Best new releases: May 2016

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Hooo boy, May sure was a cool month! At least for me, I found lots of awesome stuff to listen to. What were some of your favorites?

 

As usual, the rules are pretty simple: you can list what releases you thought were the best, and explain why in a few sentences. You can even pick just 1 album if that's all you've got, and try to keep it to a maximum of 5 items. Feel free to add or remove any albums later if you feel like your taste has changed, etc. Oh, and try to include a sample or two so that others could peep those sweet tunes more easily!

 

Here we go~

 

Gustave Tiger - Chaste and Mystic Tribadry / This album completely blew me away. I've already been a casual fan of this artsy Hungarian punk group, but they've really upped their game for their 2nd full-length! They deliver sizzling and bubbling guitar melodies, catchy vocal hooks and an all around pleasantly weird atmosphere (those lyrics, bruh!) in spades. The horn section on some of the tracks is a nice touch too. Highly recommended if you enjoy melodic punk-rock with an eccentric twist.

 

Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool / It's been a long time since I've actually really sat down and listened to Radiohead, but when they released their new album I just had to check it out, of course... and what can I say? It's a completely immersive listening experience, very intimate yet grandiose. They show their weird side now and then too, which is always fun. However, it's not a 'fun' album, if you get my drift. Very melancholic and moody, with some pleasant orchestral arrangements to elevate the atmosphere. Strong release.

 

Vektor - Terminal Redux / What a beast of an album this is! Clocking in at over 70 minutes, it's Vektor's most ambitious project to date. We're dealing with a sci-fi concept album here that doesn't miss the mark, not even once. Raspy thrash metal collides with truly progressive elements making for an unforgettable listen. Some of the more gargantuan tracks might seem intimidating at first, but they're all packed with cool riffs and themes, so you won't get bored easily. Killer stuff!

 

 

Honorable mentions

 

Death Grips - Bottomless Pit / Another new DG album, another victory for them. Not much else to say.
Heart Attack Kids - No Future / Ass-kicking noise rock with just enough catchy bits to keep you hooked.
Perturbator - The Uncanny Valley / Almost made my top-top list. Excellent synth-stravaganza, just like last time!

[enyx 903]

ASEUL - New Pop

ASEUL, formally known as YUKARI, is a Korean chillwave artist and one of the better members of the country's growing indie scene. New Pop is her first album since 2012's Echo and it's very much a maturation of her sound. I'd argue that it doesn't have as many individual stand-outs as her previous effort, but it's more consistent nevertheless. 

Sample song: Loveless

 

Death Grips - Bottomless Pit

It's Death Grips being doing what Death Grips does best. At this point I don't really feel comfortable calling them a hip-hop band. They are to hip-hop what 385 is to Jazz music; a messy, chaotic perversion of it that honestly has more in common with noise punk than anything else. Bottomless Pit sees them build upon their new-found intensity explored on Jenny Death  while bringing back the catchy sensibilities of 2012's The Money Store. Might be one of my favourite albums of theirs. 

Sample song: Spikes

 

Siraph - Siraph

I still can't believe this project exists. Masayuki Hasuo (ex. school food punishment) and Yoshimasa Terui (haisuinonasa) joining forces to create the school food punishment sequel I've always wanted to hear. Vocalist Annabel's delivery and melodies do leave a little to be desired, but maybe that's just because I'm incessantly comparing them to Yumi Uchimura's. Either way, this band is on a level compositionally that the former was never quite able to reach after it went down the simplistic anisong route. Hopefully they'll deliver on their potential going forward.

Sample song: 時間は告ぐ

Edited June 1, 2016 by Pho

[numetal 3048]

 

 

Ai Yiliang – Talk about Eve.

"Attitude" and "voice" the title of the album comes from Ai Yiliang: she uses very Infectious voice saying love, saying lonely, escape. She also uses the unique vocabulary saying Ai Yiliang’s attitude, observation and thinking. It’s the love from deep inside and also her ideas that spreading all over the album. Ai Yiliang said: "I think this is a very close chance to the audience with the album, we sit down and talk about love, those who listen to my life observation could share with each other."

 

FULL ALBUM：HERE

 

 

 

Li Jiawei —LOVE STORM

Because of her own as a singer of the ordinary conditions, Li Jiawei has been not confident enough, from running, Li Jiawei regains self-confidence. The album's title song "love storm" is Li Jiawei’s gift to those who are not loving themselves. She also hope that by the entire album she could encourage every person who is not optimistic, and hope that the audience shouldn’t care about other people's eyes, brave to do their own, brave to pursue their own life.

