Teenage boy in record store shopping for music. Photo: Tony Anderson (Getty)
It’s been a few ticks of the ‘ol wristwatch since we’ve engaged in new music, even longer since we waterboarded you with a song and dance about starting a good record collection. With hot weather and ensuing swamp ass on the way, what better thing to add to its decadence than the crackling sounds of summer to go with your fire pits and Fireball shots?
After record releases this past week from Arctic Monkeys on up through June, we’ve got a little taste of all the upbeat new music coming out, including singer-songwriter Matt Costa, bearded high-brow Father John Misty and his exact opposite, god himself played by Kanye West, with not one but two albums (Hopefully, it’s not a 60-minute speech about taking too many prescriptions, but it’s better than his announcing a run for the presidency).
So sharpen your needles and saddle up by the speakers because we’ve got 12 summer vinyls you’ll want for that feeble record collection. Or did you not know what a record is?
Did we pair them with summer cocktails or seasonal beer so you could fully enjoy them at maximum capacity? Well, no. But, you could get back to pounding that Fireball (responsibly) and find the meaning of life within these new music recommendations, brought to you by yours truly, your friendly neighbor music lover, Mandatory.
Vinyl
-
"Arctic Monkeys 'Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ (May 11)"
Photo: via Stereogum
With their first full-length in five years, the "monkeys" are back with a dark and unique single "She Looks Like Fun" and a list of heavy hitters.
-
"Beach House '7' (May 11)"
Photo: via prettymuchamazing.com
The aptly-titled seventh album by Baltimore's best duo explores sound immersion at its best, leading off with a "Dark Spring" before melting into a "Lemon Glow."
-
"Matt Costa 'Santa Rosa Fangs' (May 18)"
Photo: via mattcosta.bandcamp.com
A darkly themed storyline cuts through a brightly lit new LP by Costa, his first in five years. If you haven't checked out "Sharon" and "I Remember It Well" please do so for vintage Costa and happiness sake, then dip into his sun-drenched score for the trippy LSD documentary Orange Sunshine, which may be the score of the decade.
-
"Chvrches 'Love Is Dead' (May 25)"
Photo: via churches.es
"My Enemy" dropped in February to tease the Scottish synth-pop's latest and perhaps greatest. The first release features Matt Berninger of The National.
-
"Father John Misty 'God's Favorite Customer' (June 1)"
Photo: via noisy.vice.com
After a long drown in the deep end last year with the spot-on sarcastically titled Pure Comedy, Tillman is back with some love-drunk antics and short-and-to-the-point three-minutes dingers reminiscent of his freshman record's concept-free flow mixed with his sophomore's sophistication as to the concept of real love and its madness. What started as loose studio time skipped demos and went straight to his fourth album under the FJM moniker, just 14 months after his third.
-
"The 1975 'Music for Cars' (June 1)"
Photo: via universalmusic.com
After two years on the road for album number two, The 1975 have some new sounds to offer. While the band has been hush-hush about new material, they do have a countdown clock going so that's something.
-
"Kanye West (June 1)"
Photo: via Funny or Die
Mr. Meltdown was possibly PR stunting his way through some free publicity with TMZ last month to garner attention for his still-untitled new record, but mostly it was a reminder that he's still a sociopath with a microphone that people still love to listen to, for some reason.
-
"Kids See Ghost (June 1)"
And if one Kanye wasn't enough, there's more. Kanye and Kid Cudi have teamed up with Kanye returning to the producer chair, which is great since West loves to play god and worship Trump.
-
"Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson 'Apart EP' (June 1)"
Photo: via albumoftheyear.org
It's been nearly a decade since the happy couple (plutonic) dropped their last EP, Breakup. We thought we'd seen the last of Scarlet Johansson on Yorn's album covers, but instead of a new The Olms record, we're getting remixes of his solo work from an Avenger. "Bad Dreams" kicked off the Apart release, set for June 1.
-
"Roger Daltrey ‘As Long As I Have You’ (June 1)"
Photo: via Stereogum
Who are you without The Who? Solo and pining for the good old days, probably. But Daltrey is not the kind of guy to sit on his hands. Get it while it's still hot, Rog.
-
"Nicki Minaj 'Queen' (June 15)"
Photo: via iheart.com
She just announced her new album, along with this diamond necklace fit for a queen, coincidently the title of her forth-coming album. Also, boobs.
-
"Florence & The Machine 'High As Hope' (June 29)"
Photo: via genius.com
She's fierce and she's back with a "Sky Full of Song" and nine other tracks dealing with the black hole of heartbreak and substance abuse. Her fourth-coming album is set for late June.
