With September comes cooler weather, shorter days, the first of fall harvests, and a plethora of fresh albums to get excited about, including new works from Preoccupations, Santigold, Ari Lennox, The Midnight, Jockstrap, and Sudan Archives—all out on September 9.
The middle of the month sees the return of Rina Sawayama, No Age, Whitney, and Alex G. And September finishes up with new projects from L.A.’s alt-rock band Mamalarky, cutting-edge DJ Shygirl, punk pioneer Pixies, 2000s titan Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and indie rock mainstay Titus Andronicus. And, of course, there are plenty of other artists worth watching for this month. Just read on to find out who they are.
Preoccupations, Arrangements [September 9]
Preoccupations, the great Calgary post-punk band formerly known as Viet Cong, have a lot to be preoccupied with. Arrangements, their first album since 2018’s New Material, is “basically about the world blowing up and no one giving a shit,” according to bassist/vocalist Matt Flegel, one of the former key players in the cultishly beloved late-2000s art-rock quartet Women. With singles “Ricochet” and “Death Of Melody,” Preoccupations make the end of the world sound pretty damn good, merging the labyrinthine tangles of guitar that marked their early work and the synth experimentation of their more recent albums into a deliciously bleary goth-pop churn. [Peter Helman]
Sudan Archives, Natural Brown Prom Queen [September 9]
Athena, the 2019 debut album from the Cincinnati-born, Los Angeles-based violinist and singer known as Sudan Archives, was impressive. But Natural Brown Prom Queen, its impending follow-up, seems like it’s going to be on a whole new level. By tapping producers like MonoNeon, Simon On The Moon, Hi-Tek, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, and Nosaj Thing and pulling hip-hop, R&B, and dance music into her idiosyncratic sound-world, Sudan Archives has crafted a paean to both of her hometowns that radiates well-earned confidence and unabashed joy. [Peter Helman]
The Midnight, Heroes [September 9]
The fourth album from this bicoastal synthwave unit finds core members Tim McEwan and Tyler Lyle bringing in their three touring bandmates to give their studio synergy a boost. The Billboard-charting group continues mining an atmospheric, ’80s-influenced sound that has been described as retro-futurist. The title track invokes The Police at times and the lush synths take us back to the Decade of Decadence, while the chorus vocals of “Avalanche” and “Brooklyn. Friday. Love” summon up 2010s vibes. It’s the way these guys walk that retro line—vintage sounds, more modern singing styles—that allows them to relate to a wider audience and make a sultry ’80s sax solo sound cool again.[Bryan Reesman]
Ari Lennox, Age/Sex/Location [September 9]
When Washington D.C. singer Ari Lennox released the R&B powerhouse Shea Butter Baby back in 2019, she solidified her rightful place in modern neo-soul. Now, following the one-off singles “Chocolate Pomegranate” and “Pressure,” Lennox returns with more to offer in the form of “Hoodie,” the lead single from the forthcoming Age/Sex/Location. With the track Lennox shows us she’s as lustful as ever, while her vocal prowess continues to evolve. We’re ready, Ari. [Gabrielle Sanchez]
Santigold, Spirituals [September 9]
Getting a shoutout from Beyoncé is one thing. Getting a shout out on the “Queens Remix” version of “Break My Soul,” the lead single from Beyoncé’s Renaissance, like Santigold did, is next level. For her first new album in six years, Santigold says she chose the title Spirituals because it’s a direct reference to the Negro spiritual tradition. On the track “Shake,” a song inspired by images of peaceful civil rights protestors being sprayed with high power water hoses, Santigold layers a simple, echoing patter beat with her uncannily rhythmic voice. Behind the track’s infectious rhythms and a light-handed production, though, a serious message prevails–freedom is not easily won. [Hattie Lindert]
Jockstrap — I Love You Jennifer B [September 9]
