One month into the year, what are some of your favourite non-archived releases thus far?

Altameda - Time Hasn’t Changed You
Canadian indie rock band with a batch of fun songs that I think will sound even better once the weather warms up.

Better Oblivion Community Center - Self Titled
Collab album between Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers. It's mostly just as sad as you'd imagine

Bob Sumner - Wasted Love Songs
Canadian folksy-country singer-songwriter. I hear a lot of Gordon Lightfoot in his delivery.

James Blake - Assume Form
So far, I'm enjoying this one much more than Blake's last effort. It's a little more concise.

Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow
Great indie rock record. Sharon has evolved a little and her songwriting / lyrics are fantastic.

I haven't heard too many good ones so far, I did think the Better Oblivion Community Center release was nice. Kinda let down by James Blake but his music is always a little subtle so I might just need some time with it. Sharon Van Etten's release was good, just not really my thing.

X 100PRE by Bad Bunny is fucking amazing. Bangers front to back, catchy hooks, cool ass beat changes. T

2019 has been sparse for me thus far, in terms of new releases (just two metal and three non-metal so far).

The best non-metal album I've heard from 2019-and by extension, the best album released in 2019 up to this point in my eyes-is Nowhere Now Here by the Japanese post-rock band Mono. As usual with this band, the songs are sweeping and melodramatic, highly dynamic, and emotionally gripping. The new drummer fits very well, and subtle new elements (female vocals on one track, sparse electronic flourishes throughout) keep things fresh.

The only other non-metal albums I've heard from 2019 at this point are the new Glitch Black (decent synthwave) and that absolutely dreadful Weezer covers album (which comes across to me as failed attempt at a surrealistic joke). Weezer also has a new album of originals due in March, and the singles released thus far are, just...ugh.

Wristmeetrazor - Misery Never Forgets
Strong debut from a rising metalcore band. This reminds me of Zao and older Poison the Well in many ways - some really nice dissonant breakdowns. The name is probably going to turn some people off before they even give it a chance (they're named after a Usurp Synapse song I might add - an oldschool screamo band like Orchid), but if you like late 90s/early 00s metalcore (like Zao and Poison the Well of course - and early Eighteen Visions, maybe Converge), it's worth checking out.

Judiciary - Surface Noise
Another metalcore album, this time more in the vein of 90s metalcore with some thrash metal influence thrown in. Definitely recommended for fans of stuff like Merauder or Leeway. This absolutely rips in every way possible - some really great riffs, crushing breakdowns, fun gang vox. It's kind of everything one could ask for in a modern day hardcore or metalcore album.

Rome - Le ceneri di Heliodoro

My fuck this is good, easily his best since Passage to Rhodesia. It has strong historical overtones and is far more triumphant than his usual dreary sound. "The West Knows Best" is his dankest banger since "One Fire". "One Lion's Roar" is another clear standout. Definitely and album that needs to be heard in full, though.

Death in June - Essence!

This really is a best case scenario for a new DI6 album. Look, I know damn well he's never going to release another groundbreaking album. But what this does is mix what he has done before in a way he hasn't really done yet while focusing on stellar songwriting and a big sexy lush production. The production reminds of Symbols Shatter and Rose Clouds of Holocaust, his songwriting reminds of his more recent stuff and the heavy use of sampling is evocative of the much older stuff.

Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow

An absolutely fantastic singer/songwriter album that touches on an array of styles. She has an incredibly sultry voice and "You Shadow" just might be my favorite song of the year so far.

The aforementioned Glitch Black album is an absolute monster. High-energy, pounding cyberpunk synth. Very recommended.

There's also been Niky Nine's Suncore which is more on the ebm side of synthwave, very cool album.

Best album I've heard yet and genuine AOTY contender is Boy Harsher's Careful. Brooding, moody synthpop that I can't seem to stop listening to. Haven't really been able to find a flaw yet.

That is really very good. Thank you!

