Spring is upon us! Get outside and soak up the sun on your slackline, sundeck, or on that inexplicably uncomfortable concrete bench by East College. Hey and while you’re at it, why not pop in a pair of headphones and jam out to some new music?
Vampire Weekend: “This Life” // “Unbearably White” [Columbia]
Indie rock veterans released the final of their three two-song EPs last week, in the lead up to their fourth studio album, Father of the Bride, which is set for release on May 3, and will be a double-LP comprised of 18 songs. “This Life” lovingly draws influence from Van Morrison and Paul Simon, while the b-side “Unbearably White” slows things down, as has been the case with January’s “2021” and February’s “Baby Blue.”
Mac Demarco: “All of Our Yesterdays” [Mac’s Record Label]
Laid back and goofy as ever, Mac Demarco released “All of Our Yesterdays” last week. This follows “Nobody” as the second single from his highly anticipated fifth album, Here Comes the Cowboy. It is set for release on May 10.
Foxygen: “Face the Facts” [Jagjaguwar]
Another teaser from psychedelic rock duo Jonathan Rado and Sam France. Their next album, Seeing Other People, will drop on April 26. This will be their first album since Hang (2017), after which the group went on a brief hiatus where Rado stepped into a producer role on albums from the likes of Houndmouth, Father John Misty, The Growlers, and Alex Cameron.
Weyes Blood: “Andromeda” [Sub Pop]
It was really hard to pick just one track from Titanic Rising, which was released on Friday. Santa Monica-born multi instrumentalist Natalie Mering’s fourth album is a grand spectacle that may just be her strongest work yet. Seriously, go listen to this entire album.
Twinsmith: “Feels” [Silver Street]
Omaha based rock-outfit have released a promising new single in “Feels.” Soaring melodies abound, coupled with standout guitar riff have me excited to see what their fourth studio album will bring to the table. No release date has been set for it, but be sure to keep your eyes (and ears) on these guys.
Noname: “Song 32” [Self-released]
Slick production, savvy lyricism, and an unforgettable hook— it seems like Bronzeville-raised artist Fatimah Warner can do no wrong. 2015’s Telefone and 2018’s Room 25 are tough acts to follow, but Noname has proved with her latest release that she’s still firing on all cylinders.