The first month in the calendar year is always a tense one in the world of music. The canvas is blank, and planet Earth’s music makers have the opportunity to lay down the rough sketches for our yearly melodic portrait. Here’s a quick guide to some of January’s most notable releases.
Viet Cong – Viet Cong
(January 20th, 2015 via Jagjaguwar)
When Calgary art-rockers Women broke up in 2010, Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace were quick to form Viet Cong. Their sophomore self-titled release showcases a brilliant flavor of dark post-punk, full of cavernous, psychedelic instrumentation complemented by obscuring vocal work.
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Björk – Vulnicura
(January 20th, 2015 via One Little Indian)
Iceland’s primary musical export has never come to the table with anything that hints at a lack of inspiration. Björk takes her seventh full-length LP, Vulnicura, as an opportunity to examine human relationships through highly emotive vocal deliveries and orchestral electronica crafted by up-and-coming producer Arca and sound artist The Haxan Cloak.
The Dodos – Individ
(January 27th, 2015 via Polyvinyl)
San Francisco’s most promising baroque pop act The Dodos thus far have followed a perpetual upward curve in creative ambition since their birth in 2005. Individ shows the duo moving towards more memorable song forms without sacrificing their distinct sporadic velocity.
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Sleater-Kinney – No Cities to Love
(January 20th, 2015 via Sub Pop)
Artists that saw fame in late 90’s alternative rock are now beginning to show their age, either through a gimicky grasp at relevance or a strong demonstration of maturity. Sleater-Kinney chose the latter on their first record since 2005, No Cities to Love, coming into their own as a now heavily experienced force of nature through crisp, unrelenting feminist punk.
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Panda Bear – Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper
(January 9th, 2015 via Domino)
Animal Collective have always existed in a limbo between the busy schedules of their individually enterprising members. Frontman and electronic music safari-guide Noah Lennox, better known as Panda Bear, remains passionate for colorfully vocal-driven melodic electro-pop while slipping in a fresh element of unease and urgency.
