This week in album news, Vampire-Weekend protege’s Hippo Campus drop sweet-as single from their upcoming debut album, Kid Cudi finishes rehab and gives us an official release date for Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’, and Aussie hip-hop legends Thundamentals drop news on their fourth studio album in the middle of a national tour, plus heaps more…
SIR WAS
This Swedish musician has been one of my favourite discoveries this year, and I’m beyond stoked to announce he’ll be releasing his debut full-length LP, Digging A Tunnel, on March 10th via City Slang. It will follow up his dreamy EP, A Minor Life, which was released earlier this year and experimented elegantly with mid-tempo indie, soul and hip-hop elements. Joel Wastberg‘s ability to conduct his sprawling falsetto against a dark tapestry of both acoustic and electronic sounds makes him a stand-out of the pack. Check out the video below for the first single released off the album, “In The Midst”, and pre-order Digging A Tunnel HERE.
HOLLY THROSBY
What have you been up to in the last five years? Have you released a critically acclaimed album, got together with your old band, published your first novel, and started work on your fifth studio album? Yeah nah me neither, but Holly Throsby sure has. This incredibly talented singer-songwriter out of Sydney has announced her forthcoming album, After a Time, will be out February 17th, just in time for a coinciding national tour of intimate shows in March, details for which can be found HERE.
Sonically, Throsby says this album has shifted away from traditional folky sounds and embraces a raw, fuzzy, electric guitar-heavy approach. Get a taste for her new style in the video clip below for “What Do You Say?”- a gut-wrenching ballad featuring a duet with Sun Kil Moon’s Mark Kozelek. The guitars, as well as those silky vocals, simply shine.
THUNDAMENTALS
These Aussie hip-hop legends only today announced that their fourth studio album, Everyone We Know, will be dropping February 10th and is available for pre-order HERE. And what better time to announce a new album than in the middle of a national tour?
You can catch the guys on the last legs of their Never Say Never Tour in Queensland and New South Wales, with tickets available HERE. This forthcoming album will feature a bunch of Thundamental’s mates, including Peta and the Wolves, Hilltop Hoods and Mataya and Laneous. Check out the full tracklisting for Everyone We Know below!
1. Everyone We Know (feat Laneous)
2. Sally (feat. Mataya)
3. Reebok Pumps
4. Never Say Never
5. Déjà vu
6. Think About It (feat. Peta & The Wolves)
7. Wolves
8. Ignorance Is Bliss
9. My Friends Say (feat. Wallace)
10. Wyle Out Year
11. Milk & Honey
12. Blue Balloons (B.B’s Song)
13. Open Letter
14. Heard It On The Low (feat. Laneous)
15. 21 Grams (feat. Hilltop Hoods)
KID CUDI
Originally put on hold due to the muso’s mental health troubles, Kid Cudi’s sixth studio album Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ will officially be released December 16th and is available for pre-order HERE. What is set to be one of the fiercest hip-hop records released this year, Cudi is determined to wrap up a year of personal and professional road-bumps on a high.
This huge 19-track LP will be featuring guest appearances from Willow Smith, Andre 3000 and Pharrell Williams, as well as frequent collaborator Travi$ Scott who helps out on the most recently released track from the record, “Baptized in Fire”. Check out the track that swiftly calls out all the women that are only after him for his fame and cash money. Come on, ladies…
AUDITORIUM
Auditorium is the anthemic folk project by Spencer Berger out of LA. With a set of golden, choir-trained pipes and a knack for charming story-telling, Berger released his debut album Be Brave in 2011, and returns with his follow up album, The First Music, January 27th.
The insanely talented Berger creates a full, rich sound brimming with layers of piano, guitars and occasional percussion he all recorded himself, that grows and swells to create a glorious wave of indie-folk that leaves you so curious for more. Check out the equally curious* and cinematic clip for “Fire Fire Ocean Liner” off the upcoming album, which you can pre-order HERE!
*do not watch if you have a fear of moths.
HIPPO CAMPUS
New (but ridiculously fluent) kids on the block, Hippo Campus, are finally giving us their debut album due February 24th. Their breakthrough track “South” might ring bells with it’s sunshine-y guitars and pop-heavy choruses reminiscent of Two Door Cinema vibes, that caught our attention back in 2015.
The Minnesota quartet have also released new single “boyish”, keeping with their bright indie-pop style and skipping with catchy choruses we could very easily be singing in the car this summer. Check out the film clip for “boyish” below as well as the tracklist for their debut album, landmark, below!
01. sun veins
02. way it goes
03. vines
04. epitaph
05. simple season
06. tuesday
07. western kids
08. poems
09. monsoon
10. vacation
11. boyish
12. interlude
13. buttercup
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