Another short week into 2023 and I’m already feeling overwhelmed (in the best possible way) by all the new music that is coming our way. Avant-guard icon and former Velvet Underground member John Cale strikes back with a new record that continues to propel his mystique and knack for creating revolutionary absurd and forward-thinking music. A deep exploration of sonic textures and still unlike anyone else, Cale continues to push boundaries nearly half a century into his legendary career.
Early in the month, Mac DeMarco announced his latest record, an instrumental album that even without lyrics still fits his goofy persona with the name Five Easy Hot Dogs. Like clockwork, Guided By Voices have a new one this week. Even after being sidelined by an injury on tour in December, there’s no slowing down Robert Pollard.
Rising hip-hop star Ice Spice made a splash last summer with her hit “Munch” and followed it up with the singles “Bikini Bottom” and the recent “In Ha Mood,” today she’s surprised release her debut EP which includes those three tracks plus three more which further capture her unique approach to the harsh realm of New York Drill.
Avant-composer and overall musical wizard Ryuichi Sakamoto returned with 12 this week. An album created after Sakamoto learned of his own cancer diagnosis, each track driven by piano and electronics that give a haunting reflection to coming to terms with your fate. Ty Segall’s band The C.I.A. will release their new album, the follow-up to their 2018 debut, this week and underground post-hardcore noise-rock band Brainiac drop what they’re calling “the last missive” from their archives.
The holy trinity of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus appeared on the Coachella poster last week as their collective band boygenius and now they’ve announced their debut full-length, the record, and shared three new tracks, each song by a different member of the group. While their EP paid homage to Crosby, Stills, and Nash in both its cover art and folk-rock sound with rich harmonies, this time they’ve paid tribute to Nirvana with a shot-by-shot replica of their Rolling Stone cover shoot and album art that strongly resembles Pearl Jam’s iconic debut Ten. Hopefully this suggests some possible grunge influence on the album and based on the Baker-led “$20,” it doesn’t seem out of the question.
New Jersey trio Screaming Females have one of the hottest streaks in indie rock with sold album after solid album making up their discography and after nearly five years, they roared back this week with the crushing “Brass Bell,” the lead single off their long-awaited new album. Wednesday dropped the brutal track “Bull Believer” last year and this week they released the buzzing “Chosen to Deserve,” both of which will appear on their new record due this coming spring.
Following a stint of intense writer’s block, The National have returned with a new, true to form song with an album to follow in April. After taking some time to focus on her mental health, Arlo Parks has announced her sophomore record and shared the jubilant “Weightless.” Both records from Parks and The National will feature Phoebe Bridgers as a guest vocalist.
Last year, Overmono had the club banging with their excellent track “Gunk” and now they’ll finally release their long-awaited full-length debut which features the throbbing “Is U” and is sure to be one of the most anticipated dance records of the year. Seoul and New York based artist Yaeji also announced a highly-anticipated debut record that follows some killer EPs and the lead single “For Granted” weaves itself into a technicolor wonder that is sure to kill the dance floor.
Noise-rock institution Deerhoof announced that their new album would be their first entirely sung in Japanese and the first recorded in a studio. The lead single still sounds just as you’d expect from the group and proves their status as a true staple of musical avant-guard. Model/Actriz revive the dance-punk sound of Williamsburg in the early aughts and sharpen it up with more of an industrial groove.
The best song of 2022, “Step By Step” by Braxe + Falcon featuring vocals by Panda Bear got a new remix from Axel Bowman (the artist behind two honorable mentions) which gives it life-affirming touches and elevates it to primo-level club music sure to soundtrack many moments of pure euphoria. After dropping the popping new song “Rumble” and sharing a surprise three-night run in London with Four Tet and Fred again.. Skrillex has dropped yet another new single, this one featuring stellar bars from Bobby Raps.
Albums:
John Cale | MERCY
Mac DeMarco | Five Easy Hot Dogs
Guided By Voices | LA LA LAND
Ryuichi Sakamoto | 12
The C.I.A. | Surgery Channel
Oddisee | To What End
We Are Scientists | Lobes
Ladytron | Time’s Arrow
Ice Spice | Like..?
Brainiac | The Predator Nominate EP
Songs:
boygenius | “$20” / “Emily I’m Sorry” / “True Blue”
Screaming Females | “Brass Bell”
The National | “Tropic Morning News”
Yaeji | “For Granted”
Arlo Parks | “Weightless”
Overmono | “Is U”
Andy Shauf | “Telephone”
Kelela | “Contact”
Model/Actriz | “Crossing Guard”
Deerhoof | “Sit Down, Let Me Tell You a Story”
Pile | “Nude with a Suitcase”
Wednesday | “Chosen to Deserve”
Skrillex / Bobby Raps | “Leave Me Like This”
Dean Blunt | “NOLA Freestyle”
Kali Uchis | “I Wish You Roses”
Kim Petras | “brrr”
Tanukichan | “Thin Air” (ft Enumclaw)
Caroline Rose | “Miami”
Björk | “Ovule” (ft Shygirl) [Sega Bodega remix]
Braxe + Falcon | “Step by Step” (ft Panda Bear) [Axel Bowman’s In The Air Version]
If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2023) here!