Had no idea Mono had a new one out. I quite liked their last release, so I'm pretty excited to check this out. Post rock is pretty hit or miss for me, hopefully this one is another hit.

Really really love the new Jessica Pratt album Quiet Signs. Very, very cool folk album that sounds just so incredible, the guitars sound so full and the songs are dreamy and delicate. Seriously connecting with this one.

Excited to check out the new Ariana Grande album, hopefully next day or two. Sweetener was probably the best or one of the best pop albums of 2018 for me.

Between new albums by Conny Ochs and Hexvessel, tomorrow will be a nice day for folk.

Front Line Assembly's "Wake Up The Coma" is amazing. The first FLA album I like, in fact.

New Ariana Grande is pretty good/has its moments. Definitely no Sweetener, though.

Some Favs from February:

Spielbergs - This Is Not The End
Punky garage rock from Norway. Some really fun songs on here that will probably sound even better in the summer heat.

Yann Tiersen - All
Great ambient / soundtrack-y album that has some stunning instrumentation. For fans of Sigur Ros.

Yeruselem - The Sublime
Industrial project from Blut Aus Nord. I'm sure many here are familiar with this.

Andrea von Kampen - Old Country
Folksy organic sounding country. Very short and sweet.

Whoever mentioned Boy Harsher up top is a king, this album fucking rules. Definitely one of my favs so far this year.

Indeed. This thread made me check that band and I fell in love immediately. Great driving music too.

Checked out the new Solange album today. Superb!

Double post for a new album I heard:

Chai - Punk

They are a indie pop/rock band from Japan with some real punk rock energy! Great songs, energetic vibe, super catchy! I loved their last album, this one lacks some of that one's psychedelic energy, but this one makes up for it by just being a total earworm. I'm Me, Curly Adventure and Future are my favs but you really can't go wrong here. Fun stuff!

Nocebo by Elizabeth Colour Wheel is haunting, beautiful, dark, inspired, angry, goosebump inducing post-rock with a few metal leanings. The more I listen, the more I fall in love with it. Many of the songs cover a wide variety of moods. This is just their debut full-length and it's masterfully crafted, so I have a feeling they're gonna get pretty big in the coming months/years.

I've just got done with my first listen of the new Brutus album Nest and it's an excellent album.

It's a little less immediate compared to Burst, so while right now-after one listen-my instinct is to say "it's not as good as Burst", that might change as I take in more listens and things reveal themselves to me.

I think the reason I might be a little cold on this album is that it is slightly same-y to Burst; there are very few new twists and turns (parts of "War" and "Sugar Dragon", as well as the entirety of "Space") and it definitely feels like more of the same up against the previous album. Burst was such an immediate album that trying to simply do more in the same vein might make it pale in comparison.

Again, I say all this only having one listen. My opinion could very well change. In a vacuum where Burst does not exist, I'd be raving about this album, as Nest is a worthy album in its own right, and I'd highly recommend it be checked out.



People are raving about this album on another board I lurk at, so between them and you, I feel compelled to check this album out.

New album by Billie Eilish deserves a shoutout. Very interesting music, incredibly refreshing for pop music. The music videos are great, but the actual music is equally as great. I just discovered her a few days ago, but I can't stop listening to this.

I have no clue what her music sounds like but Billie Eilish seems to behave like a spoiled brat. I have recently been watching an interview with her on Canadian television when she kept rolling her eyes at the interviewer who was doing a great job though and she didn't stop calling him ''dude''. Maybe she should finish her high school English classes to learn how to communicate in public.

I mean rolling her eyes is rude sure, unless the person is being annoying. What's wrong with calling him dude?

Dude, she's a 17 year old girl, what are you going to expect?

I expect some respect. When I was seventeen I would have never called a perfect stranger who is twice as old as I am ''dude''. I would have addressed him with ''mister'' or ''sir''.

C'mon kluseba that was like 1 years ago. Kids nowadays have changed. You can't hold them to the same standard.

