Hey all! I’m Aislinn, the Assistant Music Director here at WHUS. This week, we have some great new Studio A Adds I think everyone should get pretty excited about. For me, the most exciting is the new Beck album – Morning Phase. It’s a little reminiscent of Sea Change and it’s also the first studio album Beck has released since 2008. Looking for something different? There’s also Tinariwen – Emmaar. They speak Taureg and are Grammy award winning. Don’t care about awards? I understand, but their music is good and the band itself has a very unique history. Check it out. We also have some other great albums reviewed this week. They’re all below.
New Added Releases:
** = Push
* = Recommend
| ARTIST | ALBUM | DESCRIPTION | LABEL |
| Beck** | Morning Phase | Melancholy, country & folk inspired indie rock a la musical genius Bec. Brilliant songwriting & immaculate production. Much like Beck’s Sea Change or Mutations. Aching acoustic and lovely. RIYL: Neil Young, Beck. FCC CLEAN. MD Recommends #2,4,5,7,9,10,12,13 | Capitol Records |
| Tinariwen** | Emmaar | Really cool rock in roll from Northern Mali. Hypnotizing and naturally psychedelic guitar riffs, lyrics sang in Taureg, language of their people. RIYL: Bombino MD Recommends! Try #1,2,5 | Anti – Records |
| Actress* | Ghettoville | Thick, intriguing and almost like a dream. Electronic music. Try #4,13 | Werkdiscs |
| Headshy* | La Belle Epoque | Well crafted collection of three distinct Eps 1) mellow, somber soft rock 2) more effects on guitars & prominent bass 3) full on moody psych rock | Medicina |
| Hospitality* | Trouble | Creative indie pop album. Swervy melodies, romantic lyrics and easy to listen to. Reminds me of Camera Obscura & Belle and Sebastian. Try #1,3,7 | Merge Records |
| Hurray for the Riff Raff* | Small Town Heroes | Easy listening, great female vocals with folk that isn’t all the repetitive same old, same old. Pretty catchy. Try #1,6,10. FCC Clean. | ATO Records |
| New Madrid* | Sunswimmer | Kind of like a folk-rock odyssey. Some songs heavier than others (#2,3,6) others more lowkey hymns. Parts like Radiohead, due to long song length. Very enjoyable. Play #1,3,4,& 5 | Normaltown Records |
| Sacco* | Sacco | Country-touched psychedelic garage rock. Has Tame Impala energy in the instrumentals, but kind of poppy/RnB vox. An interesting album full of satisfying songs. RIYL: Toro Y Moi, Tame Impala Try #4,2,7,8 FCC Clean | Sensibility Recordings |
| Adventure Galley | Anywhere that’s Wild | Synth pop/rock with huge sound but not much depth. Pretty simple synth lines and 80’s vox. FCC Warning #4,10 | Self-released |
| Against Me! | Transgender Dysphoria Blues | Alt/punk rock with politically charged commentary in the lyrics with the punchy instrumentation. For those who love poppy alt rock that also feels hard and political. | Total Treble Music |
| Atomic Bride | Electric Order | This EP lacks depth. Songs are flat and predictable and vox are weak with lack-luster instrumentation. | Self-released |
| Be Forest | Earthbeat | Dreamy post-punkwith subtle electronic undertones. Light, airy female vox and a bit of an emphasis on intricate percussion. #2,5,7 | WWNBB Collective |
| Book-Burners | People’s Songs | Grunge mixed with alternative. Try #2,3,9 | Latest Flame Records |
| ceo | Wonderland | Synth pop from Sweden – very catchy. Losts of kids and baby samples. Combo of rave-like tracks with lots of things going on. Pretty strange. RIYL: Touch Alliance | Modular |
| Cibo Matto | Hotel Valentine | Interesting experimental sound. Not for everyone, drum heavy with female vox. | BMI |
| Daniel Amedee | Climbing | Light and airy rock with some emotional string and horn sections. Try #4,5 | Self-released |
| Golondrina | Dom La Nena | Tiny, lowkey singer songwriter with lyrics in English, Spanish, & French. Purely whispered vox & pizziato cello. | Six Degrees Records |
| Holy Wave | Relax | Psych garage rock with drowned vox and chugging instrumentals. Very mellow for the most part, tons of textures. | The Reverberation Appreciation Society |
| Insurgents | Work Drugs | Electro indie pop. Mixes different elements of electronic music. RIYL: Phoenix, Chromatics, Neon Indian Try #3,6,7 | Bobby Cahn Records |
