Hello good morning and happy last Friday of the month (aka Payday for some) to you!
Oasis this and Oasis that! Have you been swept up in the Oasis hype this week? I used to love them as a kid. In Sweden (where I grew up), they were a bit cool/indie for a second, but when all the jocks started getting into them and the third album was one of the most disappointing listening movements of my life, teenage me gave up on them. I did listen to their first two albums this week though, once again realised that they have some great melodies and some terrible lyrics, and their songs work best in isolation (I liked “Stand by me” and “Whatever” the most). Don’t think I’ve played any of their songs for 20+ years, but it was fun going back.
This week is an eclectic one for album releases! Some quite weird, different and interesting stuff out today. I didn’t have too much time to go through it properly, due to waking up late but I managed to scamper some together. The Shady Cove album sounds nice.
I was back home (in Sweden) at the end of last week and came back Tuesday, so haven’t even properly listened to the albums out last week and today I’ve got my inevitable crash from the trip, yay! Was going to see Nick Cave do an Q&A yesterday about his new album, but stayed at home because I felt terrible, which was a bummer but smart since I’m feeling worse today. Tomorrow I hope I can go and see The Magnetic Fields do their “50 Love Songs” anniversary show in London, then I hope I can go to three (!) gigs next week, including Ty Segall and Martha (who might become the band I’ve seen the most in my life).
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
18th album from the Australian and his band, and first one in five years. It's quite great.
10/10 MusicOhm 5/5 Guardian / The Independent 9/10 Uncut / Line of Best Fit / Clash 8/10 The Skinny / Mojo 7/10 Rolling Stone
Los Bitchos
Second album for the fun instrumental London-based pan-continental band.
8/10 The Skinny / Glide 7.9/10 Paste 7/10 Uncut 6/10 Mojo
Caleb Caudle
Sixth album from North Carolina country-vibe singer songwriter.
8/10 PopMatters
Coco & Clair Clair
Second album from the rap pop Atlanta duo.
7.6/10 Pitchfork 3.5/5 Far Out
Big Sean
Sixth album from the Detroit rapper. Feat Gunna, DJ Premier, Cash Cobain etc.
Enumclaw
Second album from the US slacker rock punks.
8/10 The Skinny / Uncut / Northern Transmissions / Dork 7/10 Classic Rock 3.5/5 Far Out
Shady Cove
Second album from Portland dream indie pop trio.
4/5 Spill Magazine
Hannah Juanita
Second album from the Tennessee country singer.
Wunderhorse
Second album from the English rock band.
10/10 Rolling Stone UK 4.5/5 Far out 8/10 God is in the TV 8/10 Dork 6/10 Clash
Paris Paloma
Debut album from the London based TikTok sensation.
9/10 XS Noize 8/10 Dork 6.8/10 Pitchfork
RZA
The Wu-Tang mastermind's ballet score with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra that he performed at Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver, Colorado last year.
Andrew Wasylyk & Tommy Perman
Collab album from the two Dundee artists. Previous Wasylyk albums have been magnificent.
4/5 The Skinny
Ty Segall
Experimental instrumental album from the Californian multi-instrumentalist.
3.5/5 Far Out 6/10 Mojo
Laurie Anderson
Eight album from the avant-garde artist that's about Amelia Earhart (the first female pilot who crossed the Atlantic on a solo flight in 1932). Feat. ANOHNI (on several tracks).
8/10 Record Collector / Uncut / Classic Rock / Resident Advisor / The Wire / The Quietus
“All” my Swedish friends' (and my mum’s) favourite Swedish "country" artist's new EP consisting of Björn Afzelius covers and feat. Stella Explorer, Thorsten Flinck (!) and Mira Ray.
Magic Potion - Pink Gum (2016)
Not sure what happened to this Swedish 1990s US indie sounding band, but I know they released an album in 2016 that I loved then and that I still love. Slacker vibes!
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Have a lovely weekend and chill out (please)!
Simon