Iwrestledabearonce

Late for Nothing

Century Media

Pop/Rock

Iwrestledabearonce return with a new singer and a more brooding sound for their third album, Late for Nothing.

— Gregory Heaney

Elvis Presley

Elvis at Stax [Deluxe Edition]

RCA / Sony Legacy

Pop/Rock

Elvis' last great recording sessions are boxed up on this three-disc set.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Old Crow Medicine Show

Carry Me Back to Virginia

ATO

Country, Folk, Pop/Rock

This three-track EP features an album track, an alternate take of another, and the band's contribution to the Alabama tribute album.

— Thom Jurek

The Polyphonic Spree

Yes, It's True

Cherry Red / Good Records

Pop/Rock

Tim DeLaughter and the Polyphonic Spree return with their most direct and focused album to date.

— Gregory Heaney

Medicine

To the Happy Few

Captured Tracks

Pop/Rock

Thrilling shoegaze pop from reunited original members stands as an equal to the albums made in the '90s.

— Tim Sendra

Derrick Hodge

Live Today

Blue Note

Jazz

On his Blue Note debut, the bassist weaves contemporary and post bop jazz, funk neo soul and pop into a provocative, fully-realized whole.

— Thom Jurek

Pond

Hobo Rocket

Modular Recordings

Pop/Rock

The Tame Impala offshoot's fifth psych-pop outing is their heaviest, most succinct, and possibly their weirdest.

— Jason Lymangrover

Moderat

II

Monkeytown

Electronic, Pop/Rock

Berlin techno acts Modeselektor and Apparat join forces once again for Moderat's excellent sophomore effort.

— David Jeffries

Minks

Tides End

Captured Tracks

Pop/Rock

The band's second album is a deceptively breezy and surprisingly affecting journey through moments that can't last.

— Heather Phares

Christian McBride / Christian McBride Trio

Out Here

Mack Avenue

Jazz

The big-toned bassist leads his trio through a swinging set of straight-ahead acoustic jazz.

— Matt Collar

Demon Queen

Exorcise Tape

Frenchkiss Records / Rad Cult

Pop/Rock

Tongue in cheek, spooky electronic album by Zackey Force Funk and Black Moth Super Rainbow's Tobacco.

— Jason Lymangrover

Eric Copeland

Joke in the Hole

DFA

Pop/Rock

Black Dice founding member returns with an album of his most accessible but still stunningly weird beat-driven material.

— Fred Thomas

Missing Monuments

Missing Monuments

Dirtnap Records

Pop/Rock

Second album of ferocious garage punk mayhem from ex-Exploding Heart co-hort King Louie Bankston and his hairy friends.

— Tim Sendra

Blondes

Swisher

RVNG

Pop/Rock, Electronic

The duo's subtler, richer second album expands on Blondes' dialogue with rhythm, texture, and melody with often transcendent results.

— Heather Phares

Newsted

Heavy Metal Music

Collective Records

Pop/Rock

The former Metallica bassist's eponymous solo project makes its full-length debut with Heavy Metal Music.

— Gregory Heaney

Pop. 1280

Imps of Perversion

Sacred Bones

Pop/Rock

The no wave worshippers streamline their attack and find more nuance in their menace on their second album.

— Heather Phares

The Sufis

Inventions

Ample Play

Pop/Rock

Second album of excellent garage rock/psych pop revivalism from young Nashville duo.

— Tim Sendra

Chick Corea

The Vigil

Concord Jazz

Jazz

The pianist and composer showcases some of his finest writing in years on his provocative new band's debut.

— Thom Jurek

Volto!

Incitare

Concord

Jazz, Pop/Rock

Prog metal/jazz-rock supergroup comprised of Tool's drummer and ace session men have been playing together over a decade, and shred on their debut.

Asking Alexandria

From Death to Destiny

Sumerian Records

Pop/Rock

Asking Alexandria evolve into a more focused and mature band on their third album.

— Gregory Heaney

Norma Jean

Wrongdoers

Razor & Tie

Pop/Rock

Norma Jean keep up their creative hot streak with their vital and cathartic sixth album.

— Gregory Heaney

Barbarossa

Bloodlines

Memphis Industries

Pop/Rock

The debut album from singer/songwriter James Mathé's Casio keyboard-heavy band showcases his ruminative, chillwave-influenced pop.

— Matt Collar

Kendl Winter & the Summer Gold

It Can Be Done!

K Records

Pop/Rock, Country

Rooted in bluegrass traditions, this Olympia songwriter's tunes are breezy, personal, and more confident than ever before.

— Fred Thomas

Bare Mutants

The Affliction

In the Red Records

Pop/Rock

The Chicago indie group's debut is atypically blissful for an In the Red release, but also filled with an inherent fuzzy charm.

— Jason Lymangrover

Superhumanoids

Exhibitionists

Innovative Leisure

Pop/Rock

Impressive debut from L.A. synth pop trio that's inspired equally by '80s pop and modern R&B sounds.

