This week, you can finally get your hands on the debut from London trio HÆLOS. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls it "an excellent set of moody electro-pop with a dark, haunting sound featuring atmospheric synths, hypnotic hip hop and electronic beats, ethereal vocals, melancholy lyrics and anthemic song hooks." (See for yourself in this recent KEXP session here.)
Former Smith Westerns frontman Cullen Omori shares his debut solo album, "an impressive set of dreamy, glam-tinged pop-rock with atmospheric, reverbed guitars, twinkling synths, dark psychedelic textures and sparkling pop hooks." Seattle's own Damien Jurado completes his recent trilogy with "an excellent set of psych-tinged folk-rock combining a warm, expansive sound with Jurado's luminous vocals and searching lyrics revolving around a symbolic road trip." (2012's Maraqopa and 2014's Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son complete Jurado's epic concept.)
Veteran UK duo Underworld re-emerge with their ninth album, "a potent set of thumping dance-rock with propulsive rhythms, buzzing keyboards and often-hopeful lyrics." Another music veteran -- in a much different vein -- Iggy Pop shares his latest, produced by Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme with accompaniment by Homme along with QOTSA's Dean Fertita and Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders. And on his sophomore release, Kuwait-bred, New York-based artist Fatima Al Qadiri "explores the conflict between political protest and police brutality with an ominous blend of eerie textures and dark, spare beats with sampled protest recordings."
(Various Artists) Miranda Lambert – “Sweet By And By”
from Southern Family on Elektra
(Various Artists) White Cloud – “All Cried Out”
from Wayfaring Strangers: Cosmic American Music on Numero Group
Baauer – “Temple ft M.I.A & G-Dragon”
from Aa on Luckyme
Bitchin Bajas / Bonnie "Prince" Billy – “Your Hard Work is About to Pay Off. Keep On Keeping On”
from Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties on Drag City
Boris / Merzbow – “Goloka Pt. 2”
from Gensho on Relapse Records
Clark
from The Last Panthers on Warp
Cullen Omori – “Cinnamon”
from New Misery on Sub Pop
Damien Jurado – “Exit 353”
from Visions of Us on the Land on Secretly Canadian
Dog Chocolate – “Emotionally Buff”
from Snack Fans on Upset the Rhythm
The Drones – “To Think That I Once Loved You”
from Feelin Kinda Free on MGM / TFS
Fatima Al Qadiri – “Battery”
from Brute on Hyperdub
Glenn Jones – “Flower Turned Inside-Out”
from Fleeting on Thrill Jockey
Grant-Lee Phillips – “Loaded Gun”
from The Narrows on Yep Roc
Gun Outfit – “Expansion Pact”
from Two Way Player on Wharf Cat Records
Hælos – “Oracle”
from Full Circle on Matador
Haircut 100 – “Love Plus One”
from Pelican West [Deluxe Edition] on Cherry Pop
Iggy Pop – “Sunday”
from Post Pop Depression on Concord Loma Vista
iLoveMakonnen – “Sellin”
from Drink More Water 6 on Parlophone
James – “To My Surprise”
from Girl at the End of the World on BMG / Universal
Levitation Room – “Crystal Ball”
from Ethos on Burger Records
Lifetones – “For A Reason”
from For a Reason on Light in the Attic Records
Liima – “Roger Waters”
from ii on 4AD
Magnetic North – “Signs”
from Prospect of Skelmersdale on Full Time Hobby
Masami Akita / Eiko Ishibashi – “Slide”
from Kouen Kyoudai on Editions Mego
Meilyr Jones – “All Is Equal In Love”
from 2013 on Moshi Moshi Records / PIAS
MMOTHS – “Deu”
from Luneworks on Because / OYAE
Primal Scream
from Chaosmosis on 1st International / Ignition
Public Memory – “Lunar”
from Wuthering Drum on Felte
Ray Columbus
from Now You Shake: The Definitive R&B-Pop Psych Recordings 1963-1969 on Frenzy / RPM
Redfoo – “Lights Out”
from Party Rock Mansion on Party Rock
Russell Malone – “Message To Jim Hall”
from All About Melody on High Note
Sean Watkins – “What To Fear”
from What to Fear on Single Lock Records / Thirty Tigers
Soul Asylum – “Supersonic”
from Change of Fortune on eOne
Stepdad – “Marquis Marq”
from Masterbeast Theatre on Quite Scientific
The Body – “Shelter Is Illusory”
from No One Deserves Happiness on Thrill Jockey
The Bonnevilles – “I've Come Too Far For Love To Die”
from Arrow Pierce My Heart on Alive
The Goon Sax – “Up To Anything”
from Up to Anything on Chapter Music
Underworld – “I Exhale”
from Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future on Astralwerks / Caroline
We're so excited to have Bob Mould joining us next month for KEXP's New Home Grand Opening on Saturday, April 16th! KEXP Music Director Don Yates observes that on Mould's latest solo album, "the former Husker Du/Sugar frontman continues his latter-day resurgence with another impressive set of anthe…
This past week, L.A. rapper Kendrick Lamar unleashed his latest, untitled unmastered, seemingly out of nowhere. The album consists of eight previously unreleased outtakes from his To Pimp A Butterfly recording sessions, which KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes "holds together remarkably well, comb…