After cutting their teeth at London’s Guildhall School of Music, Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye are set to release their debut album as experimental EDM duo Jockstrap, a project that’s received the seal of approval from production masters like Injury Reserve. Ellery, previously known for her work with indie rock darlings Black Country, New Road, is an incredible violinist but an even stronger composer. On “Glasgow,” the latest single from the album, Ellery also takes the mic in a new and more personal way, singing candidly about a struggling romance: “I said to you, ‘Yes,’ but I probably won’t/You used to write to me, baby, and now you don’t/I’m not coming to Glasgow/I’ll just see you at the show.” By pairing simple, lived-in lyrics with complex and exploratory productions, Jockstrap reaches a painfully human core. [Hattie Lindert]
Death Cab for Cutie, Asphalt Meadows [September 16]
“I wanna feel the pressure of God,” sings Ben Gibbard, before adding the crucial addendum, “or whatever.” That track, “Here to Forever,” is one of many meditations on where the soul meets the body in Death Cab For Cutie’s 10th full-length studio album, Asphalt Meadows, which continues a busy stretch for everyone’s favorite indie-band-next-door. Earlier this year Death Cab For Cutie released a commemorative reissue for the 20th anniversary of The Photo Album, as well as a lovely cover of Yoko Ono’s “Waiting For The Sunrise.” It’s also launching a tour in September alongside Low and Yo La Tengo to support the release of Asphalt Meadows. The best way to experience the new album will likely be via headphones, curled up in a favorite nook, contemplating a cloudy day. [Jack Smart]
Rina Sawayama, Hold The Girl [September 16]
Pop experimentalist Rina Sawayama burst through the gate this year with the affirming single “This Hell,” a Shania Twain-infused countrified record fit for any hoedown. But that track, the lead single for Hold The Girl, is by no means indicative of a singular sound on her sophomore album. She’d previously flexed the sounds of early aughts pop and the grandeur of Madonna in the ’80s with the singles “Hold The Girl” and “Catch Me In The Air.” As she did on her daring debut, Sawayama, the Japanese-Brit singer continues to refuse definitions and limits on her sound or her lyrical depth. [Gabrielle Sanchez]
Young Jesus, Ocean [September 16]
Young Jesus make genre-blurring indie rock music that’s adventurous, experimental, and breathtakingly beautiful. On Shepherd Head, the follow-up to 2020’s great Welcome To Conceptual Beach, bandleader and sole original member John Rossiter opens his songs up to improvisation and found sound. A patchwork of white noise, song fragments, and field recordings, the album comes together to make something transcendent, with Rossiter finding a sense of harmony amid the chaos. “Walk a fragile path to peace,” he sings on the lovely lead single “Ocean,” featuring vocals from the band’s Saddle Creek labelmate Tomberlin. [Peter Helman]
No Age, People Helping People [September 16]
Los Angeles noise-rock duo No Age have been kicking around for 17 years now—ages, you could say. Randy Randall and Dean Spunt recorded and produced their new album, People Helping People, entirely by themselves, starting in their studio before the pandemic and finishing it in Randall’s garage. From spaced-out ambient instrumentals like “Andy Helping Andy” to fuzzily melodic jams like “Tripped Out Before Scott,” People Helping People is a veteran band continuing to follow their muse wherever it leads, playing to their strengths and doing exactly what they do best. [Peter Helman]
Whitney, Spark [September 16]
Whitney, the breezy and extremely chill Chicago indie-rock band centered around the duo of former Smith Westerns members Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek, are reinventing themselves. Their new album Spark, recorded with producers Brad Cook and John Congleton, is their take on classic pop music, moving past their humble folky beginnings to embrace a newfound immediacy and a glossy modern sheen. If early tracks “Real Love,” “Blue,” and “Twirl,” full of warm falsetto melodies and shimmering keyboards, offered a tantalizing taste of Whitney’s new direction, then the rest of Spark is sure to sate your appetite. [Peter Helman]
Lou Reed, Words & Music, May 1965 [September 16]
