Summer’s almost over, which means it’s time to turn off the AC, turn up the music, and rejoice in the fact that you can actually spend time in your home again without feeling like you’re about to melt and/or die. Celebrate by putting one of these upcoming releases on the stereo.
Angel Olsen — My Woman (Out now)
Just like the rest of the music press, Flavorwire has been listening to this pretty much non-stop since it was released on Friday. We’ve written about it here and here, and if you’re still reading, then we suggest you grab yourself a copy ASAP.
Eluvium — False Readings On (Out now)
If you’re in the market for beautiful, piano-led ambient music, you really can’t go wrong with Matthew Cooper, aka Eluvium. Cooepr has released a pretty flawless series of albums over the last decade or so, False Readings On continues this streak — you can hear (and purchase) the whole thing at Bandcamp right now.
M.I.A. — A.I.M. (September 9)
Say what you like about M.I.A., but she’s never boring. Frustrating, inspiring, face-palming, brilliant, and plenty of other adjectives, but never boring. We’ll take her politically and otherwise provocative pop over a million beige rock bands, any day of the week.
Mykki Blanco — Mykki (September 16)
Also on the “never boring” tip — since Mykki Blanco last released a record, the artist has relocated to Athens, Greece; possibly relocated back to the USA; announced a new career as a freelance investigative journalist (something that has presumably since been put on the back burner, but who knows?); and disclosed an HIV positive status. This is being billed as a debut album, which presumably relegates 2012’s Cosmic Angel and 2014’s Gay Dog Food to … mixtape status? Anyway, all this confusion aside, anything Blanco does is always worth hearing, and lead single “The Plug Won’t” (above) bodes well.
Against Me! — Shape Shift With Me (September 16)
Longtime fans have been left somewhat disconcerted by Laura Jane Grace’s shift from hard-edged punk to more melodic classic-sounding rock ‘n’ roll, but come on, the clue’s right there in the album title! Every artist evolves over the course of their career (well, the best ones do, anyway) and Grace’s muse is clearly taking her in different directions to where it’s gone in the past — hardly surprising, perhaps, given the degree to which her life has changed in recent years. And shit, maybe she’s just happier these days? Good! (Also, the video above was directed by Ione Skye!)
The Gaslamp Killer — Instrumentalepathy (September 16)
It’s been a good couple of months for all things related to William Bensussen — his friend and collaborator Gonjasufi released an (excellent) album last month, and now it’s Bensussen’s turn to release his own record, his first since his (ahem) killer 2012 debut Breakthrough. Instrumentalepathy features the aforementioned Gonjasufi on one track, along with a roster of other collaborators, but what’s most remarkable about the album is this (as per the record’s press release): “As many know, GLK used the triumphs of battling a near death experience three years ago when shaping his debut Cuss Records album. A handful of the tracks were even captured from his bed, unable to walk, with morphine running through his veins and staples in his body.”
Trentemøller — Fixion (September 16)
Fellow Scandinavian space disco pioneers/remix maestros Lindstrøm and Todd Terje have released excellent albums in recent years, and now it’s Trentemøller’s turn. This is his fourth studio record, and the first since 2013’s Lost. That album featured a fascinatingly eclectic list of collaborators — our favorite was “Gravity”, which featured Lower Dens’ Jana Hunter — and the lead single from Fixion, “River in Me” (above), features vocals from Savages’ Jehnny Beth, suggesting that Trentemøller has again looked far and wide for partners in crime.
The Sword — Low Country (September 23)
The Sword go … acoustic? Apparently so — this is a selection of acoustic versions of the songs on the stoner rock titans’ 2015 album High Country, which… well, it’s definitely something different, and on the evidence of track “Seriously Mysterious” (above) — compare and contrast with the original here — it works surprisingly well.
Danny Brown — Atrocity Exhibition (September 30)
A Danny Brown album named after (or, at least, sharing a name with) a Joy Division song and/or the JG Ballard book that inspired the song in question? We’re intrigued.
Jenny Hval — Blood Bitch (September 30)
And finally, arguably the most consistently interesting artist of the last few years returns with an album about blood: specifically, menstrual blood, along with vampires, time travel and the rigors of touring: “This is my most fictional and most personal album. It’s also the first album where I’ve started reconnecting with the goth and metal scene I started out playing in many years ago, by remembering the drony qualities of Norwegian Black Metal. It’s an album of vampires, lunar cycles, sticky choruses, and the smell of warm leaves and winter,” says Hval, a longtime Flavorwire favorite.