It’s hard to believe that there are only 3 months left in 2019, but here we are!
The year, as with any other, has already seen some huge releases in music with the likes of Taylor Swift, Tyler, The Creator, Tool, and Slipknot just some of the acts gifting us with new records.
However, it can be easy to get lost in all the new singles, releases, promo stunts and review kicking around.
So, to help you out and narrow the focus a bit, here are 9 September releases we’ve been loving so far. Get that Spotify ready!
1) Twin Peaks – Lookout Low
The Chicago alt-rock act, who has one hell of a popular subreddit dedicated to them, really come into their own on this gorgeously dynamic LP. The band, who’ve been making a hell of a racket with their brand of garage rock for the better part of a decade, seem to have finally taken more note of writing songs that sound as good on an acoustic as they do in a sweaty hometown bar. Growing up is sometimes the best thing for you.
2) Charli XCX – Charli
The British pop sensation takes an introspective deep-dive on her shimmering new LP, and she’s invited a lot of friends to join her on the journey. Features by Troye Sivan, Skye Feria, Haim, Big Freedia, Lizzo, Christine and the Queens and more litter this record, with Charli making the most of slick production to present her most experimental collection of songs yet.
3) Miles Davis – Rubberband
A posthumously released LP that was shelved in 1985, Rubberband has been remastered, reworked (with some additions from modern-day artists including Ledisi, Medina Johnson & Lalah Hathway) and sounds as cool and experimental as you could expect from Davis in the ’80s. So far the response has been mixed to the record – but it’s something incredibly different, and is well worth the time.
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4) Chelsea Wolfe – Bith Of Violence
rThe dark folk/metal songstress returned this year with the hauntingly tender Birth Of Violence. An effort to return to her folk roots, the album sounds like a sinister version of Manchester Orchestra, with the use of strings and ambient effects adding an incredible amount of atmosphere to these simple, heartwrenching tracks. Music for a foggy, rainy day.
5 ) (Sandy) Alex G – House Of Sugar
An endless source of creativity, you can count on Alex G to never do the same thing twice – and he delivers wonderfully on House Of Sugar. Some parts alt. rock, some parts folk, some parts whatever the hell you want it to be, it hones the palate of his sound beautifully and ends up being perhaps the perfect entry point into his wide world of music.
6) Iggy Pop – Free
The 72-year-old simply refuses to stop creating, reinventing and honing his songwriting skills (in addition to putting a shirt on). While not the snarling sounds of his youth, nor the slick rock that appeared on his last LP, which featured Queens of the Stoneage as his backing band, Free is a lesson in class and allowing oneself to be just a little bit pompous. Don’t expect to see Iggy hanging up the boots any time soon.
7) Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell!
A triumph of pop, and one of the most important US records of the year, Norman Fucking Rockwell! is Del Rey’s boldest and most defiant statement. Rockwell may have helped instil the idea of the modern American dream, but Del Rey tears it down, stomps on it, spits on it, and then wraps herself in the finished product. Opting for strings and piano as opposed to synths and electronic sounds it’s as grand musically as it is conceptually. A huge offering – and we might be getting more soon!
8) Sleep Token – Give
Sleep Token is the heavy music discovery of 2019. Mixing beautiful, angelic pop with absolute savagery, the group has been working up to the release of their debut LP Sundowning on November 21st, and the EP Give that’s currently available on streaming services is making the wait impossible. A masked, anonymous collective that is theorised to be anyone from Sam Smith to the members of Bastille, it’s likely we’ll see a lot more of them in the future. Worship.
9) The Hu – The Gereg
The breakout Mongolian act dropped their monster debut album this month and have turned heads around the world as a result. Blending traditional Mongolian throat singing and folk music with their aggressive brand of heavy music, The Gereg is a wonderful mix of dark and light, and is a much-needed breath of fresh air in a global metal scene that suffers from a perpetual bout of “sameness.” One you won’t easily forget.