In this new set from Light in the Attic’s Lou Reed Archive series, 10 of the 17 tracks are indeed May 1965 cassette demos, though there are earlier home recordings from 1963-1964 and even a rehearsal going back to 1958. Some of these songs, including all-time classics like “Heroin,” “Pale Blue Eyes,” and “I’m Waiting for the Man” were recorded later by The Velvet Underground. There’s even a version of “Men of Good Fortune,” which ended up on Reed’s third solo LP, 1973’s Berlin. There are also folk standards like “Michael Row The Boat Ashore” and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” as well alongside archival photos, lyrics, and liner notes from critic Greil Marcus, musician Don Fleming, and archivist Jason Stern. [Matthew Berlyant]
WILLOW, <Copingmechanism> [September 23]
WILLOW dove headfirst into pop-punk on last year’s Travis Barker-assisted lately I feel EVERYTHING, and with <Copingmechanism> she’s delving deeper into rock music. There are “Radiohead vibes in there, some Deftones vibes in there, a smidge of Queen with the major harmonies,” WILLOW told Billboard in a recent interview. “I wanted to go for the heart of rock music, which to me is a deep outcry—maybe about pain, maybe about joy.” Co-produced with Yungblud/Yves Tumor collaborator Chris Greatti, the album is an urgent musical response to WILLOW’s first real romantic heartbreak—and further evidence that the young artist is impossible to pigeonhole. [Peter Helman]
The Comet Is Coming, Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam [September 23]
Whether he’s leading Sons Of Kemet and Shabaka And The Ancestors or performing as part of The Comet Is Coming, saxophonist and clarinetist Shabaka Hutchings is at the center of London’s forward-thinking, genre-bending jazz scene. The Comet Is Coming, the psychedelic jazz-rock band that also features keyboardist Dan Leavers (aka Danalogue) and drummer Max Hallett (aka Betamax), recorded their new album Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam during a four-day session at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios. Lead single “CODE” is a futuristic transmission that’ll expand your mind and get your body moving, whisking your ears away on an interstellar odyssey and taking your feet along for the ride. [Peter Helman]
Makaya McCraven, In These Times [September 23]
Chicago-based drummer, composer, and bandleader Makaya McCraven is one of the most exciting voices in contemporary jazz music, and his upcoming album In These Times promises to be his magnum opus. Although he’s released plenty of music in the meantime, McCraven has been working on In These Times since 2015, recording it in five different studios and four live performance spaces with collaborators including Jeff Parker, Junius Paul, Brandee Younger, Joel Ross, and Marquis Hill. An 11-song, 41-minute suite of original polytemporal compositions, In These Times is a powerful statement that showcases McCraven’s talent as a producer and a composer. [Peter Helman]
Divino Niño, Last Spa On Earth [September 23]
Coming to us from Chicago-via-Bogotá is the psych-rock band Divino Niño, who are set to release their fourth studio album, Last Spa On Earth. While much of 2019’s Foam featured surrealist effects over primarily English lyrics, Divino Niño are leaning into their roots for Last Spa On Earth, which will be primarily a Spanish record. The album’s singles include “XO,” “Nos Soltamos,” “Tu Tonto,” and “Drive,” all of which flex a more mature sound rooted in pitch perfect bedroom pop. [Gabrielle Sanchez]
Christine and the Queens presents Redcar, Redcar les adorables étoiles (prologue) [September 23]
Up there with Marion Cotillard, Amelie, and brie, Christine and the Queens presents Redcar is one of France’s most important cultural exports. After years of being heralded in Europe and developing a dedicated (if cult) fanbase in the States, Redcar les adorables étoiles (prologue) may finally launch the artist (born Héloïse Letissier) into his rightful place in the pop pantheon. The following the release of his pitch-perfect EP La Vita Nuova, featuring one of 2020’s best tracks “People, I’ve Been Sad,” Letissier netted high-profile collaborations with Charli XCX and 070 Shake. Redcar’s lead single, “Je Te Vois Enfain,” calls to mind the dark synths of the Eurythmics. If Christine and the Queens presents Redcar is finally entering his Annie Lennox era, we’re here for it. [Drew Gillis]
Alex G, God Save the Animals [September 23]
