BY: JOEY REAMS
Normally, on Fridays, the world is blessed with new music from a handful of artists. Strangely, not many indie and alternative artists have released new albums this month, but there have been a few. To help you find your next favorite album, we’ve discovered what new alternative and indie albums have been released for the first half of July. A few notable artists include Barenaked Ladies and Blondie. Check out the list below:
The Goon Sax – Mirror II
The Goon Sax, an Australian indie-pop trio, released their third studio album, Mirror II. This follows their 2018 We’re Not Talking, which received great reviews from critics. This album is especially exciting for The Goon Sax fans because this is the first album they will be releasing on vinyl. Before releasing the album in early July, the band shared the first single, “In the Stone,” check it out below! You can find more information on this album here.
“In the Stone” is set in Berlin, where I moved with my partner at the time, just after finishing school and recording our last album We’re Not Talking at the end of 2017,” Louis Forster said in. a statement. “We were both exploring ourselves—accepting each other’s changes and celebrating flux—but also reckoning with the complicated need for a solid sense of self and the person we loved. Musically the song was influenced by what was playing in the background of our conversations which often took place in Ubers, supermarkets, outside parties, etc. So it probably bears more of a subconsciously absorbed modern pop influence than anything else we’ve done as a band.”
Inhaler – It Won’t Always Be Like This
Irish rockers Inhaler have released their debut album, It Won’t Always Be Like This, through Polydor. The band was supposed to start recording this record back in March of 2020, but the pandemic pushed it back. They used the time to fully form and be sure of their identity, according to the band. Inhaler plans on embarking on a US, UK, Europe, and Ireland tour by the end of the year starting.
“We always wanted to have a song for everyone; we write different music naturally,” said lead singer Elijah Hewson, who happens to be the son of Bono. “And we have our own preferences that exist in the band. There’s stuff that some of us don’t like that others do, but that’s important for Inhaler, especially that we don’t play a safe option or stay in a certain lane. We’ve got so much music to offer.
The Maine – XOXO: From Love and Anxiety in Real Time
Arizona rockers The Maine have released their eighth studio album, XOXO: From Love and Anxiety in Real Time. This follows the band’s 2019 You Are OK. Interestingly enough, this is the band’s shortest album to date at only 32 minutes. The Maine released four singles for this album, starting with “Sticky.” They will go on tour later this year to support the album while also supporting All Time Low.
“I’d like to think XOXO is a healthy balance of all things nostalgic and ambitious when it comes to The Maine,” the band said in an interview. “I hope listeners can find comfort in the familiarity, but also intrigue in the boundaries we pushed when producing it.”
The Wallflowers – Exit Wounds
The Wallflowers, a well-known rock band from 1989, now a solo project of Jakob Dylan, has released the band’s seventh studio album, Exit Wounds. This is the first studio album completely as a solo project for Dylan. The last time the band released an album was 2012’s Glad All Over when a completely different lineup was in place.
“I think everybody — no matter what side of the aisle you’re on — wherever we’re going to next, we’re all taking a lot of exit wounds with us. Nobody is the same as they were four years ago. That, to me, is what Exit Wounds signify. And it’s not meant to be negative at all. It just means that wherever you’re headed, even if it’s to a better place, you leave people and things behind, and you think about those people and those things, and you carry them with you. Those are your exit wounds. And right now, we’re swimming in them.”
Barenaked Ladies – Detour de Force
Canadian rock legends Barenaked Ladies have released their 17th studio album, Detour de Force. The band that’s been around since 1988 is showing no signs of stopping and is even booked for the 2022 Hootiefest in Cancun. This is the band’s first album since being inducted into the Canadian Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which happened in 2018. The year before that, they released Fake Nudes. The band released a couple of singles before the official release, including “Flip.”
“The recording of “Flip” has been a major journey for Barenaked Ladies,” the band said. ina statement. “Originally, the group began work on new music before the pandemic, but quarantine forced them out of the studio and into their respective homes. The last year has been one of the major changes and “flips” for the world, and the new music reflects that. At first listen, “Flip” is an upbeat trademark Barenaked Ladies classic filled with new sparks and fresh flavor.”
Wavves – Hideaway
Last but not least, we have the San Diego rock band Wavves, who just released their seventh studio album, Hideaway, via Fat Possum. This is the first album without drummer Brian Hill, who left after a short two-year stint. Wavves decided to pursue this album without a drummer, following their 2017 album You’re Welcome. The band has released a couple of singles leading up to the release, including “Sinking Feeling,” “Help is on the Way,” and “Caviar.”
“It’s real peaks and valleys with me,” Nathan Williams says. “I can be super optimistic, and I can feel really good, and then I can hit a skid, and it’s like an earthquake hits my life, and everything just falls apart. Some of it is my own doing, of course.”