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David Kilgour and The Heavy Eights - End Times Undone (Merge)

21 July 2014

Kilgour’s newest chapter, End Times Undone, is a collection of songs that lie between his hazy jangle and that heavenly heavy-vibed treble clang only he can produce.

Bonsai - Bonsai EP

Bonsai – Bonsai EP (Bonsai)

20 July 2014

NYC-based songstress Simone Stevens has a sumptuous, sultry voice that immediately impresses. Her new quartet’s music tones down the alt country/folk of past releases, in favor of dreamy mood-pop.

Ruthann Friedman Chinatown Wolfgang Light in the Attic

Ruthann Friedman - Chinatown (Wolfgang/Light in the Attic)

16 July 2014

Forty-four years after releasing her first solo album, 1970’s Constant Companion, Ruthann Friedman, the mysterious writer of The Association‘s 1967 hit, “Windy,” finally delivers her sophomore effort.

Stiff Little Fingers - No Going Back (Rigid Digits)

16 July 2014

Speaking of veteran artists making some of the best music of their career, here is the best Stiff Little Fingers album since at least 1982’s Now Then

Bob Mould - Beauty and Ruin (Merge)

16 July 2014

Mould is in his mid 50s and at the very top of his game now.

Edward Rogers Kaye

Edward Rogers - Kaye (Zip)

15 July 2014

Dedicated to founding member of Soft Machine and prolific solo artitist, Kevin Ayers, NYC-based singer-songwriter Edward Rogers delivers a powerful fifth album inspired by the psychedelic rock of 1970s England.

Katie Kate, Sadie Hawkins cover art

Katie Kate - "Sadie Hawkins"

15 July 2014

Katie Kate releases “Sadie Hawkins,” a melodic pop gem from her upcoming album.

Pairs Maleika on Casley Bandcamp

Pairs - Maleika on Casley (pairs.bandcamp.com)

14 July 2014

For their final album, Shanghai, China’s Pairs return to their scrappy punk roots for an exciting last statement that marks a high point in the duo’s catalog.

Xombie - Capital X (Self-Released)

13 July 2014

Capital X is either fortunately or unfortunately only twenty six minutes long. It’s so short you can’t help but wonder if there is any territory still left unexplored, yet you may find yourself grateful that some of the sillier tracks fly by.

Hierarchy album art from Lightfoils

Lightfoils-Hierarchy (Saint Marie Records)

11 July 2014

“Passage” peels back the layers of reverb and lets you dive in a bit closer to its sonic heart, but Jane emotes from a great distance, and you’re no closer to figuring out what it all means.

Tim Bowness, Abandoned Dancehall Dreams

Tim Bowness - Abandoned Dancehall Dreams (InsideOut Music)

11 July 2014

Abandoned Dancehall Dreams is a delightful record that, like everything else Bowness does, explores the human condition with wisdom, frailty, and intelligent eccentricity.

Craft Spells Nausea Captured Tracks

Craft Spells - Nausea (Captured Tracks)

10 July 2014

On his sophomore effort, Craft Spells creator Justin Vallesteros tones down his sound, opting for the mellower aspects of the ’80s.

Always Returning from Engineers

Engineers-Always Returning (Kscope)

10 July 2014

The winds of change blow through us all, and Mark is moving toward more experimental synth pop with occasional jazz overtones, and seems less inclined to trot out traditional song structures.

Hu Jia Hu Wei Coasting Bandcamp

Hu Jia Hu Wei - Coasting EP (hujiahuwei.bandcamp.com)

9 July 2014

For their final release, Shanghai, China’s self-described “spazz pop” trio, Hu Jia Hu Wei, deliver five powerful songs that perfectly blend dissonance with melody.

The Morning Birds - Bloom EP

9 July 2014

The Morning Birds, a duo comprised of Jennifer Thorington and Samuel Markus sounding like an earthier, silkier version of Wild Belle are releasing a new EP with a really interesting concept.

Tommy Wallach I Meant It To Be Sweet Rude Fox

Tommy Wallach - I Meant It To Be Sweet (Rude Fox)

8 July 2014

On his debut album, novelist Tommy Wallach expands on the sparse sound of his eponymous 2008 debut EP (Decca) with rich production that perfectly compliments his dramatic, literary style.

Edward Rogers Kaye

Edward Rogers - Kaye (Zip)

8 July 2014

As he adds more paint to his palette, Rogers continues his evolution into one of the more interesting and distinctive singer/songwriters out there.

