What’s there to look forward to in August? The Olympics? The release of Suicide Squad? Bristol’s 38th International Balloon Fiesta? Pfft, that all sounds rubbish.
Thankfully there are some terrific new albums coming your way in August to make everything better, including new music from Frank Ocean (possibly), Wild Beasts, Tobacco, Crystal Castles, De La Soul and Banks & Steelz.
And now a formal apology to the good people of Bristol and its highly distinguished International Balloon Fiesta: I’m sorry. Your balloon festival sounds really good. I just lashed out because I can’t make it this year.
August 5th 2016:
Wild Beasts – Boy King
We’ve already covered Wild Beast’s Boy King in great detail, and if I were to sum up that review in just one made-up adjective, it would be as follows… ‘erectiony’.
Dinosaur Jr – Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
Dinosaur Jr’s new single ‘Tiny’ begins with a bulldog snoring, and that’s pretty much the temperament of the 32 year-old band’s later work: comfortable, reassuring, a bit dreamy but liable to bite your hand off after repeated prodding.
Russian Circles – Guidance
Russian Circles are a Chicago band who over the course of five albums have mastered the art of instrumental post-metal. Below is a taste of their sixth album, Guidance. How does it taste you ask? Like liquorice and fury.
Wye Oak – Tween
Baltimore duo Wye Oak return this week with their fifth album, Tween. Below is the video for their latest single ‘Watching the Waiting’, which confirms the classic aphorism “If you stare long enough at Cousin It, your own face will stare back at you.”
Frank Ocean – Boys Don’t CRY
Frank Ocean’s loooooong-awaited follow-up to channel ORANGE migh’ be released today. It also ‘might’ be an Apple Music exclusive.
*taps watch, finds 45th reason to be annoyed about Apple Music*
August 12th, 2016
Brendan Canning – Home Wrecking Years
For those unfamiliar with Brendan Canning, he’s a founding member of Canadian indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene. But then again, who isn’t a founding member of Canadian indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene? Canning probably managed to sneak out to record this album unnoticed during one of the band’s lengthy morning head-counts.
The Pack a.d. – Positive Thinking
The Vancouver garage-rock duo The Pack a.d. release their sixth album this week, and frankly I’m ashamed to say this is my first ever listen. Where have you been all my life???
Thee Oh Sees – A Weird Exists
Another round of brain-melting psych-rock from the prolific ATP mainstays who have an almost as high a band member turnover as The Fall, but are equally not to be trusted around your tabs and Red Stripe.
August 19th, 2016
Tobacco – Sweatbox Dynasty
I’ve been listening to Tobacco’s last album Ultima II Massage repeatedly since it was featured on the first season of Silicon Valley. Pittsburgh-based Tobacco’s forth album Sweatbox Dynasty promises to be a repeat campaign of pre-digital warfare against mainstream electronic music. Tobacco also seems to have bought a job-lot of old Spitting Image heads online, so prepare for a lot more of this…
Crystal Castles – AMNESTY (I)
Crystal Castles live again, although sadly without the terrifyingly unpredictable and indecipherable Alice Glass, who has been replaced by vocalist Edith Frances. Crystal Castles’ founding member Ethan Kath has been enjoying his newfound sense of peace, harmony and chatting about what’s good to watch on Netflix, but he occasionally stares mournfully out of the recording studio window and thinks, “I haven’t been smashed over the head with a shoplifted bottle of Jim Beam for ages. Sigh.”
Cowtown – Paranormal Romance
Useless trivia fact that only two people will care about: I used to work with a member of Cowtown in a Leeds bookshop many years ago.
Not so useless trivia fact that everyone should give a shit about: Cowtown are fucking rad!
Gonjasufi – Callus
More excellent narcotically paced noise-terror from the Warp-signed producer/experimental hip-hop artist/yoga teacher. Gonjasufi. Holy shit, Gonjasufi is a yoga teacher? That’s like finding out Ol’ Dirty Bastard was nursery assistant.
Sam Coomes – Bugger Me
You may know Sam Coomes better as the one half of Quasi who isn’t Janet Weiss the GREATEST DRUMMER IN THE WORLD from Sleater-Kinney. Bugger Me is Sam Coomes sadly Weiss-less solo debut. But don’t hold that against him, it’s still pretty good I guess.
Benjamin Francis Leftwich – After the Rain
Let’s bring the tempo down a little with some plaintive, mournful singer-songwritery stuff and pretend like we have a trace of sensitivity. Below is York-born Leftwich’s beautiful new single ‘Tilikum’ named after the psychologically damaged killer whale from Sea World who has been involved in a string of trainer deaths. Surprisingly none of this is mentioned in the song itself, which is mainly about staring at rain and being sad about girls.
Roosevelt – Roosevelt
In lieu of Friendly Fires EVER getting up off the sofa and DEIGNING to make another album, I bring you Roosevelt…
Slow Club – One Day All Of This Won’t Matter Any More
There are accidentally shit music videos (see Wye Oak above), purposefully shit videos that are still shit (see Tobacco above) and then there are masterpieces of shitness that really nail the form…
Thom Sonny Green – High Anxiety
High Anxiety is Thom Sonny Green’s debut album (he’s also the drummer in alt-J) and it’s a lovely bit of warming electronica. Check out ‘Vienna’ below and try not to be too disappointed that Green doesn’t once scream “IT MEANS NOTHING TO ME” at any point.
August 26th, 2016
Banks and Steelz – Anything But Words
This is my very favourite thing of the whole month…. an unlikely yet utterly terrific album-length collaboration between RZA and Interpol’s Paul Banks. I HEART THIS ONE. Read our review here: Banks and Steelz – Anything But Words.
The Veils – Total Depravity
El-P from Run the Jewels produced the fifth album from London-based The Veils and Total Depravity promises to be a terrifying journey into the dark-side of rock n roll, with plenty of wanton lust and perviness going spare. Perhaps bring some wellies and a spare toothbrush.
De La Soul – And the Anonymous Nobody
And finally in August, we can look forward to welcoming De La Soul back into our homes. We should make something nice for dinner! Maybe buy that garden furniture we’ve been promising to get all summer. I’ll go to the good beer shop and get the good beer in! I’m sorry I got over excited, I know we’ve got a few weeks to plan…
For more up-to-date album news, check out our guide to the 26 best album releases in September 2016.
