BY: JOEY REAMS
On Fridays, the world is blessed with new music from a handful of artists. To help you find your next favorite album, we’ve discovered what new alternative and indie albums have been released. This week’s notable artists include Dinosaur Jr., Field Music, and Sir Sly. Check out the list below:
Dinosaur Jr. – Sweep It Into Space
Dinosaur Jr. has released their 12th studio album, Sweep It Into Space, via Jagjaguwar. The band had released three singles, “I Ran Away,” “Garden,” and “Take it Back,” before this release. Bassist Lou Barlow wrote two of the songs in this album, including “Garden.” On top of that, Kurt Vile played a major role in this as one of the producers with lead singer J Mascis. Recently the band released a stop-motion animation video for their last single, created by Callum Scott-Dyson.
“[I] really wanted to use the creature on the front of the album sleeve for Sweep It Into Space as an inspiration and springboard for its own little adventure, exploring some simple notions of creation, dependence, coming of age, and searching for another like yourself,” said Scott-Dyson.
Field Music – Flat White Moon
Field Music, the English rock band from Sunderland, England, has released their eighth studio album, Flat White Moon, following last year’s Making a New World. This band is largely considered one of the last true indie guitar bands to come out of the mid-2000s. They’ve been compared to bands such as Steely Dan, XTC, and Talking Heads.
“I wanted to write something that was really simple and direct—something which didn’t require any interpretation, and that in itself is probably a bit unusual for us,” said David Brewis regarding the song “Do Me a Favour.” “I wrote it thinking about my daughter who was deep into her terrible twos at the time but I hope it works as an all-purpose song of love and obligation, whenever you feel that you’re doing all the work to hold things together and you just need a tiny bit of help.”
Fog Lake – Tragedy Reel
Canadian singer-songwriter Aaron Powell, known professionally as Fog Lake, has released his sixth studio album, Tragedy Reel. This is his first release since 2018’s Captain. His music is very minimalistic and features dreary sounds, really creating a sorrowful indie sound. He announced this new album only a couple of months prior, along with the first single release, “Jitterbug.”
“‘Jittberbug’ describes the degeneration of first love from my adolescence to the present,” Powell shared in a press statement. “I was shifting feelings toward my surroundings and how drastically things have changed over the years. The lyrics: ‘This town lights up for nobody at night,’ is about the solitude found living in a place that once fostered dreams and hopes, but now feels desolate.”
Remember Sports – Like a Stone
Ohio indie-rock band Remember Sports have released their fourth studio album, Like a Stone, following their 2018 Slow Buzz. Before this, the band released a cover of The Click Five’s “Just the Girl” in honor of Fountains of Wayne’s bassist Adam Schlesinger, who died last year of COVID-19.
“Like a Stone references something that’s slipping away, or sinking down into your brain to a place you can’t find,” said lead singer Carmen Perry. “The hard songs are guilt and anger coming out of me, and the soft songs are forgiveness.”
Sir Sly – The Rise and Fall of Loverboy
Orange County indie band Sir Sly, who had the hit single “High,” have released their third studio album, The Rise & Fall of Loverboy. The band has taken their time with this one, being their first album since 2017’s Don’t You Worry, Honey. Along with this album, the band announced a two-month tour starting in November.
Lead singer Landon Jacobs says this album is about “falling in love with someone new, and the magic that brought into my world. It’s also about slowly eating away at that magic through drinking and self-medicating, and my journey into early sobriety and reckoning with my past.”