The third week of new jams for June. Info and links for the ones you want to know about most below, plus some other ones you may not have heard of (but should know), with audio & video for your listening and viewing pleasure. Click here to see releases from the past several weeks…The Antlers, Familiars (Anti-)
Austra, Habitat EP (Domino)
Matteah Baim, Falling Theater (Dream Drive/Kobalt)
Big Freedia, Just Be Free (Queen Diva Music)
The New Orleans music maker and twerking world record setter (aka Freddie Ross) who helped bring bounce music out of the underground and into the mainstream — as much as it could be. This is his third album.
Boris, Noise (Sargent House)
Cerebral Ballzy, Jaded & Faded (Cult Records)
Cocktails, Adult Life (Father/Daughter Records)
Deadmau5, While (1<2) (Astralwerks)
Dead Stars, Slumber (Old Flame Records)
The Downtown Fiction, Losers & Kings (Fearless)
Echosmith, Talking Dreams (Warner Bros.)
Empires, How Does It Feel? EP (Chop Shop/Island Records)
The Felice Brothers, Favorite Waitress (Dualtone)
The New York-bred band purveys a particularly appealing, sun-lit yet meaty brand of folk rock and Americana laced in accordion, electric guitar and piano on their latest album. An intriguing, if rather frustrating album preview after the jump....
Ben Fields, Extraordinary Light (Sire/ADA)
Finntroll, Natten Med De Levande Finntroll (Spinefarm)
Frog Eyes, Carey's Cold Spring (Paper Bag)
Ghost Town, The After Party (Fueled By Ramen)
David Gray, Mutineers (Kobalt)
GREYS, If Anything (Carpark Records)
The Knife, Shaken-Up Versions (Rabid Records)
Jennifer Lopez, A.K.A. (Capitol)
Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence (Interscope)
People sure do love the pop/trip hop songstress — her 2012 sophomore LP reached the top of the charts (or thereabouts) worldwide, and she sold out her Orlando date a few months ago, prior to even releasing her third and latest, which takes a dreamier pop turn. Video for the sexy, slinky "West Coast" below. Now this is a Lana I can get behind...
Linkin Park, The Hunting Party (Warner Bros)
Lone, Reality Testing (R&S Records)
Lower, Seek Warmer Climes (Matador)
Martyn, The Air Between Words (Ninja Tune)
The Mercy Beat, The Mercy Beat EP (OSKAR Recordings)
The members of Mercy Beat — Matty Bennett, Ian Smith and Sam Endicott — hail from Hong Kong, Hawaii and New York City. Endicott is the ex-frontman of The Bravery and has written for Shakira and Christina Aguilera. The trio's debut EP proves to be moody yet breezy shoegaze and down-tempo groovy meanderings with breathy high-toned vocals. "Sweet" video below.
Miniature Tigers, Cruel Runnings (YEBO Music)
Nazareth, Rock 'n' Roll Telephone (Conveyor)
Willie Nelson, Band of Brothers (Sony/Legacy)
Nevada Rose, Paint Me In Light (Tragic Hero Records)
Nightmares on Wax, N.O.W. Is The Time and Deep Down: Remixes and Rarities (Warp Records)
The artist otherwise known as George Evelyn celebrates his 25-year career this year, and Warp celebrates its 25th anniversary. To commemorate both occasions (he was one of its initial signings), Warp issues this two-disc best-of compilation, along with Nightmares on Wax's set of remixes.
OK Go, Upside Out EP (Paracadute)
After issuing a rather stellar and critically-acclaimed full-length 2010, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, and creating videos for each and every track in the few years that followed, OK Go finally presents a recording of new material to whet the appetites of fans until full-length effort Hungry Ghosts drops in October. First single "The Writing's on the Wall" sounds a little too New Wave reminiscent, though I dig the sentiment and already like it a little more upon second listen. Maybe it'll grow on me more... check it below.
Papertwin, Vox Humana (Self-release)
Radio Moscow, Magical Dirt (Alive Naturalsound)
Brian Reitzell, Auto Music (Smalltown Supersound)
Sam Smith, In The Lonely Hour (Capitol)
Sapient, Eaters Volume Two: Light Tiger (Sapient/ Sandpeople Music)
The prolific Portland indie hip hop artist and one-half of Debaser rhymes, sings and produces with a funky sci-fi grooviness and eclectic sample-strewn sonic quality. He shows off his chops on his latest solo outing. Check out "King Louie Williams" below.
Soft Pink Truth, Why Do the Heathen Rage? (Thrill Jockey)
Project of Matmos' Drew Daniel.
Swollen Members, Brand New Day (Battle Axe)
Alexis Taylor, Await Barbarians (Domino)
Of Hot Chip
Jacob Thomas, Jr., Original Sin (self-release)
Tiesto, A Town Called Paradise (Universal Republic)
Trummors, Moorish Highway (Earnest Jenning Record Co.)
The Woodstock, N.Y. duo features sweetly harmonizing multi-instrumentalist songwriters Anne Cunningham and David Lerner (the latter best known for his work with Ted Leo & The Pharmacists). They get a little more lush with their latest, laying a psychedelic film over their '70s pop/country folk sound and adding to their usual finger-style acoustic guitar and harmonium timbres with additional back-up from drummer Otto Hauser (Vetiver), guitarist Kevin Barker (Joanna Newsom), bassist James Preston (Zachary Cale), and pedal steel guitarist Marc Orleans (D. Charles Speer and the Helix). Bright, chugging first single "Bogus Bruce" below.
Vanna, VOID (Pure Noise)
Julian Velard, If You Don't Like It, You Can Leave (self-release)
White Lung, Deep Fantasy (Domino)
Zig Zags, Zig Zags (In the Red)