New Album Releases
Steve Earle Shares New Justin Townes Earle Covers Album J.T.: Stream
Back in August, the world mourned the death of Americana songwriter Justin Townes Earle. Now, father and country legend Steve Earle has paid tribute to his late son with a new covers album called J.T., and it’s streaming below via Bandcamp. J.T. comes today (January 4th), on what would have been Justin’s 39th birthday. It consists of 11 covers, all pulled from throughout Justin’s discography. There are favorites such as “Harlem River Blues” (2010) “Champagne Corolla” (2017), and “The Saint of Lost Causes”, taken from Justin’s 2019 album of the same name, which proved to be his last. Other songs that appear on J.T. include “I Don’t Care”, “Turn Out My Lights”, and “Last Words”. In a statement, father Steve said the “record is called J.T. because Justin was never called anything else u...
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Launch Bootleg Program
Typically, when jam bands figure out that fans are making unofficial bootlegs of their live shows, they look the other way. But King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have introduced a different approach: they’re not only granting fans the go-ahead to bootleg, but also giving them all of the tools to do so. The Australian psych-rock crew has just launched a new portion of their website called “Bootlegger” where they’ve uploaded the master recordings of nine albums and are encouraging anyone who’s interested to re-release them however they see fit. Most of the records are live albums and demo comps that they’ve released on their Bandcamp throughout the year, but there’s also a new rarities album called Teenage Gizzard and their 2017 full-length Polygondwanaland, which they initia...
Lil Durk Drops New Album The Voice: Stream
Lil Durk has released a new album called The Voice. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. This 16-track effort marks Lil Durk’s second full-length of 2020, coming just a few months after Just Cause Y’all Waited 2. As indicated by the cover artwork, The Voice is dedicated to fellow Chicago rapper King Von, who was fatally shot outside of an Atlanta nightclub in November. King Von also appears posthumously on a track called “Still Trappin’”. Additionally, in the video for “Backdoor”, Durk can be seen wearing King Von’s O’Block chain. The Voice also features previous singles like “Stay Down” (featuring Young Thug and 6LACK) and the title track. Outside of his new album, Lil Durk has spent the last 12 months collaborating with Drake on “Laugh Now Cry Later...
Four Tet to Release Two New Albums Parallel and 871 on Christmas Eve
For many, Christmas Eve is traditionally the night you get to open just one present early. Four Tet is bucking custom by surprise releasing two new albums, Parallel and 871, this very night. The English electronic musician aka Kieran Hebden announced the musical gift with an Instagram post in which he also revealed the efforts’ artwork. Check that out below. Parallel and 871 respectively mark the second and third full-lengths from Four Tet this year following Sixteen Oceans in March. He also surprise released the ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ EP under his Indecipherable Wingdings moniker back in May, and has a collaborative album with Madlib dubbed Sound Ancestors coming next month. You can hear the lead single from that latter project, “Road of the Lonely Ones”, now. Editors’ Picks Earl...
Lil Wayne Drops Off No Ceilings 3 Deluxe Edition: Stream
Hip-hop fans have received an early Christmas present courtesy of good ol’ St. Nick Lil Wayne. Less than a month after dropping his No Ceilings 3 mixtape, the rapper has unboxed a deluxe edition “B Side” version featuring 14 new songs. Stream it below via YouTube or DatPiff. As with its predecessor, this effort is “hosted” by DJ Khaled and comes with multiple star-studded collaborations. Big Sean appears on the opening track “Tyler Herro”, named after the Miami Heat’s impressive young guard. Meanwhile, Rich the Kid pops in on “Throat Baby”, and 2 Chainz lends a few verses to “Hit Different”. Euro and Lil Twist also appear on the effort. If each track sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because they all incorporate, sample, or remix other songs in some way. “Tyler Herro”, for insta...
Maggie Rogers Shares Notes from the Archive: Recordings 2011 – 2016: Stream
Maggie Rogers has uncorked a collection of old and never-before released songs on her new collection Notes from the Archive: Recordings 2011 – 2016. Scroll onwards to stream it using Apple Music and Spotify. While many artists build a career out of dingy venues, cramped van rides, and the slow accumulation of fans, Rogers had one of those classic A Star Is Born moments. In 2016, Pharrell Williams gave a master class at New York University, and when a 22-year-old Rogers played him “Alaska”, he spent the entire duration of the song shaking his head in disbelief and mouthing “wow” to the cameras. Since then she’s been on a steady upwards ride that culminated in a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist this year. But while her major label debut Heard It in a Past L...
