Press Play: June Releases

Summer is usually a time when very few big name artists release new albums. And the reason for this is simple – summer is festival season in the music business. Both musicians and the media are tending to the busy festival circuit which is in full swing throughout North America. It’s typically the perfect time for up-and-coming bands to emerge on the scene with new records due to little competition from established bands.

June of 2017, however, has not been the ideal month for these new bands to test the waters. It saw the release of new, and newish, records from some of the biggest and most well recognized acts in the industry. Below is a list of all the household names who released June albums that will not soon be forgotten.

Dan Auerbach – Waiting on a Song

On June 2nd, Dan Auerbach released his second solo album, Waiting on a Song. The Ohio born blues and soul rocker shot to fame in the early 2000’s with a little group he started called The Black Keys. Auerbach has been extremely busy this past decade. Since 2009, he’s released four albums with the Black Keys, one with a side project called The Arcs and now a second as a solo act. Waiting on a Song is a followup to his 2009 debut solo album, Keep It Hid. It strays away slightly from the blues rock he’s known for and leans more towards a retro-soul album with elements of country, folk and pop.

Alt-J – Relaxer

June 2nd also saw the third full length release from the British art rock group, Alt-J, who just dropped Relaxer. Based out of Leeds, England, the three piece act have been receiving critical acclaim since their debut album, An Awesome Wave, took Europe by storm in 2012. They quickly broke into the North American market and their second album, This Is All Yours, received a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. While Alt-J has an atmospheric and electronic sound that not all will enjoy, their new album Relaxer is one fans will relish and, per usual, find great depth in.

Fleet Foxes – Crack Up

Though they’ve been around for over a decade, indie rock legends Fleet Foxes have only released three albums since their formation in 2006. 2017’s Crack Up, which released on June 16th, is their first album since 2011’s Helplessness Blues and another brilliant effort from the folk rock inspired group. It’s an incredibly powerful album that was written entirely by their singer and guitarist, Robin Pecknold.

Moby & The Void Pacific Choir – More Fast Songs About the Apocalypse

Alternative rock and electronica musician, Moby, recently created a new musical project called Moby & The Void Pacific Choir. In late 2016, they released their highly acclaimed first album, These Systems Are Failing. In a shocking move, Moby & The Void Pacific Choir released a surprise full length followup called More Fast Songs About the Apocalypse a couple weeks ago as a free download. Much like its’ predecessor, this album is full of energy, electronica and rock.

Radiohead – OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017

Radiohead, the English rock band who needs no introduction, just released a remastered version of their popular album OK Computer. This 1997 album is regarded by most as one of the greatest musical achievements of the 90s and arguably one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Included on this reissue are all the original tracks remastered as well as three previously unreleased songs – “I Promise”, “Lift” and “Man of War”. The group is also known for their imaginative and thought provoking music videos. A few days prior to releasing OKNOTOK, they dropped a new video for “Man of War” online.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Murder of the Universe

Australian psych rock outfit, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, released the highly anticipated Murder of the Universe on June 23rd. Following February’s Flying Microtonal Banana, MOTU is the second of five albums the seven piece band plans on releasing in 2017. The group shot to popularity due to their energetic shows, in which their members play a number of non-traditional instruments, and eclectic sound. With each album, King Gizzard seeks to try something new – either through sound or technique. Typically known for having a surf, garage and psych rock sound, on MOTU the band sought to tell a story. It’s a fascinating, albeit dark, concept album, full of narration, for which they employed fellow Australian musician Leah Senior, and is by far their hardest album to date.

Jeff Tweedy – Together At Last

If you’re not familiar with the name, you’re probably familiar with his group. Jeff Tweedy is the frontman and brainchild behind the supremely popular indie group, Wilco. On June 23rd, the Chicago based Tweedy released a new solo album called Together At Last. It’s a fully acoustic album that was recorded live in his Chicago studio. On the album, Tweedy plays songs he wrote for his group Wilco as well as songs he wrote for side projects like Loose Fur and Golden Smog. Fans of Wilco will tell you that Tweedy is a marvel to behold in a live setting. For this reason, his new solo album is something to be cherished.

Other big name acts who are releasing albums this summer include Broken Social Scene on 7/7, Arcade Fire on 7/28, The War on Drugs on 8/25 and LCD Soundsystem who have not confirmed a date just yet.