If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from these monthly voting sessions, it’s that you can expect an eclectic mix of albums, and, sometimes, the unexpected. Though Sputnikmusic is notorious for favouring post-rock music as its dominant preference, and even though I had good money on Envy’s The Fallen Crimson taking February’s crown, it didn’t stop the poll from being a surprisingly fierce one. Fighting tooth and nail with Spanish Love Songs’ Brave Faces Everyone, Envy’s trailblazing return just in so garnered the votes for February’s Album of the Month win. After a turbulent decade for Envy, the band have clearly delivered an album the fans can rejoice at, and the results speak for themselves. With that, Sputnik user Sniff will shed some light on why it’s the obvious choice.
February 2020 AOTM: Envy – The Fallen Crimson
“Here’s a short list of random, great and memorable comebacks:
– Super Bowl LI. You know, the year Patriots tricked us all into believing they wouldn’t win it that year.
– Tiger Woods – The Masters. 3955 days and a whole bunch of problems (both on and off the golf course); later he went and won another major.
– Liverpool in the Champions League final of ’05 – the 3 fast goals that took it to extra time will never be forgotten.
– David Bowie – The Next Day. After 10 years and out of “retirement”, he drops another acclaimed album. …
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of March 20, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: March 20, 2020 –
Adam Lambert: Velvet
Genre: Pop
Label: More is More, LLC
Baxter Dury: The Night Chancers
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Heavenly Recordings
Roger and Brian Eno: Mixing Colours
Genre: Ambient/Electronic
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Container: Scramblers
Genre: Techno/Minimal/Industrial
Label: Alter
Foreign Fields: The Beauty of Survival
Genre: Folk/Indie-Rock/Ambient
Label: Caroline International (P&D)
Gordon Lightfoot: SOLO
Genre: Folk
Label: WM Canada
Heaven Shall Burn: Of Truth & Sacrifice
Genre: Metalcore/Melodic Death Metal
Label: Century Media Records
Helen Money: Atomic
Genre: Progressive Rock/Doom Metal/Post Metal
Label: Thrill Jockey
Hyborian: Volume II
Genre: Doom Metal/Stoner Rock
Label: Season of Mist
Kelsea Ballerini: Kelsea
Genre: Pop-Country
Label: Black River Entertainment
Låpsley: Through Water
Genre: Indie-Pop/Ambient/Electronic
Label: XL Recordings
Matthew Tavares and Leland Whitty: Visions
Genre: Jazz
Label: Mr Bongo
Moaning: Uneasy Laughter
Genre: Post-Punk/Shoegaze/Indie-Rock
Label: Sub Pop Records
Morrissey: I Am Not A Dog On A Chain
Genre: Alternative Rock/Indie-Rock/Post Punk
Label: BMG
Myrkur: Folkesange
Genre: Black Metal/Folk/Ambient
Label: Relapse
TOKiMONSTA: Oasis Nocturno
Genre: Hip Hop/Electronic
Label: TOKiMONSTA Music
The Weeknd: After Hours
Genre: Pop/R&B
Label: Republic Records
Yael Naïm: nightsongs
Genre: Folk
Label: Tôt Ou Tard
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of March 13, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: March 13, 2020 –
The Bombpops: Death in Venice Beach
Genre: Punk/Pop Punk
Label: Fat Wreck Chords
The Boomtown Rats: Citizens Of Boomtown
Genre: Post-Punk/Punk
Label: BMG
Burzum: Thulêan Mysteries
Genre: Black Metal/Ambient
Label: Byelobog Productions
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of March 6, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: March 6, 2020 –
Allen/Olzon: Worlds Apart
Genre: Metal
Label: Frontiers Music Srl
Anna Calvi: Hunted
Genre: Indie-Rock/Pop
Label: Domino Recording Co.
Body Count: Carnivore
Genre: Hardcore/Thrash Metal
Label: Century Media
Caroline Rose: Superstar
Genre: Indie-Pop/Rock
Label: New West
Cornershop: England Is A Garden
Genre: Indie-Rock/Brit-Pop
Label: Ample Play
Crematory: Unbroken
Genre: Death Metal/Industrial/Gothic
Label: Napalm
Honey Harper: Starmaker
Genre: Indie-Pop/Folk
Label: ATO
Hot Mulligan: You’ll Be Fine
Genre: Emo/Pop-Punk
Label: No Sleep
Jonathan Wilson: Dixie Blur
Genre: Folk/Psychedelic
Label: BMG
Lost in the wave of protest songs that washed over us from 2016-2019 is perhaps one of the most important messages to come out of the entire decade. “Noble Soldier/Dystopian Lament” is the curtain call and thematic crux of 2018’s Vitriola – an album whose overarching themes damn both politics and society, deeming both “fucked” as guitar chords slash away at listeners’ optimism. Lead vocalist Tim Kasher laments the abuse of power and financial wealth, self-prioritizing civilizations, and endless finger-pointing – frequently wrapping it all up into plainly stated disgust. The culmination of this miserable album is this seven minute all-damning epic, in which Kasher lists a series of things that used to give him hope, then swats down each one with a reason why it is corrupted:
I used to fall for love For family and for friends I used to fall for unity Despite our differences I used to fall for trust The decency of man I used to fall for secrecy ‘Til a neighbor played my hand I used to fall for math A universal truth I used to fall for science books Until they were removed I used to fall for hope The promise of our youth I used to fall for change ‘Til our youth became recruits I used to fall for currency To dictate what I’m worth I used to fall for ancestry Now I know we’re fucked from birth I used to fall for news I’d check…
When I first reviewed Aviary, I surmised: “At fifteen tracks, each hovering in the six-to-nine minute range, Aviary presents a daunting task. It’s a world that requires dedicated immersion; a commitment to its unwieldy time length but also a staunch distancing that allows you to engage its thousands of intricacies. It’s like a dot painting; there’s plenty that can be observed up close, but it’s prudent to step back and see the entire picture for what it was intended to be.” While that remains true of the album in its entirety, I’d like to think that “I Shall Love 2” does a damn fine job of capturing all of the record’s best traits in a tiny gorgeous bubble. Holter breathes enticing melodies into the music seemingly without effort, and they swirl around like leaves caught in an updraft – wispy and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Chimes echo, strings swell from miles off, drums clatter, and electronics bubble and murmur. Her voice sways with the flow of the song, adding in a gorgeous hum or chirpy quip in spurts and however the music dictates. A grander nature surrounds this mini-opus, and it feels as though Holter is merely observant, as opposed to in charge. It all feels very autumn-esque, and it’s hands down one of the most beautifully picturesque tracks of her entire career.
Read more from this decade at my homepage for Sowing’s Songs of the Decade.
Magdalene is backloaded with some of FKA Twigs strongest individual tracks to date. ‘fallen alien’ is a career highlight and immediate song of 2019 contender, possessing one of the most rhythmically complex and aesthetically rich atmospheres that she’s ever crafted. The track commences with gentle piano notes and electronic effects that are jolted to the forefront with the synth-equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. FKA Twigs’ opening verses are then interrupted by extremely high-pitched, digitally-altered chants of “I feel the lightning blast”, and it’s clear that this is going to be the most epic bid on all of Magdalene. Thematically, the song again deals with relationships gone awry – in this case, that feeling of claustrophobia when you sense that someone is restricting your potential: “I never thought that you would be the one to tie me down…but you did.” FKA Twigs went on record confirming as much, stating, “For me, it’s that line, When the lights are on, I know you/When you fall asleep, I’ll kick you down/By the way you fell, I know you/Now you’re on your knees. You’re just so sick of somebody’s bullshit, you’re just taking it all day, and then you’re in bed next to them, and you’re just like, ‘I can’t take this anymore’.” Of course, as per Twigs’ reputation, the song’s motives aren’t overly transparent – so while such meaning can be derived through interpretation, ‘fallen alien’ is, at least from a technical/musical standpoint, an absolute blast.…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of February 28, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: February 28, 2020 –
Beneath The Massacre: Fearmonger
Genre: Death Metal/Progressive Metal/Hardcore
Label: Century Media
Nick Cave has written some pretty bleak verses, especially following the passing of his son Arthur, but I’m not sure any have hit me as hard as the lyrics to “Bright Horses”: I can hear the whistle blowing, I can hear the mighty roar / I can hear the horses prancing in the pastures of the Lord / Oh the train is coming, and I’m standing here to see / And it’s bringing my baby right back to me. Cave has been wallowing in gloom since 2016’s Skeleton Tree, but somehow the hope (denial?) present in this track is even more obliterating. Here’s this man who has lost his son tragically, just waiting at the train station to see his child again. Whether he’s literally waiting at a station, or if it’s a metaphor for some kind of afterlife, is up to interpretation. As a new father, this passage during the more broadly breathtaking Ghosteen absolutely broke my heart. It’s also the most beautiful and memorable song on what might be Cave’s best album – so no matter how you look at it, “Bright Horses” is a must-hear moment.
Read more from this decade at my homepage for Sowing’s Songs of the Decade.
I’m not what you’d call an electronic expert and, to level with you guys, this is the only Flying Lotus album I’ve ever heard more than once. Still, that should tell you something about just how impactful this album was at the time of its release, and how influential it remains. I’m not well-versed enough on popular opinions surrounding Cosmogramma to accurately predict what the most popular songs are (although a cursory search of review threads seems to suggest either ‘Zodiac Shit’ or ‘Do The Astral Plane’ [maybe ‘Pickled!’ low-key?]), but I’ve always been drawn to ‘Arkestry’ – a stunning electronic symphony of freestyle jazz elements. Other songs on Cosmogramma offer more layers and textural complexity, but this is always the moment that stops me in my tracks with its sheer beauty. Bubbling electronic effects give way to cascading drums, which eventually split the center of the song open into a gorgeous ravine of jazz horns. As subtle pianos underscore the transition into the track’s final minute, an eerie, apparition-like voice begins to hum in a theatrical-yet-ominous fashion. The way the song fluidly progresses within itself is a thing of beauty, and while it may not be the most popular pick from Cosmorgramma, it’s the one that captured the attention of an indie-head like me. If Cosmorgramma is the album that got me into electronic music back in 2010, then I have to credit ‘Arkestry’ as one of the most influential tracks on my own personal…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of February 21, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: February 21, 2020 –
Agnes Obel: Myopia
Genre: Folk/Classical/New Age
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Allie X: Cape God
Genre: Indie-Pop/Electronic
Label: Twin Music Inc
The Amity Affliction: Everyone Loves You… Once you leave them
Genre: Metalcore/Post-Hardcore
Label: Pure Noise
Best Coast: Always Tomorrow
Genre: Indie-Pop/Indie-Rock
Label: Concord
Demons & Wizards: III
Genre: Power/Heavy Metal
Label: Century Media
Douglas Dare: Milkteeth
Genre: Indie-Pop/Electronic
Label: Erased Tapes
Greg Dulli: Random Desire
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: BMG
Music is probably the one field of entertainment that is never lacking in quality content for the early months of a new year, and January 2020 was no exception. Welcome to the first full year of Sputnikmusic’s ‘Album of the Month’; a feature that lets everyone express what their favourite album of the month is. This edition was jammed with numerous albums, but one album in particular really voiced itself loud and by many: the Hungarian avant-garde opus from Thy Catafalque – Naiv.
“A prophet is not without honour except in his own town and in his own home.”
“This is basically my first thought whenever I think about Thy Catafalque, because Tamás Kátai’s unique work is sadly oppressed and overlooked in the Hungarian musical culture. But even though it must be very hard to fully understand each album (both stylistically and lyrically), the reception for his music is encouragingly improving. And that fills me with great joy!
It’s not easy writing about Thy Catafalque, because they’re one of those bands that are so experimental and unique in their own right, and can go through a renewal with each release without forcing anything, that you have to expect the unexpectable at this point. This is the case with Naiv as well, despite the fact Kátai and co. haven’t really changed their sound at all, the results still feel completely fresh and new. For me, Naiv is a very exciting and dreamesque experience. I feel…
Jacob Bannon of Converge performs at Roadburn 2018. Photograph by Wikipedia user Grywnn (Heiner Bach)
Alright, y’all, it’s time for one of Sputnikmusic’s patented giveaway contests. Let’s get down to brass tacks immediately.
THE PRIZE: Two tickets to the second day–April 4th–of the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Festival at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These are $35 each face value and $98.50 total if you purchase them online. Yeehaw. Who will be performing, you ask? Well, Converge is doing Jane Doe in its entirety. And Pig Destroyer is doing Prowler in the Yard. And then there’s fuckin’, uh, Satan, and Necrot, and Night Demon, and Haunt, and Un. Pretty sure that’s all. Please note a few things: this concert is absolutely 21+ no exceptions, so don’t enter this contest if you are under that age maybe. I dunno, can’t really stop you I guess. Secondly, these are not the “Metal and Beer” tickets that cost $85 each face value. If you’re a beer drinker you’ll have to stick with Stella Artois or whatever in this case: no unlimited half pours of Nightmare Brewing Company’s critically acclaimed SCAPHISM beer for you! Oh, and also obviously it’s on you to, like, get to Philly. Sorry everyone, when we’re flush (one day…) we’ll be able to fund the whole experience.
THE CONTEST: The year is 2021. The 20th anniversary joint (that’s right you’re getting them as a package) vinyl reissue of both Jane Doe and Prowler in the Yard is fast approaching, and Relapse Records or Epitaph or…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of February 14, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: February 14, 2020 –
Archon Angel: Fallen
Genre: Progressive/Power/Heavy Metal
Label: Frontiers Records S.R.L.
BAMBARA: Stray
Genre: Post-Punk/Noise Rock
Label: Wharf Cat
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of February 7, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: February 7, 2020 –
Aubrie Sellers: Far From Home
Genre: Country
Label: Aubrie Sellers
The Cadillac Three: Country Fuzz
Genre: Rock/Country
Label: Big Machine
![VELVET [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91SyJE74dUL._SS500_.jpg)
![The Night Chancers [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61SvoA1RTzL._SS500_.jpg)
![Oasis Nocturno [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/713y35epI0L._SS500_.jpg)
![After Hours [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81XiZxda-8L._SS500_.jpg)
![Supernova [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71xv8oxcYKL._SS500_.jpg)
![Put the Shine On [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/611784r2rSL._SS500_.jpg)
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![Deap Lips [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/816VTXcV5RL._SS500_.jpg)
![You Know I'm Not Going Anywhere [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/819Cn-k4X+L._SS500_.jpg)
![Kiss My Super Bowl Ring [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71CcWgHnWWL._SS500_.jpg)
![Carnivore [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91sNuUuULxL._SS500_.jpg)
![Unbroken [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81di4-bqGnL._SS500_.jpg)
![you'll be fine [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81XMqJsNaQL._SS500_.jpg)
![A Beautiful Place To Drown [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Klsh-nVdL._SS500_.jpg)
![5 Years Behind [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61itBJtGrAL._SS500_.jpg)
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![Errol [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81FZwGatUhL._SS500_.jpg)
![Everyone Loves You... Once You Leave Them [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81dsfepN4RL._SS500_.jpg)
![Miss Anthropocene [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1aQkHOuPIL._SS500_.jpg)
![BRKN LOVE [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61-Psl5jWYL._SS500_.jpg)
![no future [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81upJG9pNIL._SS500_.jpg)
![New Empire, Vol. 1 [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81I39u50ZjL._SS500_.jpg)
![Father of All... [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91zO4-6YphL._SS500_.jpg)
