In the Spring, we saw a brief burst of new releases that were delayed until after the pandemic. Most of these were independent releases trying to prepare for summer and fall touring. While the machinations of the music industry are beyond me, I’d wager a guess that new music in the indie scene takes a bit longer to get going, while mainstream releases can be released pretty much concurrently with a tour and still sell tickets. This is pure speculation, but it would explain the rash of new music by established indie bands and mainstream pop artists in the last month or two.
So today, as a part 2 to my spring edition, we’re just going to briefly recap as many event releases as possible so that you don’t miss out on a new album by an artist you like, or so you can find something new to listen to. Without further ado, here are some summaries:
Kacey Musgraves- Star-Crossed: Kacey has perhaps the largest following of any-artist without actual success at this point, which is a fairly good place for a mainstream country artist to be right now. This divorce album sees her aging two decades in the two years since her last album, which is a fairly relatable sentiment right now.
Lady Gaga- Chromatic Remixes: the extremely lukewarm reaction to her middle-of-the-road album from last year has left Lady Gaga on the defensive. In a surprisingly clever marketing move, she’s decided to pull every major indie pop and hyperpop artist around for a remix album, presumably to promote a tour.
Turnstile- Glow On: The years fluke punk album, Turnstile produces and emo-adjacent post-hardcore sound that’s bright without loosing the heavier flavor. It’s made the rounds on all the major music outlets
Lil Nas X- Montero: This one your probably aware of. Lil Nas X’s debut record has multiple number 1 hits on it, but there are some album tracks worth your time too.
Snail Mail- Valentine: This band was the indie up and comer de jure a few years ago, but a long gap in releases has seen them supplanted almost entirely by Phoebe Bridgers. They have a new single out, if you’re into that sort of thing
Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine- A Beginner’s Mind: This is the newest in Sufjan’s run of collaborative albums. The lead single has been released, with the full album forthcoming.
St. Vincent- The Nowhere Inn: This soundtrack from her new movie with Dakota Johnson has some full-fledged songs on it. It’s been promoted mostly as an aftershock from her album Daddy’s Home early this year, but it’s worthwhile to check out if you like soundtracks.
Doja Cat- You’re the One that I Want: It’s been an open secret for some time that Doja Cat is a recovering theatre kid. She performed in a Chicago cosplay the other year, and now she’s decided to do an r&b cover of this Grease tune. It’s objectively not a good idea, but I’m in the midst of a Doja Cat stan phase, so I’ve put it here anyways.
