Welcome to the Hotlist, a new quarterly feature spotlighting upcoming records fans are adding to their collections.
April
Khruangbin
A LA SALA
(April 5)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), Cassette, Other Apparel
Following collaborations with Leon Bridges and Vieux Farka Touré, the groovy Houston band close ranks for a full-length that demonstrates their indefatigable energy and chemistry as a trio.
Castle Rat
Into The Realm
(April 12)
Vinyl, Vinyl LP, Cassette, Other Apparel, T-Shirt/Shirt, Button/Pin/Patch, Vinyl Box Set, Compact Disc (CD), Poster/Print
Recorded in an abandoned church, the Brooklyn metal band’s debut fuses high-fantasy lore with rumbling ’70s riffs to end up with a ferocious slab of “Medieval Fantasy Doom Metal.”
Cosmo Sheldrake
Eye To The Ear
(April 12)
2 x Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Cosmo Sheldrake molds field recordings, samples, live instrumentation, and digital soundscapes into experimental electronic music with environmental themes.
Necrot
Lifeless Birth
(April 12)
Vinyl LP, Cassette, Compact Disc (CD)
The Bay Area death metal band’s bassist and vocalist, Luca Indrio, has described Lifeless Birth as their most aggressive, melodic, and overall best work yet.
The Reds, Pinks & Purples
Unwishing Well
(April 12)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Far-flung tales of false heroes, “hometown dive gods,” and other oddities from a juggernaut of the San Francisco indie pop scene.
METZ
Up On Gravity Hill
(April 12)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), T-Shirt/Shirt
The Toronto punks’ latest leans into orchestral arrangements and radiant melodies, with guest appearances from Amber Webber of Black Mountain and composer/string arranger Owen Pallett.
Ozean
Ozean
(April 12)
Vinyl LP
Plucked from obscurity by Numero Group, the 1993 demo by short-lived California band Ozean contains a noisy dream pop paradise.
Zao
Live From The Church
(April 19)
Compact Disc (CD), 2 x Vinyl LP, Cassette
Recorded by the Pennsylvania metalcore legends during a 2021 livestream, this ferocious in-studio session is accompanied by a full-length film created and directed by the band.
BIG|BRAVE
A Chaos Of Flowers
(April 19)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
The colossal Montréal trio follow up last year’s nature morte with another folk-metal maelstrom featuring guest appearances by experimental guitarists Marisa Anderson and Tashi Dorji and saxophonist Patrick Shiroshi.
Various Artists
GIANTS
(April 19)
Compact Disc (CD), Vinyl Box Set
Less a standard compilation than a full crossover extravaganza, Brave Wave Productions‘s aptly-titled GIANTS includes cuts from Lena Raine (Celeste), Tee Lopes (Sonic Mania), and Takashi Tateishi (Mega Man 2), to name a few.
Mike Watt / Papa M
S/T
(April 19)
A “one-for-one” split 7-inch containing a cover apiece from Mike Watt (Minutemen) and Papa M, aka David Pajo (Slint, Gang of Four), limited to 1,000 units and going fast.
claire rousay
sentiment
(April 19)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
The Los Angeles artist leans into pop and guitar music on her ambitious Thrill Jockey debut, which features collaborations with Lala Lala and Hand Habits.
BIGMUTHA
sleep paralysis
(April 19)
Vinyl LP
Inspired by ’90s garage and UK club music, The Chattanooga, Tennessee rapper’s True Panther debut boasts sharp bars and infectious rave energy.
somesurprises
Perseids
(April 19)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Together with Jessika Kenney (Sunn O))), Wolves in the Throne Room) and Lori Goldston (Nirvana, Earth), the Seattle band refine their proggy dreamgaze sound on their first record in five years.
Thief
Bleed, Memory
(April 19)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Sampled chants, sinister synths, and shadowy feats of crate-digging galore on the fourth collection from Los Angeles-based dark synth project Thief.
Justice
Hyperdrama
(April 26)
2 x Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Seven years after their last record, the French electronic duo return with a festival-ready LP; Tame Impala, Miguel, and Thundercat are just a few of the notable names on the guest list.
Full of Hell
Coagulated Bliss
(April 26)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), Cassette
Full of Hell makes a strong case for catchy grindcore on their chaotic sixth record, which features the strongest, most focused songwriting from the band yet.
Inter Arma
New Heaven
(April 26)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), Cassette, T-Shirt/Shirt
Extreme metal gets pushed to even more brutal ends on the epic new record from the always epic and extreme Inter Arma.
Iron & Wine
Light Verse
(April 26)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), T-Shirt/Shirt
Joyfulness suffuses the new record from Iron & Wine, which was recorded post-pandemic in Los Angeles and bears some of the sunny sense of possibility of the ’70s Laurel Canyon scene records.
Agriculture
Living is Easy
(April 28)
Vinyl LP, Cassette, T-Shirt/Shirt
The Los Angeles “ecstatic black metal” band live up to that moniker with songs as powerful and extreme as they are soaringly beautiful.
