To celebrate the end of yet another work week, we’ve rounded up a new batch of albums for your streaming pleasure. Grab a pair of headphones, scroll down, and dive into the latest releases from Aaron Freeman (formerly known as Gene Ween), White Fence, La Roux, and more.
1) Aaron Freeman, Freeman. “In some ways, Freeman is a continuation of Ween, but with additional mainstream appeal. (Think Paul McCartney post-Beatles.) The album delivers artful songcraft with subtly offbeat hooks; it’s lush contemporary pop for fans of classic rock. While the 14-track full-length contains charming phrases for the masses, die-hard Ween fans can still enjoy quirky experimentalism via ‘El Shaddai’ or the mind-warping psychedelia of ‘Golden Monkey.'” (via SPIN)
2) White Fence, For the Recently Found Innocent. “Tim Presley’s latest feat pays homage in part to L.A.’s freaky musical lineage. ‘Hard Water’ recalls Woody Guthrie’s folksy strums, while Ariel Pink’s paisley-tinted musings shine through on songs like ‘Fear.’ Red-faced wolfmen, paranoid delusions, and ominous ravens are all characters on For the Recently Found Innocent, threaded into twangy and lysergic numbers.” — SPIN (via NPR)
3) La Roux, Trouble in Paradise. “A press release adds that the album is ‘all about the darkness lurking behind the most beautiful tune, the doubts in even the happiest of relationships, and trouble in all its forms, whether it’s the riots in Brixton, the part of south London [Elly Jackson] still calls home; conflict between couples; or cheeky stories like ‘Sexoteque.’ It’s a less personal album this time round, more mature and ambitious, but also more playful in its subject matter.” – Consequence of Sound (via iTunes Radio)
4) Liam Betson, The Cover of Hunter. “If the name Liam Betson sounds a little familiar, it’s probably because he’s spent the past few years slowly building up a fanbase through lo-fi recordings under the name Liam The Younger. Oh, and he was the guitarist for Titus Andronicus before leaving the band this past summer. He’s back with another full-length, this time released under his real name. The Cover Of Hunter is his first solo effort recorded in a real studio and features contributions from Patrick Stickles and Julian Lynch. It’s a beautiful and deeply personal record, warm and muted.” — Stereogum (via Pitchfork)
5) Joyce Manor, Never Hungover Again. “Now on its third album, the Torrance, Calif.-based band has embraced the shades of The Smiths that were merely suggested previously. [Vocalist/guitarist Barry] Johnson could never be mistaken for Morrissey, but he’s mostly ditched the scream for a nasal SoCal pop-punk croon that bounces over careening Britpop guitars in songs like ‘Schley,’ ‘End of the Summer’ and ‘Heated Swimming Pool.'” (via NPR)
6) Dikembe, Mediumship. “Don’t be thrown by the cheeky title of ‘Hood Rat Messiah,’ a new cut from Floridian emo rivalists Dikembe. The funny business (which, yeah, includes ostensibly naming the band after a seven-foot-tall Congolese basketball legend) is clearly just a front for a whole lot of seriously strained feelings — check lines like ‘I can’t find a better way to be.’ All in all, the track offers three minutes of billowing post-rock and Cloud Nothings punk, but plays like it’s 10 minutes long.” — SPIN (via Pitchfork)
7) Teleseen, Anamorph EP. “Rio de Janeiro-based producer Gabriel Cyr will release his latest effort as Teleseen on July 22. The EP, dubbed Anamorph, fuses together diverse musical elements from ethiopian jazz, Afro-house, samba, and dub techno to assemble a shapeshifting mosaic of sound. Deep electronic keys and a fluid synth create a fluttering pulse that mingles with unintelligible, auto-tuned vocal clips, amounting to a listen that is at once frenetic and pleasingly serene.” (via SPIN)
