Notable vinyl releases out this Friday - 13 September (2024)

Allegra Krieger’s "Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine", her second full-length album with Double Double Whammy, is a collection of 12 songs that pick at the fragile membrane between life and death. Krieger’s previous album, "I Keep My Feet on the Fragile Plane", hewed more closely to the domestic spaces of city and mind. Rolling Stone regarded the album as “ten songs of heady philosophical meanderings packed with emotional dynamite,” and likened her “finely phrased lyrics” to those of “Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, [and] David Berman.” Krieger’s existential meditations remain on "Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine", however her meandering melodies have taken on a stronger sense of direction. She narrates candidly and assertively; the full-band arrangements never overpower, only offer a robust platform on which Krieger’s voice reaches new heights. The full band brings a heightened sense of drama to the album’s arrangements, which contrasts the quieter approach of Krieger’s previous LP. There are noisy interludes, jazz-inflected discursions, impactful stops and starts, and occasional spaces for Krieger to stretch out her impressive vocal range (most prominently at the dazzling climax of album stand out “Came”). In "Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine", Krieger invites us to a place where transfiguration is not only possible but actively happening. From this place, the beautiful and the banal and the terrible are all laid out before us. And Krieger asks us not to look away. Instead, she invites us to stare down the beautiful and terrible in the world, and to realize that sometimes the only way out is through.

Big Bend's September 2024 release a monument to listening through the veil of time and space. Ohio native and primary songwriter, Nathan Phillips, built upon ensemble jam sessions he hosted at a residency in Australia and collaged those recordings alongside co-producer Shahzad Ismaily to make Last Circle in a Slowdown. Reflective, hi-fi, and elemental, the folk-meets-freeform sonics evoke rich 90s acoustic rock and the British post pop songwriting of Mark Hollis and David Sylvian. Lyrical observations of nature's mystery and modes of regeneration consider the looming chance all things could move in any direction. - Lyndsay Knecht

Chastity’s first three full-length records—2018’s Death Lust, 2019’s Home Made Satan, and 2022’s Suffer Summer—formed a trilogy that defined a 4-year arc of the band’s contribution to outsider music. Each record was informed by Williams’ life, but each was also conceptual and interpretive, refracting his experiences through a level of remove. On Chastity’s upcoming, self-titled fourth record, there is no such distance: Williams decided to write a fully non-fiction work. Out Friday, September 13 2024 on Deathwish (US), Dine Alone (Canada), and Big Scary Monsters (UK/E) ‘Chastity’ is a 13-track record about the things that have always run through the band’s records—struggle, death, despair, redemption, darkness, and light—but this time, the songs ascend to new depths of intensity and desperation, new heights of resolution and power. “It’s really about the first nosedive that I did as a young person,” says Williams. “It’s a record about struggle, about the missing years. It’s also a thank you to some people in my life.” The record hurtles through melodic hardcore, shoegaze, and emo, all magnificently and enormously rendered thanks to slick work from John Paul Peters (Propagandhi, Comeback Kid), who engineered and mixed the record. 

Very few bands manage to last decades, and for the ones that do, it's often easy to settle down and get a little too comfortable. But there's nothing comfortable about Devourer, the explosive new album from Cursive. The iconic Omaha group is known for their intensity, ambition, and execution, and has spent 30 years creating a bold discography that's defined as much by it's cathartic sound as it's weighty, challenging lyrical themes. And Devourer is as daring as ever. Full of intense and incisive songs, the album proves exactly why Cursive have been so influential and enduring-and why they remain so vital today.In the years since their 1995 formation, Cursive developed into one of the most important groups to emerge from the late-'90s/early '00s moment when the lines between indie rock and post-hardcore began blurring into something altogether new. Albums like Domestica (2000) and The Ugly Organ (2003) became essential touchstones whose echoes can still be heard in new bands today. Devourer, as an expansive new double-album, examines humanity's bottomless capacity for consumption through a series of songs that act like vignettes, driven by frontman Tim Kasher's never-ending appetite for both taking in and creating art."I am obsessive about consuming the arts," he explains. "Music, film, literature. I've come to recognize that I devour all of these art forms then, in turn, create my own versions of these things and spew them out onto the world. It's positive; you're part of an ecosystem. But I quickly recognized that the term, 'Devourer,' may also embody something gnarly, sinister." Fans have come to expect such heady topics from Cursive, but Devourer sets a new standard.While Cursive's music hasn't gotten any more comfortable, perhaps it's being released into a world that's at least a little more shaped in their image. Devourer sounds urgent and fresh, the work of a band still experimenting, still hungering to find new creative heights. On album highlight "Consumers," the protagonist bemoans, "I saw our future and I want to go back." But Cursive are only moving forward.