Richard Thompson
Ship To Shore
(April 30)
2 x Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
The legendary Richard Thompson weaves together a diverse array of his musical threads and interests, ranging from traditional folk and jazz to country to cabaret, into a roots-y new record.
The Lord
Worship: Bernard Herrmann Tribute
(April 30)
Sunn O))) guitarist Greg Anderson creates wordless guitar soundscapes that are equal parts moving and crushingly heavy on this original-music tribute to the horror film soundtrack composer.
May
John Carpenter
Lost Themes IV: Noir
(May 3)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), Cassette, 2 x Vinyl LP
John Carpenter, who presumably needs no introduction, returns with another charging synth soundtrack so vibrantly real, you won’t miss the non-existent film.
Jessica Pratt
Here in the Pitch
(May 3)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Jessica Pratt is a lo-fi Nancy Sinatra on this record of elegant and lovely lysergic lullabies.
Kamasi Washington
Fearless Movement
(May 3)
2 x Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), T-Shirt/Shirt
With contributions from Thundercat, George Clinton, Andre 3000, and tons more, the latest from jazz musician Kamasi Washington is a work of rapturously rhythmic and funky music.
Mdou Moctar
Funeral for Justice
(May 3)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), T-Shirt/Shirt
The Tuareg songwriter creates blazingly intense guitar-led rock music that nevertheless feels rich, earthy, and grounded.
The Lemon Twigs
A Dream Is All We Know
(May 3)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), Cassette
You heard it here first: Brian and Michael D’Addario of the Lemon Twigs will win in the end with top-notch songwriting, whiz-bang studio wizardry, perfect sounding records, and sheer staying power.
Blushing
Sugarcoat
(May 3)
Vinyl LP
The Lush revival rolls on! This Austin group’s cottony dream pop undercut with a hint of discordant grunge is just the right mix of sweet and sour.
DEHD
Poetry
(May 10)
Vinyl LP, Cassette, Compact Disc (CD)
One would not think it possible but the powerhouse Chicago indie rock trio sound even more triumphant and sunnily self-assured on their hook-laden latest.
Amen Dunes
Death Jokes
(May 10)
2 x Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), T-Shirt/Shirt
Damon McMahon makes his Sub Pop debut with a record that’s just as wonderfully weird and surreal as his previous work, adding sound collage and samples to his warped soundscapes.
Pokey LaFarge
Rhumba Country
(May 10)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
The product of working 12-hour days on a farm (no joke!), the latest from Pokey LaFarge is a smorgasbord of R&B, jazz, and—you guessed it—rhumba.
yaya bey
Ten Fold
(May 10)
Vinyl LP
A big blast of danceable soul music on yaya bey’s sophomore outing. If the sarcastic “Eric Adams In the Club” doesn’t become ubiquitous at Brooklyn parties, something has gone horribly amiss.
Arab Strap
I’m totally fine with it 👍 don’t give a fuck anymore 👍
(May 10)
On the short list of Best Album Titles of the Year, the impish Scotsmen return with more wry takes on modern life.
Various Artists
Ghana Special 2: Electronic Highlife & Afro Sounds In The Diaspora, 1980-93
(May 10)
Vinyl, Compact Disc (CD)
Soundway’s unbeatable Ghana Special series continues after a 15-year hiatus with a collection of songs exploring the country’s synth-heavy pop era.
Blitzen Trapper
100’s of 1000’s, Millions of Billions
(May 17)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Somehow, after nearly 25 years, Blitzen still remains un-trapped.
Vitskär Süden
Vessel
(May 17)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Sprawling space rock on Ripple Music that’s as knotty as prog and as soaring as opera.
Botanist
Paleobotany
(May 17)
Vinyl LP
On their 12th album, Botanist take us back more than 70 million years to a time when dinosaurs ruled the planet. Would it shock you to learn that this is proggy, avant-garde art rock?
Tidiane Thiam
Africa Yontii
(May 17)
Vinyl LP
Sahel Sounds can’t miss, and this gorgeous record from Senegalese guitarist Tidiane Thiam is a beautiful tangle of silvery guitars.
La Luz
News of the Universe
(May 24)
Vinyl LP, T-Shirt/Shirt, Compact Disc (CD)
Indie-psych geniuses La Luz return with another batch of trippy, soft-focus, late ‘60s-style songs, bolstered by the brilliant guitar work of Shana Cleveland.
DIIV
Frog In Boiling Water
(May 24)
Compact Disc (CD), Vinyl LP
DIIV set my evangelical youth pastor’s go-to parable for guilt-tripping his teenage flock to shoegaze-y dream pop.
June
Goat Girl
Below The Waste
(June 7)
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), T-Shirt/Shirt
Excellent London group Goat Girl deliver a sprawling, genre-spanning collection of songs on their sophomore outing with the same sense of mystery as prime Mary Timony.
The Decemberists
As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
(June 14)
Thesaurus.com power users return with another batch of epic indie-prog.
Hiatus Kaiyote
Love Heart Cheat Code
(June 28)
Vinyl LP
The beloved Melbourne soul-jazz group is back with another batch of delightfully tricky arrangements and heavenly vocals.