The interview aired last week, so I'm not sure if it happened a year ago like you have claimed. In addition to this, I have a job where I'm surrounded by teenagers and I have never heard anyone of them call any adult ''dude''. Don't get me wrong, I might call one of my friends ''dude'' but not a complete stranger who is twice as old as I am. But hey, if you like to be approached by a random teenager that calls you ''dude'' while rolling its eyes on national television, go ahead.

New Apparat - LP5 is great electronic, last song is amazing dance tune. Many of his songs are hit or miss but I really like this album

The joke was when you said "when I was seventeen" and I replied "that was like 1 years ago" c'mon man get with the program.

The joke was "you're 18". Yes, I'm very funny, I know thank you.

Kluseba, is this you?

There was a lot of great stuff that came out in March, I think:

Strand Of Oaks- Eraserland
Maybe a little bit long, but it's WAY better than his last record Hard Love. Much closer to Heal in terms of quality

Andrew Leahey & The Homestead- Airwaves
Pure Petty Worship. The run of the three tracks Airwaves, Make It Last & Flyover Country are about as Tom as you can get.

These New Puritans- Inside The Rose
I highly HIGHLY recommend this for anyone that is into Depeche Mode or 80's dark synth music

Weak- The Wheel
Very simply catchy punk music with some pop-hooks

Jenny Lewis- On The Line
Oh boy, i LOVE this one. First off, that drum tone is huge. Jenny's lyrics on this one are pretty raw and unapologetic and her storytelling is, as always, fantastic. The band sounds great.

Ludovico Einaudi- Seven Days Walking (Day 1)
Absolutely stunning, beautiful piano & strings classical music. Very cinematic. There is also something slightly metal in a lot of these songs (in the way that I could hear a lot of this stuff being uses as interludes in gothic doom metal) One of my favourites of the year so far, easily.

it's a casual interview with a musician not a fucking job interview. Are you serious dude? You call random strangers sir or mister?

edit: agree on the Jenny Lewis album. That shit was tight.

Not exactly new music per se, but I just discovered Duster through their new compilation Capsule Losing Contact and wow... this is absolutely fantastic stuff. Great for walking around at night.

You are entitled to disagree. It's not going to change my perception. Being polite and respectful are values that should be followed by anyone of any age. People around me actually do follow such basic rules. Even if they didn't, it wouldn't change my behaviour. Making poor jokes about it and provokingly calling me dude in your posts show me that discussing this matter any further wouldn't make any sense.

The people at the pocket protector convention are not a great sample size buddy.

Ok so technically, it hasn't been released yet, but the new Pup album is pretty fun. Probably not as good as the last one but still a good time.

New Raconteurs album coming out soon: https://www.facebook.com/notes/third-ma ... 687729650/

The new songs they got are sweet. Should be a good one.

Get a grip.

Woah settle down there sport.

kluseba been drinking too much coca-cola and is hopped up on caffeine - head back to the mormon temple to have a nice think.

non metal release that's ridiculously good - check out Nivhek - ambient music from Grouper.

Is Kluseba -a guy who is over 1000 reviews deep and somehow still not a scribe - really going to get up on his soapbox and complain about a 17 year old girl's command of the English language?

I think The Devil and the Almighty Blues have may just taken my top spot for 2019. Fantastic fuzz blues as usual.

https://thedevilandthealmightyblues.bandcamp.com/

Anyone digging the new American Football? It's got a real nice sound about it, great production, the songs are kind of growers but it's good shit.

SeeYouSpaceCowboy's Songs for the Firing Squad makes me feel like I'm 13 again and screamo is back and happenin'. The longest song is 1:55, the song titles hearken back to the Tony Danza days when full on sentences were actual song titles. I don't know if many people really liked this kind of stuff in the 00's, but now that I'm 26 it reminds me a lot of high school and middle school. Emo chicks and guys in girl jeans, whatever happen?