This trio is also capable of top notch quirky indie pop.
Mount Eerie’s second album of the year, a counterpart to the beautiful Clear Moon, stands in stark contrast to that beautiful record, while exuding a dark, dank beauty all its own.
The third LP since the iconic alt.rock trio’s mid-aughties reunion, I Bet On Sky moves to clear the clouds of overwhelming distortion that is the band’s usual raison d’etre and let the songs themselves shine through.
Sure enough, a certain maturity has set it. The bratty bursts of energy and snotty asides are kept in reserve these days, used when necessary, rather than scattered like dandelion seeds across a field.
One of the very best 7” singles this year, Nones’ debut LP should be impatiently awaited.
This transcendent double album is studded with stellar compositions that push you to a higher plane.
All in all, I think this may be Dum Dum Girls’ finest moment up to this point.
She is touted as the comedown queen, or the late night/Sunday morning pick me up for others, but the beauty of her work is that she can be whatever you want her to be.
Australian indie-popper Bart Cummings’ infrequent Bart and Friends releases two lovely little EPs that add up to a dozen sunny, heartfelt indie-pop tunes. Pam Berry guests.
A crawl through the crunch of synthetic insects underfoot and tomblike echoes of the claustrophobic deep, My Little Droney is an uneasy portrait of subtle horror.
Once again, Neorev returns with music so astonishingly excellent that one truly has to wonder why Michael Matteo isn’t one of the top electronic producers of the moment.
Long-running atmospheric rock band Lights Out Asia’s fifth album finds the band honing their sound even further, creating a sound that’s moody yet accessible.
The band is almost exactly the abandoned love child of My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus And Mary Chain and that is awesome.
When I heard about Northern Haze , a metal band from Igloolik (a tiny town in Nunavut) who’ve been making stoner-y heavy rock with lyrics sung in Inuktitut I was appropriately intrigued.
How Rhys Marsh has escaped the scrutiny of the majority of music nerds worldwide is a mystery.
You lookin’ for weirdness? You came to the right place.
Thee mighty World War IX have weathered yet another lineup change and, honestly, have truly hit their stride with the absolute best grouping to date.
Firewater’s first new album in four years finds Tod A in fine, devilishly clever form.
California-based The Dandelion War’s second album took two years to make, and the results show that it was well worth the wait.
Kranky does the world a great service by compiling the complete recordings for the La Di Da label by this long-lost, obscure British dreampop trio, a side project of Secret Shine.
Kurt Feldman, possible genius, follows another clean line from inspiration to idea to implementation.
Angel Olsen cements a reputation as a skilled and soulful siren with heartstring-tugging songs.
Fishbone frontman Angelo Moore releases a fun summer solo single that’s as jaunty and energetic as his onstage appearances.
This is ’70s debauchery at its best. Forget retro, this is the real thing.
Second volume of a series dedicating to highlighting the catalog of Factory Records. Eschewing the big names for the lesser-known bands and one-offs, this collection is exciting, fresh, and essential.
“I definitely was NOT attacking Lady Gaga, for God’s sake. I just didn’t have any lyrics finished for the song yet, and she seemed interesting, so I thought I’d invoke her demon spirit and I liked the way her name sounded. She’s obviously a master magician.”
The band’s sixth album finds it exploring the usual facets of psychedelia of which it’s a master.
It’s the kind of music that makes you want to guzzle beer amongst friends in your favorite scummy punk rock dive while the band plays a most awesome set that makes the hangover the next day totally worth it.
The Sheffield singer/songwriter continues his winning streak with a startling change in direction as he mostly dispenses with gentility to crank up the volume.
Norwegian electronic weirdos Mungolian Jetset’s third album is a collection of collaborations and remixes and cements their legacy as makers of odd yet satisfying music.
Ben Chasny’s long-running solo project finds him reuniting with former Comets on Fire mates, and the result is his band’s loudest, heaviest rock record.
Where the majority of contemporary punk rock tends to be tired, lacking in imagination and incredibly boring, Silver Cocks possess the beautiful spark that ignited their heroes so long ago.
Finally! This is what Alternative Tentacles should’ve done all along with this material.
Just when you thought the dream pop revival was getting stale, Wild Nothing shakes it all up.
British post-punk veteran Martin Bramah’s band releases an EP with two distinctive, satisfying styles.
Austin, Texas-based Again, For The Win offer up a second album of powerful, loud, grand atmospheric rock and roll.
This third record from Transex is the first from Southern Italy’s, White Zoo Records and a strong debut from a label devoted to bringing us the best Italian KBD punk.
The duo of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry return with their first new album of new material in sixteen years. It’s one of this year’s finest comeback albums.
Southern rockers Drivin’ N Cryin’ release the first of four EP, and from the sound of it, it’s a strong return to form.
Phil Elverum’s latest Mount Eerie release is the first of two volumes of dense, dark, and beautiful records.
This is true punk rock – the sound of alienated individuals venting their innermost feelings in an attempt to connect with anyone who will listen.
A surprisingly good album full of cool tracks of the fun or sinister variety.
Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier’s second solo album offers no surprises, nor is it surprising that it’s one of the summer’s coolest, most sophisticated albums.
Unabashedly earnest, while maintaining an aura of strength and barely constrained power, these four songs roll out before the ears like a dark and complex diorama.
Transistor leader Steve Barton took a creative risk by releasing an album of raw, quickly-recorded songs on which he played all instruments. The risk was worth it.
So, maybe they took the album title from Best Coast but Koko Beware is the new title holder of best beach band.
Once again Drag City scours the cemetery of lost recordings and pulls up a real treasure, this time an unreleased album from New Zealand’s Doug Jerebine.
Japanese minimalist composer Atsuhito Omori has composed an album worth of romantic, tranquil instrumentals that will help you beat the heat and relax.
It’s a bit like slowly scanning the dial of a shortwave radio, trying to reach that transmission, but just missing it every time.
