9/25 a Stellar Fall New Music Friday

Fall is here and that means the first big new album release week of the fall has brought us plenty to listen to and talk about. There are plenty of names, big and small with new albums, surely something for everyone this week that you are going to grab ahold of.

There are plenty of big names waiting on you this week that have been highly anticipated, waiting for this release day so you can run out to the record store to grab some beautiful new vinyl. But it’s two more unknown names in the national landscape that have captured our ears this week. Both of these albums we’ve been talking about for months, patiently waiting on their releases. Now they have arrived for not only us, but for everyone to embrace something new and wonderful.

Sydney Eloise & the Palms debut album Faces arrived earlier this week. The singles have been premiered throughout the summer from different national music sites (NPR, CMJ, PASTE, PopMatters, and more) to much critical love. The album is a throw back album to the 60’s & 70’s production of Phil Spector and George Harrison, and Sydney Ward’s voice has been compared to some big names such as Jenny Lewis, Neko Case, and more. But what Ward shows on the record is an emotional urgency not often heard on a recorded version. The songs are still quite accessible, songs that could easily be heard on your local radio station, but sound like nothing currently played on the radio (which is weird to say considering the throwback style here, but perhaps that’s more on the current start we are in with popular music). It’s a great album top to bottom that would be perfect for anyone’s collection.

Oryx & Crake‘s emotionally honest album Marriage is our other top pick this week. The Atlanta group’s version of intelligent indie rock could capture the hearts of fans of the Dirty Projectors, Arcade Fire, and more with it’s big cinematic approach. We highly recommend putting this album on, hit repeat, and dive right into every little intricacy of this album. For some more insight on the album, check out our OpenEars Influencers section where each of the 6 members of the bands discussed their influential album, that helped shaped them, and in turn helped bring this album together. Check back here Monday for a full in depth review of this brilliant album.

As for the big releases this week, there are plenty. The much talked about Ryan Adams cover album of Taylor Swift‘s 1989 was released early this week, and of course Father John Misty chimed in with a few covers of his own. The long awaited Big Grams has finally arrived, the collaboration between Outkast‘s Big Boi and Phantogram. Disclosure is back with Caracal, ready for the world to dance with them. CHVRCHES is on top of the indie pop world right now, back this week with their sophomore album Every Open Eye. Of course you can’t skip over one of Jack White‘s side projects, The Dead Weather (Jack Lawrence – The Raconteurs, Dean Fertita – Queens of the Stone Age, Alison Mosshart – The Kills, Jack White) with Dodge and Burn. Then of course you have Kurt Vile‘s b’lieve i’m going down, and Youth Lagoon‘s Savage Hills Ballroom. Julia Holter brings the beauty on Have You In My Wilderness. Athen’s alt-rockers Futurebirds are back with Hotel Parties. And don’t forget the indie electro pop sensations JR JR are back under their new name (formerly Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr) with their appropriately self titled new name. Wow what a day we’ve got here! The list keeps going on!

Updated: Just over a year after Run the Jewels revealed plans to turn their acclaimed 2014 LP Run the Jewels 2 into the cat-sampling remix album, El-P and Killer Mike have made good on their promise as Meow the Jewels which is out now as a free download. It includes remixes by Zola Jesus, Just Blaze, Dan the Automator, The Alchemist, Blood Diamonds, Prince Paul, 3D of Massive Attack and more, plus contributions from Snoop Dogg, Lil Bub and more.

Our full list of picks with Spotify playlist below: