This week’s new release highlight came as a surprise: last week, UK artist FKA twigs stealthily unleashed a new EP via Young Turks. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says, “this British artist follows up her masterful debut album with a powerful 5-song EP blending futuristic R&B with deep post-dubstep electronic grooves while also featuring some of her hardest-hitting lyrics to date.”
Other highlights this week include a rarities collection from Pavement. The Secret History Vol. 1 collects outtakes, Peel Sessions, and b-sides recorded during the Slanted and Enchanted recordings, circa 1991. Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips (also of Luna) release the soundtrack to Mistress America, the latest film from acclaimed director Noah Baumbach. (Wareham, himself, plays a small role in the movie as a cantankerous neighbor.)
Portland group Wild Ones release a 5-song EP of “emotive electro-pop with moody synths, sleek guitars, propulsive rhythms, crystalline vocals, melancholy lyrics and wistful melodies.” Canadian producer CFCF (aka Mike Silver) returns with a 41-minute long composition he started working on back in 2011 while living in Paris. In a press release, Silver explained, “It’s a super simple corny song built on a Roland CR-78 loop and just the silliest pan-global optimistic tone. And I got into the idea of doing a record of music like that, that would incorporate a lot of this stuff I was listening to and be of use as like, call waiting background music — just the most pleasant thing and kind of trying to push to the edges of tolerable cheese in some places, but also have it be totally sincere and not ironic, like actually purely pleasurable music.” And finally, Parquet Courts team up with Big Ups for a split live 7″ single, with only 300 pressed, so get on that.
(Various Artists) Jidenna – “Classic Man (Remix) ft. Kendrick Lamar”
from Wondaland Presents: The Eephus EP on Wondaland/Epic
Alma – “The Great Escape”
from Alma on Fierce Panda Records
Angels Dust – “Slow Tapes (dntel Remix)”
from Slow Tapes on Hit & Run
Blackalicious – “On Fire Tonight”
from Imani, Vol. 1 on self-released
Britta Phillips / Dean Wareham – “Mistress America”
from Mistress America: Original Soundtrack on Stage & Screen
CFCF – “Rain Dance”
from The Colours of Life on 1080p
Cruising – “Safe Corridor”
from Cruising on Tough Love
FKA twigs
from M3LL155X EP on Young Turks
The Good Life – “Forever Coming Down”
from Everybody’s Coming Down on Saddle Creek
Palehound – “Molly”
from Dry Food on Exploding in Sound
Parquet Courts / Big Ups – “Pretty Girls is a Motherfucker (Joey Pizza Slice)”
from Live 7″ on VERA/LIVE
Pavement – “Sue Me Jack”
from The Secret History, Vol. 1 on Matador
Rayland Baxter – “Mr. Rodriguez”
from Imaginary Man on ATO
Slime – “My Company”
from Company on Weird World
Stars of the Lid – “Don’t Bother They’re Here”
from And Their Refinement of the Decline reissue on Kranky
Stars of the Lid – “The Lonely People (Are Getting Lonelier)”
from The Tired Sounds Of reissue on Kranky
Sweet Baboo – “Black Domino Box (H Hawkline Cover)”
from The Boombox Ballads on Moshi Moshi
The Waifs – “6000 Miles”
from Beautiful You on Compass Records
Wild Ones – “Dim the Lights”
from Heatwave EP on Topshelf
