Record Store Day is here again which will make for some interesting sales statistics next week. Meanwhile, though, we have the usual parade of new releases as part of New Music Friday. Here are some recommendations by artists who aren’t named Taylor Swift.
Singles
1. Belle and Sebastian, What Happened to You Son? (Matador)
The veteran Scottish twee band (and its seven current members) had second thoughts about this song which was originally left off their 2023 album, Late Developers. Maybe it should be released after all. Headman Stuart Murdoch wrote this one about the musical idols he had when he was failing all his university courses. What happens when pop stars grow up?
2. Fontaines DC, Starbuster (XL Recordings)
Fontaines DC is my favourite band to come out of Dublin in a long, long time. All three of their albums have been excellent. A fourth, entitled Romance, is due August 23. If this first single is any indication, the band’s sonic palette has expanded into some new and interesting directions. Can’t wait.
3. Pavement, Harness Your Hopes (Matador)
That Pavement? Yes. It’s not exactly new, though. It was recorded for their fourth album, Brighten the Chores back in 1999 but never included on the record. It has appeared in a couple of places since (the Spit on a Stranger EP in 1999, an expanded version of Brighten in 2008). Then a weird thing happened: In 2017, somehow became the most-streamed Pavement song on Spotify and then a viral hit on TikTok. That prompted the creation of a music video and inclusion a new version of the Spit EP. Talk about a long strange trip for a song, huh?
Albums
1. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, by Boize Noize, Challengers (Null)
This isn’t a Nine Inch Nails release, but it’s as close as you can guess. Trent Reznor and his soundtrack writing partner Atticus Ross got the gig writing for the movie Challengers (it opens next week). German producer Boize Noize remixed the nine submitted tracks so everything sounds a like a continuous DJ set.
2. Pearl Jam, Dark Matter (Monkeywrench/Republic)
It’s been just over four years since Pearl Jam released the Gigaton album, a project and tour that was laid to waste because it had the misfortune of coming out just two weeks after all the COVID lockdowns started. When things settled down, members had moved onto other projects so it wasn’t until about a year ago that anyone started thinking about making new music. But then in a flurry of creativity, they wrote and recorded Dark Matter over the last of three weeks. Listen to my conversation with bassist Jeff Ament this weekend with a special program on Corus rock radio stations. This is the third single from the record.
3. Cloud Nothings, Final Summer (Pure Noise)
This Cleveland band had a moment a few years back when it looked like they were going to bust out of the indie scene. That never really happened but the group continues to make some interesting music. Final Summer, their eighth studio album, contains more melodic, shambolic songs that are reminiscent of a certain period of the 1990s.
4. The Melvins, Tarantula Heart (Ipecac Recordings)
Speaking of shambolic (with a touch of trademark sludge), The Melvins, Kurt Cobain’s all-time favourite band (he roadied for them in the days before Nirvana) have been together since 1983 and started making albums in 1987. This is their 27th album under the leadership of Buzz Osbourne. There are only five tracks but the lead-off song runs a little over 19 minutes. That’s too long for a single so they’re going with this one.
5. My Dying Bride, A Mortal Binding (Nuclear Blast)
Now that spring is here, let’s indulge in a little doom/death metal. This is the British band’s 15th album. You’ll either get it or you won’t.
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