March went out like a lamb, musically speaking. But April is definitely coming in with a roar, based on this lineup of new tunage. See for yourself:
Aerosmith
1971: The Road Starts Hear
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Aerosmith’s 1971: The Road Starts Hear is a rare and previously unheard rehearsal. Recently discovered in the Aerosmith vaults, the original tape had not been touched in decades. This historic recording features seven extraordinary tracks showcasing the early, unbridled talent of the future Rock And Roll Hall of Fame members including a nascent version of Dream On, which they would later record and release on their 1973 eponymous major label debut. The landmark early recording was made with Joe Perry’s Wollensak reel-to-reel tape machine, either in the band’s Boston rehearsal room in front of a few select friends, or at a soundcheck for an early show. All that is certain is that the tape captures a young, hungry rock band one year before signing with Columbia Records and two years before their self-titled major-label debut helped catapult the band to one of the biggest rock acts of all time.”
Calexico
El Mirador
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Calexico’s Joey Burns and John Convertino return with their luminous 10th studio album El Mirador; a hopeful, kaleidoscopic beacon of rock, bluesy ruminations and Latin American sounds. Convening at longtime bandmate Sergio Mendoza’s home studio in Tucson, the ensemble recorded throughout the summer of 2021, crafting one of their most riveting and whimsical productions to date. Convertino, who now resides in El Paso, and Burns, who relocated to Boise in 2020, channeled cherished memories of Southwestern landscapes and joyful barrio melting pots into an evocative love letter to the desert borderlands that nourished them for over 20 years. “El Mirador is dedicated to family, friends and community,” says Burns. “The pandemic highlighted all the ways we need each other, and music happens to be my way of building bridges and encouraging inclusiveness and positivity. That comes along with sadness and melancholy, but music sparks change and movement.”
Envy Of None
Envy Of None
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Envy Of None is the debut album from the new band of the same name — featuring Alex Lifeson (Rush), Andy Curran (Coney Hatch), Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne. The ambient, cinematic darkness that the collective create evokes a powerful atmosphere that will excite superfans and new audiences alike. Lifeson and Curran’s longtime friendship was the catalyst for the bands inception — but Envy Of None are not defined by the members’ resumes — they aren’t Rush or Coney Hatch and far more than the sum of their collective parts. Above the beautiful cacophony of guitars, synths, bass and drums sits the fragile melodies of 24-year-old vocalist Maiah Wynne. Hearing Mariah’s voice intertwined with the music will bring back memories of when you heard Shirley Manson of Garbage or Amy Lee of Evanescence for the first time. Wynne brings charm and beauty to these recordings in spades — with floating hooks and emotive lyrics transcending the oftentimes textural aesthetic.”
The Linda Lindas
Growing Up
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Linda Lindas first played together as members of a pickup new wave cover band of kids assembled by Kristin Kontrol (Dum Dum Girls) for Girlschool LA in 2018 and then formed their own garage-punk group just for fun. Sisters Mila de la Garza (drummer, now 11) and Lucia de la Garza (guitar, 14), cousin Eloise Wong (bass, 13), and family friend Bela Salazar (guitar, 17) developed their chops as regulars at all-ages matinees in Chinatown, where they played with original L.A. punks like The Dils, Phranc, and Alley Cats; went on to open for riot grrrl legends Bikini Kill and architect Alice Bag as well as DIY heavyweights Best Coast and Bleached; and were eventually featured in Amy Poehler’s movie Moxie. A product of generations of underground music in L.A. and beyond, The Linda Lindas’ debut channels classic punk, post punk, power pop, new wave, and other surprises into timelessly catchy and cool songs sung by all four members — each with her own style and energy. A handful of cuts have already been previewed at shows and enthusiastically approved by diehard followers in the pit.”
Lucius
Second Nature
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Acclaimed indie pop band Lucius return with their highly anticipated new album Second Nature. Produced by Dave Cobb and Brandi Carlile, the album features 10 new songs, including the first single Next To Normal. Second Nature is a portrait of singer and songwriters Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe’s shared reflection, chronicling each other’s seismic life shifts — motherhood, divorce, unplanned career pauses — and setting it to music. “It is a record that begs you not to sit in the difficult moments, but to dance through them,” says Wolfe. “It touches upon all these stages of grief—and some of that is breakthrough, by the way. Being able to have the full spectrum of the experience that we have had, or that I’ve had in my divorce, or that we had in lockdown, having our careers come to a halt, so to speak. I think you can really hear and feel the spectrum of emotion and hopefully find the joy in the darkness. It does exist. That’s why we made Second Nature and why we wanted it to sound the way it did: our focus was on dancing our way through the darkness.”
