Award-winning artist PJ Harvey returns with her ninth full-length this week, her first since 2011's Mercury Prize-winning album Let England Shake. The songs were inspired by trips to Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Washington D.C. with photographer/filmmaker Seamus Murphy.
Kentucky-bred, Nashville-based artist (and former Seattle resident) Sturgill Simpson returns with his third full-length. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says the album "finds him continuing to stretch out with a masterful, even more expansive blend of outlaw country with soul, funk, psych-rock and other styles. A concept album addressed to his infant son, A Sailor's Guide To Earth roams from gritty funk-rock and spacy psych-rock to soul-steeped country-funk and atmospheric country ballads. The Dap-Kings are prominently featured throughout on horns." Another former Seattle resident, Garett van der Spek, began his Prism Tats project here before recently relocating to Los Angeles. The debut from this Durban, South Africa-raised artist is "a fine set of smartly crafted pop-rock with fuzzy guitars, occasional electronic elements and catchy song hooks."
Veteran Boston rapper Mr. Lif returns with his first new album in seven years, "combining a variety of beats from boom-bap to off-kilter with his nasal flow and incisive lyrics of personal struggle and transformation." Atlanta-bred trio The Coathangers deliver "one of their strongest releases to date, featuring a visceral blend of garage-rock, New Wave, post-punk and more along with some of their sharpest, most consistent songwriting to date." And former Woods bassist/the Babies co-founder Kevin Morby shares a "sharply crafted set of dark folk-rock combining a beautifully fleshed-out sound courtesy of Sam Cohen with Morby's Dylanesque croon and often-dark lyrics."
(Various Artists) Mew – “Count to Ten”
from Transformers Roll Out on Hasbro/Sony
(Various Artists) Ify Jerry Krusade – “Everybody Likes Something Good”
from Wake Up You! Vol. 1 : The Rise & Fall of Nigerian Rock Music 1972-1977 on Now Again Records
Ace Frehley – “White Room”
from Origins, Vol. 1 on Entertainment One Music
Ashley Shadow – “Tonight”
from Ashley Shadow on Felte
Babyfather – “Platinum Cookies”
from BBF Hosted by DJ Escrow on Hyperdub
Blaqk Audio – “Anointed”
from Material on Blaqknoise / Kobalt
Brass Bed – “Sometimes”
from In the Yellow Leaf on Modern Outsider
Cate Le Bon – “Wonderful”
from Crab Day on Drag City
Cellars – “Still In Love”
from Phases on Manifesto Records
Clairy Browne – “Pool”
from Pool on Vanguard
Cluster – “7:38”
from 1971-1981 on Bureau B
The Coathangers – “Squeeki Tiki”
from Nosebleed Weekend on Suicide Squeeze
Cody Carpenter / John Carpenter / Daniel Davies – “Distant Dream”
from Lost Themes II on Sacred Bones
Dave Harrington Group – “Become Alive”
from Become Alive on Other People
DJ Marfox – “2685”
from Chapa Quente EP on Príncipe Discos
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – “No Love Like Yours”
from PersonA on Community Music / Universal
Egyptian Lover – “Egypt, Egypt (Live In Santa Ana 1985)”
from Egyptian Lover 1983 to 1988 reissue on Stones Throw
Eskimeaux – “WTF”
from Year of the Rabbit EP on Double Double Whammy
Graham Nash – “Beneath The Waves”
from This Path Tonight on Blue Castle Records
Har Mar Superstar – “Anybody's Game”
from Best Summer Ever on Kobalt
J Dilla – “The Sickness feat. Nas (Prod. by Madlib)”
from The Diary of J Dilla on Pay Jay
Jeffrey Runnings – “Outside Oslo (Vista Mix)”
from Primitives & Smalls on Saint Marie
Keb' Mo'
from That Hot Pink Blues Album [Live Version] on Relativity
Kevin Morby – “I Have Been To The Mountain”
from Singing Saw on Dead Oceans Records
Lita Ford – “Where Will I Find My Heart Tonight”
from Time Capsule on SPV / Steamhammer
Lucky Peterson – “Wasting My Time”
from Long Nights on JSP Records
Masha Qrella – “DJ”
from Keys on Morr Music
Metallica
from Ride the Lightning [Deluxe Edition] on Blackened
Metallica
from Kill 'Em All [Deluxe Edition] on Blackened
Mr. Lif – “Whizdom (feat. Blacastan) [prod. Edan]”
from Don't Look Down on Mello
Musiq Soulchild – “Heart Away”
from Life on Earth on My Block
Neil Michael Hagerty / The Howling Hex – “Random Friends”
from Denver on Drag City
Otep – “Zero”
from Generation Doom on Napalm
Phil Collins – “In The Air Tonight”
from No Jacket Required [Deluxe Edition] on Rhino / Warner Bros.
This week, you can pick up the latest from the self-described "best punk band in Toronto," The Greys. KEXP Music Director Don Yates declares it a "more expansive, dynamic and melodic take on the band's anthemic posthardcore sound, with consistently strong songs exploring themes of identity, racism,…
Record Store Day is this coming Saturday, April 16th, but you should head to your favorite independent record stores early to scoop up some of these great new releases, like the latest from Parquet Courts. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says "this Brooklyn band's latest album is another smartly craf…
