Promotional cover art for Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues
A new school year always brings newfound excitement, but also, to an extent, feelings of dread. In the throes of midterms and procrastinating papers, here is a list of music to look forward to in both the near and not so near futures.
Coming Out This Month
KING KRULE: Archy Marshall, AKA King Krule, received a strong following in 2011 with his raspy and ear-catching voice. In 2013, with the release of 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, he received widespread acclaim and since has done much to conjoin his expertise in indie rock with experimentation in pop, alternative R&B, and hip hop. King Krule has announced his third studio album, The Ooze, which will come out on Oct. 13, and released a single, “Dum Surfer,” a dizzying piece drawing influences from post-punk and neo-psychedelia.
ST VINCENT: Normally referred to as St. Vincent, Annie Clark has for over a decade adopted eclectic musical stylings and a Bowie-esque stage persona. For her new album, she has enlisted the production techniques of pop virtuoso Jack Antonoff, who is known for working with many pop stars including Lorde and Taylor Swift. Antonoff’s influence seems very apparent from the album’s lead singles “Los Angeles” and “New York.” The album, called Masseducation, will be St. Vincent’s fifth studio album and is also set to drop on Oct. 13.
WU-TANG CLAN: Most of the buzz around Wu-Tang Clan in the past year has revolved around former hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli, who bought the only copy of an unreleased record of theirs for $2 million. Clan member RZA announced on Sept. 23 that there will be a new Wu-Tang album, The Saga Continues, which will be released on Oct. 13. It is important to note that it is a Wu-Tang album and not a Wu-Tang Clan album, meaning it will likely include more solo tracks and fewer “mob” songs. The album is entirely produced by Clan member Mathematics, executive produced by RZA, but there has been no statement yet of Ghosteface Killah, U-God, or GZA’s inclusion in the album.
JOHN MAUS: After the release of the lo-fi experimental pop record We Must Become Pitiless Censors of Ourselves in 2011, John Maus, former Ariel Pink and Animal Collective collaborator, took a hiatus to get his PhD in political philosophy from the University of Hawaii. After teaching philosophy for a period of time, he has returned, announcing a new album Screen Memories, which will be out on Oct. 27.
Coming Out In November
YUNG LEAN: 21-year-old Swedish cloud rapper Yung Lean has been a polarizing figure in hip-hop since bursting onto the scene in 2013, his zealous fanbase juxtaposed with mainstream and critical panning. He will be back again with his third studio album Stranger on Nov. 10. Two singles from the album have already been released, “Red Bottom Sky” and “Hunting in My Own Skin”, which indicate a new, poppier direction.
ANGEL OLSEN: It has now been over a year since Angel Olsen’s last album MY WOMAN was released. She has now announced a compilation album, which, according to her official website, “is a collection of work culled from the past several years” and “features never before heard demos, as well as B-Sides, Rarities, and Covers from various elusive releases throughout the years.” It will be out on all streaming services on Nov. 10.
BJÖRK: Earlier this year, Björk, a master of genre-bending effervescent pop since the early ‘90s, announced that she was working on her new album named Utopia, calling it her “Tinder Album.” Her last album, Vulnicura, received critical acclaim and explored the ethos around her most recent and eventually failed marriage. In September, Björk released a single, “The Gate”, from the new album along with a stunning music video. Her new album will be released in November.
Watch Out!
MY BLOODY VALENTINE: Often considered the greatest band of the ‘90s, shoegazing pioneers My Bloody Valentine may be set to release a new album next year. After reforming in 2007, they toured internationally and released their first album in 22 years with m b v in 2013. In the listing for Nor.ur og Ni.ur, the Icelandic festival hosted by Sigur Ros from December 27-30, it is stated that Kevin Shields, who will be performing at the festival, is “working on material for a new My Bloody Valentine album to be released in 2018.” Speculation, however, is subject to question, as the releases of both their last box set and their last album were delayed.
THE AVALANCHES: Last year, with Wildflower, plunderphonic pioneers The Avalanches released their second album, their first since 2000’s Since I Left You. They have recently been very vocal in interviews and on Facebook about their third album, which they claim is progressing very quickly. There is no tentative release date, but the whole music community will be waiting patiently (and impatiently) for the rare occurrence of new material by The Avalanches.
PC: RZA/Instagram
____________________________________________________