Music Monday (10/27): This Week's New Albums + Videos
This week's new album releases
Each title listed below will go on sale beginning Monday, October 27 or Tuesday, October 28 unless otherwise indicated. (Most of these albums are actually out on Monday this week.)
The Flaming Lips
. With A Little Help From My Fwends LISTEN (Spotify)
The Flaming Lips' latest oddball project is a benefit album that's a track-for-track cover of The Beatles' 1967 classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, performed by The Flaming Lips with a few "fwends." And what a roster of friends it is: Miley Cyrus, Moby, Grace Potter, Phantogram, MGMT, Foxygen, My Morning Jacket, J Mascis, Juliana Barwick, Dr. Dog, and Maynard James Keenan, to name a few.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin IV 2xCD/2xLP LISTEN (Spotify)
Houses of the Holy 2xCD/2xLP LISTEN (Spotify)
The Led Zeppelin reissue series continues this week with new versions of 1971's Led Zeppelin IV (already the third-best-selling album of all time in U.S.) and 1973's Houses of the Holy. Each one comes as a two-disc or two-LP set, or a box set containing the CDs, vinyl, and a book. There's also a single-disc version of each one (containing only the remastered original album), but the second disc in each deluxe version adds previously unreleased alternate mixes of every track on the album.
Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels 2 LISTEN (Spotify)
Recording of Run the Jewels, the acclaimed debut LP from the hip-hop duo of El-P and Killer Mike, went so smoothly that the pair headed back to the studio to record a quick sequel, which arrives today on the new indie label launched by Nas, Mass Appeal Records. (Technically, it arrived late last week when the band made it available to their Twitter followers as a free download; today is the first day you can pay money for it.) Including the El-P-produced Killer Mike album R.A.P. Music, it's the third album-length collaboration for the pair, and they haven't had a dud yet. The new album includes collaborations with Travis Barker (Blink-182), Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine), and Boots, and is said to be "darker" than their previous album. If you'd prefer RTJ2's verses to be soundtracked by meowing cats, well, that's coming, too.
Taylor Swift
. 1989
What does a young Grammy-winning superstar do after taking the country music world by storm? Something completely different—or, at least, different enough that longtime fans may be in for a shock. Swift has long added pop and rock stylings to her music, most notably on her massively successful 2012 hit Red, but 1989 leaves all traces of country music behind in favor of a 1980s-influenced pop music sound, with production from the likes of Max Martin, Shellback, and Ryan Tedder.
Additional releases
- Afghan Whigs Gentlemen at 21 2xCD Expanded reissue of the band's 1993 major-label debut Gentlemen adds a disc of B-sides, EP tracks, and demos
- At the Gates At War With Reality LISTEN (Spotify)
- Atriarch An Unending Pathway LISTEN (Spotify)
- Bell Gardens Slow Dawns For Lost Conclusions LISTEN (AV Club)
- Bella Morte Exorcisms
- Black Milk If There's A Hell Below LISTEN (NY Times)
- Dan Bodan Soft
- Creepers Lush Debut from Deafheaven side project
- Danity Kane DK3
- Dawnbringer Night of the Hammer
- John Debney Stonehearst Asylum OST
- Etana I Rise
- Dillon Francis Money Sucks, Friends Rule
- Francisco The Man Loose Ends LISTEN (CoS)
- French For Rabbits Spirits LISTEN (Stereogum)
- Future Monster MIXTAPE
- Giant Squid Minoans
- Grouper Ruins LISTEN (NPR) Out Friday 31 Oct
- Robin Guthrie & Harold Budd White Bird in a Blizzard OST