Father John Misty
Chloe And The Next 20th Century
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Father John Misty returns with Chloë And The Next 20th Century, his fifth album and first new material since the release of God’s Favorite Customer in 2018. Chloë And the Next 20th Century was written and recorded August through December 2020 and features arrangements by Drew Erickson. The album sees Sean Tillman and
producer/multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Wilson resume their longtime collaboration, as well as Dave Cerminara, returning as engineer and mixer. Basic tracks were recorded at Wilson’s Five Star Studios with strings, brass, and woodwinds recorded at United Recordings in a session featuring Dan Higgins and Wayne Bergeron, among others. Chloë And The Next 20th Century features the singles Funny Girl, Q4, Goodbye Mr. Blue, and Kiss Me (I Loved You).”
Pavement
Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal + Spit On A Stranger Expanded Edition
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal is an exhaustive 45-track set compiling the remastered original album, B-sides, home demos, rehearsal tapes, era-appropriate live recordings, and even the rough tracks from Pavement’s scrapped session at Sonic Youth’s Echo Canyon studio. Altogether, it features 28 unreleased tracks. Originally released in 1999, Terror Twilight marked a departure from Pavement’s established operating methods. Which is to say that it was recorded with a big-time producer in an expensive studio. However, for all the talk of “polish” and “precision” it’s still very much a Pavement record. And a great one. Like every Pavement album that preceded it, Terror Twilight thrills and confounds. Often at the same time. Alwo being released the same day: An expanded edition of Pavement’s Spit On A Stranger It includes the viral phenomenon Harness Your Hopes and a previously unreleased live take from the band’s legendary 1999 Brixton performance.”
Kae Tempest
The Line Is A Curve
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Line Is A Curve is about letting go. The core of the record is that the pressures we face do not always have to be heavy burdens, but can be reframed; the more pressure a person is under, the greater the possibility for release. The album plays like a chronicle of pressures — the mind-numbing pursuit of a comfortable life, the eternal striving for more, the pressures of the city, the country, the times. The pressures of maintaining relationships, of battling illness, addiction, poor mental health, the vacuous life of our online selves. As we move through these chronicles though, the mood brightens. The musicality becomes more expansive as the lyrical horizon broadens and we glimpse coastlines, high streets, scrap yards, train stations in the rain; the entire album begins to let go. This album has a beautiful heart, there is so much love running through it and I can’t wait for people to experience it.”
Wet Leg
Wet Leg
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Wet Leg’s debut single Chaise Longue boasts a dry wit, a Mean Girls nod and a thumping indie-disco beat that helped to turn it into a runaway hit in 2021. Now, the duo of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers will release their self-titled album; the record is an instant classic that peels back the layers of the band to reveal the smart, dark heart at the centre of it. Wet Leg was mostly recorded in London in April 2021, and the duo chose Dan Carey (Squid, Fontaines DC) to produce the bulk of it. They had recorded a lot of their demos at home on Garageband, and a lot of audio from those sessions was reused, rather than rerecorded. “They were super scrappy, but they already had an identity to them,” Rhian explains. Wet Leg is cathartic and joyful and punk and scuzzy, and a dry sense of humour ripples through the album, whether that’s eviscerating a pretentious ex-boyfriend who sends unwanted texts (Wet Dream) or being sucked into the 3am doom scroll on the magnificent glam-stomp Oh No.”
Jack White
Fear Of The Dawn
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jack White will release two new albums in 2022 — his first new full-length collections in over four years. Fear Of The Dawn arrives next week, while Entering Heaven Alive will follow on July 22, 2022. White has been writing and recording music throughout the entirety of the past several years, creating two entirely distinctive albums in Fear Of The Dawn and its followup Entering Heaven Alive — each defined by different inspirations, different themes, different moods. Born and raised in Detroit as the youngest of 10 siblings, White’s utilitarian approach filters through all of his work, from self-producing his own music to the Third Man empire he founded (which currently includes a pressing plant, a record label, a photo lab, a lounge/bar, and more), his upholstery and various other art and design pursuits, and anything else that crosses his desk. Over a quarter century into his professional musical career, White’s ability to weave relevant, compelling, and poignant artistry into his music leaves him unparalleled.”
