September was a fantastic month of music, but it looks like October will be even better. Here’s a round-up of every album that demands your attention this month.
Kelela
CUT 4 ME
October 1 (Fade to Mind)
Los Angeles, CA
Giddy-O-Meter: 9.7/10
Already responsible for one of the singles of the year — her delicious collaboration with Kingdom, “Bank Head” — Kelela Mizanekristos finally drops the full-length debut we’ve been craving. The owner of a voice that is both malleable and distinct, the Washington, DC-native has the rare ability to glide over a sparse, austere ballad in one breath, then move into a busy, future garage track in the next. That versatility is challenged by the disc’s laundry list of progressive, uncompromising producers (Nguzunguzu, Morri$, Jam City, Girl Unit), but the dreamy vocalist is always up to the challenge.
Download for free, here.
“Go All Night (Let Me Roll)”
Haim
Days Are Gone
October 1 (Polydor)
Los Angeles, CA
Giddy-O-Meter: 8/10
About a year after releasing their hyper-buzzy debut EP/single, Forever, the sororal trio from the Valley are ready for their close-up. They’ve done about everything a young band should do early in their career, cranking out a steady cavalcade of skin-tight, razor-sharp, whip-smart (I could go all day), shabby-chic, saccharine-sweet (OK, that’s enough) singles. Reminiscent of Laurel Canyon’s halcyon days, there is plenty of Fleetwood Mac-ish magic to go around.
Stream on Spotify.
“Falling”
Oneohtrix Point Never
R Plus Seven
October 1 (Warp)
Brooklyn, NY
Giddy-O-Meter: 9.5/10
Admittedly, some of Brooklyn-based synth experimentalist, Daniel Lopatin’s music goes right over my head. That said, his Oneohtrix Point Never project is the source of some of the most consistently engaging, beguiling progressive electronic music out. The sonic equivalent of Tuesday morning at Grand Central, his music simply refuses to stay still, challenging the listener to follow its wildly vacillating, ultimately thrilling course. A true visionary.
Stream on Spotify.
“Zebra”
Laura Groves
Thinking About Thinking
October 1 (Deek)
London via Bradford, UK
Giddy-O-Meter: 9/10
Known for her golden work with the trio Nautic, velvet-voiced Laura Groves’ soaring EP more than stands on its own, especially considering that she wrote, produced, and arraigned all the tracks. Written in the direct aftermath of her move to London, Thinking About Thinking boasts four evocative, lushly-produced tracks that are dripping with wonderment, excitement, slight resignation, and nostalgia — you know, all the feelings you get when you move somewhere new. At the heart of everything is that voice: warm, graceful, and enchanting. Like everything great, the record ends too soon, crying out for repeat spins and a worthy follow-up. Truly one of the best-kept secrets of 2013.
Stream on Bandcamp.
“Pale Shadows”
Yuck
Glow & Behold
October 1 (Fat Possum)
London, UK
Giddy-O-Meter: 8.5/10
When the British shoegaze/dream pop/90’s alt-rock group lost singer and principle songwriter, Daniel Blumberg, it looked like the end of a really promising group. However, the remaining three members picked themselves back up and crafted a follow-up to their self-titled debut. To my great surprise, lead singles “Rebirth” and “Middle Sea” were possibly even better than their old stuff — thanks to the more muscular vocals of guitarist Max Bloom and the energetic, guitar-driven songwriting. Instead of deflated, they sound refreshed.
“Middle Sea”
The Field
Cupid’s Head
October 1 (Kompact)
Berlin, GER via Stockholm, SWE
Giddy-O-Meter: 8.5/10
Swedish mastermind, Axel Willner, is back with another cavernous, icy collection of minimalist techno to try to wrap your head around. Like his previous work, there’s nothing easy about Cupid’s Head, as the six-song set stretches to nearly 60 minutes of visceral, labyrinthine music. In the past couple of years, Willner has cemented himself as one of the leaders of progressive electronic music. If this, his fourth LP, is anything to go by, he’s certainly showing no signs of stagnating or getting too comfortable with his status.
