I’m fresh out of St. Patrick’s Day and Pi Day puns, so let’s get right into the new albums for this week, okay? Philly favorites Japanese Breakfast follow their multimedia breakthrough with For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women); the Michele Zauner-led project’s fourth full-length overall is their first to be recorded in a proper studio. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of their fan-favorite album Z, My Morning Jacket’s is finds the venerable Louisville band handing production duties to Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, Phish, Springsteen) for an adventurous and propulsive set. Reflecting on love and loss, Tamino’s Every Dawn’s a Mountain employs lush string arrangements (and a guest vocal from Mitski) for a rich and tender collection.
Norwegian electro-pop auteur Ora the Molecule showcases skills she honed as a DJ on her second LP, the effervescent Dance Therapy. Blues generations collide when nonagenarian harmonica legend Bobby Rush teams up with contemporary guitar slinger Kenny Wayne Shepherd on Young Fashioned Ways; the duo offers new collaborative compositions and fresh takes on Rush standards. 18 years after a raucous appearance at XPNFest (and three years removed from a near complete lineup refresh), Australian jazz-funk collective The Cat Empire solidify their second act’s strength on the vibrant Bird in Paradise. On Night Life, darkwave rockers The Horrors add two new members to their ranks and emerge with renewed sinister energy.
Listen for spotlights on new records like these (and more) every week on the XPN Morning Show and Indie Rock Hit Parade.
PRESS PLAY on these new releases
Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
CHECK OUT: “Orlando in Love” “Mega Circuit”
My Morning Jacket – is
CHECK OUT: “Time Waited” “Squid Ink”
Tamino – Every Dawn’s a Mountain
CHECK OUT: “Babylon” “Sanctuary (feat. Mitski)”
Ora the Molecule – Dance Therapy
CHECK OUT: “Intergalactic Dance” “Løveskatt”
Bobby Rush and Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Young Fashioned Ways
CHECK OUT: “Who Was That” “Hey Baby (What are We Gonna Do)”
The Cat Empire – Bird in Paradise
CHECK OUT: “Going to Live” “La Gracia”
The Horrors – Night Life
CHECK OUT: “Trial by Fire” “More Than Life”