2020 April – June: “The sun came up behind us and everything turned to rust.”

SXSW got cancelled, but the music still lives.
I went through all the bands that were to perform and edited down a playlist of stuff I’d like to hear more of.

We may be shut in and concerts a far off idea
but there has been some wonderful new releases during this pandemic.

I was very excited about the debut new Hayley Williams album Petals for Armor. Although worth a listen, it falls flat.

Hum with a new album in 22 years?! Yes Please.
I have a Downward is Heavenward poster still hanging up in my childhood bedroom. The album is out in late August but already released digitally and it is stellar. It’s old yet new in all the best ways.

There were some other surprise releases.
After 23 years, previously unheard remixes of Pan Sonic by Muslimgauze & Zoviet France were unearthed. Mika Vanio & Bryn Jones are 2 musicians we lost too early. This release offers a real slice of electronic history with artists at the top of their game.

An unheard recording of a 1968 high school performance by jazz great Thelonious Monk comes out on July 31. Recorded by the school’s janitor, it’s a stellar recording of a genius at work.

After a label delay finally got my hands on the new Austra album.

Digging the 1st track off the new Sprain album

All the new stuff coming from IDLES is exactly what we need right now.

New Land of Talk delayed to July 31 and from what I heard so far it’s going to be top top.

Confirmed New Releases I got my eyes on:

The Beths – Jump Rope Gazers
Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today
100 gecs -1000 gecs and The Tree of Clues
Glass Animals – Dreamland
Julianna Barwick – Healing Is A Miracle
Cut Copy – Freeze, Melt
No Joy – Motherhood
Bill Callahan – Gold Record
Lana Del Rey – Title TBA
Throwing Muses – Sun Racket
The Flaming Lips – American Head
Idles – Ultra Mono
Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension
Thurston Moore – By The Fire
Jonsi – Shiver
Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison
Plants and Animals – The Jungle

Anticipated Releases
Neon Indian
Noname
Sky Ferreira
The Killers

New Tunes from the past 3 months

Flyer I found from a New Year’s Eve Eve show at the Cooler! Back when the Meatpacking district was still a meat packing district.
Blast from the past poster.