!!! – Thri!!!er CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)
The band explain the album title: “Over the course of many long van rides and post-coffee verbal riff sessions, Thriller didn’t merely come to represent the selling of a lot of records… it became synonymous with an artist(s)’ and/or genre(s)’ artistic high-watermark. INXS’ Kick is the Australian Thriller… Alanis’ Jagged Little Pill is the Canadian Thriller… Wham!’s Make It Big is the blow-dryer’s Thriller… every recording by the 13th Floor Elevators is the dosed-man’s Thriller… ”Sister Ray” by the Velvet Underground is the Thriller of musical fever dreams. One day at the studio, Nic [Offer, vocalist] drew Thri!!!er on a napkin and I liked it… then we made our Thriller.”

Agrimonia – Rite Of Separation CD (Southern Lord)
This neo-crust/post-hardcore band could be described as the bastard child of the epic, bittersweet sounds of groups like Counterblast and Neurosis, together with the simplicity and murk of Bolt Thrower and Bathory. Vinyl version due June 11.

The Airborne Toxic Event – Such Hot Blood CD (Island)
“The Airborne Toxic Event begins their third studio album Such Hot Blood in the same way they became recognizable: a second-person perspective of the protagonist agonizing over his lost love in the middle of a dance — to the tune of epic guitars and strings galore.” – theowlmag.com

Akron/Family – Subverses CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
“Inspired by the works of artists Michael Heizer and James Turrell, Akron/Family set out to make a record about the stuff of America; dust and stone, light and space. It’s about the desert and the country that they and countless other musicians have existed in, and Sub Verses is an attempt to recreate that world through song. It’s typically hippy-ish stuff, but the infectious way in which the band tells their tales makes it believable and achievable.” – The Line Of Best Fit Continue reading →

Appleseed Cast – Illumination Ritual CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Graveface)
Appleseed Cast’s first full-length since 2009′s Sagamartha embraces not only a new line-up, but also hopscotching time signatures and a tumultuous anthemic energy that rivals anything else in their consistently impressive catalog.

Michael Bublé – To Be Loved CD (Reprise)
To Be Loved is Michael Bublé’s seventh studio album featuring four original songs and classic covers.

Paula Cole – Raven CD (675 Records)
Raven is Cole’s new album and first independent release, with a nod to her Harbinger-styled, Americana storytelling roots evoking themes of longing, sex, and feminism.

Fantasia – Side Effects Of You CD (J-Records)
The fourth album from the Grammy-award winning soul vocalist features guest appearances by Missy Elliott, Kelly Rowland and more.

Har Mar Superstar – Bye Bye 17 CD/LP (Cult/Frenchkiss)
“Har Mar, who we know off stage as Owatonna, MN native Sean Tillmann, has long been regarded as a shrewd composer with an ear for pop melodies. Yet throughout his career, he has made a point of separating out his ‘serious’ songwriting and publishing it under aliases like Sean Na Na, while devoting his Har Mar stage name to a much baudier, more flamboyant performance style. For the first time, Bye Bye 17 finds Har Mar merging all sides of his persona into one unified front.” – The Current Continue reading →