Wednesday Music News

03/22/2017

Janice Headley

What the hell? Are the planets aligned? Did they work this out in advance? Because today, we have a slew of new releases to share. First up, a new solo album from Thurston Moore. We had a hunch it was coming after he shared the stand-alone track "Cease Fire." Now you can check out the track "Smoke of Dreams," a first look at the LP Rock ‘n’ Roll Consciousness out April 28th via Caroline International. Hear the new songs live on Tuesday, May 9th at Neumos. [ Spin ]

Beloved UK trio Saint Etienne return this summer with their first new album in five years. Check out the single "Heather" below, from the LP Home Counties out June 2nd via Heavenly. In a press release, the band explain the concept of the album: "The Home Counties are an embarrassing place to come from. The name itself suggests that somehow the rest of Britain isn't 'home,' not even London. It's where John Major's vision of cricket and warm beer was meant to exist, but it's not really like that at all, and it never has been. The Home Counties are a land of bootleg DVDs at car boot sales, Waitrose bags for life, parking disputes, bored teenagers in semis inventing ghost stories, squaddies causing trouble at all-you-can-eat buffets, train drivers in eyeliner and suburban rebels, a place where Tony Hancock and Spike Milligan drew inspiration. Saint Etienne grew up in the Home Counties. Here are sixteen new songs they have written about a day in the life of this doughnut of shires that ring the capital, punctuated by bursts of BBC radio to remind you what time it is, and all connected by train journeys - main lines, branch lines, commutes, escapes." UK dates have been announced, and the band says they'll be in the U.S. in September and October. [ Under the Radar ]

Kevin Morby has a new album coming out this summer, too -- called a "counterpart" to last year's LP Singing Saw. Titled City Music, Morby describes the release as: "It is a mix-tape, a fever dream, a love letter dedicated to those cities that I cannot get rid of, to those cities that are all inside of me." Check out a lyric video for the track "Come to Me Now" below. City Music hits stores June 16th via Dead Oceans. [ Pitchfork ]

And closing it out, !!! announced a new album out in May. Check out "The One 2," the lead track from Shake The Shudder below. No shock, but it's a fun, danceable number, featuring guest vocals from UK singer Lea Lea. Shake The Shudder will be out May 19th via Warp Records. [ Stereogum ]

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