Top 5 Indie/Rock/Pop Releases: April

by Nicole Villeneuve

April 30, 2012

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Each month, tons of new music from many taste-spanning genres is released into a fast-consuming, unforgiving market; it can be tough to get a handle on what’s new before it’s on to the next. In an attempt to highlight the standout releases, at the end of each month, AUX staff re-cap the month in Punk, Metal, Indie/Pop/Rock, Hip Hop, Electronic, and Pop with the top five releases in each. Consider it your cheat sheet for year-end lists.

Top 5 Indie/Rock/Pop Releases: April


Screaming Females – Ugly
It’s hard to believe New Jersey trio Screaming Females are already five albums in, if only for the fact that just now, with latest album Ugly, is the work they’ve been putting in seem to be matching up with the amount of people familiar with their name. It’s happened at the right time—the Steve Albini-produced Ugly is their best work yet, led again by singer/guitarist Marisa Paternoster’s arresting vocals and destructive guitars. This is the kind of album that makes teenagers want to play guitar and and start bands and the one that makes grown ups sad they never followed through with it—loud, fun, effective, and attainable. (Don Giovanni)

St. Vincent – “Krokodil/Grot”

At the end of last year, Annie Clark told AUX that she wanted to “fucking rage on the next record,” and we’re gonna go ahead and guess this Record Store Day single is an early look at what that might sound like. Holy hell. An important artist, through and through. (4AD)

Feistodon – “Black Tongue/A Commotion”

Probably cheating here by choosing two Record Store Day releases but this one was exciting and have you heard it? We were excited for a reason! More ideas like this please, bands putting stuff out on Record Store Day.

Patrick Watson – Adventures In Your Own Backyard

Patrick Watson proves himself an enduring and preternaturally talented artist on this latest, a stripped-down-by-Watson-standards effort. While he and the band have subdued the layers of flourishes and experimentation, they somehow manage to sound even bigger—bigger songs, bigger melodies, and room to let it all breathe, such as on lead single “Into Giants.” The delicacy of the music means you can let this one sit in the background but the power of it means you won’t always want to, either.

Moonface – With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery

Just in case you hadn’t had enough of Spencer Krug’s Moonface over the past three years—he released the one-instrument-based Marimba and Shit-Drums EP and Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped albums in 2010 and 2011 respectively—his latest about-face comes as a drone-y, atmospheric indie-rock collaboration with Finnish band Siinai. You do wonder how the music would stand on its own without Krug’s eccentric additions; his vocals warble and his keys do, too, and often he’s lyrically wallowing. Because of that, the otherwise take-or-leave swirling guitars are made extra anthemic, lifting him up, carrying him along. Anyway. Spencer Krug. (Jagjaguwar)

Surprises, disappointments and tracks/albums to watch for next month

Surprise of the month: Honestly, the Patrick Watson record. You win, Watson.

Disappointments: That Joyce Manor’s Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired technically belongs to the punk section.

Out in May: Both PS I Love You’s Death Dreams and Apollo Ghosts’ Landmark will be two strong (Canadian) contenders.

Tags: Music, Lists, News, Feist, Mastodon, moonface, Screaming Females, Spencer Krug

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