Gold Soundz: October 18, 2024

This week's suggested new music, curated by omg!nyc

The end of October seems to be rapidly approaching and the onslaught of new albums keeps coming as well. This week, Christopher Owens returns with his first solo album in nearly a decade. The former Girls singer and frontman has shared a handful of singles thus far and all signs point to this being a return to form of his sound and songwriting skills after a lengthy time away where he dealt with tragedy, loss, and other unimaginable struggles which helped shape the album.

Giving it their final farewell, Japandroids have declared this to be their final album and while we haven’t heard from this duo in nearly five years, they’re here to give us one final emphatic chant of “whoa oh ohs” and killer riffs that’ll have you dreaming of getting in the pit for this one last time.

The range of Kelly Lee Owens can go from intoxicating ambient movements to more complex electronics that dabble in the likes of techno and clubby beats. Her latest record was made alongside the likes of Bicep and the Chemical Brothers so you know this one is going to go hard in some places while still remaining core to her own unique sound.

Math rock and post-hardcore vets Karate got back together a few years ago and now, like so many others, they’ve finally gotten around to making new music to play at these reunion shows. Expect more technical prowess from this group and more breakdowns that will have hands in the air, ready to throw down.

On their latest string of single, Cold Cave have burrowed further into the sounds of past greats New Order as they amplify their chilled-out sound of synth-wave and 80s-goth styled blackened melodies and industrial rhythms which result in something a lot more accessible than you’d think while still bringing the rave elements to the underworld.

Following last year’s unexpected near renaissance hit of “Padam Padam,” Aussie disco queen Kylie Minogue is back with Tension II and seems to be feeling as sparkly as ever and ready to lead us all back to the dance floor for another run of pure, uncut pleasure.

It’s been five years since Bon Iver’s last album, but with this new EP Justin Vernon has hinted at a return to the cabin in the woods vibes that spawned his legendary status of veteran indie folk star. It’s astounding to hear him back in this sweet spot and while many of would love a full-length record, a new EP is still something to celebrate.

Over the past few years, Panda Bear has teamed up with Sonic Boom for their great album Reset and its mariachi inspired follow-up EP. He also spent some time getting back in the groove with his long-time bandmates in Animal Collective and played the staring role in some exceptional guest appearances. Now, Noah Lennox has announced his first solo album since 2019 and the stunning lead single features Cindy Lee on guitar.

One of this year’s hottest debuts comes from Mk.gee, who brings forward influences from soft rock and melodic, ‘80s influenced synth-pop for some of the most creative guitar music in quite some time. This week he dropped a new single that furthers that striking take on liquid guitar melodies and electric drums.

Earlier this year, jangle-pop duo Ducks Ltd. dropped their wonderful sophomore album Harm’s Way. In May, they gave us a one-off single that didn’t make the album and now they’re back again, this time with a song that was recorded alongside their debut record, but remained shelved now.

Boston shoegaze band Drop Nineteens recently reunited for their first show in three decades and they have a full reunion album scheduled to come up next month. This week they also announced that they’ll be releasing what was supposed to be their debut album which they scrapped after the initial recording. The band’s 1992 album Delaware ended up being their first, but now they’re officially releasing what they’ve dubbed 1991 and shared the droning, dreamy track “Daymom” as an early preview.

Albums:

CHRISTOPHER OWENS | I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair
JAPANDROIDS | Fate And Alcohol
KELLY LEE OWENS | Dreamstate
KARATE | Make It Fit
NAP EYES | The Neon Gate
COLD CAVE | Passion Depression
TIM HEIDECKER | Slipping Away
JOY OLADOKUN | Observations From A Crowded Room
KYLIE MINOGUE | Tension II
BON IVER | SABLE, EP
ALABASTER DEPLUME | Cremisan: Prologue To A Blade EP
CANDY | Flipping EP

Songs:

PANDA BEAR | “Defense” (ft Cindy Lee)
MK.GEE | “ROCKMAN”
FKA TWIGS | “Perfect Stranger”
DUCKS LTD. | “Grim Symmetry”
FENNESZ | “Heliconia”
GREET DEATH | “Same But Different Now”
DROP NINETEENS | “Daymom”
CHARLI XCX | “Spring breakers featuring kesha” (ft Kesha)

If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2024) here!