As he began plotting his new solo album, Dale Crover - world-renowned drummer for the Melvins, Nirvana and Redd Kross, and singer-guitarist for Altamont - realized that, unlike with his prior two full-lengths, he was starting from scratch. "I didn't have any songs," he says, "so I just went on this writing spree." The result is Glossolalia, Crover's third LP under his own name and arguably his most focused statement yet as a solo artist: 11 catchy yet eccentric tracks that move from Nuggets-y garage rock to crafty proto-metal riffage and gorgeously hazy psych-pop, touching on everything from a bad teenage trip to the charms of the late, great Jane Birkin, and featuring input by illustrious guests including Ty Segall, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil and none other than Tom Waits. What stands out across the record is the sturdiness of Crover's vision. He's modest about his ambitions - "It's just kind of like extra credit," he says, about having a solo outlet apart from his main band - but as this record shows, his overall aesthetic hits just as hard as his legendary drum thunder.

This self-titled record is Foxing's fifth full length record. The St. Louis based band is known for pushing boundaries with their genre-blending indie rock with emo and electronic elements. Foxing follows in that vein of unwieldy experimentalism, with hardcore moments that haven't been seen from the band before, and true depth of lyricism bound to take listeners on a journey. The band's previous records have received praise from Pitchfork, Paste, Kerrang, The Alternative and more.

Jade Hairpins waste no time fulfilling their second album's titular demand. From it's harmony-drenched opening note to it's baroque-anthemic conclusion, Get Me the Good Stuff is positively loaded with musical ideas, an absurdist buffet of sound and aesthetic that comes with one hell of a floorshow as the Hairpins stack those ideas higher and higher, almost daring them to crash to the floor. Instead, those elements-punksploitation, power pop, baggy, funk, and Italo disco are just some touchstones-are not only held aloft, they defy gravity and convention.It is, in other words, overwhelming. Or it would be if Jade Hairpins-Jonah Falco and Mike Haliechuk-weren't remarkably nimble in their ability to bring unity to sounds by placing them in competition against each other. When those sounds are adjacent, like the glam and disco that saturate "Drifting Superstition," the thrill of those universes colliding in the heat of an absolutely filthy clavichord line turns it's lyrics, about the habit of solving personal problems by ignoring them, into a winner's anthem on the order of Bowie or Hot Chocolate.Theatrical and personal, absurd and true-to-life, playful and serious, Get Me the Good Stuff is an album of tremendous personal and artistic growth that signposts towards dozens of potential futures to come. It's not only worth the attention, it continuously rewards it.

Now More Than Ever transports you to a sweaty night in downtown Brooklyn when comedian John Early took to the stage with his unique blend of cutting commentary, pop star swagger, and all around loveable hilarity. Early’s giddy musings on contemporary life are intercut with explosive song covers from Britney to Neil Young, backed by his live band The Lemon Squares. Expanding upon his critically acclaimed HBO comedy special of the same name, John Early’s long-awaited first comedy album also features four brand new cover songs from John Early and The Lemon Squares, along with an exclusive, album-only set from Early’s beloved alter ego, Vicky with a ‘V.’ This album is an attempt, in all its silliness, to get serious. Now More Than Ever is Early’s sincere and abundant offering back to the culture of thoughtful critique, heartfelt music, and infectious joy, firmly cementing his place as the godfather of millennial alt-comedy. 

My anti-aircraft friend is a bold leap, both showcasing a louder, more assured band, while also attaining a core sound the band had been chasing all along. After all those years tinkering and refining their sound,  julie’s forthcoming debut album is the work of people who have become steeped in alternative music’s history, learned how it works within their own  musical sensibilities, and now use it to warp conventions and turn tropes on their head. Additionally, with each member of the band a multidisciplinary artist – Pourzand does sculpture work and Brady writes and paints, while Lee is also a painter as well as illustrator – the band deliberates and conceives every element of their releases, not just the music but the art and packaging, all the way down to what instruments they play onstage. For listeners who came of age amidst global pandemics, tumultuous political climates, and a host of looming natural and social crises, the sound of a band like julie could equally be a cathartic escape, or a shelter in which to locate a better sense of self-acceptance in a precarious world.

