Good thing it’s a long weekend: You’re going to need that extra time to wade through this roundup of all the essential new releases, reissues, comebacks, lost albums, tribute discs, side projects, solo releases, supergroups, swan songs, box sets and EPs on the way. And before you complain, know this: I didn’t even include all the big-name pop releases (sorry, Shawn, Kylie and Joe). So trust me, it could have been way worse. Here are your plays of the week:
Andrew Bird & Madison Cunningham
Cunningham Bird
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Andrew Bird is an internationally acclaimed, Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, whistler, and songwriter. Madison Cunningham is a songwriter and virtuoso guitarist whose music bursts with electrifying ideas about life and art. Together, the pair of jazzy, classical-leaning indie-folk singer-songwriter types have announced a full-length cover of Buckingham Nicks, the album made before Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac. Cunningham Bird is produced by Mike Viola, one of only two musicians who plays on the album besides Bird and Cunningham. Viola handles wurlitzer, bass and drums, while Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes also contributes some drums and percussion. The tracklist remains the same as the original album, but the songs have been transformed into the kind of indie chamber music you’d expect from this pair.”
Black Pus
Terrestrial Seethings
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Black Pus is the guttural, raw, freeform project of singular drummer, vocalist, and artist Brian Chippendale. A heavy drum foundation and distorted electronics anchor his sound, and remain directly connected to the intensity of Chippendale’s legendary duo with Brian Gibson, Lightning Bolt. Recorded at Machines with Magnets by engineer Seth Manchester, Terrestrial Seethings is pure energy, pure Black Pus, capturing the precision, frenzy, and ecstatic performance in all its glory. After two decades playing and improvising, Chippendale’s imagination and curiosity continue to push his world of twisted joy in expressive new directions. “This art is a river of energy that I jump into and ride along with,” says Chippendale. “It’s not really music made to tell written stories. It’s energy music first and foremost.”
Bon Iver
Sable,
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The three songs that comprise Bon Iver’s new record Sable, emerged from a long-gestating breakdown. Justin Vernon finally found the time to unpack years of built-up darkness just as the lockdown began. While there are the usual collaborators on this record providing pedal steel (Greg Leisz), fiddle (Rob Moose), saxophone (Michael Lewis), and trumpet (Trever Hagen), Sable, is largely defined by Vernon’s voice and guitar. The dense layers of i,i are nowhere to be found, as Vernon bears the weight of these songs largely on his own. It’s a retreat and reset. These songs are reflections of unfinished business, of guilt and anguish. Sable, is named for near-blackness, the record an externalized projection of his turmoil. This trio of songs represents an unburdening from one of the most trying eras in Vernon’s life. There was a time not long ago where Vernon intentionally hid his face. Here, the blinds are open.”
Jerry Cantrell
I Want Blood
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “He’s a modern troubadour with an Old West gunslinger’s swagger and the knowing grin of a recovering antihero. Jerry Cantrell makes music as diverse as the multigenerational hellraisers who love it. Equal parts trailblazer and traditional old-school rocker, Cantrell creates compositions that deeply connect with outsiders and outlaws, whether in the throes of sorrow or the triumph of victory. His vocals, melodies, and riffs are as instantly recognizable as they are powerful, nuanced, and eclectic. Both a disciple of the hard rock tradition and a massive influence on subsequent generations of artists, Cantrell straddles the line between earnest salt-of-the-earth songwriter and beloved living legend. I Want Blood arrives with all the aggression and heavy, inexhaustible stomp its title suggests. The followup to the best-reviewed solo album of Cantrell’s career (2021’s Brighten) further expands his musical palette without sacrificing any of his inescapably infectious melodic hooks. “This record is a serious piece of work. It’s a motherfucker,” he says. “It’s hard, no doubt, and completely unlike the last one. And that’s what you want, to end up in a different place. It’s a fresh piece of turf.”
