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 Faye Webster and Modest Mouse. Check out the list below:
Dave Keuning – A Mild Case of Everything
You may not know Dave Keuning by name, but you definitely know his work. That’s because he is the guitarist for The Killers, which he and Brandon Flowers founded in 2001. Keuning took a break from the band from 2017 to the end of 2020, focusing on his solo career. Keuning released his first studio album, Prismism, in 2019 and spent his time during the pandemic recording even more music from his San Diego home studio. Keuning recently announced his return with The Killers,
“The pandemic was terrible in so many ways, for so many people, but I can’t complain,” Keuning said. “Because it forced everyone to slow down. My new record got written mostly during the pandemic, and I got back together (with The Killers).”
Eve 6 – Grim Value
Eve 6, the alternative rock band that brought you “Inside Out,” has returned with a new EP, Grim Value. This is the band’s first new music since their 2012 Speak in Code album and only their second EP. The band has had a rocky career following their early success, eventually breaking up in 2004. The original lineup finally reunited in 2011 and signed to Fearless Records that year as well. The band previously released “black nova” before this release.
“Hi, our band’s called Eve 6,” reads the statement. “We’re back which is confirmation we’re living in the end times.”
Faye Webster – I Know I’m Funny haha
Faye Webster, an Atlanta-based singer, has released her fourth studio album, I Know I’m Funny haha, via Secretly Canadian. This is Webster’s first studio album since 2019’s Atlanta Millionaires Club. On top of that, Webster has also announced a U.S. tour starting in September.
“This song has always felt like a standout from the record to me. It was the kind of song where you’re like ‘oh yeah, this is the one,’” Webster said of “Cheers” in a statement. “Right after the first take. It felt different to me and it made it feel like I was entering a new era and chapter for myself. It’s kind of the outlier on the record but at the same time is still so original and identifying to myself. Also, it just makes me feel like a badass for once.”
Lucy Dacus – Home Video
Richmond-based singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus is back with her third studio album, Home Video. This follows her first two albums, No Burden and Historian, which were released in 2016 and 2018, respectfully. Dacus rose to fame as one of the three members of Boygenius, which also features Pheobe Bridgers and Julien Baker. Dacus released four singles from the album before its release, including “Thumbs,” “Hot & Heavy,” “VBS,” and “Brando.”
“Like most songs I write, I wasn’t expecting it and it made me feel weird, almost sick,” Dacus said in a press release. “It tells the story of a day I had with a friend during our freshman year of college, a significant day, but not one that I had thought of for years. I started playing it live a month or so later during the boygenius tour after Phoebe and Julien encouraged me to. I knew I wanted a long time to get used to playing it since it made me feel shaky, so I ended sets with it for about half the shows I played in 2019. Before I played it, I would ask the audience to please not record it, a request that seems to have been respected, which I’m grateful for.”
Modest Mouse – The Golden Casket
Modest Mouse is back with a new album, The Golden Casket, via Epic Records. This is the band’s first new studio album in six years, following 2015’s Strangers to Ourselves. The band has previously shared few singles off the album, including “We Are Between.” The band released a handful of songs in 2019 as part of a new full-length, “Ice Cream Party,” “Poison the Well,” and “I’m Still Here.” None of these songs will appear on the new album. However, the band has announced an extensive U.S. tour for 2021, with Future Islands opening a handful of shows for them.
“The twelve tracks behave like amorphous organisms, undergoing dramatic mutations and mood swings that speak to the chronic tug-of-war between hope and despair that plays out in frontman [Isaac] Brock’s head,” reads the offial press release.
Mother Mother – Inside
Canadian indie-rock band Mother Mother has released their eighth studio album, Inside, via Warner Brothers Music. This follows the band’s 2018 Dance and Cry, reaching No. 53 on Canada’s music charts. Mother Mother’s last five albums have all charted, giving this latest album high expectations. The band gained some more popularity in recent times with the help of Tik Tok, where some users have used their music for content.
The world stopped, and all the sudden I had a lot more alone time on my hands, which isn’t necessarily conducive to songwriting,” said frontman Ryan Guldemond in a statement. “Usually, I like to venture out and find guidance from an external, interactive narrative — travelling, people, serendipities, etc. I love that process — it’s almost like you’re in collaboration with the world. But since that wasn’t an option, I set about a different kind of travel, one more inward and personal, exploring different types of therapies, meditation, and journaling as a means to unearth songs from a deeper, interior place.”
The Mountain Goats – Dark in Here
Last but not least, we have The Mountain Goats with their 20th studio album, Dark in Here. The California-based band released two albums last year, Songs for Pierre Chuvin and Getting into Knives. This album, however, was recorded at FAME Studios in Alabama. “Mobile” was the only previously released single from this album.
“Not wild in the sense of abandon—these aren’t those kinds of songs,” said bassist Peter Hughes in a statement. “But wild in the sense of something undomesticated, untamable… You can fight the calamity all you want, but either way, it’s going to demand your surrender.”