- Haerts Haerts
- Hemingway Pretend To Care
- His Name Is Alive Tecuciztecatl LISTEN (Pitchfork)
- Home Free Full of Cheer
- Horrendous Ecdysis
- How to Dress Well What Is This Heart? Remixes EP
- James Newton Howard Nightcrawler OST
- Hundred Visions Spite
- I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness Dust First album in eight years for Texas indie rockers is produced by Ministry's Paul Barker
- James Farm City Folk
- Kiasmos Kiasmos
- Lagwagon Hang
- Daniel Lanois Flesh and Machine LISTEN (Spotify)
- Trip Lee Rise
- Jerry Lee Lewis Rock & Roll Time
- Lily & Madeleine Fumes LISTEN (NPR)
- Line & Circle Line & Circle EP LISTEN (Stereogum)
- Live The Turn
- Barry Manilow My Dream Duets
- Medicine Home Everywhere LISTEN (NPR)
- Leighton Meester Heartstrings
- Mono The Last Dawn LISTEN (AV Club)
Mono Rays of Darkness LISTEN (AV Club) Two new albums (recorded during the same sessions but thematically different) out today - Mysteries New Age Music Is Here
- Mystery Skulls Forever
- Negativland It's All In Your Head
- Obituary Inked in Blood
- Nick Oliveri's Uncontrollable Leave Me Alone LISTEN (CoS)
- Ought . Once More With Feeling EP LISTEN (Pitchfork)
- Panda Bear Mr. Noah EP LISTEN (Spotify) Four-song EP was a surprise release late last week
- Partynextdoor Partynextdoor Two LISTEN (Spotify)
- Pianos Become The Teeth . Keep You LISTEN (Pitchfork)
- Rancid Honor Is All We Know
- Stephen Rennicks Frank OST
- Restorations LP3 LISTEN (NPR)
- Darius Rucker Home For The Holidays
- Stalley Ohio
- The Stench Venture
- Sunset Sons No Bad Days EP
- The Ting Tings Super Critical LISTEN (Spotify)
- The Twilight Sad . Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave LISTEN (Stereogum)
- The Who The Who Hits 50! 2xCD LISTEN (Spotify) Greatest hits compilation includes the band's first new song in 8 years ("Be Lucky")
- Ultimate Painting . Ultimate Painting
- Various The Book of Life OST
- Various NOW 52: That's What I Call Music
- Various Now Disney: That's What I Call Disney 3
- Various Rudderless OST
- Various St. Vincent OST
- Dionne Warwick Feels So Good
- Wild Smiles Always Tomorrow LISTEN (CoS)
- Yusuf . Tell 'Em I'm Gone LISTEN (NPR) First new album in five years from the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens
Stream upcoming albums and new tracks
- Iggy Azalea TRACK "Beg For It" (feat. MØ) streaming at YouTube.
- Deerhoof ALBUM La Isla Bonita streaming until its 11/4 release at NPR.
- Deptford Goth ALBUM Songs streaming until its 11/4 release at Pitchfork.
- Ani DiFranco ALBUM Allergic to Water (out 11/4) streaming at The New York Times.
- Drake TRACK "6 God" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Bob Dylan ALBUM The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11 streaming until its 11/4 release at NPR.
- Foo Fighters TRACK "The Feast and The Famine" streaming at YouTube.
- Fugazi TRACK "Merchandise" (original 1988 demo) streaming at SoundCloud.
- Imagine Dragons TRACK "I Bet My Life" streaming at YouTube.
- Mark Kozelek TRACK "Christmas Time Is Here" streaming at Stereogum.
- Les Sins [Toro y Moi side project] ALBUM Michael streaming until its 11/4 release at NPR.
- Jason Lytle TRACK "Bell's View" streaming at Stereogum.
- Marilyn Manson TRACK "Third Day Of A Seven Day Binge" streaming at YouTube.
- Mac Miller TRACK "Just Some Raps, Nothing To See Here, Move Along" streaming at SoundCloud.
- Run the Jewels TRACK "Blockbuster Night Pt 2" (new bonus track from digital release of RTJ2) streaming at SoundCloud.
- Simple Minds TRACK "Midnight Walking" streaming at CoS.
- Neil Young ALBUM Storytone (both versions) streaming until its 11/4 release at NPR.
