder, I wonder.” Since their 2010 album Magic Chairs, which first got them on board with 4AD, the group has been busy touring, writing, and even released a collaborative film with Vincent Moon called An Island, which is based around music from Magic Chairs. I highly recommend you download the 48 minute film, which you can do on a name-your-price basis here. What makes Piramida the group’s most compelling release to date is their recording process which consisted of the musicians spending 9 days on the Norwegian island of Spitzbergen taking over 1000 different recordings at the industrial settlement of Piramida, now a ghost town 1000 kilometers from the North Pole. Watch the intriguing trailer for the album below:
Chris Cohen has contributed to a lot of different projects in the last decade or so, including: The Curtains, Cryptacize, and Deerhoof. To add to his resume, Cohen has also toured with the likes of Ariel Pink, Cass McCombs and Danielson. Now, the 37-year-old Vermonter is releasing his very first collection under his own name due out 9/25 entitled Overgrown Path. The debut single from the album, “Caller No. 99”, is a catchy psych-rock ditty with phased-out guitar loops and Ringo-esque percussion. You can download it below:
4. Thee Oh Sees - Putrifiers II
3. Cat Power - Sun
Cat Power, otherwise known as Chan Marshall, is releasing new material for the first time in six years with her latest LP Sun, due out 9/4 on Matador. The album is available to stream over at The Guardian, and I’m sure you’ll find it on a few ‘best of 2012’ lists come December. The first single off the new record “Ruin” is an upbeat track (maybe her most cheery to date) with accelerating keys and drums that cross-stitch into a catchy rhythmic motif. Listen below:
2. Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
The New York-via-Baltimore experimental quartet released one of the best records of the past decade in 2009 with Merriweather Post Pavilion, and now 3 years later we are just itching to see how they will follow it up. Their answer: Centipede Hz. If you thought the Collective couldn’t get any freakier, think again. The album has been available to stream for a couple weeks now, and while it might not live up to the impression of its predessessor, it does not dissappoint in the slightest. The albums due out 9/4. Stream the ten song album complete with psychadelic videos here.
1. Grizzly Bear - Shields
The latest track from Grizzly Bear “Yet Again” off their newest record Shields might be their most gorgeous single to date. Ed Droste takes the reigns on vocals as the listener is drenched with expansive guitar strokes and trademark harmonies, and it seems Grizzly Bear has only gotten better at expanding their sonic bag-of-tricks. And this isn’t very surprising. Since 2009’s Veckatimest, which is easily the Brooklynites’ best record to date, the group has spent sometime touring and working on solo projects with Daniel Rossen releasing his EP Silent Hour/Golden Mile in March of this year and Chris Taylor releasing his record Dreams Come True under his CANT moniker last September. These creative endevors have only pushed this group’s creative potential even further, which is why Shields will be one of the best records of the year. Shields is due out 9/18 on Warp. Pre-order it here.
Thee Oh Sees’ debut single off their latest (and 14th) album “Flood’s New Light” deals the cascading tie-died riffs and kick/snare rhythms we’ve come to expect from the San Francisco outfit, but with a slightly more polished approach. Which is just fine, because sonically, it might be their most mature release yet. Even better news is that the group will be headlining a show here in WNY at Town Ballroom on 9/25. It get’s better: Ty Segall will be opening. Pre-order tickets here.
2. Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
The New York-via-Baltimore experimental quartet released one of the best records of the past decade in 2009 with Merriweather Post Pavilion, and now 3 years later we are just itching to see how they will follow it up. Their answer: Centipede Hz. If you thought the Collective couldn’t get any freakier, think again. The album has been available to stream for a couple weeks now, and while it might not live up to the impression of its predessessor, it does not dissappoint in the slightest. The albums due out 9/4. Stream the ten song album complete with psychadelic videos here.
The latest track from Grizzly Bear “Yet Again” off their newest record Shields might be their most gorgeous single to date. Ed Droste takes the reigns on vocals as the listener is drenched with expansive guitar strokes and trademark harmonies, and it seems Grizzly Bear has only gotten better at expanding their sonic bag-of-tricks. And this isn’t very surprising. Since 2009’s Veckatimest, which is easily the Brooklynites’ best record to date, the group has spent sometime touring and working on solo projects with Daniel Rossen releasing his EP Silent Hour/Golden Mile in March of this year and Chris Taylor releasing his record Dreams Come True under his CANT moniker last September. These creative endevors have only pushed this group’s creative potential even further, which is why Shields will be one of the best records of the year. Shields is due out 9/18 on Warp. Pre-order it here.
Fantastic writing!
And "The Sound of the Life of the Mind" Ben Folds Five - their first studio release since 1999. Due September 18th.
And debut full-length album "Kindling Theory" by The Etchings. Due September 7th.
And AJ Reimers' CPX full length "Wide Right Blues" Due September 21st.
Much love, but Piramida is definitely Efterklang's 4th LP. 1st was Tripper (2004), 2nd was Parades (2007), 3rd was Magic Chairs (2010), and now we're at number 4 with Piramida in 2012. They also have two EPs, their three-song One Sided LP, and then a live album/documentary Performing Parades.
"Islands" by the XX isn't a new single, it was released around 3 years ago.
That new Grizzly Bear track is incredible.
my 2nd fav track of the year Jon after that Japandroids single