Pallbearer’s Joseph D. Rowland Launches Solo Project Hosianna Mantra, Unveils Debut Album: Stream
Joseph D. Rowland / Hosianna Mantra, photo by Elizabeth L. Cline Pallbearer bassist and songwriter Joseph D. Rowland has launched a synth-based solo project, Hosianna Mantra, with a seven-song album, Particle Mythology. Hosianna Mantra is a definite sonic departure from Rowland’s work in Pallbearer, though it touts the same exploratory sonic approach. The project showcases Rowland’s affinity for progressive electronic music and modern recording technology. Indeed, the musician shared a long list of the gear used on Particle Mythology (which can be seen below), and it’s a serious collection that undoubtedly takes some engineering savvy to operate. Taking a step toward the electro-acoustic pioneering of Daniel Lanois, Rowland has proven himself to be just as worthy a soundscapist as he is a ...
Rina Sawayama Drops SAWAYAMA Deluxe Edition: Stream
Rina Sawayama has released a deluxe edition of SAWAYAMA, one of our Top 50 Albums of 2020. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. Out through Dirty Hit, the expanded collection consists of the 13 original SAWAYAMA songs, plus 11 additional tracks. Three of these have never before been made available: “LUCID”, “We Out Here”, and “Bees & Honey”. There is also a cover of The 1975 song “Love It If We Made It”, alongside acoustic renditions of “Bad Friend”, “STFU!”, and “Chosen Family” and fresh remixes helmed by Dream Wife and Pabllo Vittar. Sawayama herself executive produced the deluxe project with help from Clarence Clarity (who also contributed production). Meanwhile, Nicole Morier (Britney Spears) and Kyle Shearer (Carly Rae Jepsen) both have co-writing credits. Editors...
Deafheaven Release New Studio-Recorded Live Album 10 Years Gone: Stream
Deafheaven have released their new studio-recorded live album 10 Years Gone, commemorating the illustrious first decade of their career. Initially, Deafheaven were to go on a world tour called “10 Years Gone”, but the pandemic shut that down. Making the most of the situation, the band decided to properly record its planned setlist live in the studio, offering a vivid document of what fans would have witnessed had the tour happened. The only thing missing is the crowd noise as Deafheaven deconstruct arguably the strongest set of songs in their catalog. “Daedalus” and “Glint” were released as singles, teasing the immensity of this psuedo-live document. Tackling each song full bore, it’s Deafheaven at their most intense and direct. “Revisiting the songs in this studio sessions format with Jac...
Sigur Rós Unveil New Orchestral Album Odin’s Raven Magic: Stream
Sigur Rós have unveiled their long-anticipated orchestral album Odin’s Raven Magic. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. The eight-song composition has been a mythical piece of the Icelandic band’s catalog for almost two decades now, so it’s a pretty momentous occasion for it to finally see the light of day. It was originally commissioned by the Reykjavik Arts Festival in 2002 and has only been performed a handful of times since then. The version that you hear on the album was recorded during a concert in Paris in the early 2000s. Odin’s Raven Magic is an elaborate collaboration with the revered Icelandic musician Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson (and an ordained ‘chief goði’ of the pagan Norse religion Ásatrúarfélagið) and respected fisherman and chanter Steindór Andersen. However, desp...
Bad Bunny Releases New Album El Último Tour del Mundo: Stream
Latin trap and reggaeton king Bad Bunny has returned with El Último Tour del Mundo, his third album of 2020. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. El Último Tour del Mundo follows YHLQMDLG, which came out in February, and Las Que No Iban a Salir, which dropped in May. It spans 16 tracks in total, including collaborations with Rosalía, Jhay Cortez, and ABRA, and takes a rock-forward approach that suits the reggaeton star rather well. It appears Bad Bunny is giving “O VISTO ASÍ” the single treatment, too. The album cut is accompanied by a flashy music video filled with graffiti-filled skateparks and celebrity photoshoots. You know you’ve made it when you can casually call up people like Ricky Martin, Sofia Vergara, and Karol G to star in your song’s visuals. Check it out below. Th...
The Smashing Pumpkins Unveil New Double Album CYR: Stream
The Smashing Pumpkins have released their new double album CYR. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. CYR marks the second double album in the Pumpkins’ catalog, following their iconic 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (which they recently announced a sequel to). However, the 20-song CYR is also a sequel in its own right, as it’s the second installment of the Shiny and Oh So Bright series, which began with their 2018 album Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. That release was notably the first Smashing Pumpkins album since 2000 to feature Billy Corgan’s fellow founding members, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin. CYR consists of the same trio alongside guitarist Jeff Schroeder. In a conversation with Apple...
