Album: Interplay
Quick Thoughts: Ride, the legendary shoegaze band, offers a new album, their second since coming back from an extended hiatus. As wrestling fans say, "they still got it," because this is just a glorious reverb-heavy spectacle that makes you realize that shoegaze is generally always good, but when it's great it's almost transcendant. Don't miss this.
Songs of Note: "Light in a Quiet Room," "Stay Free," "Portland Rocks"
Album: The Garden Dream
Quick Thoughts: "SPLAT!" hit my playlists a while back and I really (and still) fell for it, so the debut album from gglum is more fuzzy buzzy indie rock that just works well. It's drenched in the sort of distortion that we love here, and they're a band that deserves to be better known than they are.
Songs of Note: "Easy Fun," "SPLAT!," "Glue," "He Laid His 97's Neatly By the Door"
Album: What's Mine
Quick Thoughts: A solid little indie grunge effort, it's angsty and delightful in all its forms. Plus, songs like "Autopilot" are true earworms, and "Playlist" is a really great take on a more romantic rock song than I'm used to. Definitely check this one out.
Songs of Note: "Awkward Girl," "Autopilot," "Playlist"
Album: COWBOY CARTER
Quick Thoughts: Billed as the "Beyoncé Country Album," that's... probably a misnomer in a lot of ways, but that doesn't stop it from being an interesting listen. I don't know if I liked this as much as I like the idea behind it, and I say that as a 40-something white guy who is decidedly not part of the Beyhive demographic. There are subtlities I'm sure I'm missing here, but there are enough great moments that transcend Beyoncé herself that are worth hearing - especially the delightfully chaotic "YA YA," which is a highlight no matter what.
Songs of Note: "BLACKBIIRD," "TEXAS HOLD 'EM," "BODYGUARD," "JOLENE," "SPAGHETTII," "YA YA," "TYRANT"
Album: Art of Losing My Reflection
Quick Thoughts: We missed this one when it dropped a few weeks back, but it's worth the time even if it were a busy week. This is very accessible indie rock, with some gorgeous harmonies and a light quality masking the angsty, angry underbelly. I loved this a lot, and it's great for fans of both The Regrettes and/or having regrets.
Songs of Note: "Oh Lover, Why?," "I Wish I Knew You When You Were Younger," "Pretty Baybee," "Driving With No Sound"
Of note:
* Ed Harcourt - El Magnifico (Great British rock.)
* Reyna Tropical - Malegria (A bright, compelling listen.)
* A Country Western - Life on the Lawn (A solid indie alt-country effort, with some nice pop undertones.)
* Chastity Belt - Live Laugh Love (Great indie rock.)
* PREGOBLIN - PREGOBLIN II
* Casual Technicians - Casual Technicians
* Steve Lyman - SPIRAL
* Sarah Shook and the Disarmers - Revelations
* Third Son - If You Remember the 90's You Weren't There
* The Secret Sisters - Mind, Man, Medicine
* Sucre - Starkisser
* Holiday Ghosts - Coat of Arms
* NAHreally and The Expert - BLIP
* Blu DeTiger - All I Ever Want is Everything
* Analisa Six - Shadows of 9
* Irushi Jain - Delight
* Scott H. Biram - The One and Only Scott H. Biram
* Sunglaciers - Regular Nature
* Dent May - What's For Breakfast?
* Kelly Moran - Moves in the Field
* Bugseed - Soundcraft 2
* Brenky - Motiv
* Chad Crouch - Timothy Lake Soundwalk
EPs:
* Pedal Steel Noah - Texas Madness EP
* Rico Nasty - HARDC0RE DR3AMZ
* VIAL - burnout
* Lauren Ruth Ward - Self Electric
* Jackie Hayes - Mundane Pleasure
* Shabazz Palaces - Exotic Birds of Prey
* Little Slugger - Heartless
* Bad Sounds - Escaping from a Violent Time, Vol. 4
* Bear Grass - papers
* fanclubwallet - Our Bodies Paint Traffic Lines
* Hello Seahorse! - Live Act
* DJ Charme - Starling
Live albums/Compilations/Reissues:
* Jira