Chrome Feel It Like A Scientist King of Spades

Chrome - Feel It Like A Scientist (King of Spades)

7 July 2014

At last, Helios Creed has delivered an album under the Chrome moniker that not only lives up to the name he established with founder Damon Edge (RIP), but also rises as a high point in his entire career as a solo artist.

Heylel - Nebulae (Self-Released)

5 July 2014

Heylel immerses themselves in the classics of progressive rock from later Pink Floyd to King Crimson, adding a more operatic sensibility and touches of heavy metal and Black Sabbath-esque sludge.

Wooden Head by The Proper Ornaments

The Proper Ornaments-Wooden Head (Slumberland Records)

3 July 2014

And oh, “Ruby”, where have you been all my life? What a shimmering jewel of chamber pop this is. I love its ornate stylings as it unfolds in the best tradition of bands like The Left Banke.

The Lowland Hundred Exotic Pylon

The Lowland Hundred - The Lowland Hundred (Exotic Pylon)

2 July 2014

On their third album, Welsh duo, The Lowland Hundred, complete their trilogy of spacious anthems with an astounding work that blends ambient sound with music concrete and pop sensibility.

Isobel Ccircle~ Fluttercage Exotic Pylon

Isobel Ccircle~ - Fluttercage (Exotic Pylon)

1 July 2014

Comprised of Yorkshire, UK-based Matt Bower (The Revenant Sea, Wizards Tell Lies) and Louisiana’s April Larson, Isobel Ccircle~ deliver a debut so disturbing it should be the soundtrack to a horror film.

Noteherder & McCloud Missed Openings Spirit of Gravity

Noteherder & McCloud - Missed Openings (Spirit of Gravity)

30 June 2014

Brighton, UK’s premiere experimental jazz dynamic duo return for a monolithic collection of sprawling explorations into surreal darkness.

Stoneburner Life Drawing

Stoneburner - Life Drawing (Neurot)

30 June 2014

Stoneburner recasts psychedelic sludge in its own image on its second slab Life Drawing.

Castle Under Siege

Castle - Under Siege (Prosthetic)

27 June 2014

Thank Lucifer classic heavy never goes out of style.

Bloody Hammers Under Satan's Sun

Bloody Hammers - Under Satan’s Sun (Napalm)

26 June 2014

Under Satan’s Sun, songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Anders Manga‘s third LP as Bloody Hammers, keeps dark faith with the first two, but more so.

Joseph Nanner Atmospheric Slow Jams for the Pilots Exotic Pylon

Joseph Nanner - Atmospheric Slow Jams for the Pilots/New Star Broadcasting 2xCS (Exotic Pylon)

24 June 2014

Under the pseudonym of Joseph Nanner, a mysterious character from New York City, known only Owen, delivers his stellar debut recordings as a cassette double pack via London experimental label, Exotic Pylon.

When Summer's Gone - Knockout Mechanism

24 June 2014

When Summer’s Gone combines a hard rock grit with a poeticism reminiscent of someone like Bruce Springsteen and a certain cynicism that can only come from being raised in the rust of an old steel town.

The Bastards of Fate Vampires Are Real and Palpable This Will Be Our Summer

The Bastards of Fate - Vampires Are Real And Palpable (This Will Be Our Summer)

23 June 2014

Two years after their debut, Who’s a Fuzzy Buddy?, Roanoke, VA’s The Bastards of Fate continue their uncompromising onslaught of demented pop with an incredibly strong sophomore effort.

The Hydrothermal Vents - Secrets of the Deep! (Self-Released)

20 June 2014

The entirety of Secrets of the Deep! is unlike anything else being done today and it’s perfect for anywhere from the dance floor to your own bedroom.

Lama from Ummagma

Ummagma-Lama (Emerald and Doreen Records)

20 June 2014

This is music for communing with constantly rotating objects in motion, such as planets in orbit.

Tom Carter Pat Murano Four Infernal Rivers MIE

Tom Carter & Pat Murano - Four Infernal Rivers 2xLP (MIE)

19 June 2014

For their second full-length collaboration, improvisational guitarists Tom Carter (Charalambides) and Pat Murano (No-Neck Blues Band) deliver an intense double LP comprised of four tracks clocking in at one side each.

