After what has felt like several weeks of great new music in a row, we end March with what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest albums of the year, the follow-up to Renaissance, the new album from Beyoncé, Act II: Cowboy Carter. Billed as her country album, it’s already taken the music world by storm and will surely kick up dust as the reviews pour in and people debate the genre of the record. Regardless, the Queen told us earlier that she brought the riches for this one and with covers of the Beatles and Dolly Parton, a Beach Boys sample, and words of wisdom from Willie Nelson, it’s clear that Bey wasn’t messing around with this one.
After recently being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Sheryl Crow is back with a new album to add to her legendary discography and in her fourth decade of solo super stardom, she continues her incredible run with flying colors.
Shoegaze legends Ride have been reunited for a decade and to celebrate, they’re back with another new album that brings their brit-pop sensibilities with the swirling psychedelic sounds we’ve come to hope for and expect from the group.
Following last year’s mini-album Robed in Rareness, the space-rap visionaries Shabazz Palaces are back with a companion piece that features more guests and cosmic vibes. French producer Gasaffelstein has dropped his first album in five years and clocking in at under thirty minutes, it’s another quick one that manages to crank up the beats.
The trifecta of Puscifer, Primus, and A Perfect Circle are about to head out on a triple-headlining tour in which all bands will take the stage at the same time and rotate through songs together. It seems likely they’ll play songs from their brand new joint EP which features one track from each group.
Rising guitar icon Mdou Moctar is set to release his new album in May and this week he shared the scorching new single, “Imouhur,” a track about the preservation of his native language that’s under attack in his home country of Niger. It’s an enflamed and roaring tune that hits hard to reflects Moctar’s soaring passion.
Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale is back with a new album that’s due later this year and unlike his collaboration-heavy previous record, this one is set to be more of a solo endeavor that finds the forever pioneer of the avant-garde continuing to find new ground decades into his career.
The follow-up to St. Vincent’s 2021 record Daddy’s Home is coming soon and this week she shared the gloomy new song “Flea” which features the legend Dave Grohl on drums and brings more ominous sounds to her new highly stylized rock demeanor.
After sharing new songs with Carly Rae Jepsen and Panda Bear, Bullion has dropped a slinky new tune that doesn’t need any outside assistance, it’s bubbling effect and shimmering melodies brightening up the mood with every measure.
Legends of the underground ‘90s Midwest post-rock scene, the duo of Jim O’Rourke and David Grubbs, best known as Gastr de Sol, have announced their first new album in 26 years. We Have Dozens of Titles is a collection of live tracks and studio recordings that the band never released and this week they previewed the first track, a recording of “The Seasons Reverse” from their final show.
In conjunction with last year’s re-release of the best-ever concert film Stop Making Sense, the production company A24 will release a Talking Heads cover album this year and this week we were treated to Lorde covering the band’s version of the Al Green classic “Take Me to the River.”
Albums:
Beyoncé | Act II: Cowboy Carter
Sheryl Crow | Evolution
Ride | Interplay
The High Llamas | Hey Panda
Shabazz Palaces | Exotic Birds Of Prey
Kelly Moran | Moves In The Field
Gesaffelstein | GAMMA
Omar Souleyman | Erbil
Rico Nasty / Boys Noize | HVRDCORE DR3AMZ EP
Puscifer / Primus / A Perfect Circle | Sessanta E.P.P.P. EP
Songs:
Mdou Moctar | “Imouhur”
John Cale | “How We See the Light”
St. Vincent | “Flea”
Hovvdy | “Make You Proud”
youbet | “Nurture”
Bullion | “Affection”
Sam Morton | “Let’s Walk in the Night” (ft Alabaster DePlume)
Inter Arma | “Concrete Cliffs”
Gastr de Sol | “The Seasons Reverse” (live)
Lorde | “Take Me to the River” [Talking Heads / Al Green cover]
If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2024) here!