“A Guided Tour”
Glasser
Interiors
October 8 (True Panther)
Los Angeles, CA
Giddy-O-Meter: 10/10
Cameron Mesirow’s engulfing 2010 debut, Ring, cemented her as a highly promising, technically gifted songwriter with an experimental spirit. My only real quibble with Ring was that it sometimes aimed for the brain and neglected the heart, but on Interiors, she has struck that elusive balance. Reminiscent of Bjork’s early work (yeah, I fuckin’ said it), Mesirow’s second album straddles the line between craft and emotion to absolute perfection. Simply put, Interiors is a stunning collection of future pop and a real candidate for album of the year.
Stream the album, here.
“Shape”
Danny Brown
Old
October 8 (Fools’ Gold)
Detroit, MI
Giddy-O-Meter: 9.5/10
The always colorful 32 year old’s reputation precedes him these days. While his good dude/party bro persona has obviously been a net positive for his career, there’s a lot more to the Detroit native than molly, women, and weed. While he can talk about the aforementioned topics with tremendous aptitude, he is also an incredibly intelligent, incisive writer whose struggles and experiences grant him one of the most fascinating perspectives in modern music. Old explores both sides of the artist, and while it’s sequenced clumsily (serious tracks: side A, TURNUP tracks: side B), Brown’s ravenous flow and prodigious talent more than makes up for it.
Stream on Spotify.
Non-album track, “ODB.”
Pusha T
My Name is My Name
October 8 (GOOD Music)
Virginia Beach, VA
Giddy-O-Meter: 9.4/10
The former Clipse man’s debut solo album was starting to feel like the hip-hop Chinese Democracy. After about a trillion delays, My Name is My Name (shout out to Marlo Stanfield) is finally set for release, and we can expect a deluge of exquisite beats laced with the 36 year-old’s impeccable coke tales. Say what you will about him (dude still needs solo hit), Terrence “Pusha T” Thornton’s flow is as filthy as ever — delightfully pure, and gimmick-free.
“Millions” (f/ Ricky Rozay)
Darkside
Psychic
October 8 (Other People/Matador)
New York, NY
Giddy-O-Meter: 9/10
Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington’s collaborative project looks to be one of the most divisive of Jaar’s young career. Harrington’s palm-muted, meandering blues guitar lines are aural Vegemite and won’t appeal to all of the experimental producer’s core fans or critics. There also sounds like there will be substantial vocals on it, and on recent single, “Paper Trails,” they tiptoe a little close to 70’s schmaltz land (a bit Tom Waits fanboy-ish). Like any Jaar album, it’s going to be impeccably crafted and sonically uncompromising.
Stream the album, here.
“Paper Trails”
KWES
ilp.
October 15 (Warp)
London, UK
Giddy-O-Meter: 8.7/10
After his 2012 breakthrough EP, the brainy, South-London progressive R&B producer/vocalist has finally readied his debut full-length. Its lead single, “Rollerblades,” is an undeniably lovable summer jam, and follow-up, “36,” is an alluring, slinky cut. Both tracks highlight his effortless falsetto and earnest, expressive songwriting. Everything Kwes (né Kwesi Sey) touches is always spot-on production-wise, and ilp. sounds to be no different.
“Rollerblades”
Tim Hecker
Virgins
October 15 (Kranky)
Montreal, QUE
Giddy-O-Meter: 9/10
The Montreal-based ambient producer’s follow-up to the outrageously good 2011 LP, Ravedeath, 1972, is likely to be another expansive, overwhelming affair. Very few artists can produce work as engulfing and heady as Hecker, who is constantly toeing the line between the extraterrestrial and human. It’s the kind of thing Fox Mulder would have listened to on his morning jogs: creepy, cinematic, and ultimately breathtaking.
“Virginal II”
Cass McCombs
Big Wheel and Others
October 15 (Domino)
Where Ever He Lays His Head, EARTH
Giddy-O-Meter: 8/10
Freewheelin’. Ramblin’. Rustlin’. Cass McCombs is one of those people who renders the end-of-adjective-‘g’ totally redundant. The nomadic 35 year-old’s seventh album is a hefty 22-song double LP, full of the kind of dusty, rudderless Americana that is both driven and tortured by his restless spirit. It simultaneously basks in the freedom of the open road and is cursed by the weight of never truly having a home, which, of course, makes more some pretty compellin’ storytellin’.
