As the days get shorter, so do our lists of new releases, but don't give up on 2013 just yet. You may need to revise your own Top Ten list of 2013 after you consider some of the new releases hitting record store shelves today. A definite contender: Purgatory/Paradise by Throwing Muses, their first album in ten years! Our Music Director, Don Yates, calls it "a vibrant, diverse set ranging from jagged, intense rock and angular art-punk to sparse, bluesy rock and quiet, intimate folk-pop", which in addition to the 32-song track list should make any Kristin Hersh fans happy, but it's also packaged with an art book featuring lyrics, photos and writing by Hersh herself. A gift for you and your friends! Also worth considering is the official debut album from Brooklyn's Mutual Benefit, which is ""a gorgeous, expansive set of ethereal, psych-tinged folk-pop combining lush, warm accompaniment with Lee’s fragile vocals, hopeful lyrics and blissful melodies"; a live recording by San Francisco trio Fuzz (featuring the prolific Ty Segall); a new EP from former frontman of The Frames, Glen Hansard; a new LP from Tim Cohen (The Fresh and Onlys) and his band, Magic Trick; and a Nina Simone-inspired new album from Jamie Stewart's project Xiu Xiu. You'll find these and lots more worth sampling out this this week.
Marley Carroll - Speed Reader
Dott - Small Pony
2014 is off to a great start for new music! Highlights include the long-awaited sophomore release from LA band Warpaint. KEXP Music Director, Don Yates, declares it a "more subtle and minimalist take on the band’s brooding dream-pop, featuring a dark, atmospheric sound with swirling guitars and key…
While many people are compiling their year-end lists and shopping for gift-worthy deluxe reissues for the upcoming holidays, some bands are still releasing excellent new albums that you'll want to hear before you make any final decisions. A few of this week's releases see some KEXP favorites making…