Now that part of our country is experiencing colder temperatures due to giant puffs of smoke wafting down from our neighbors to the north, things seem bleak. For all of our readers whose homes have been covered by these rolling gray clouds and foggy driving conditions, I’m right there with you. Having to shift through the ashes of a Canadian tree just to get a coffee isn’t the ideal way to enter a weekend, to say the least. In a situation like this, it is important to find escapes from reality, and we couldn’t have asked for a better string of new releases to aid us in our escape. Almost like a care package dropped from the sky, some incredible artists selected June 9 to release their new music into the world and we’re more than excited to dive into it all.
Check out Glide’s picks for the best new music of the week below:
Longings – “Expensive Graves”
Dreams In Red
Longings is finally ready to gift us their sophomore LP and our first look into the anticipated release is better than we could’ve asked for. Dreams In Red is set to be released on July 7 according to the Massachusetts band’s Bandcamp page and is set to follow up their criminally underrated 2015 debut. “Expensive Graves” is the thrashing lead single that reintroduces Longings in a blaze of post-punk excellence.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – “Dragons”
PETRODRAGONIC APOCALYPSE; OR, DAWN OF ETERNAL NIGHT: AN ANNIHILATION OF PLANET EARTH AND THE BEGINNING OF MERCILESS DAMNATION
Leave it up to one of the most eccentric bands in recent history to make a 10-minute odyssey a single. “Dragon” acts as our second look into the King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s upcoming LP, PETRODRAGONIC APOCALYPSE; OR, DAWN OF ETERNAL NIGHT: AN ANNIHILATION OF PLANET EARTH AND THE BEGINNING OF MERCILESS DAMNATION, which is set to be released on June 16. “Dragons” features more of King Gizzard’s exploration into black metal and features chanting vocals, throat singing, and gigantic guitar sections that send the arrangement soaring.
Ratboys – “It’s Alive!”
The Window
It has felt like a long two years since the pop-punk powerhouse Ratboys’ last full length. Following up on their incredible “Black Earth, WI” single from earlier this year (which will also appear on the new LP), Ratboys announces The Window. Their fifth LP is set to be released on August 25 via Topshell Records and will feature their infectious new single “It’s Alive!”. The melodic new single features a pop-centric song structure mixed with the heavy-handed guitar strumming of punk to create an unforgettable single destined for the top of Billboard.
Alan Palomo – “Stay-At-Home DJ”
World of Hassle
Following up his work as Neon Indian comes the latest project from Alan Palomo. Now releasing music under his own name, Palomo has announced his debut project since the name change. For fans of Neon Indian, don’t worry, Palomo is just as groovy and synth-drenched as he has ever been. World of Hassle will be released in full on September 15 and “Stay-At-Home DJ” is the cosmic new single that ushers in a new era for Palomo. This latest single mixes soul and pop with a tempo that must be made of glue the way it sticks in your mind, a perfect recipe for a first look into Palomo’s newly found world.
Low Cut Connie – “Sleaze Me On”
Art Dealers
The piano-drenched rock of Low Cut Connie is being taken to a new level on its latest release. “Sleaze Me On” is taken from the band’s upcoming album, Art Dealers, which is set to be released on September 8 and will feature their jamming new single “Sleaze Me On”. The harmonies that flow through Low Cut Connie’s latest single give it the sensation of floating, with just enough of their classic rock influences showing, the band crafted a catchy track that is only continuing to build the hype for their first album in three years.
Kenny Mason – “DARKSIDE”
6
One of the most exciting voices to emerge from hip-hop has graced us with a short yet potent project. The prolific Kenny Mason dropped off six tracks on his properly named new project, 6. “Darkside” is the stand-out track from the album, its menacing undertones battle with Mason’s lively vocals for an interesting texture that will have you pressing replay immediately. 6 follows up the incredible RUFFS LP Mason dropped in 2022 and along with his 3 EP from earlier this year.
Ghost of Vroom – “Still Getting It Done”
Ghost of Vroom 3
September 1 will mark the day Ghost of Vroom release their highly-anticipated new album, and it can’t come soon enough. The duo of Mike Doughty and Andrew Livingston released the second single from the upcoming album and its deep grooves and funky tempos combine for a neck-breaking track. “Still Getting It Done” is one of the most fun songs on this week’s list with its relaxed vocal delivery and hip-hop song structure. It is the perfect introduction to a band we should all listen to more.
Old Grape God – “Wall King”
I Turn The Room To a Lava Lamp
With the help of the collage-style production of bloomcycle, Old Grape God has released one of the best projects of his prolific career. I Turn The Room To a Lava Lamp is the psychedelic display of hip-hop where every syllable is treated like their last. “Wall King” features a stream of consciousness from Grape God over the abstract beauty of bloomcycle’s otherworldly drum patterns and melodies.
PJ Harvey – “I Inside the Old I Dying”
I Inside the Old Year Dying
From atop the rock and roll mountaintop shouts down one of its most sentimental citizens. PJ Harvey has returned with a new single that toes the line between moving folk and ambiance. “I Inside the Old I Dying” features a hushed melody that hides behind sparse guitar strumming and a gentle drum pattern. The single is lifted off of Harvey’s upcoming I Inside The Old Year Dying LP set to be released on July 7.
Youth Lagoon – “Trapeze Artist”
Heaven Is a Junkyard
It has been far too long since we heard from Youth Lagoon, and they’re coming back in the smoke of lo-fi pop tinted with sentimental songwriting. Heaven Is a Junkyard is out in its full glory today and is bursting with gentle poetry over a bed of piano-driven minimalism, a perfect soundtrack for a warm summer night. “Trapeze Artist” is the stand-out track from the LP, its drum pattern softly welcomes in a moving piano melody, all to elevate the song’s stirring words.
King Krule – “Pink Shell”
Space Heavy
The new King Krule album is an ambient journey through the mind of its creator, marking a triumphant return for the band and the release of one of the coolest albums of the year. “Pink Shell” is the centerpiece of the Space Heavy’s energy, the blaring horn section is only matched by the cartoonishly soaring vocals.
Squid – “Green Light”
O Monolith
Squid did not disappoint with their sophomore LP, a testament to the band considering the surreal amount of excitement surrounding the release. O Monolith introduces us to the artists underneath this generation’s most pure example of post-punk and “Green Light” puts specific attention on their progression as a band. The arrangement features the band’s signature thrashing in a more mature light, tightening up their structure and implementing the use of syncopation to achieve the next step in their artistic direction. If this is Squid just getting started, O Monolith feels like a turning point for a young band that is already leagues above the rest.
