The first month of the year left the world already with an incredible amount of good music. Music journalists are running around covering their head waiting for the impending wave of big names dropping anticipated new releases. The National, Future Islands, Gorillaz, Arcade Fire, Real Estate, Father John Misty, Spoon, Mac DeMarco, St. Vincent, Ryan Adams, Thievery Corporation, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, The Shins and even Slowdive… Just to name a few. While I am grabbing a glass of water, please feel free to search KJHK’s already incredibly line-up of new music on rotation. The chart this week saw an interesting influx of albums. Some of the predicted 1st place holders dropped and of the smaller, unpredictable albums shot up closer to the top of the charts (shout out to Sacred Paws). Have an excellent week!
Please note that the CMJ Reporting form this week had a few minor bugs in which the albums are replaced with the singles that preceded them.
Top 5 Adds
5. Little Fictions by Elbow
Elbow is a english alternative rock band who by all measures, are not new. Unfortunately, many bands of their tenure have the tendency to wind down after that amount of time. Thankfully though, this is not the case. Little Fictions is something of a comeback record. Although its hard to ever call their recent releases bad, they did seem a bit uninspired. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. On their seventh full-length album since 1997, Elbow has found a solid new creative directions that harkens back healthily to their earlier releases.
7/10
4. Oxford Street by Campbell Woods
The cover of this album seeks to convince others that this album is a bit of a Jeff Buckley. In fact, it is not a Jeff Buckley, but a calm alt-country drawl hidden beneath a fairly forgettable title. The guitars and beat on this album are mellow and warm and that enough should be able to draw one in. However, its a crime to not point out that the songwriting stays clear of cliche very well. Its easy to pick up tones of Ryan Adams, but I look forward to newer releases as Campbell Woods will inevitably continue to diversify himself.
7/10
3. Not Even Happiness by Julie Byrne
Julie Byrne is from Buffalo, New York. That would be irrelevant, but this is album is one of the strongest folk records released today north of the Carolinas. Julie Byrne once again does a great job of marrying her acute sense for lyricism and gentle rhythm. Though too safe at points – and seemingly too close to her previous work – Julie Byrne continues to work as a solid artist.
7.5/10
2. Bloodshot Tokyo by The Dig
This is the junior album by psychedelic-pop the NYC natives. Despite the similarities to that of STRFKR, this is an incredibly fun album to listen to. Where the Dig is able to nail their success is where the work of their previous album seemed just slightly unbalanced, this album perfects the weight of guitar, synth, and drums to a catchy extent.
8/10
1. Hard Love by Strand Of Oaks
Philadelphia has a thing for churning out good music. Stand of Oaks AKA Timothy Showalter is a folk-rocker originally from Indiana that has culminated his sound into something visceral in his fifth studio album. Influenced by the passing of his brother and the troubles in his marriage, this album is emotional and as intense as the ripping guitar that accompanies the cavernous background of each song.
8.5/10
Top 5 Charts
5. Hang by Foxygen
From KJHK Music Staffer MacConnell Wilson:
“Hang is the fourth studio album from indie duo, Foxygen, acting as their follow up to …And Star Power (2014). At the heart of it, this is Foxygen. A bold sound that is heavily rooted in classic-rock, and long-time fans will find it very recognizable. What sets this record apart from their others is that it features a forty-piece symphony orchestra, as listed in the liner notes. Running just over thirty minutes, Hang has its moments that will remind you of why you listen to Foxygen in the first place, but also struggles at times, making it worth a listen but weaker than their previous work.”
4. Apocalipstick by Cherry Glazerr
[From last week]
“Apocalipstick is exactly the sort of bleeding-heart grunge that is needed right now. The guitars are loud and the drums punch. Though the tempo gives a solid bit of variation, the overall result are frank, catchy apologies and grievances with a more introspective orientation. The angst on this LP is absolutely insidious.”
3. Strike A Match by Sacred Paws
This punk throw-back is simultaneously relaxed and pacing. There is a diversity of instrumentation on this album that nod to early infleunces – the strongest of which are early releases by the Cure. This duo are located jointly in Glasgow and London which makes such a tight and thorough debut all the more interesting.