MaryLeigh Roohan - Skin & Bone

MaryLeigh Roohan – Skin and Bone (Fake Chapter)

19 June 2014

On Roohan’s solo-billed second LP, the sweet coo that graced her debut has gained a more full-bodied presence and punch.

Dog Society - In The Shade (Self-Released)

19 June 2014
After their major label debut Test Your Own Eyes released back in 1993 on East-West/Atlantic Records, Dog Society is back again following up 2012’s Emerge with their new album In The Shade.
Close Lobsters Kunstwerk In Spacetime Shelflife

Close Lobsters - Kunstwerk In Spacetime EP 7" (Shelflife)

18 June 2014

Picking up right where they left off, C86 compilation heroes, Scotland’s Close Lobsters, return with their first new recordings since 1989.

Boys Don't Lie book cover art

Boys Don’t Lie, A History of Shoes-Mary E. Donnelly with Moira McCormick (Pure Pop Press. LLC)

18 June 2014

… a marvelously detailed and meticulously researched story of the little band that could from Zion, Illinois…

Matteah Baim Falling Theater Dream Drive Kobalt

Matteah Baim - Falling Theater (Dream Drive/Kobalt)

17 June 2014

On her third solo album since 2007, Matteah Baim (ex-Metallic Falcons) builds on her dark psychedelic sound by adding lush production and orchestral accompaniment to her wistful compositions.

REDREDRED Pattern Completion Dark Entries

REDREDRED - Pattern Completion LP (Dark Entries)

16 June 2014

Previously one half of Oakland lo-fi industrial duo, Primary Colors, San Francisco artist, Michael Wood, releases his debut solo album, a continuation of his budget wave electronic signature.

Keith Alan Mitchell - This Clumsy World (Self-Released)

15 June 2014

The album is warm and gently consistent in its approach and feels like a largely intimate experience, as if you’re witness to a private home concert with Mitchell.

Devon Williams - Gilding The Lily

Devon Williams – Gilding The Lily (Slumberland)

14 June 2014

Rhapsody for an overlooked composer.

Sumerian Fleet Just Pressure Dark Entries

Sumerian Fleet - Just Pressure LP (Dark Entries)

12 June 2014

Comprised of Dutch italo disco producers Alden Tyrell and Mr. Pauli with vocalist Zarkoff, Sumerian Fleet finally releases their powerful debut full-length after four years of collaboration and a pair of EPs.

Scattered Bodies Talking Songs Dream Tower

Scattered Bodies - Talking Songs (Dream Tower)

11 June 2014

For the second spoken word album by Canadian poet, Brian Brett, producer Andy Meyers constructed backing tracks from samples of his late ’70s/early ’80s (and reformed as of 2008) Toronto proto-art punk band, The Scenics, to create a dark, visceral backdrop for Brett’s words.

Ester Rada - Ester Rada

Ester Rada – Ester Rada (The Eighth Note Israel)

11 June 2014

Rada’s an Israeli-born Ethiopian singer who’s based in Tel Aviv, and this self-titled debut LP follows her 2013 “Life Happens” EP. With twelve strong tunes, Ester Rada is convincing, confident soul music with an edge.

Death of Samantha If Memory Serves Us Well (St. Valentine)

Death of Samantha - If Memory Serves Us Well (St. Valentine)

10 June 2014

Back in the ’80s, Death of Samantha dominated Cleveland, OH’s underground rock scene with their off-kilter brand of rock’n‘roll fueled by bizarro live shows and a twisted sense of humor.

Sulu Babylon - Colour (Self-Released)

10 June 2014

Colour is a strong, and consistently fine release by a band with obviously a lot more great things to come.

Dream the Electric Sleep Heretics

Dream the Electric Sleep - Heretics (self-released)

10 June 2014

As a core of nerds know, twenty-first century prog rock takes inspiration from more than just Rush, Yes and Dream Theater.

The Skygreen Leopards - Family Crimes (Woodsist)

10 June 2014

Songwriter, Donovan Quinn, returns alongside longtime associate Glenn Donaldson, for the first Skygreen Leopards album since 2009 entitled Family Crimes.

Steve Weinstein Last Free Man steveweinstein.net

Steve Weinstein - Last Free Man (steveweinstein.net)

9 June 2014

After twenty-six years of philosophy and theoretical physics, Steve Weinstein finally returns to music with his first album since 1987’s Walkin’ by the Light of the Moon.