With so much new music coming out this week, you really have no choice but to throw a smile on your face and get down with the new jammy jams. Below is only a tiny taste of what’s hitting your streams for New Music Friday, so start here, and then tell us what else you’re listening to over on Twitter!
Murder by Death – The Other Shore
I’ve been a fan of this group since In Bocca Al Lupo, from 2006, and it’s good to see them back on the radar. While their style has evolved over the years, this new album could be described as dark space country with vocals you may mistake for Johnny Cash. It’s bleak, it’s heavy, and it couldn’t be any more Murder by Death.
Favorite tracks: “Alas” & “Last Night On Earth”
The Amity Affliction – Misery
How do you review an album that’s so diverse? It’s got metal, screamo, rock, electronic, and even a few tracks that feel like pop. It’s got a little something for everyone. And, even with the lyrics focused on a bit of the darker side of things, it’s oddly uplifting.
Favorite tracks: “Burn Alive” & “Drag The Lake”
White Denim – Performance
Talk about the perfect name of an album! This album is all you can ask for in a performance with enough passion to float a boat and the perfect touch of psychedelic rock to keep the trip moving forward. While listening, you can actually hear the guy’s smiles through the tunes. It’s a great time and there’s not a bad track on it.
Favorite tracks: “Performance” & “It Might Get Dark”
King Dude – Music To Make War To
This is the folk music of the gothic church with a pinch of ’80s glam sprinkled throughout and vocals so deep you might get into a philosophical conversation with them. The album is interesting in the way that it juxtaposes dark and haunting with beautiful and loving.
Favorite tracks: “God Like Me” & “I Don’t Write Love Songs Anymore”
Anki – Bloom
If you’re looking for a melodic bass album with poppy interludes and enough dance tracks to fill up the rest of the month, you’ve found it. From start to finish, it’s just a gorgeous record and at ten minutes under an hour, there’s enough material that you won’t get bored with it on repeat.
Favorite tracks: “Stride” & “Just A Game”
Fire-Toolz – Skinless X-1
This is a massively complex album that basically redefines what electronic music is capable of becoming. At points, it’s calm and serene like a mountain lake, and at others, it’s a warzone fought by robots in the future. It’s not an “easy” album, but there’s a magic to it that’s undeniable.
Favorite tracks: “Shadowfacts” & “Screamography”
Andrew Bayer – In My Last Life
We all need a little more beauty in our lives and Andrew is the man who’s going to bring it to us. At his core, he’s an electronic producer, but with gorgeous vocals on every track of the double album, you’re in for a love story that ranks up with the best of them. With 16 tracks and at a minute shy of an hour and a half, this is your ray of sunshine for the weekend.
Favorite tracks: “Love You More” & “Open End Resource”
BONUS EP: Cautious Clay – Resonance
A gorgeous mix of R&B, electronic, and rap is about to hit your ears. The worst part about the album is that it’s only four tracks. His vocals caress your senses with a sexuality that you can’t deny while flexing storytelling muscles throughout the 12 minutes. I, for one, want more.
Favorite track: “Smoke”
BONUS SINGLE: Fufanu – “Dialogue II”
This Icelandic trio is hard to pin down. They somehow mix post-punk, electronic, industrial, and R&B into one incredible sound. If you’re really ready to dance, throw on “Chop Chop” and get things started off right.
See you in a week!
