As October strolls along, this week gives us plenty of big albums, but an onslaught of EPs as well which should allow for some quality listening time this weekend. Up first, the world’s biggest pop star, Bad Bunny, announced earlier in the week that a new album was on the way and today we get what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest releases of the year.
Led by some rather stunning singles, L’Rain’s latest record arrives today and it’s another foundational shift that places the artist in a genre all her own. Melding ambient jazz, electronics, R&B, and pop into a blend of intriguing and moving sounds makes her one of the most revelatory artists of her generation and makes her one of the most intriguing and vital musicians out there.
After electrifying clubs with the banger “Rush” over the summer, Troye Sivan drops his new album today which will surely satisfy the pop-craving fans out there and give a boost of excitement that will lead us to the dance floor for sure. Jamila Woods also has a new one today that continues her path of bubbling, effervescent jams that will have you grooving all weekend long.
After conquering Madison Square Garden with their grandest show yet, boygenius have dropped their new EP, the rest, which comes only months after their smash album the record took the indie world by storm, placing them as one of the top bands of the year. An absolute triumph that somehow exceed all of the hype.
Lilts is a side project from the dreamy rock outfit Wild Pink and today they share a new EP as well. There’s also a new EP from the one and only Ringo Starr as well as indie rockers Geese (not to be confused with jam band Goose), both of which will have you rocking along for a good time.
Returning to the moniker The Haxan Cloak for the first time in a decade, Bobby Krlic shared the turbulent and barbed electronic track “N/Y” this week and it’s an entrancing number that brings intense noise while still find a groove that drives it to completion.
Following their 2015 reunion, The Libertines are back at it once more and today they've shared “Run Run Run,” the first single from their upcoming album, and it’s a classic sounding true-blue rock and roller, a great return-to-form number that suggests a cleaned-up sound that still knows how to highlight their strengths.
Yumi Zouma have an EP on the way and this week shared another track from the upcoming release. “be okay” offers less of a shimmering dream-pop gloss, but still finds its niche with fuzzy guitars and a dried-out sound that shows the band has more tricks up their sleeves than one might’ve guessed.
The latest track from Hotline TNT is a rumbling shoegaze affair with thick, lush guitars that bristles with an electric sheen of heavily coated distortion, burying the vocals in the mix, just a tad below the surface, giving it a bit of a ‘90s alt-rock haze.
The reunited blink-182 are about to release their first album as the classic core trio in over a decade and today they’re back with their best single so far. There’s a drum beat that borrows from The Cure’s “Close to Me” and the typical Blink style lyrics of overblown immaturity, but you can escape it just enough to enjoy a better than expected throwback from a forever fun band.
Phoenix are never ones to shy away from a collaboration and this week they’ve teamed up with Chad Hugo and Pusha T to deliver a killer new take on the track “All Eyes on Me.“ This week also gave us another glimpse of the second record of the year from the great new band bar italia and the latest is a stark number that embraces their minimal approach to post-punk.
In honor of the twentieth anniversary of the landmark albums Give Up and Transatlanticism, Ben Gibbard has been busy on tour with his bands The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie to honor these albums and to add to the lasting impact, The Beths and Car Seat Headrest have come together for a split single to cover “Brand New Colony” and “We Looked Like Giants,” respectively.
Albums:
Bad Bunny | Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana
L’Rain | I Killed Your Dog
Jamila Woods | Water Made Us
Margo Price | Strays II
Troye Sivan | Something To Give Each Other
Offset | Set It Off
The Drums | Jonny
Spencer Krug | I Just Drew This Knife
boygenius | the rest EP
Ringo Starr | Rewind Forward EP
Pinkshift | suraksha EP
Lilts | Waiting Around EP
Geese | 4D Country EP
Songs:
The Haxan Cloak | “N/Y”
The Libertines | “Run Run Run”
Beirut | “The Tern”
Yumi Zouma | “be okay”
Hotline TNT | “Out of town”
bar italia | “Jelsy”
blink-182 | “FELL IN LOVE”
MUNYA | “Sweetly”
Fred again… / Jozzy | “ten”
PinkPanthress | “Capable of love”
Ice Spice | “Pretty Girl” (ft Rema)
Phoenix | “All Eyez on Me” [remix] (ft BENEE, Chad Hugo, and Pusha T)
The Beths | “Brand New Colony” [The Postal Service cover]
Carseat Head Rest | “We Looked Like Giants” [Death Cab for Cutie cover]
If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2023) here!