This week's new releases
Each title listed below will go on sale beginning Tuesday, October 2 unless otherwise indicated. Click on any LISTEN link to listen to a free, streaming version of the entire album (typically, available only during the week of release); streaming links go to AOL Music unless otherwise indicated. The week's most noteworthy releases are starred.
- Tori Amos Gold Dust
- New orchestral versions of songs from throughout Amos' career, recorded with Metropole Orchestra
- Axewound Vultures
- Balmorhea Stranger LISTEN
- Tim Burgess Oh No I Love You
- Solo album for the Charlatans frontman features members of Lambchop, Clem Snide, and My Morning Jacket [UK only: 1 Oct]
- Iris DeMent Sing the Delta
- Dr. Dog Wild Race EPLISTEN (Spin)
- Mark Eitzel Don't Be a Stranger LISTEN (Paste)
- Eraas Eraas LISTEN (Stereogum)
- Jackie Evancho Songs From the Silver Screen LISTEN
- First Aid Kit Drunken Trees EP
- CD release
Flying Lotus
Until the Quiet Comes LISTEN (3voor12)- Los Angeles-based producer Steven Ellison (aka Flying Lotus) returns with his third album for Warp Records this week, following a pair of critically acclaimed releases. This more mellow and minimalist new set includes contributions from Erykah Badu and Thom Yorke (who also guested on FlyLo's previous LP, Cosmogramma 86), though a planned collaboration with Beck is not included (it'll come later as a single).
- Hammock Departure Songs
- Heart Fanatic LISTEN
- The Hood Internet FEAT
- The Chicago duo's first album of all original material includes collaborations with AC Newman, Cadence Weapon, and more
- How to Dress Well Total Loss
- Kimbra Vows [Remixes] EP
- Digital only
- Diana Krall Glad Rag Doll
- Cher Lloyd Sticks & Stones LISTEN
- US release
- Marillion Sounds That Can't Be Made
- Demetri Martin Standup Comedian
- Comedy album
- Maserati Maserati VII
- Matt and Kim Lightning LISTEN
- Tift Merritt Traveling Alone
- Miguel Kaleidoscope Dream
- Moon Duo Circles LISTEN (Spin)
- Van Morrison Born to Sing: No Plan B
- The Mountain Goats Transcendental Youth LISTEN
Muse
The 2nd Law LISTEN (3voor12)- The bombastic English stadium rockers return with their sixth studio album, a follow-up to their major 2009 hit The Resistance 72. Like that previous album, The 2nd Law is produced by the band itself, and it finds the band diving a bit deeper into electronica (though it's not quite the full-on "dubstep album" originally feared), while retaining elements of symphonic rock (with arrangements by Beck's dad, David Campbell), prog, and classic rock. Included is the London Olympics theme "Survival" as well as recent single "Madness". According to early reviews, what it lacks in continuity it makes up for with thrills.
Beth Orton
Sugaring Season LISTEN (3voor12)- The English singer-songwriter, who first garnered attention by collaborating with the Chemical Brothers and William Orbit, developed a devoted following through a series of solo albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before falling off the radar after the release of 2006's Comfort Of Strangers 78. Now, six years later, she finally returns with a new set (Sugaring Season) for a new label (ANTI-), recorded in Portland, Ore. with producer Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Laura Veirs) and collaborators like Sam Amidon and Marc Ribot. The new album includes the tracks "Magpie" and "Something More Beautiful".
- Papa Roach The Connection LISTEN
- The Piano Guys The Piano Guys LISTEN
- Tristan Prettyman Cedar + Gold LISTEN
- Blake Shelton Cheers, it's Christmas.
- Cody Simpson Paradise
- Ken Stringfellow Danzig in the Moonlight LISTEN (3voor12)
- Sun Airway Soft Fall LISTEN (3voor12)
- Taken by Trees Other Worlds LISTEN (YouTube)
- Three Days Grace Transit of Venus LISTEN
- Tilly and the Wall Heavy Mood
- The Tragically Hip Now for Plan A
- Two Fingers Stunt Rhythms
- Second album for side project of Amon Tobin
- Frank Turner Last Minutes and Lost Evenings
Ultraísta
Ultraísta- Long considered Radiohead's unofficial sixth member (officially, he's the producer of almost every one of their albums), Nigel Godrich is also a member of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke's new group, Atoms for Peace, which will release its first album in 2013. Now Godrich has launched his own band, Ultraísta, along with singer Laura Bettinson and multi-instrumentalist Joey Waronker (another Atoms for Peace member and Beck collaborator). Their self-titled debut album showcases complex rhythms that wouldn't sound out of place on a Radiohead record, and an edgy, synth-driven, shoegaze-meets-dance-pop sound that is reminiscent of Mark Van Hoen-produced bands like Scala, combined with a surreal lyrical approach influenced by Ultraist poets. Get a taste on terrific early tracks "Static Light" and "Smalltalk", and, given Bettinson's art-school background, expect videos for many of the albums tracks to follow.
- The Vaccines The Vaccines Come of Age LISTEN
- US release
- Various Pitch Perfect OST
- WHY? Mumps, etc. LISTEN (FACT)
- Young Smoke Space Zone
- Zion I Shadowboxing
More streaming and downloadable new music
- ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
- TRACK "Catatonic" streaming at Spotify.
