Labor Day typically marks the end of summer and since we’re light on new releases before the long weekend, I spent some time reflecting this week on the incredible run of shows I was able to attend over the past few months. Kicking things off with an amazing weekend at Primavera Sound in Barcelona where I caught The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoenix, The Smile, Tame Impala, Tyler, the Creator, Gorillaz, Dua Lipa, Lorde, Slowdive, Ride, Megan thee Stallion, and more it was an unbelievable start to the summer concert season. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m still reeling from missing so many shows over the pandemic, but this summer felt stronger than ever and once I was back in NYC, I caught more incredible shows from Beach House, Harry Styles, Roger Waters, Fleet Foxes, The Wild Hearts Tour, Billy Woods, Rage Against the Machine + Run the Jewels, Kendrick Lamar, Archie Shepp, Lucy Dacus, Cassandra Jenkins, Country Westerns, Sons of Kemet + Makaya McCraven + L’Rain, and Spoon. It’s been an insane run of shows and I’m excited for even more in the next few months as well.
In regards to new music, this week sees the official release of Bill Orcutt’s excellent Music For Four Guitars. I received my copy on vinyl nearly a month ago and it’s been a regular part of my rotation with its angular, abstract guitars grabbing hold of my attention and wrestling with my thoughts as the jagged riffs combat for attention. It’s a striking release that challenges the listener with every note, but payoff is extraordinary.
Living Hour have a new record this week as well and the singles offer dreamy, ethereal tones with solid grooves. Stereolab drop the fifth installment of their Switched On series today as well and it features all sorts of deep cuts, live tracks, and other obscure samples from their illustrious discography. A must-listen for their fans, but also something for newcomers to enjoy as well.
Arctic Monkeys recently announced their seventh album, The Car, and this week shared the first single, “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball,” which is a lush, string heavy track that moves further away from the dance floor and towards refined elegance. Enumclaw keep sharing new tracks from their forthcoming debut and this week we got the meditative “Park Lounge.”
Plains, the duo of Jess Williamson and Katie Crutchfield (aka Waxahatchee), shared the second single from their album, the country ballad, “Abeline.” Gorillaz announced their new album will arrive in February 2023, but shared a new single that features guest appearances from The Pharcyde’s Bootie Brown and Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. It’s an ecelctic track that fits the band’s typical blend of genres while boosting an uptempo beat sure to make you groove hard.
It’s been a busy year for Panda Bear. He started off 2022 by dropping a new album with his band Animal Collective (the great Time Skiffs) which turned out to be their best in over a decade, provided vocals for the Song of the Year, “Step by Step” by Braxe + Falcon, released a collaborative record with his long-time friend and musical partner Sonic Boom (the fabulous Reset), and now has offered up vocals once again, this time on a bubbly, deep house track with George FitzGerald. An absolutely monstrous year and perhaps his most prolific ever.
Ambient trio Emeralds were imperative to the altered zones scene of the mid 2010’s and have shared the droning wonder “Photosphere” from their upcoming release Solar Wind. Later this year, krautrock legends NEU! will release a fiftieth anniversary edition of their breakthrough, self-titled album and this week we got a remix of their track “Im Glück” from current indie favs, The National.
Finally, today marks the return of Bandcamp Fridays. If you’ve been digging anything in particular this summer (or year or at all), it’s a great time to buy that music directly from the artist!
Albums:
Bill Orcutt | Music For Four Guitars
Two Door Cinema Club | Keep On Smiling
Living Hour | Someday is Today
Stereolab | Pulse of the Early Brain [Switched On Volume 5]
Songs:
Arctic Monkeys | “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball”
Enumclaw | “Park Lounge”
Plains | “Abeline”
Frankie Cosmos | “Aftershock”
Gorillaz | “New Gold” (ft Tame Impala and Bootie Brown)
Peel Dream Magazine | “Pictionary”
Weird Nightmare | “I Think You Know”
Emeralds | “Photosphere”
George FitzGerald | “Passed Tense” (ft Panda Bear)
Freddie Gibbs | “Too Much” (ft Moneybagg Yo)
NEU! | “Im Glück” [The National Remix]
If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2022) here!