June 14, 2024

New Music Friday: 13th Floor New Album Picks: June 14, 2024

New Music Friday is upon us once more and trying to whittle today’s new releases down to five has been a real chore! There so much good stuff out there but here’s what we’ve got for you. Look at these five as a mere starting point.

The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda picks these five new releases for your consideration:

John Cale – POPtical Illuson (Domino) The 82-year-old from Velvet Underground co-founder is still going strong with this, his second album in as many years. According to his label, “Cale wrote more than 80 songs collectively surveying the range of human experience, and in the process—humour bled into frustration, regret gave way to forgiveness, sadness tangled with surrealism. POPtical Illusion synthesizes those emotions and enthusiasms into a dozen electronic playgrounds, Cale’s magisterial voice webbing across it all with puns and insights, grievances and quips, and some version of truth.” Click here to read the 13th Floor album review.

2. The Decemberists – As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again (YABB/Thirty Tigers) Colin Meloy and Co return from a Covid-induced break and offer up this, their 9th studio album that marks a reunion with longtime producer Tucker Martine. Meloy claims this is the band’s best record and who are we to argue? Click here to read the 13th Floor album review. And we dare you to listen to/experience the album’s epic final track, the 19 minute opus Joan In The Garden.

3. Earth Tongue – Great Haunting (In The Red) Brace yourself for the second long player from Earth Tongue, the Kiwi of Gussie Larkin (vocals, guitar) and Ezra Simons (vocals, drums). “Being in a relationship brings an extra element of trust to the band” says Larkin, “There is a kind of telepathy that goes on between us when we are playing live, especially with tricky starts and stops. When we record we sing together, on opposite sides of the room. It helps us lock in and makes it a way more fun to record – especially when we got to scream “DEAAAAAATH!!!” to each other”.

4. John Grant – The Art Of The Lie (Bella Union) Grant teams up with producer/composer Ivor Guest for what he calls his most opulent, cinematic, luxurious album yet. “We could often only work for two weeks at a time, it was so intense,” says Grant, “Ivor assembled a team of incredible musicians. Dave Okumu [from The Invisible] is such an incredible guitar player. He came into the room when we were playing the demo of ‘Father’ and just immediately started doing what you hear on the record. Robin Mullarkey played fretless bass and blew my mind, and the very talented Seb Rochford was on drum detail. There were a lot of moments of magic from everyone.” Click here to watch the 13th Floor interview with John Grant.

5. The Hollywood Stars – Starstruck (Rum Bar) Formed in 1973 by Kim Fowley as “West Coast’s answer to The New York Dolls“, The Hollywood Stars are back with a new album full of classic glam, hard rock and whatever else they feel like doing. “It’s hard to express the joy I felt about entering the studio last year with this great band,” said lead vocalist Scott Phares. “I left the original group in 1974, just months after completing our first album, so it’s been 50 years since I’ve worked on an album with The Hollywood Stars. Everyone contributed to the songwriting, including our two new members, and we came up with songs that stay true to our vision.” Click here to watch The 13th Floor interview with The Hollywood Stars.