“There Can Be Only One”
CFCF
Outside
October 22 (Dummy)
Montreal, QUE
Giddy-O-Meter: 10/10
In his short 4-year career, composer/pianist Michael Silver has gone in a number of different directions. From his electronic-leaning debut, Continent, to the Sakamoto-obsessed masterpiece, Exercises, Silver has achieved the rare feat of constantly refreshing his sound, while keeping an incredibly high standard. His new album, Outside, is the successor to this year’s brilliant, Music for Objects, and it will be his first album to truly feature his contemplative vocals. Frankly, I’ve always wanted more vocals from him, and for that reason, it’s one of my most anticipated releases of the year.
“Jump Out of the Train”
Active Child
Rapor
October 22 (Vagrant)
Los Angeles, CA
Giddy-O-Meter: 8.3/10
After falling hard for his celestial debut EP, Curtis Lane, I surprisingly wasn’t crazy about Pat Grossi’s critically acclaimed follow-up, You Are All I See. The ambivalence quickly dissipated when I heard the lovelorn devotional, “Evening Ceremony,” which is one of my favorite tracks of this year. My appetite for his harp-driven sound is renewed, and his new EP seems poised to touch the heights of his bewitching first.
“Evening Ceremony”
Ryan Hemsworth
Guilt Trips
October 22 (Last Gang)
Halifax, NS
Giddy-O-Meter: 9.3/10
The Canadian producer/DJ/remix king has been on fire for the last 18 months, consistently releasing referential, yet forward thinking tracks that drift in the spaces between R&B, hip-hop, dance, and pure pop. While there is a big difference between creating tasty singles and building a cohesive LP, Hemsworth’s first solo LP should succeed because he has crafted a signature sound, which is no small feat for an artist this chameleonic and remix-focused. With an unsurprisingly impressive guest-list (e.g., TP-homies Baths, Sinead Harnett, Tinashe), Guilt Trips looks to be the album Hemsworth fans have been waiting two years for.
“Against a Wall” (f/ Lofty305)
DJ Rashad
Double Cup
October 22 (Hyperdub)
Chicago, IL
Giddy-O-Meter: 9/10
Chicago footwork vet Rashad Harden has had one helluva year. Fresh off releasing two dope EPs (Rollin’ and I Don’t Give a Fuck), the laid-back DJ is set to release the main course, his debut LP for Hyperdub. Besides being a true percussion wizard, Rashad’s music has the impressive ability to be heady and otherworldly, whilst always retaining its humanity. Even when he’s twisting a vocal sample to maximum WTF levels, it always feels direct and emotional, even when its dragging you on to the dance floor.
“Double Cup” (w/ Spinn Snip)
Shy Girls
Timeshare
October 29 on Hit City USA
Portland, OR
Giddy-O-Meter: 9.3/10
Shy Girls burst on to my radar in February with the devastatingly sexy slow jam, “Under Attack.” Led by vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Dan Vidmar, it felt a little bit Dan Bejar, a little bit 90’s boner jam, a little bit 70’s loungey troubadour, a little bit power ballad (aka: a lot in my wheelhouse). They went a bit quiet after that, but Vidmar recently resurfaced with a pair of brilliant singles (Timeshare‘s “Still Not Falling” and the Cyril Hahn collabo “Perfect Form) and this fresh, six-song EP. It’s definitely one of my most anticipated EPs of the year.
“Still Not Falling”
Laurel Halo
Chance of Rain
October 29 (Hyperdub)
New York City via Ann Arbor, MI
Giddy-O-Meter: 9/10
Just 16 months after releasing her stellar debut LP, Quarantine, the rising experimental artist is back with another full-length. Halo’s music is never been of the accessible variety, but if given time and attention, her shadowy, deep electro will burrow its little spirit into you and become quite difficult to shake. The mercurial singer/songwriter has kept details close to the vest, but if it is half as fascinating as Quarantine, Chance of Rain will be an absolute must-listen.
“Ainnome”
Arcade Fire
Reflektor
October 29 (Mercury)
Montreal, QUE
Giddy-O-Meter: 7/10
Honestly, I’ve struggled to get excited about this album, no matter how essential their previous work is. Perhaps, it is because their needle has been pointing downward since their all-conquering, near-perfect debut (hmmmm). Perhaps, it is because I listened to less guitar-driven music than I used to (mehhh). Perhaps, it is because a herculean number of other great albums have just dropped/are dropping this month (that’s probably it). I haven’t listened to much of Reflektor, but I will at some point because they are the Arcade Fire, and they are a very good band (but you already knew that).