The Greatest Love follows the British trio’s critically acclaimed #1 selling album Californian Soil, which was released in 2021 and earned the band their second BRIT nomination for Best British Group. Arriving over a decade since the trio first entered the industry, the new album is a celebration; the sound of a band laying to rest the past and realising a newfound sense of freedom. First single House embodies London Grammar’s new trajectory as frontwoman Hannah Reid delivers the uncompromising lyric: This is my place, my house, my rules. Speaking about the single Hannah said, “House is about drawing boundaries around yourself. When I hit my thirties, my mindset shifted, and I no longer felt like a victim of anything – it all felt within my power. I thought, making music should be fun, and we're gonna make that happen.” Having first formed as teenagers at University, their seminal double-platinum selling debut If You Wait paved the way for what was to become a hugely successful career for the band, the rare longevity of which has firmly rooted London Grammar in British pop culture. Now over 10 years later, the band have sold more than 3 million albums world-wide, with two #1 selling records, 1 billion streams, an Ivor Novello and numerous BRIT Award nominations under their belts.

Emo sensations Loveless return with their stunning new album, Loveless II. Featuring the singles “I Love It When It Rains”, “Addicted”, “Drag Me Down”, “I Hope I’m Not Sick”, “Picasso” and new single “Heart-Shaped Soul”. The album also includes a feature from pop sensation Gayle on the track “Lonely In New York”.

Postcards from Texas captures the country siren’s freewheeling, funny, at times feisty take on swing, shuffles, bluegrass and ballads with unbridled gusto. Co-produced with Jon Randall, Postcards delivers Lambert’s glorious, wild Lone Star freedom.

Moon Mirror, Nada Surf’s new record, has everything fans love and expect from them. Bittersweet anthems that begin quiet but explode into soaring harmonies? Check. Songs that are play-on-repeat heart punches? Check. Songs that are poetic and thought-provoking while also being absolute belt-at-the-top-of-your-voice-with-the-windows-down masterpieces? Check. It’s all here. For the past 30 years, Nada Surf has had the same core lineup: Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca, and Ira Elliot. Moon Mirror, their first for New West Records, was produced by the band and Ian Laughton at Rockfield Studios in Wales. For the recording, Matthew, Daniel, and Ira were joined by their friend and longtime keyboard player Louie Lino. Moon Mirror is a thrilling and moving leap forward for Nada Surf. The songs on the album are true to the human experience—as meaningful and mysterious and sometimes absurd as it is. There’s love, yes, but also grief, deep loneliness, doubt, wonder, and hope. These are not the songs of a band in their 20s. There is hard-won wisdom here, and hard-won belief in possibility—the kind that comes from falling down and getting back up.

Nick Lowe returns with Indoor Safari, his first studio album in over a decade. Backed on every track by Nick's trusted collaborators Los Straitjackets, Nick exhibits his razorsharp songwriting ability through a multitude of sonic environments. With his signature wit on display for grooving numbers like "Went to a Party" and "Don't Be Nice to Me," to the heartfelt sentiment on "Blue on Blue" and "Jet Pac Boomerang," and topped with Nick breathing new life into hidden gems of the '60s like "Raincoat in the River" and "A Quiet Place," Indoor Safari demonstrates how Nick Lowe continues to make his mark as a performer, songwriter and producer over a half-century after his start in the music industry.

Nilüfer Yanya returns with her highly anticipated follow up to 2022's critically acclaimed album PAINLESS. My Method Actor is yet another example of Yanya’s authenticity and innate creativity that effortlessly flows from pen to paper. The new single was written in collaboration with Yanya’s creative partner, Wilma Archer (Sudan Archives, MF DOOM, Celeste), with whom she’s previously collaborated on PAINLESS and her debut album Miss Universe. Throughout their creative process, a clear emphasis was placed on forming a safe musical space where creative impulses were encouraged and all perceived musical boundaries were eroded. This same process is reflected in the albums lyrics, which emphasize unrestricted artistry and standing firm in one’s truest self as Yanya attempts to make sense of the world around her. The album will be backed by a high level marketing campaign, strong press results and a host of videos and creative visuals conceptualized by Nilüfer herself. Following the album release Nilüfer will head out on a full scale North American tour, hitting all major markets.

Shirt is part angsty fantasy, part confessional melodrama – a rock album that oscillates between reality and make-believe to reflect both the innocence of suburban youth and the frayed reality of adulthood. A fusion of chaotic impulses, insatiable desires, and a perpetual yearning, Shirt plays with the tension between one's person and persona – the weight of your dreams crashing up against your reality. The result is something both familiar and uncanny, an anthemic tribute to this intrinsic duality built on crashing and caressing sounds. Shirt is instantly recognizable as Porches' heaviest album to date. Grungy guitars that shine with a menacing glint, drums and bass that punch you warmly in the stomach, interspersed with moments of eerie calmness to create a physical sense of tension and release that resonates with each track. A concise record that thrusts listeners into a fevered state, Shirt’s hormonal rock songs collide with emotional ballads to create a dynamic tension that propels the listener ahead. The album speaks in broad, relatable terms while maintaining an intimate connection with its creator, blurring the line between universality and personal revelation. Shirt is as much about the climaxes as it is about the banality between life's most memorable moments, celebrating not just the first kiss but also the anxiety intertwined with it.