Alex G has been an indie darling for nearly a decade, but his profile ahead of his upcoming release, God Save The Animals, has never been higher. On the heels of his score and soundtrack for the Sundance favorite We’re All Going To The World’s Fair, Giannascoli has already treated his loyal following to a handful of songs expected to be on the upcoming LP, including “Cross The Sea,” “Runner,” and “Blessing.” The track “Cross The Sea” is an immediate highlight, combining processed, layered vocals with a driving electric guitar and picking strings, at once reminiscent of recent tracks from Grimes and 070 Shake and wholly original. [Drew Gillis]
Mamalarky, Pocket Fantasy [September 30]
With the David Byrne stamp of approval, Los Angeles band Mamalarky are primed for the release of their sophomore record Pocket Fantasy. The newly released single “It Hurts” showcases an entirely new side to the group with its unhurried pace and implementation of delicate keys and supple guitar lines. Take this alongside the tightly wound, rapid fire “Mythical Bonds,” and we see a band which has not only learned the ins and outs of their sound and songwriting, but continues to push the envelope. [Gabrielle Sanchez]
Shygirl, Nymph [September 30]
DJ, record producer, rapper, and singer Shygirl moved to the front of the hyperpop scene with her 2020 EP Alias. In the last few years, she’s collaborated with the like of FKA and Lady Gaga, while honing her debut album. Although Shygirl has been known for sex-laden lyrics over high-pressure house beats, the singles from Nymph have showcased a more airy, tender side of the artist. In a recent interview with VICE, she talks about switching up the lens on her work, with a focus on self-exploration over sexualization. But that doesn’t mean she can’t sing about a little “Coochie” as an avenue toward growth. [Gabrielle Sanchez]
Pixies, Doggerel [September 30]
The only thing harder than capturing lightning is recapturing it, and The Pixies’ last decade has been proof of that challenge. The Boston rockers haven’t released an album since 2019’s Beneath The Eyrie, which featured snarling vocals and gothic production. The album wasn’t exactly a revelation, but that was pre-pandemic, and before they chose to start experimenting with what Black Francis calls “big and bold and orchestrated.” The fruition of that sound is the band’s eighth studio album, Doggerel. The title, a word defined as “verse or words that are badly written or expressed,” feels as cheeky and open hearted as the most hallowed Pixies anthems. The first track from the album, “There’s A Moon On,” captures the galloping rhythms and brief but exultant instrumental breaks that mark the most memorable Pixies tracks. Here come your men! [Hattie Lindert]
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cool It Down [September 30]
After almost a decade without releasing new music, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs return with Cool It Down. The album’s first single, “Spitting Off The Edge Of The World,” marks the Karen O-led band’s first new, original music since 2013. “To all who have waited, our dear fans, thank you, our fever to tell has returned, and writing these songs came with its fair share of chills, tears, and euphoria when the pain lifts and truth is revealed,” Karen O shares in an album announcement. “Don’t have to tell you how much we’ve been going through in the last nine years since our last record, because you’ve been going through it too, and we love you and we see you, and we hope you feel the feels from the music we’ve made.” Her unique, raw-nerve vocal timbre seems perfectly suited to capture exactly what we’ve all been going through. [Hattie Lindert]
Titus Andronicus, The Will To Live [September 30]
Titus Andronicus frontman Patrick Stickles has referred to the band’s new album as “our equivalent to Born In The U.S.A.,” and if that doesn’t get you excited for it, I don’t know what will. Recorded with Canadian producer Howard Bilerman at his Hotel 2 Tango studio in Montreal—because “the pursuit of Ultimate Rock knows no borders,” Stickles says—The Will To Live is his attempt to reckon with the recent death of his cousin and former Titus Andronicus keyboardist Matt “Money” Miller. Stickles excels at turning his lowest moments into gloriously life-affirming rock music, and The Will To Live is pretty much as glorious and life-affirming as rock music gets. [Peter Helman]