5 Albums You May Have Missed This October

Posted: by Steven Lalonde

It’s probably been overstated at this point, but how great has 2016 been for new music? However, I don’t think any month can measure up to what we’ve been treated to in October. From a really great Joyce Manor album, an American Football revival, an AOTY contender from Jeff Rosenstock, and even an album from Green Day (yes, I know you hate it), October has been nothing short of unbelievable. At the same time, it’s been tough combing through and getting a chance to listen to every single new release that’s out there. A bunch of great records have flown under the radar, and here are a few that I’ve been enjoying and would recommend you should check out:

 

Male Bonding – ‘Headache’

The UK trio recently released their third full length after a five-year silence and if you didn’t hear about it, it’s probably because the band did so with zero promotional events. The 11-song album came as a surprise and took many by surprise. It’s noisy, guitar-heavy and full of spunk, which is nothing new given their 2010 and 2011 releases. To be honest, it’s nothing spectacular or groundbreaking, but enjoyable nonetheless.

 

Greys – ‘Warm Shadow’

Warm Shadow is Greys’ second release of 2016 and has been described as Outer Heaven’s “companion” release.  The album contains some original content but most of it stems from experimental elements from the recordings of Outer Heaven. In an interview with Stereogum, the band described it as being the “upside down” to Outer Heaven, a “Stranger Things” reference. Overall, the record is half comprised of post-punk jams and half by atmospheric, abstract, experimentally driven sounds. If you want an idea of what a band may try out during recording sessions, or want to hear some rough cuts with a sense of incompleteness, you may want to give this a shot. But listen to Outer Heaven first.

 

Gurr – ‘In My Head’

The rock and roll duo from Berlin kick things off with their debut full length, In My Head. Throughout this fast-paced, 11-track burst of energy, the duo leads us through a fresh, joyful album that sounds every bit raw as it does natural. The pair sing with direct lyrics, simple instrumentation and a youthful attitude that will have you hooked from the get-go. The album reminds me of bands such as ROMP, though without the glitz and glamour, but just as pleasant.

 

Shelf Life – ‘Spirit Bear’

Yet another album released from a musician with a prior 2016 release.  This time, the Philly musician Scotty Leitch put together a second album in less than 5 months that complements his June release Alright, Okayyy nicely. The collection of songs swoon in and out of meditative ambiance mixed in with bouts of energy. It’s honestly a great fall album that at times will just make you want to crawl back into bed just as much as it’ll make you feel like you’re ready to party. A pretty cool release overall.

 

Spirit Club – ‘Slouch’

Spirit Club is Wavves’s Nathan Williams side project, and if you’re already a fan of Wavves, I think you’re going to find this project just as fun. It comprises of the same beachy, lo-fi, pop-punk, and emo influences, but with a bit of a twist. Some songs are fast, Wavves-esque, and some songs are signs of an artist experimenting with their sound. Whenever I listen, I always picture just being lazy on the beach under the warm California sun. All in all, like I said before, if you dig Wavves, going to the beach, or just a fun time overall I think you’ll enjoy this.

– Steven Lalonde –

Twitter: @StevenLalonde