The Forest is the Path is an album rooted in reflection, introspection and interrogation. One of its key building blocks, says Gary Lightbody – lead singer of Snow Patrol - was the idea of love from a distance. “I haven’t been in a relationship for a very long time, 10 years or more, so love from a distance to me meant the way a relationship sits in your memory from a distance of, say, 10 years. That’s not something I’d previously thought about as a way to write about love. So it’s like, when you’re in love, you’re standing in the lobby of the Empire State Building. When you’ve broken up with that person, you’re out in the street. You can still see the building, but you’re not in there anymore. And when it’s 10 years later, now you’re standing in Brooklyn looking at the Manhattan skyline.” It’s a theme addressed unblinkingly and unflinchingly on lead single ‘The Beginning’. “That’s kind of a summing up of this album,” Gary continues. “It’s a way of looking at various mistakes, any pain I may have caused, from a place where nothing is hurting anymore, except the memory when you pull it back into your mind. The memory itself is full of hurt but everything around it isn’t. You’re holding in your hand this ball of fire, but now you’ve got gloves on.”  

Loser Edition on sparklemuffin pearl vinyl. Suki Waterhouse's music sounds like a collage of her inspirations, experiences, and emotions stitched together by honeyed vocal delivery, bright-eyed melodies, and evocative storytelling. It doubles as a mirror image of her life as a consummate creative, artist, actress, model, and mother, yet it also breaks the glass to unveil raw truth. She leans on an ever-evolving sonic palette to convey what she's feeling-whether it be folky Americana, nineties alternative, turn-of-the-century indie, or handcrafted otherworldly pop. You'll hear Suki's longing in a swooning chorus, fearlessness in a crunchy chord, elation in a danceable waltz, and wonder in a soft coo befitting of a lullaby. She faithfully followed a lifelong passion for music to her 2022 full-length debut, I Can't Let Go. Adorned by "Moves" and "Melrose Meltdown," it incited widespread critical applause from Variety, Nylon, NME, The Line of Best Fit, and more. Between headlining shows and touring with Father John Misty, "Good Looking" surged online, generating nearly a billion streams, going RIAA platinum, and paving the way for the Milk Teeth EP. Simultaneously, she absorbed inspiration from a season of change earmarked by unforgettable moments a la gracing the stage of Lollapalooza 2023, performing on multiple continents, becoming a mom, and closing out the Gobi Tent at Coachella in 2024. Everything just set the stage for the gold-certified songstress to assert herself as a versatile, vibrant, and vital presence on her 2024 double-LP, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin.

The Jesus Lizard have returned with Rack, their first record since 1998. The album features 11 tracks of brisk guitar rock you haven’t heard since… the last time the Jesus Lizard took over a stage in your town. the Jesus Lizard — vocalist David Yow, guitarist Duane Denison, bassist David Wm. Sims, and drummer Mac McNeilly — have returned with a record teeming with the kind of madness needed to beat down today’s AOR mediocrity and piss-perfect pop drivel alike. Since their inception in Chicago in 1987, the Jesus Lizard has thrilled audiences all over the planet. The impeccable rocket-thrust rhythm section of Sims and McNeilly was the perfect launchpad for Denison’s jagged yet clean-toned riffing and Yow’s mercurial vocalizations manifesting as everything from panicked citizen, reality escapee or wounded sea mammal. the Jesus Lizard’s fury carried on through six studio albums, two live recordings and a brace of singles and EPs. On Rack, the Jesus Lizard have returned reconstituted, refreshed and positively revving. No tepid, bland tracks to show how they’ve “matured” as songwriters. No inane detours into unnecessary genre exercises. They might not be young, but they will never, ever get fucking old.

Tindersticks' 14th album "Soft Tissue" showcases their exploratory spirit, mixing intimate songwriting with experimental soundscapes. The album evolves from their previous work, balancing introspective lyrics with innovative musical textures. Band members, including singer Stuart Staples, emphasize the collaborative nature of the creation process, fostering a dynamic dialogue that shapes their music. Key tracks like "New World" and "Always a Stranger" highlight this blend of personal reflection and sonic exploration, underscoring the band's enduring ambition and versatility.