Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties ’cause there’s a bunch of new albums out there today! Breakout UK combo (and XPN Artist to Watch) The Last Dinner Party showcase their charming take on baroque pop with their full-length debut, Prelude to Ecstasy. J Mascis worked with B-52’s keyboardist Ken Mauri for What Do We Do Now, the lively fifth solo album from the Dinosaur Jr legend. Ruminative melodies and unflinchingly direct songwriting anchor former World Café host Talia’s Schlanger’s debut LP, Grace for the Going. New Orleans newcomer Britti brings the Crescent City’s soul heritage to Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound family with her debut, Hello, I’m Britti.
Iconoclastic Australian guitarist Kirin J Callinan follows recent collaborations with Genesis Owusu and Jack Ladder with his fourth solo album, If I Could Sing. Conjuring the atmospheric country of Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, Vera Sola’s Peacemaker captures the spirit of dark Americana. You may be familiar with Kim Krans’ work as a visual artist (her Wild Unknown tarot deck is a must-have); the former Family Band member’s first album in a decade, MIRRORMIRROR, is a haunting return. Arriving just after the LP’s golden anniversary (and the death of founding member Denny Laine), a new edition of Paul McCartney & Wings’ Band on the Run features a fresh remaster by Giles Martin along with an “underdubbed” mix that strips away Tony Visconti’s bombastic orchestrations to reveal unheard nuance.
PRESS PLAY on these new releases below. Listen for spotlights on new records like these (and more) every week on the XPN Morning Show and Indie Rock Hit Parade.