— Tim Sendra

Gary Burton / The New Gary Burton Quartet

Guided Tour

Mack Avenue

Jazz

The second offering from this group finds them gelling as a band, and showcases fine compositions from each of its members.

— Thom Jurek

Brett Eldredge

Bring You Back

Atlantic / Warner Bros.

Country

Bright, eager to please collection of impeccably produced country-pop.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Paul Allen & the Underthinkers

Everywhere at Once

Legacy

Pop/Rock, Blues

Star-studded blues-rock debut album from Microsoft founder Paul Allen.

Dead in the Dirt

The Blind Hole

Southern Lord Records

Pop/Rock

Following two strong EPs, the debut LP from this relentless Atlanta grindcore trio is a filler-free instant classic of various hardcore styles.

— Fred Thomas

Centuries

Taedium Vitae

Southern Lord Records

Pop/Rock

Blistering D-beat/metalcore anti-anthems that revel in the breathless brevity of punk.

— James Christopher Monger

The Dangerous Summer

Golden Record

Hopeless Records

Pop/Rock

Maryland emo rockers' third album is a gloomy, world-weary affair that sounds like U2 songs played by Jimmy Eat World or vice versa.

— Tim Sendra

Darrell Banks

I'm the One Who Loves You: The Complete Volt Recordings

Kent Soul

R&B

This collection gathers the sole 1969 album and unreleased demos recorded for Volt by this lesser-known but incredible '60s soul singer.

— Fred Thomas

John Mellencamp

Nothing Like I Planned: Greatest Hits, Vol. 3

Mercury

Pop/Rock

He could easily have faded away into the mists of pop history as Johnny Cougar, if he hadn't pushed an impressive litany of singles into the Top Ten.

— Steve Leggett

Explosions in the Sky / David Wingo

Prince Avalanche [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

Temporary Residence

Stage & Screen

Explosions in the Sky and David Wingo team up to create the beautifully subdued score for Prince Avalanche.

— Gregory Heaney

Luke Haines

Rock and Roll Animals

Cherry Red

Pop/Rock

An adult rock & roll fairy tale from ex-Auteurs frontman, Black Box Recorder mastermind, and a current Dickensian Tom Wolfe.

— James Christopher Monger

Terje Rypdal / The Hilliard Ensemble / Dennis Russell Davies / Sebastian Perlowski

Melodic Warrior

ECM

Jazz

The Norwegian composer and guitarist delivers the recorded premiers of two large-scale works for orchestra, voices, and guitar.

— Thom Jurek

The Clean

Vehicle [Bonus Tracks]

Captured Tracks / Flying Nun

Pop/Rock

Sweetly poppy Flying Nun sounds from 1990, reissued with the addition of five live tracks.

Bird Nest Roys

Me Want Me Get Me Need Me Have Me Love

Captured Tracks / Flying Nun

Pop/Rock

Compilation of every track recorded by the underrated Flying Nun group from the mid-'80s.

— Tim Sendra

Horace Andy / Dennis Brown / Gregory Isaacs / Sugar Minott

Vocal Superstars at King Jammy's

Greensleeves Records / VP Records

Reggae

A find for reggae fanatics, four rare and vintage albums from King Jammy's studios are collected in this box set.

— David Jeffries

The Staple Singers

This Time Around

Stax

R&B

For Staples fanatics only, this 1981 release was pieced together from several '70s Stax sessions and some overdubbing.

— Andy Kellman

Various Artists

Mutazione: Italian Electronic & New Wave Underground 1980-1988

Ecstatic / Strut

Electronic, International, Pop/Rock

Alessio Natalizia of Walls compiles a superb collection of post-punk and minimal electronics from the Italian underground scene during the '80s.

— Aneet Nijjar

Various Artists

Now That's What I Call Music! 47

Universal Music Group

Pop/Rock

This volume of the long-running pop compilation series features hits from Icona Pop, Justin Timberlake, and Bruno Mars.

— Andy Kellman

Dmitry Kouzov

Shostakovich: Cello Concertos

Delos

Classical

These concertos are from the prime of his career and this provides strong competition to the leading Shostakovich cello concerto versions.

— James Manheim

Nazrin Rashidova / Roderick Chadwick

Leopold Godowsky: Twelve Impressions

Naxos

Classical

This is a pleasant hour of listening that would serve as well as background for a party today as it did in its own time.

— James Manheim

The Dowland Project / John Potter / Stephen Stubbs

Night Sessions

ECM / ECM New Series

Jazz, Classical

Blending consort music, avant-garde jazz, and experimental vocalizations, the Dowland Project presents its fourth album on ECM.

— Blair Sanderson

Claudio Abbado / Orchestra Mozart

Schumann: Overtures 'Genoveva' and 'Manfred'; Symphony No. 2

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

Abbado and Orchestra Mozart take a slight detour from their usual fare to play Schumann's Second Symphony and two overtures.

— Blair Sanderson

ARC Ensemble

Music in Exile: Chamber Works by Paul Ben-Haim

Chandos

Classical

Canada's ARC Ensemble plays with absolute commitment and great competence in unfamiliar repertory. Strongly recommended for all listeners.

— James Manheim

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