Cortez
Thieves And Charlatans
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Boston loves an underdog, and as double-guitar heavy rock five-piece Cortez pass 15 years since the release of their 2007 debut EP, Thunder in a Forgotten Town, they remain persistently underrated. Their latest LP, Thieves and Charlatans, demonstrates their ability to, without aping anybody — a bit of Black Sabbath worship in the swaggering Stove Up notwithstanding — command a sound that is both classic-rooted and modern in its construction. Working in continued collaboration with producer Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studio, and with the returning lineup of vocalist Matt Harrington, guitarists Scott O’Dowd and Alasdair Swan, bassist Jay Furlo and drummer Alexei Rodriguez (since replaced by Kyle Rasmussen) — as well as guest vocal spots from Craig Riggs (Kind, Roadsaw, etc.) and Jim Healey (We’re All Gonna Die, Black Thai, Blood Lightning, etc.) – Thieves and Charlatans sees them look forward as ever while regarding their past in a new way.”
Dead Betties
Impossible Future
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Queerpunk band The Dead Betties returns with the striking new album Impossible Future. Frontman Joshua Ackley says, “Impossible Future explores the liberating power of embracing the unknown — where shedding your former self and stepping far beyond your comfort zone makes the future feel not just uncertain but almost impossible. In this impossible space, where creation and reality collide, personal freedom can be found.” Founded in 2000, The Dead Betties are a New York-based band composed of singer–bassist Ackley, drummer Derek Pippin, and guitarist Eric Shepherd. They are best known for their intense songwriting, melodic impact, and explosive performances. Impossible Future is a manifesto for embracing change, challenging norms, and envisioning a future where human and machine intelligence coexist harmoniously, if not a bit chaotically.”
The Fall
The Infotainment Scan Box Set
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Infotainment Scan was originally released in 1993 and was the band 15th studio album, reaching No. 9 on the album chart. This set contains singles and demos as well as BBC sessions and three live shows from the era. Compiled in conjunction with Fall expert Conway Patton and notes by Fall guru Daryl Easlea, it has been mastered by long-time engineer Andy Pearce with art by Becky Stewart. The Fall were an English post-punk band, formed in Manchester in 1976. They were built around its founder and only constant member Mark E. Smith. Initially associated with the punk movement of the late 1970s, the group’s music went through several stylistic changes over the years, but is often characterised by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, and is always underpinned by Smith’s distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics.”
Fantastic Negrito
Son Of A Broken Man
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fantastic Negrito’s Son Of A Broken Man encapsulates the essence of his celebrated body of work, combining hard-hitting distorted guitar riffs with melodic ballads, all threaded together by the unexpected twists that define his unique sound. This album stands as his most personal yet, diving deep into themes of family, deception, and the human desire to hide one’s true self. At its core, the record explores the timeless conflict between father and son — a conflict rooted in Negrito’s own experiences of being misled by his father, who wove a false narrative around his identity and heritage. The album’s raw honesty and emotional depth offer listeners a rare and intimate glimpse into the artist’s journey. “When I was 12 years old, my dad stopped talking to me and kicked me out of the house,” said Fantastic Negrito’s Xavier Dphrepaulezz.“I never saw him again and he ended up dying while I was in foster care. This is me talking to him and telling him what I’ve done with my life.”
Tim Heidecker
Slipping Away
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After the breakthroughs of 2020’s wistfully lush Fear of Death, and 2022’s High School, whose tales of nostalgia were never quite as distant as they seemed, the multi-hyphenate comedian and songwriter Tim Heidecker has reached a new peak with Slipping Away, his warmest and fullest record to date. While all of his albums are concept records to some degree, this one tells a story on a larger scale, offering an imagistic framework that allows for some of his brightest melodies, heaviest themes (the feeling of before the fall and after), and most direct and vulnerable lyrics. Heidecker is also a comedian, writer and actor. Along with Eric Wareheim, he is a member of the comedy duo Tim & Eric. He currently co-hosts the parodic film review web series On Cinema. And, hosts a weekly call-in show, Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker.”
Hemlock Ernst & Icky Reels
Studying Absence
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This record came together because of a feature I did for the Beans album Venga,” says Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herring, aka Hemlock Ernst. “I didn’t know it at the time but the song Anti-Star System and the album were produced by Icky Reels. After we did the song and the record came out, Beans hit me back and said he thought I should do a full project with Icky. He thought that I really needed to challenge myself, that it would bring something out in me… I saw it as exactly that, a challenge. With Hemlock I tend to work over soul and jazz break type beats. Icky Reels’ production was a far more industrial and acidic landscape. I knew this would be more of a cerebral process, breaking down the beats, challenging the rhythms, finding the voices. But I decided to accept the challenge. Suffice to say, this is the most dense and challenging record I’ve been a part of making.”
