Is the year slowing down? When I looked at what was coming out this month, I started to realize that the new release stream is lightening as the year winds to a close. Soon, we will be reading a seemingly endless string of year end reviews (none of which matter by the way but ours, ours is the only one you should read, we have a lot of opinions and you need to see that we are generally right, me especially, I am the most right here) and we will not see much new music until 2014. So, what is in store for this last major month for new music in 2013?

November 5

Black Flag - What The...: Old dudes who should have retired awhile ago would like to desecreate  anything you might have held sacred.

Bright Eyes - A Christmas Album: A limited charity release from a number of years ago, Bright Eyes is apparently opening your holiday season up early. Like really early. Fun fact, you know how you always gave your mom or dad Christmas albums because that was what they liked...well kids can do that with Bright Eyes now, because we are all old, painfully old (the writer is 6 months away from his 30th birthday, not sure he is doing well with this fact).

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2: Oh dear lord, the first one of these came out when I was a freshman in high school. The cruel march of time marches on (he might need to talk through this, if you see the writer, tell him it will be ok).

Cut Copy - Free Your Mind: The Australian electronic group is back with one of the year's most danceable albums. Early singles have been a solid indication that the group has built upon their previous two albums, bringing them together into an excellent release. Check back on Wednesday for our review.


Dropkick Murphy's - Signed and Sealed in Blood (Box Set): If you need a gift for your friend with questionable taste in hats and/or beer, here ya go.

M.I.A. - Matangi: After a number of delays and label disputes, M.I.A. has returned with her fourth album. While her "rebel" status is starting to seem increasingly contrived, early buzz has been positive even if she seems to have cribbed the first single and video from things Azelia Banks did a year or two ago.




Sapphire Slows - Allegoria: Japanese artist, Sapphire Slows, is releasing her second album through LA's Not Not Fun label. The first single, "Animal Dreams," sounds similar to labelmates, Maria Minerva and LA Vampires. Textured electronic melodies haunted by vocals perfect for wandering around during the longer and longer nighttime.




November 12

Lady Gaga - Artpop: Seriously?

deadmau5 - We Are Friends Vol. 2: New music from that guy in the big helmet. Might appeal to you if you are currently rolling.

Wooden Shjips - Back to Land: Spaced out psych from the San Francisco group, a few whose members were behind last year's heavily underrated Moon Duo record. The title track is fantastic and will satisfy fans of groups like The Fresh & Onlys.




November 18

Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe: Dev Hynes has gone through a number of metamorphosis over the course of his career. Once Lightspeed Champion, the artist has reinvented himself as a pop music wunderkind, producing awesome tracks for Solange Knowles and Skye Ferreira. The first single, "Chamakay," may have been one of the year's best songs period. Hopefully this album lives up to its lofty promise.




November 26

Thee Oh Sees - Singles Collection, Volume 3: Just in time for Thanksgiving, Thee Oh Sees release another collection of music. At this point, I fully trust everything this groups does so I am just going to say it will be awesome and will totally scare your relatives. Play it while the pie is served.

Normally, we try to post songs right as they get released. Now, this worked well during the summer when everyone seemed to be putting things out at a trickle; however, summer is quickly careening to a halt. Mac and I looked around this week and noticed that everything was suddenly coming at a rapid clip. Actually, Mac looked me dead in the eye, pointed a gun right between my eyes and told me to go make a multiple song edition of Listener's Digest. There is no way we can keep up with the sheer bulk of new and worthwhile songs. So, being the selfless man I am (please don't ask my friends to confirm this) decided to round up some new stuff for your thursday. Also, Mac has gotten a bit extreme with his editorial coaxing.

Glasser - "Design:" A jittery synth pop song from Glasser's upcoming album,  set to be released on October 8. The video features Glasser, aka Cameron Messirow, anxiously dancing around a sparse room (tastefully furnished), her movements focused around a shifting computer animated object on a pedestool. The whole thing comes off as a racey video directed by a young Frasier Crane. The song is great though, it is pop music for the terminally anxious and uptight.




Jacco Gardner - "The End of August:" Gardner, a Dutch baroque pop musician, seems to be working from a playbook for songs I will gravitate towards. A spacey 60s' inflected song, "The End of August" capitalizes on the weirdness that permeates the air during the end of summer. It is a mix of melancholy and strangeness that I have trouble resisting. "The End of August" is the title track to a recently released 7'.



Blood Orange - "Chamakay:" Dev Hynes, aka Blood Orange, might be a time traveler. How else can I fully explain how pitch perfect 90s' this new video for "Chamakay" is. Look at it, this was made in 1995 and remained unreleased until this week, I am sure of it. Anyway, the video features Hynes going back to his mother's hometown of Georgetown, Guyana and meeting many family members for the first time.  Hynes dances in random places and generally employs 90s' dance moves throughout. The song, a haunting R&B song, features Chairlift lead singer, Caroline Polacheck on backing vocals.

Dev Hynes, better known as Blood Orange, has recently produced some great songs by Solange Knowles and Sky Ferreria. On each of these tracks, Hynes' production is sunny and hazey with pop tinged hints of melancholy.  Solange's "Losing You," was an especially great track that came at the very end of 2012.

For today's "Uncovered Covers," we have Blood Orange's home recorded cover of Kindness' 2012 standout single, "Cyan." Hynes has made into a piece of sultry electro-soul at times reminiscent of Prince. As always, enjoy!