Past Releases

Bartees Strange "Live Forever (RTP)"

There have been few records we’ve been more excited to share with you this year than the full-length debut of Bartees Strange! There is a reason our record of the week is also Stereogum’s Record Of The Week. An electrifying hodgepodge of genres that finds Bartees excelling at every time. For a man that garnered his original fame by covering The National this is as a unique sound as you are bound to hear this year. Seriously. We rarely (if ever?) say this – but get ready to check out the (wait for it) NEXT BIG THING. It’s rock, it’s rap, it’s country, and it’s all of them in new and exciting ways with an energy that feels like the start of something fresh and unheard of before. Don’t believe us? Ask Ryan Reynolds as you check out the stellar singles “Mustang” and “Boomer.”

Joey Molland "Be True To Yourself (Omnivore)"

 For readers of a certain age, news of the first Joey Molland record in 10 years is going to blow your mind. Once known as The Beatles favorite band, Badfinger was a 70s powerhouse of pop perfection. A series of tragedies ended their career – and as the only surviving member Joey has been performing music ever since. Here we find him performing classic Beatles-esque gems with the help of people like Julian Lennon and Micky Dolenz, and co-written and co-produced by Mark Hudson.
2020 Lyle to teenage Lyle: “One day you will send out a record by the sole surviving member of Badfinger!”
Teenage Lyle to 2020 Lyle: “What? What happened to the rest of Badfinger? And why am I sending out music? Oh wait, do I work for Colombia House?”
Ok… that didn’t work quite as well as I had hoped – thankfully this record works MUCH better. Check out the title track, the easy pop perfection of “Rainy Day Man”.

Anya Marina "Queen Of The Night (RTP)"

The last few years Anya Marina has made releasing singles her thing (well, that and co-hosting radio shows with Nikki Glaser). Queen Of The Night collects those singles into one place, along with some new songs and a few covers. Anya’s relaxed delivery and ear for melody makes those covers sound like songs all her own. Sometimes she has only her voice and her guitar while other times she goes for a more rounded out sound – but its always her voice that is the star – like on her retelling of Taylor Swift’s “The Man.”

A Certain Ratio "ACR LOCO (Mute)"

A Certain Ratio is back! ACR Loco (Mute Records) is their first album in 12 years and their best in even longer. ACR has had a lot of different sounds over the years – with the constant being “post-punk experimental.” This time out it finds the band dipping into every sound they’ve ever tried their hands in. Songs move from low-key Krautrock chill-outs to breakbeat, funkified disco explosions in the blink of an eye. Check out the first song from the album, the multi-tiered “Friends Around Us” or the positively danceable “Yo Yo Gi.”