Make-up artist Chen Lingwei designed a unique storm makeup. Li Jiawei is also the first time on the album cover in the exposed face.

 

FULL ALBUM：here

 

 

 

NanQuan MAMA —All new attack

NANQUAN MAMA’s new album is not only a hope, but also want to become more touched, drip in the heart. After two years of elaboration, "ALL NEW ATTACK" sings the new force of Chinese music. The voice of the members features in the album by selecting solo songs. Three big boys collocate a sweet girl with varied styles and freshment. This release let you enjoy all kinds of music. When people embrace the ideals and the pursuit of a dream, it is inevitable that there will be setbacks. listening to the "ALL NEW ATTACK" album once again, you can feel each song is filling in for yourself. Maybe tomorrow is for the rising of the sun, perhaps, the dream is for our efforts and even more great.

 

 

FULL ALBUM：HERE

[Original Saku 1593]

ぼくたちのいるところ。(Bokutachi no Iru Tokoro.) - ごみ (gomi)

 

 

New Discovery from last month, Bokutachi no Iru Tokoro. This group is like a breath of fresh air for me at the moment and their new album released last month is just ridiculously good on all fronts and the production... don't even get me started on that, it's kinda hard to believe these guys are indie honestly

 

 

 

 

イロメガネ (Iromegane) - 37.2℃

 

 

Another new Discovery, last month was just full of musical exploration for me ^ ^ Iromegane as far as I can tell is the solo project of Higashi Ayu who I can't seem to find much info about other than she won some music competitions awhile back... if anyone has more info let me know, I'm interested. Setting that aside this album is just absolutely delightful in it's presentation, There's a lot to digest when it comes to the sheer amount of different styles and genres incorporated in this album, there's a little something for everybody here, give it a listen.

 

 

 

odol - YEARS

 

 

possibly one of the most chill bands you can listen to, new album released called YEARS ... *chillaxing intesifies* but no srsly a really great album from a really great indie rock band. It Definitely topped their first album for me, I'm enjoying it quite a bit right now. check it out and you won't be disappointed.

 

 

 

[fitear1590 2414]

2 hours ago, Original Saku said:

 

odol - YEARS

possibly one of the most chill bands you can listen to, new album released called YEARS ... *chillaxing intesifies* but no srsly a really great album from a really great indie rock band. It Definitely topped their first album for me, I'm enjoying it quite a bit right now. check it out and you want be disappointed.

 

Yay, glad to see some more odol support! I don't love their vocalist, but overall, a great release!

[Original Saku 1593]

48 minutes ago, fitear1590 said:

Yay, glad to see some more odol support! I don't love their vocalist, but overall, a great release!

 

yeah I can see how he could get on peoples nerves, but I personally find him to have a great voice for my preferences

[Jigsaw9 6783]

10 hours ago, Original Saku said:

ぼくたちのいるところ。(Bokutachi no Iru Tokoro.) - ごみ (gomi)

 

Wuuut I had no idea these guys released a new album! Thanks for the heads-up. Gonna have to check it out.  

[Shaolan974 6185]

 

Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool for sure ! Burn The With and The Numbers are my favourites. Very atmospheric and moody.

 

 

Katatonia - The Fall of Hearts

Discovered this band last year and I totally fall in love. Very dark and depressive rock. Absolutely amazing.

 

 

Lacuna coil - Delirium

One of my favourite bands of all time. Karmacode and Comalies are my favourites from them. Then... i didn't really like their works until this year. Delirium is more...metalcore...but it's really powerful. I don't really feel the essence of Lacuna Coil but this is a new beginning for them I guess.

 

 

Architects - All Of Our Gods Have Abandonned Us

Powerful mathcore/metalcore. It's symply amazing.

Edited June 4, 2016 by Shaolan974

[Jigsaw9 6783]

23 minutes ago, Shaolan974 said:

Architects - All Of Our Gods Have Abandonned Us

 

I've heard good things about this album, might take it for a spin later.

[SwampMan 222]

6 minutes ago, Jigsaw9 said:

I've heard good things about this album, might take it for a spin later.

 

Personally it's my favourite from them. Style-wise it's a lot like the previous one, more of the same but better IMO.

[Original Saku 1593]

11 hours ago, Jigsaw9 said:

 

Wuuut I had no idea these guys released a new album! Thanks for the heads-up. Gonna have to check it out.  

no prob, it's such a good album too.. quite honestly gomi might be one of the best albums I've listened to so far this year.