- Bad Brains
- TRACK "Into the Future" streaming at Rolling Stone.
- Coheed and Cambria
- TRACK "The Afterman" streaming at Rolling Stone.
- Crystal Castles
- TRACK "Wrath of God" downloadable from Stereogum.
- Death Grips
- ALBUM No Love Deep Web available as a free download now at Soundcloud (alternate source).
- Lana Del Rey
- TRACK "Ride" streaming at YouTube (audio only).
- Freelance Whales
- ALBUM Diluvia streaming until its 10/9 release at NPR.
- Ben Gibbard
- TRACK "Bigger Than Love" (featuring Aimee Mann) streaming at NPR.
- Heart
- TRACK "Corduroy Road" streaming at Rolling Stone.
- Hospitality
- TRACK "Monkey" streaming at Soundcloud.
- Ke$ha
- TRACK "Die Young" streaming at YouTube (lyric video).
- Wiz Khalifa
- TRACK "Remember You" (feat. The Weeknd) streaming at YouTube (audio only).
- Lord Huron
- ALBUM Lonesome Dreams streaming until its 10/9 release at NPR.
- Jason Lytle
- TRACK "Get Up and Go" streaming at YouTube (audio only).
- Jason Molina
- TRACK "The Harvest Law" streaming at Soundcloud.
- Frank Ocean
- TRACK "Blue Whale" streaming at tumblr.
- Rihanna
- TRACK "Diamonds" streaming at Soundcloud.
- Soundgarden
- TRACK "Been Away Too Long" streaming at YouTube (audio only).
- The Sword
- TRACK "Veil of Isis" streaming at Rolling Stone.
- Tame Impala
- ALBUM Lonerism streaming until its 10/9 release at NPR.
- Tracey Thorn
- TRACK "Tinsel and Lights" streaming at Rolling Stone.
On TV this week (new episodes only)
- Monday: Ben Folds Five (Colbert Report), Electric Approach (Kimmel), The Heavy (Carson Daly), Cher Lloyd (Leno), Matt and Kim (Fallon), The Shins (Conan), Martha Wash (Letterman)
- Tuesday: Desaparecidos (Carson Daly), Kendrick Lamar (Fallon), PSY (Kimmel)
- Wednesday: Fun. (Carson Daly), Garbage (Kimmel), LP (Letterman), Kenny Rogers (Colbert Report), Tegan and Sara (Conan)
- Thursday: Animal Collective (Fallon), Chiddy Bang (Live from Daryl's House, Palladia), Neon Trees (Leno), The Raveonettes (Letterman), Slash (Conan), Tenacious D (Kimmel), The Walkmen (Carson Daly)
- Friday: The Hives (Leno), The Wallflowers (Letterman)
- Saturday: Muse (Saturday Night Live), Radiohead (Austin City Limits)
- Sunday: Nicole Scherzinger (VH1's Behind the Music)
Recent artist and industry news
- Singer Andy Williams died last week at the age of 84. Williams was best known for his hit recording of "Moon River," but he also had a decades-long performing career and hosted a popular NBC television show during the 1960s. - Los Angeles Times
- Feist was named the winner of the 2012 Polaris Music Prize—presented annually to Canada's top album—last week for her album Metals.
The latest music videos
No Doubt, "Push and Shove":
Bat for Lashes, "All Your Gold":
Crystal Castles, "Plague":
Daphni, "Pairs":
Pet Shop Boys, "Leaving":
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, "Walk Like A Giant":
Grizzly Bear, "Yet Again":
Jens Lekman, "Become Someone Else's":
WHY?, "Strawberries":
Azealia Banks, "Luxury":
Dum Dum Girls, "Lord Knows":
Christina Aguilera, "Your Body":
Jean Grae, "Kill Screen":
Miike Snow, "Pretender":
AU, "Solid Gold":
In the studio / coming soon
- (III), the third album from Crystal Castles, will be out November 6th. - Pitchfork
- The Evens, the duo of Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina, will release their second album, The Odds, on November 20 via Dischord. - Pitchfork
- Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Kelis, and Florence Welch are among the many guests on 18 Months, the next album from Calvin Harris, set for an October 30 release. - MTV
- Kid Rock returns with Rebel Soul on November 19th. - Billboard
- The second album from Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox, will barely make it into the 2012 release schedule; Billboard has it down for a December 11 release, and notes that Mark Ronson and Diplo are among the producers.
- Bad Brains will return on November 20th with Into the Future, their first album in five years. - Consequence of Sound
- LUX is Brian Eno's first solo album in seven years; Warp Records will release the 75-minute composition on November 13th. Eno, by the way, is also behind the new iPad app Scape, which allows you to compose your own music. - The Guardian
- Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes could return with a new album as soon as March, with new tracks culled from the same sessions that produced this year's Here. - Billboard
- Tony Bennett's next duet partner may be Lady Gaga; the pair are reportedly working on a jazz album, though recording has yet to commence. - Billboard
Visit Metacritic's Album Release Calendar for a full listing of upcoming release dates, updated daily.
Tours and festivals