2. Nothing Feels Natural by Priests
[From last week]
“Nothing Feels Natural is post-punk done the most appropriate way. There are statements on this album that are truly external evaluations of political discord, however, the bulk of these songs are caught in the in-between. One of the more popular tracks on this LP, “Nothing Feels Natural,” is a look into the gut-wrenching surreal experience of early morning twitter-feed scrolling that is filled with a surreal feeling of constant disbelief. These songs are pushed forward with hollow fuzz and cavernous drums that fill the sound and punch through to this infrequently-explored in-between. These moods are not external and these moods are not introspective, but instead they are feelings that are reliant on the quick-shift of society.”
1. Migration by Bonobo
[From last week]
“Simon Green AKA Bonobo has been around for a while. Chillwave would not be a thing if it were not for this 40-year-old wonder child who pioneered marrying trance with something much mellower. His tunes are the paramount South Miami Beach club thumps at any luxurious hotel but most interestingly, this album slightly departs from that. Although he has classically always had a rolling sound to each one of his releases, this album is filled with melody and structure in a way that the Brit has never achieved.”
Top 5 Adds
| Rank | Artist | Recording | Label | User Supplied Version |
| 1 | STRAND OF OAKS | “Hard Love | ||
| 2 | THE DIG | Bloodshot Tokyo | ||
| 3 | JULIE BYRNE | Not Even Happiness | Ba Da Bing! | |
| 4 | CAMPBELL WOODS * | Oxford Street * | * | waiting for CMJ verification |
| 5 | ELBOW | Little Fictions |
Top 30 Charts
| Rank | Artist | Recording | Label | User Supplied Version |
| 1 | BONOBO | Migration | Ninja Tune | |
| 2 | PRIESTS | Nothing Feels Natural | Sister Polygon | |
| 3 | SACRED PAWS | Strike A Match | Rock Action | |
| 4 | CHERRY GLAZERR | Apocalipstick | Secretly Canadian | |
| 5 | FOXYGEN | Hang | Jagjaguwar | |
| 6 | XX | I See You | Young Turks | |
| 7 | AUSTRA | Future Politics | Domino | |
| 8 | FLAMING LIPS | Oczy Mlody | Warner Bros. | |
| 9 | REGRETTES | Feel Your Feelings Fool! | Warner Bros. | |
| 10 | RON GALLO | Heavy Meta | New West | |
| 11 | THIGH MASTER | Early Times | Bruit District | |
| 12 | STRAND OF OAKS | Hard Love | ||
| 13 | RUN THE JEWELS | Run The Jewels 3 | Run The Jewels | |
| 14 | NOUVELLE VAGUE | I Could Be Happy | Kwaidan | |
| 15 | JOAN OF ARC | He’s Got The Whole This Land Is Your Land In His Hands | Joyful Noise | |
| 16 | BRANDON CAN’T DANCE | Graveyard Of Good Times | Lucky Number | |
| 17 | APPLESAUCE TEARS | Commuters | Black Cottage | |
| 18 | TY SEGALL | Ty Segall (2017) | Drag City | |
| 19 | ZAVALA | Fantasmas | ||
| 20 | STEF CHURA | Messes | Urinal Cake | |
| 21 | TRUCKSTOP HONEYMOON | Big Things And Little Things | ||
| 22 | JOHN WESLEY COLEMAN III | Microwave Dreams | Super Secret | |
| 23 | PHEONIX AFROBEAT ORCHESTRA * | PAO * | * | waiting for CMJ verification |
| 24 | SLEATER-KINNEY | Live In Paris | SUB POP | |
| 25 | THE DIG | Bloodshot Tokyo | ||
| 26 | JULIE BYRNE | Not Even Happiness | Ba Da Bing! | |
| 27 | CAMPBELL WOODS * | Oxford Street * | * | waiting for CMJ verification |
| 28 | ONCE AND FUTURE BAND | Once & Future Band | Self-Released | |
| 29 | ELBOW | Little Fictions | ||
| 30 | MR. ELEVATOR & THE BRAIN HOTEL * | When The Morning Greets You * | * | waiting for CMJ verification |
* indicates information which has not yet been verified by CMJ staff.