I've got a brand new edition of 5 New Albums You Should Listen to Now. Today I've got five notable releases, some that are out now, some that came out earlier this year, and one that drops on Friday. This week's list includes new albums from Crown Lands, Oddisee, KNIFEY, TRACES, and Hotel Mira.
Crown Lands: Self-Titled [Universal Music Canada]
Release Date: August 16, 2020
Notes: I've been on the bandwagon for a while and trying to take you along with me. Well people, including Universal Music, are in on this band. It's great music, it has a fantastic message that needs to be told, and it's first class rock and roll.
I know, I know, it's not here yet, but there are three tracks already available. The full self-titled album will be here on Friday, and they've been teasing tracks all week long on socials. Go check them out while you wait, and on release day drop it on and hit repeat!
Links: Web / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / All the playable links
Oddisee: ODD CURE [Outer Note Label]
Release Date: July 17, 202
Notes: Great music and lyrics are always to be expected. But Oddisee goes one step farther and includes the most beautiful, phone calls (skits) with family and during which were recorded during these trying times. They are the best! Give it a listen, and no skips, you won't be sorry.
Recorded during the pandemic in his apartment while self-isolating, it features six tracks in addition to the skits. Phillip Mlynar of Bandcamp sums up the album perfectly.
"On opening track "The Cure," he gazes out at the world from atop a billowing disco-soul arrangement, wondering, "Is it recess or recession?" Before long, he's entered full flow-putting politicized news broadcasts against loaded conspiracy theories, paranoia against empathy, and of course, humanity against virus.
The release's five other full-bodied songs persuasively showcase Oddisee's combination of smart and earnest lyrics, with production that weaves together soul influences and hypnotic hip-hop loop science. The bass-propelled "Shoot Your Shot" muses on responding with fear when faced with pivotal junctures in life; the cymbal-cushioned "Still Strange" delves into bittersweet relationship territory; and "Go To Mars" features Oddisee balancing dreams of escapism with the reality of being stuck in a certain situation-a dilemma he relays over a backdrop that brings to mind Bill Withers recording a song about drifting off to a remote galaxy." - Bandcamp, By Phillip Mlynar
Links: ODDISEE / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / All Playable Links
KNIFEY: Sleepwalker [Culvert Music]
Release Date: August 11, 2020
Notes: There's just something about these guys that I like. It may be their sincerity, their genuineness, or damn, it might just be the music. Is it weird if I say, they remind me of The Oneders? I mean that in the best possible way. Surf rock mixed with punk and pop, this indie band does it all, including ballads.
"KNIFEY's sophomore full-length, Sleepwalker, is a tale of growth. The varied collection of songs offers a glimpse into the inconsistencies and contradictions of being in your mid-twenties; about the struggle of taking on increased routine and responsibility, while at the same time trying to cling onto the carelessness and energy of youth. Sleepwalker's latest single, "Can't Stop Feeling," tells the story of a lover's inner dialogue as their partner departs on a long and distant adventure. The song is a product of the toxic blending of normally unrelated fears; the fear of two different types of mortality - romantic and literal." - PRDespite not being in my mid-twenties, I love this album.
Links: Facebook / Twitter / Soundcloud / Instagram / Spotify / YouTube / All Playable Links
TRACES: 0000-0600 [Dine Alone Records]
Release Date: July 22, 2020
Notes: TRACES is Tim Dehnert, a 22-year-old artist and songwriter from San Diego, who recently signed with Dine Alone Records. We've included the video for Night Terrors below. "Night Terrors is a commentary on hype culture and sensationalist media accompanied by an eye-catching video including various clips from past tv shows, media personalities, and advertisements that have all come and gone.
0000-0600 is the new release and beginning from, 22-year-old artist, TRACES debut album '6 HRS.' Conceptually driven, the album takes place over the course of a six-hour sleep cycle, during which TRACES struggles with his demons, broaching uncomfortable subjects universally pondered but rarely discussed in pop music."I love the sound and the concept. Give it a go.
Right now, only the first three tracks are available from the upcoming album, the release date is still TBA.
Links: Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / All Playable Links
Links: Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / All Playable Links
Hotel Mira: Perfectionism [Light Organ Records]
Release Date: February 14, 2020
Notes: From the first listen, this album is stuck in my head. Can a whole album be an earworm?
Listen to the stories, embrace them, feel them and know that someone lived them. This record was on my list before the news about Daisy broke.
I didn't name Daisy in our previous post, but Charlie and I spoke about her. Now my heart aches when I listen. I still can't stop. I've tried not playing the album, but it still plays in my head. I've gone back to listening to it whenever it pops into my consciousness.
I'm thinking of her and the battle that she bravely fought and inevitably lost.
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