Katy Perry has announced her newest album Smile. The follow-up to 2017’s Witness arrives August 14th, and the pop singer is celebrating the announcement by sharing the title track. This will be KP’s fifth studio effort, and so far we’ve heard the singles “Daisies”, “Harleys in Hawaii”, and “Never Really Over”. Already, this time feels different. Over the course of these (now) four singles, Perry hasn’t collaborated at all with ghostwriters like Max Martin or Dr. Luke. That’s unprecedented for Perry, who vaulted onto the scene with a Martin-and-Dr.-Luke ditty, “I Kissed a Girl”. Martin in particular is Perry’s oldest and steadiest collaborator, and together they co-wrote five songs on Teenage Dream, over half of Prism, and three Witness singles including “...
Today marks the return of My Morning Jacket, who have just released their new album, The Waterfall II. The album isn’t entirely “new,” though, as it was recorded at the same time as 2015’s The Waterfall. As it turns out, fans hoping for the rockers’ true return from hiatus are in luck, as frontman Jim James has revealed MMJ do in fact have a fresh full-length all ready to go. After touring behind The Waterfall, MMJ took a break, only playing a handful of shows in 2018 and 2019. It was during those “reunion” gigs last year that the band found themselves “re-energized,” as James told Kyle Meredith with… on the latest episode. “So we went in the studio, and we have a whole new record that we’re finishing,” James revealed. “A completely new record.” My Morning Jacket h...
Creed Bratton, the musician and actor made famous by The Office, has shared his new song “The Ride”. It’s off his eighth solo album, Slightly Altered, which hits shelves and streamers on July 17th. Within The Office, Bratton’s role was that of a spicy pepper, deployed sparingly but delivering potent flavor. But while he is best known for that iconic sitcom, he was first known as the lead singer and guitarist of The Grass Roots. Bratton fronted this American rock band from 1967 to 1969, and even had a pair of top ten Billboard hits. He spent the next three decades landing small film and television roles. But even before The Office made him a household name (literally — the character is named after him) Bratton had returned to his first love of music. Slightly Altere...
Five years ago, My Morning Jacket released their most recent album, The Waterfall. At the time, the word was that the alternative rockers had actually recorded enough songs for two full-length albums, but the second collection of tracks never materialized — until now. Today, MMJ have announced The Waterfall II, and it’s coming this Friday, July 10th via ATO Records. The Waterfall and The Waterfall II were recorded during inspiring sessions at what became affectionately known as Panoramic House in Stinson Beach, California. While My Morning Jacket considered putting out all of the music as a triple album, they instead decided to split the two dozen tracks into distinct projects. It was during a walk in the early days of the pandemic lockdown that frontman Jim James rediscovered on...
If you had to guess the most frequently-used phrase in music writing, you might guess it’s this: Guided by Voices have announced a new album. The prolific rockers will release Mirrored Aztec on August 21st, and they’re promoting it with the single “Haircut Sphinx”. Additionally, GBV have revealed the tongue-in-cheek “World Tour 2020”, a one-night streaming event that takes place July 17th. Frontman Robert Pollard has 107 albums (and counting!) to his credit. Mirrored Aztec will be his fifth effort in 18 months, following 2019’s Zeppelin Over China, Warp and Woof, Sweating the Plague, and 2020’s Surrender Your Poppy Field. Like the bus in Speed or Donald Trump on Twitter, Pollard seems incapable of taking a break. A press release describes Mirrored Aztec as ful...
The first posthumous album from Juice WRLD has been announced, and its due date is literally just days away. Fittingly titled Legends Never Die, the effort arrives later this week on July 10th. This new collection marks the third album overall from Juice WRLD, following Goodbye & Good Riddance from 2018 and 2019’s Death Race for Love, which hit shelves just a few months prior to his passing in December. A tracklist hasn’t been revealed, but previous teasers “Righteous” and the Trippie Redd-assisted “Tell Me U Luv Me” are expected to appear on the album. As a third preview, a single dubbed “Life’s a Mess” is now being shared by the late rapper’s estate. A collaboration with pop singer Halsey, it sees Juice WRLD detailing the ups and downs of life, especially his arduous search for ...
UK psych pop band Glass Animals have shared a new single called “Heat Waves”, taken from their forthcoming album, Dreamland. Originally set for a July 10th release, Dreamland has been pushed to August 7th “in order to respect and support the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement,” according to a press release. (Yes, the movement has even hit Europe.) Previously, Glass Animals previewed the album’s release with “Tokyo Drifting” featuring Denzel Curry and the album’s title track. The latest teaser, “Heat Waves”, is a thumping, bass-y daze that finds frontman/producer Dave Bayley trying to untwine himself from a partner. In the accompanying music video, Bayley drags a wagon full of old TVs through an empty London street as quarantined onlookers take cellphone footage from in...
Rising songwriter Samia has announced her debut album, The Baby. It arrives August 28th via Grand Jury Music, and Samia has provided a preview with the new single “Fit N Full”. At only 23, Samia has built her buzzy reputation off a series of singles, including “Origins of Artifice”, about which she spoke to Consequence of Sound last year. For her first LP, she’s working with producer Caleb Hinz as well as Jake Luppen and Nathan Stocker of Hippo Campus. Lars Stalfors (Soccer Mommy) handled the mix. But while she’s dealing with crisper soundscapes than ever before, her appeal is still rooted in her incisive, self-reflective lyrics. The new song “Fit N Full” continues in this deeply personal vein. The song is about body image, diets and exercise, and trying to have success in music ...