TRACK "Heat of the Moment" streaming at SoundCloud.
TRACK "How Bout Now" streaming at SoundCloud.
On TV this week (new episodes only)
Monday: Bear Hands (Conan), Billy Idol (Kimmel), Mastodon (Letterman), T.I. (Meyers), Wilco (Fallon)
Tuesday: Beck (Conan), Blood Orange (Kimmel), Captain Sensible (Meyers), Sturgill Simpson (Fallon), Taylor Swift (Letterman)
Wednesday: Lady Antebellum (Kimmel), She & Him (Fallon), Jessie Ware (Meyers)
Thursday: Little Big Town (Fallon), Perfume Genius (Letterman), Spoon (The Daily Show), The War On Drugs (Conan)
Friday: The Flaming Lips (Kimmel), Run the Jewels (Letterman)
Saturday: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Austin City Limits), Prince (Saturday Night Live)
Recent artist and industry news
After 25 years, pioneering electronica duo Orbital have announced their retirement—though only as a duo. Paul Hartnoll has started a new project, called 8:58 (with a debut album due out in February, and a new video streaming below), while brother Phil will focus on his DJ career. More at the official Orbital site.
Beady Eye, the band featuring former Oasis members Liam Gallagher, Andy Bell, and Gem Archer, have broken up.
Expect a Martin Scorsese-produced documentary about the Grateful Dead to arrive in 2015 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the band's founding. - Deadline
Nominees for next year's Grammy Awards will be announced the morning of December 5th, though album of the year nominees will be revealed later that night in a concert special televised on CBS.
Apple is reportedly pulling the plug on its recently acquired Beats Music streaming service. The service will apparently be incorporated into iTunes. - Billboard
Cream vocalist and bassist Jack Bruce died last week at the age of 71. Billboard collects remembrances from his colleagues.
The latest music videos
OK Go, "I Won't Let You Down":
8:58, "8:58" [new project for Orbital's Paul Hartnoll]:
Kiesza, "No Enemiesz":
Museum Of Love, "The Who's Who of Who Cares":
Peaking Lights, "Everyone And Us":
CHVRCHES, "Under The Tide":
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, "Kelly":
First Aid Kit, "Stay Gold":
Gwen Stefani, "Baby Don't Lie":
Panda Bear, "Mr. Noah":
John Cale, "If You Were Still Around":
Scott Walker + Sunn O))), "Brando":
FartBarf, "Homeless in Heathrow" [NSFW-ish]:
In the studio / coming soon
Chance the Rapper hopes to release a free album, Surf, before the end of the year. Billboard speaks to Mr. The Rapper about this and other projects.
Panda Bear's new solo album won't come out in 2014 after all, but you won't have too long to wait. Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper hits stores on January 13th. And there's even new music out now: a surprise four-song EP, Mr. Noah. - Pitchfork
Lil Wayne's new album Tha Carter V, scheduled for release tomorrow, has been delayed indefinitely.
On December 1st, Brian Eno will reissue his four 1990s-era albums, with each one expanded by an extra disc of previously unreleased material. Of particular interest to fans is the reissue of Nerve Net, which will be accompanied by the first-ever commercial release of Eno's "lost" 1991 song-oriented album My Squelchy Life. - Enoshop
She & Him's next album and major label debut, Classics, is out December 2nd. Watch a trailer for the album, which features covers recorded with a 20-piece orchestra.
Absent Fathers is Justin Townes Earle's follow up to his recent release Single Mothers, and was recorded during the same sessions as that album. Vagrant will release the new set on January 13, 2015.
The Decemberists' next album has been titled What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World. No word yet on a release date.
Expect a new Deafheaven album in 2015. - Stereogum
Tool are now in the studio recording their endlessly delayed follow-up to 2006's 10,000 Days. This time, there's even photographic proof. - CoS
Demi Lovato will release a new album next year. - Billboard
Visit Metacritic's Album Release Calendar for a full listing of upcoming release dates, updated daily.