Susanna Hoffs
The Lost Album
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Susanna Hoffs is releasing The Lost Record from her archives, recorded in 1999 with a group of friends in her garage. It contains the original version of Under A Cloud — a song that was later released by The Bangles in 2011. Written by Hoffs and Dillon O’Brian, I Will Take Care of You was also recorded by The Bangles, but this is the elegant and raw version she always wanted to release. Hoffs describes that time as a “sweet, special period of being home with a new baby, but also an exploration of identity, separate from The Bangles. It’s an immense thrill to finally be able to share rare recordings that have been near and dear to my heart.”
Japandroids
Fate & Alcohol
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Japandroids’ Fate & Alcohol is their fourth and final full-length. Written in part while the duo — drummer-vocalist David Prowse and guitarist-vocalist Brian King — were touring behind their 2017 LP Near to the Wild Heart of Life, the album is at once a return to form and a thrilling step forward, a monument to the chemistry they’ve honed over nearly two decades side-by-side. Recorded in Vancouver with longtime collaborator Jesse Gander, Fate & Alcohol finds them pursuing new ways to bottle that same rush – to write songs with the vitality and dynamic interaction of their early material, without sacrificing any of the nuance or ambition that marked Near to the Wild Heart of Life. When asked to reflect on their career and all they’ve accomplished, both Prowse and King are hesitant to think in terms of legacy. They consider Fate & Alcohol a parting gift to fans, because Japandroids have approached every recording as fans themselves, from influences and ethics to artwork and merch. “I don’t think we’re the most technically proficient band in the world,” Prowse says. “And we’re not the most original-sounding or challenging band in the world. But we’ve always put a lot of passion into what we do, and I think that’s resonated with a lot of people. And I’m really grateful that we could be that band for people, in the same way that so many bands were for us.”
Jordana
Lively Premonition
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Who is Jordana Nye? And what is her signature sound? It depends on when you ask. “I don’t think I’ll ever settle on a specific sound,” says Jordana. “I’m just a chameleon.” So her vibrant fourth LP, Lively Premonition, which is equal parts Laurel Canyon folk and shimmering yacht rock, should surprise no one. “Maybe it’s my L.A. record,” she says of the album she worked on with producer and multi-instrumentalist Emmett Kai for the entirety of 2023. “I can’t pinpoint exactly what affected it, but I do think the sun has its beam on me. Through all of these releases, it’s so cool to see which eras I’ve gone through and what I’ve experimented with.” Though the concept of eras is exhaustingly omnipresent at the moment, Jordana has earned the right to draw the definitive lines between her releases and musical phases. Her current iteration owes a debt to a deep love for artists like The Mamas & The Papas, Carole King, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker — all New Yorkers who, like Jordana, moved out west and found their sounds flourishing.”
Karate
Make It Fit
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Formed in Boston in 1993 by Geoff Farina, Eamonn Vitt and Gavin McCarthy, Karate added Jeff Goddard on bass in 1995. The band released six studio albums, two EPs, numerous singles, and split 7”s between 1994 and 2005. From punk roots, the band ventured widely, veering into jazz-rock, post-rock and a unique version of slowcore in its progressive indie experimentation. Vitt left for med school in 97 and Farina called the band quits in 2005 because of hearing issues. Now, the band re-emerges with Make It Fit, its first new studio record since 2004’s Pockets. It doesn’t try to recapture a youthful, DIY-era magic. Instead, it picks up where Karate’s three musicians are today: with a deeper skillset, adult angst cut through with moments of joy, punctuated with searing instrumental performances. Make It Fit is the opposite of a cynical cash-in. It’s daring, requiring a full commitment from band and audience. And Karate’s reunion is soaking in gratitude. This time around, Farina says he appreciates it all more. “I appreciate that I’m playing a show. I used to get up on stage and be annoyed at this and be annoyed at that. Now I get up on stage and feel incredibly lucky. Just being able to do it again is so much fun. Just hearing us together on stage feels so right.”
