The fourth Blanck Mass album from Fuck Buttons’ Benjamin Power is a dark set of apocalyptic grooves for these dystopian times, combining noise-drenched synths, pounding, industrial-tinged grooves and ominous melodies. The third album together from the California-bred, Nevada-based duo of Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins is a gritty blend of West Coast hip hop, funk and soul, combining hard-hitting funk and hip hop grooves with lyrics that range from the militantly political to the deeply personal.īlanck Mass – Animated Violence Mild (Sacred Bones) G&D – Black Love & War (SomeOthaShip Connect/eOne) They sound revitalized with a warm and loose take on their classic rock-steeped sound, while Craig Finn’s colorfully detailed stories of struggling lives are as sharply drawn and empathetic as ever. This Brooklyn-via-Minneapolis band’s seventh album is their first with keyboardist Franz Nicolay since 2008’s Stay Positive. The Hold Steady – Thrashing Thru The Passion (Frenchkiss) This Brooklyn-via-London artist’s second album is a well-crafted set of buoyant R&B/funk-tinged electro-pop with bright synths, propulsive beats, sunny melodies and personal lyrics celebrating love and desire. This Melbourne band’s official debut full-length is a well-crafted set of tense post-punk with jangly, occasionally squalling guitars, driving rhythms and hypnotic song hooks. Possible Humans – Everybody Split (Trouble In Mind) This veteran New York-bred band’s first album in nine years (and sixth overall) is an excellent set of ‘90s-steeped rock with intricate guitar and vocal interplay, driving rhythms, atmospheric keyboards and sci fi-themed lyrics revolving around escape and transcendence. Versus – Ex Voto (Ernest Jenning Record Co.) Vincent, the album brings a stronger pop sensibility, fuzzy synths and dark electronic beats to the band’s visceral rock sound on a musically diverse set of songs soaked in anxiety and dread. The veteran Portland band takes a dramatic left turn on their ninth album.
Sleater-Kinney – The Center Won’t Hold (Mom+Pop) Special guests include Moses Sumney, James Blake, Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner, The National’s Bryce & Aaron Dessner, Velvet Negroni, the Staves, Spank Rock, Bruce Hornsby and other notables. It’s a masterful blend of the fractured, gospel-tinged electro-pop of his last album (2016’s 22, A Million) with the elegiac folk-rock of his earlier recordings, combining a varied, shape-shifting sound using a variety of electronic and acoustic instrumentation with his yearning vocals and often-dark lyrics about getting through these troubled times. features a more forceful and direct sound with brighter pop melodies and some anthemic rock punch. The fourth Bon Iver album from Justin Vernon & co. This Dublin band’s debut album is a promising set of tension-filled post-punk ranging from feral, driving punk to brooding, atmospheric ballads. The Murder Capital – When I Have Fears (Human Season) Her second album is a powerful set of atmospheric dream-pop with fuzzy guitars and shimmering keyboards accompanying her hushed, yearning vocals and lyrics of love and friendship. See what's coming up this week below, including reviews for new releases from Black Belt Eagle Scout, The Murder Capital, Bon Iver, and more.īlack Belt Eagle Scout – At the Party with My Brown Friends (Saddle Creek)īlack Belt Eagle Scout is the project of Portland-based artist Katherine Paul, who grew up on the Swinomish Reservation on Fidalgo Island. Each week, KEXP’s Music Director Don Yates shares brief insights on new and upcoming releases.