The Pop Group "Y in Dub"
The Pop Group’s seminal 1979 album Y has been given a new dub mix by British reggae legend Dennis “Blackbeard” Bovell, who has produced for a wide variety of artists including Fela Kuti, Bananarama and Linton Kwesi Johnson. This new version of the album features reimagined arrangements of the original album’s tracks with mind-bending space echoes and a plethora of other studio effects. Y is ranked by The Wire as one of the 100 Most Important Records Ever Made and by Pitchfork as one of the Best Albums of the ‘70s.
Brandy Zdan "Falcon"
Nashville-based artist Brandy Zdan has been through quite a few dark moments over the last two years and she opens up about these moments in her upcoming album Falcon set to drop on October 29, 2021. Zdan describes the album as, “Falcon is my story of the last two years,” Zdan wrote. “A story of miscarriage, loss, grief, pregnancy, motherhood, trauma, isolation, depression, hope, and love. I gave birth in a pandemic, became a mother in isolation, pressed pause on my career, lost my livelihood, battled postpartum depression, and faced some of the darkest moments of life. Grand plans of big producers and fancy studios fell away, and I had to figure out a way of telling my story on my own.”
Bat Fangs "Queen of My World"
Born of a shared love of hair metal, partying, and the reckless spirit of rock and roll, Washington D.C./ Carborro, NC duo Bat Fangs brings a fiery combination of shredderistic guitars and heavily harmonized hooks. Guitarist/vocalist Betsy Wright (Ex Hex) and drummer Laura King (Mac McCaughan, Speed Stick) united after playing a show together in their respective projects, with the goal of pushing Wright’s pop focused songwriting in a bolder, brasher direction. Taking up the primary songwriting role and shifting to guitar, Wright steps outside of the typical Ex Hex sound with Bat Fangs’ rowdy rock.
Phew "New Decade"
Phew, the prolific Japanese experimental artist also known as Hiromi Moritani, has announced a new album. New Decade is out October 22 via Mute—her first release for the label since 1992’s Our Likeness. The lead track is “Into the Stream.” Check out the video directed by Lisa Aoki below.
According to Phew, the album centers on the perception of time. “During the ’80s, and up until the ’90s, things progressed along a line from past to present to future, but I think that’s changed, especially since the start of the 21st century,” she said in a statement. “Personally speaking, I’ve stopped being able to see a future that extends from the present.”