| Jillian Rae | Heartbeat | Pop with rock and country touches. Strong female vox with simple, audible lyrics. Most songs are fun Americana with cutesy town fair appeal. Try #4 | Iron Bull Records |
| Jupe Jupe | Crooked Kisses | Rock taking after the 00s rock that most people forget. Think The Killers with more synths. | Self-released |
| Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang | Four Foot Shack | The reigning prince of musical weirdness with some bass slapping, country guitar twanging and visual rambling lyrics. Think ignorant Moonshiner country and absolute bass skills. | ATO Records |
| Linnea Olsson | Ah! | Cello-based singer songwriter that manipulates her instrument a voice like synth. Pretty cool synth. RIYL: Joanna Newsom, Hundred Waters, & Regina Spektor | Gotterfunk Productions |
| Mark McGuire | Along the Way | Ambient-ish acoustic and electronic from the lead dude from Emeralds. Droning pieces of swirling guitar and synth slowly bloom into full movements. RIYL: Emeralds, Julianna Barwick | Dead Oceans |
| Mas Ysa | Worth EP | RnB and huge synths. Dude has opened for everyone from RZA to Deerhunter – dramatic synth pop with breathy, exasperated vox. Mooody but exciting.Try #6,2 | Downtown Records |
| Nathon Roberts and the New Birds | Nathan Roberts and the New Birds | Nothing too new, poppy and alternative. Delicate vox. RCC #2,5,6 | RC Wire Media |
| Nina Persson | Animal Heart | A different sound than what she did with the Cardigans. This album has more of an indie rock vibe. Try #2 | The End |
| Ryan D. White | Something Brilliant is About to Happen | Heavily produced pop rock. All tracks are uplifting and heavy on hooks. Some good harmonies. | Self-released |
| Sibille Attar | Sleepyhead | Indie pop rock voiced by a strong Bjork-esque lead. Groovy, sugary and at times grandoise. Strong first half but trails off towards end. Try #2,4 | Self-released |
| St. Paul & the Broken Bones | Half the City | A celebratoin of spirit & music. Soulful, monstrous singing – set with brass band and retro keys player. | Single Lock Records |
| Temples | Sun Structures | Psych pop very conflicting b/c its such a loveable genre, but simple and pretty normal. | Fat Possum Records |
| The Autumn Defense | Fifth | Beatles-like//Wilco-like with calm, vanilla songs that are accessible – acoustic guitar, vocal harmonies. | Yep Roc |
| The Casket Girls | True Love Kills the Fairy Tale | Ryan Graveface from Black Moth Super Rainbow and two sister singers = slightly eskew synth pop that’s super catchy. Very whimsical and dreamy. RIYL: BMSR MD Recommends #2,16,8,10 | Graveface Records |
| The Dawn Choir | Creatures of Habit | Rugged vox. Indie rock with acoustic guitars. Nice folky tunes. Slightly underwhelming lyrics. RIYL: Head and the Heart Try #1,3,7 | Paper Scissors Rock Music |
| The Farewell Drifters | Tomorrow Forecer | Folk-coutry pop with hearty slightly twangy vox backed with familiar harmonies. Try #3,4 | Compass Records |
| The Royal Oui | The Royal Oui | Cutrsey folk coutnry acousitc music for a rainy day. Like if She &Him were actually in a relationship and Zooey toned it down. | Self-released |
| together PANGEA | Badillac | Absolutely shred-city rock n roll that’s super fun and hard-hitting. 90’s rock influences abound, plus country rock touches. RIYL: Diarhhea Planet, King Tuff MD Recommends #3,6,1,7,2 | Harvest Records |
| Warpaint | Warpaint | Relaxed atmosphere. Chill vibes, likeable sounds. Rec #2,7,11 | Rough Trade |
| Water Liars | Water Liars | A more rock-headed Band of Horses or more country My Morning Jacket. Vox with southern accents, big guitar sound, lots of emotion. | Fat Possum Records |
| Woodsman | Woodsman | Somewhat trippy instrumentals guitar. Kind of ambient, kind of shoegazy. Mostly boring. | Fire Talk |
| Young Fathers | Dead | Experimental hip hop with singing elements whipped in. Great vocal harmonies, RnB beats, African influenced instrumentation. | anticon. |
Reviews do not reflect the attitudes of WHUS as a whole. These reviews are written by members of New Music Committee and not by the entire WHUS community.