9. Young Fathers - TAPE TWO
Young Fathers will follow-up their excellent TAPE ONE EP released earlier this year with TAPE TWO set for official release on 6/11. You can hear the ambitious 9-track EP in-full now over at Dazed Digital’s Soundcloud.
8. Spectrals - Sob Story
Spectrals are back with their sophomore record Sob Story, which was released yesterday via Wichita Recordings. The Record was produced by Girls' JR White and can be slightly likened to the recently disbanded duo with sprawling slide guitar and catchy classic rock melodies. Listen to the title track below:
7. Camera Obscura - Desire Lines
On the Glasgow quintet’s latest single off the forthcoming record Desire Lines (out today via 4AD) “Do It Again” lead singer Tracyanne Campbell is straightforward: “Turn down the lights now / let’s do it again.” The upbeat little number doesn’t seem to stray far from the band’s previous releases in 2006’s Let’s Get Out Of this Country and 2009’s My Maudlin Career, but no one’s complaining. Camera Obscura have made a career out of crafting their perfectly twee-lilted indie pop, but they’ve done it consistently. Listen to “Do It Again” below:
6. Smith Westerns - Soft Will
Smith Westerns impressed a lot of people with their debut self-titled record and 2011’s Dye It Blonde, and with their latest singles “3am Spiritual” and “Varsity” the group looks to complete their glam-rock trifecta with Soft Will, which is out June 25 via Mom+Pop. Check out the video for “Varsity” below:
5. Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends
The first track and video, “Atomic Man,” released from Portugal. The Man’s eighth studio album, has a white-washed sound that Censored Colors and American Ghetto songs don’t. Produced by Danger Mouse, it has a witty likeness to fellow Danger Mouse artists, but the synthetic-beats and metallic quality of John Baldwin Gourley’s vocals lack the rawness they’re known for. The album is streaming now, and will be an excellent alternative to less stimulating pop-rock tracks that can clog the radiowaves of the season.
4. Sigur Ros - Kveikor
Sigur Ros’ seventh studio album, Kveikur (put out by XL Records), returns the Icelandic band to a sound more reminiscent of their native landscape: beautiful, barren, and rocky. The first single and video released, “Isjaki,” retains some of the watery electronics prevalent on Valtari, their 2012 release, but harkens back to the chimes, post-rock guitar, and traditional beats on Takk and ( ). As usual, this album will be released to excited praise; because there’s always someone who will love it more than the last, and probably more than anything else. That’s one of the greatest qualities of Sigur Ros’ music: it never fails to touch a heart. Check out the lyric video to "Isjaki" below:
3. Eleanor Friedberger - Personal Record
Eleanor Friedberger, who’s playing at The Ninth Ward at Babeville tonight, released her sophomore LP Personal Record today on Merge. Anyone who likes the Fiery Furnaces will like this release, it’s full of quirky rhythms and sun-drenched folk-pop sincerity. Watch the video for "Stare At The Sun" below:
2. Disclosure - Settle
UK dance-pop duo Disclosure are brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence. At just 18 and 21, the brothers are crafting some supremely excellent music on their latest record Settle which was released yesterday on PMR. “Latch” is a palpable and airy track featuring Sam Smith that drips with boiling texture, flaunting itself this way and that via bubbling percussion and synth lines. Listen to “Latch” below:
1. Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
8. Spectrals - Sob Story
7. Camera Obscura - Desire Lines
6. Smith Westerns - Soft Will
5. Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends
4. Sigur Ros - Kveikor
3. Eleanor Friedberger - Personal Record
2. Disclosure - Settle
1. Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
Tomorrow’s Harvest, Boards of Canada’s first studio album in eight years, streamed over YouTube yesterday, and was reviewed with a special kind of dystopian-fervor reserved for musicians who have stood the test of time—and come back from its brink. Like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Boards of Canada have managed to meld their former sound into something cuter and oddly current-sounding. The single and video, “Reach for the Dead,” is rhythmic, simplistic, and aerial in a way that might at first strike you as surface, but could actually be deeply beautiful.
You missed the new Sean Nelson solo record. Good shit!