Welcome to SPIN‘s weekly roundup of album streams. Follow the links below to hear new records from the New Pornographers, former SPIN cover star Ty Segall, Basement Jaxx, J Mascis, and more.
1) The New Pornographers, Brill Bruisers. “Principal Pornographers AC Newman, Neko Case, and Dan Bejar (a.k.a. Destroyer) are all back on Brill Bruisers, alongside Blaine Thurier, John Collins, Kathryn Calder, Kurt Dahle, and Todd Fancey. Fittingly, Newman describes this new release as a ‘celebration record.'” — SPIN (via iTunes Radio)
2) Ty Segall, Manipulator. “Manipulator… recalls the way some of the best ’90s bands captured that era while making their own timeless records for the canon. Segall’s upper register makes his voice a dead ringer for that of Suede’s Brett Anderson, and Manipulator showcases the mysterious swagger of that group’s classic debut. The distortion monster ‘It’s Over’ channels Blur at its catchiest, while ‘The Feels’ captures the same arena-ready, world-takeover notions that powered Oasis through its early successes.” (via NPR)
3) Basement Jaxx, Junto. “Freshly rejuvenated from [a four-year] break, [Basement Jaxx] feel ripe for a return with their seventh album Junto. The title is Spanish for ‘together’ and, with an abundance of carnival atmosphere on the record, a communal spirit is very much the mission here.” (via The Guardian)
4) The Bug, Angels & Devils. “[Reggae is] the sound [Kevin] Martin mines the most in his music as The Bug, and he mines it improbably well. Reggae, of course, is more than just laconic rhythms and lilting one-love collegiality. It can be stormy, defiant and, especially in the murky electronic form of dub, marked by mystery. Martin homes in on all of that at once, with an ear for the welding that can make it all fit together.” (via NPR)
5) The Wytches, Annabel Dream Reader. “Seasoned listeners will recognize the sort of riffs on which The Jesus Lizard and The Birthday Party staked their careers, but they’re deployed with a little bit of cheek when it’s needed, as well as a keen sensibility about when to let the guitar detonate, to the point where you half-expect [singer-guitarist Kristian] Bell to don a cardigan and smash his instrument to pieces.” (via NPR)
6) J Mascis, Tied to a Star. “As singer and guitarist for Dinosaur Jr., J Mascis presides over a sound that can be skull-splittingly loud and intense, especially onstage. It feels strange to describe Tied to a Star as a ‘quiet’ record, even by simple comparison, but for the most part Mascis’ new solo album feels downright delicate.” (via NPR)
7) Merchandise, After the End. “On After the End, Merchandise’s fourth album, the group… looks to a pre-Internet era for its sound. Here, it’s the early ’90s, when outcast teenagers could find solace in local punk, college rock acts like R.E.M. and The Church, and mopey U.K. bands like The Smiths and Depeche Mode, with no need to differentiate between scenes.” (via NPR)
