And there it is. The summer slump. The wild numbers of the past are slowly dwindling – which doesn’t mean I can’t inundate you with fantastic records that came out in July. Some of my favorite albums of the year have been released in the last few weeks. Let’s get into it.
Federico Durand – Té De Flores Silvestres
July 1 // IIKKI
Liminal Shroud – Visions of Collapse
July 5 // Willowtip Records
Blind Girls – An Exit Exists
July 5 // Persistent Vision/Secret Voice/Life Lair Regret
This record blew my fucking mind. Skramz is on fire this year, as it has been for a long time, and it warms my heart with all the good feelings that bands like Blind Girls are here for us and bringing more and more people into skramz. An Exit Exists is some of the best stuff the genre has to offer this year and you should definitely check it out.
Xylitol – Anemones
July 5 // Planet Mu
BEHOLD! The kosmische breakbeat dances to its own drum. This is a wild album, but actually very sincere and soothing. A great experience. You should have it too.
VOWER – Apricity
July 8 // Independent
Stay with me here – this EP was actually a bit of a disappointment. Consisting of members of Black Peaks, Toska and Palm Reader, my expectations were sky high and this EP feels pretty bland and safe. BUT – there is definitely potential if they channel a bolder and more intricate approach to their songwriting. Check them out and keep your hopes up.
toe – NOW I SEE THE LIGHT
July 10 // Topshelf Records/Machu Picchu Industrias
While Hear You was a breath of fresh air for toe, NOW I SEE THE LIGHT is much more classic and reminiscent of their beginnings. While this made the new album less exciting at first glance, I came to enjoy the wholesome and hypnotic nature of the album, which focuses more on slowly building dynamics and sequencing. And after all, it’s still toe.
Ira Glass – compound turbulence flexing for the heat
July 12 // Angel Tapes
Kessoncoda – Outerstate
July 12 // Gondwana Records
Vuur & Zijde – Boezem
July 12 // Prophecy Productions
Font – Strange Burden
July 12 // Acrophase Records
One of those instances where I listened to just a fragment of a song and knew I had something very special on my hands. Austin-based art rock/post punk outfit Font‘s debut album is a wild and fantastic ride through monochromatic dreamwords, and we better watch out for what the future holds for this band.
GIL CERRONE – Consumer
July 12 // no funeral/Tomb Tree
Remi Wolf – Big Ideas
July 12 // Island Records
This album is everything that is good about summer. Not the face-melting heat, but enjoying the good weather with friends, in the moment, no worries. Just good vibes. Remi Wolf has created a funky, soulful piece of indie pop that serves as much needed escapism!
Cigarettes After Sex – X’s
July 12 // Partisan Records
Cigarettes After Sex‘s debut album hangs like a looming shadow over most of what followed. While I admire the band’s dedication to staying true to their sound, they lacked the crazy amount of fantastic songs found on their debut. X’s doesn’t reach those heights either, but it comes damn close.
Cassandra Jenkins – My Light, My Destroyer
July 12 // Dead Oceans
I’m a sucker for rich and lush indie folk, and there’s plenty of it on My Light, My Destroyer. A feast for the ears, Cassandra Jenkins has managed to create an album that is full of old school vibes, some of that signature Tori Amos closeness and also contemporary elements. So damn good.
The Dip – Love Direction
July 12 // Dualtone
OCCULTA VERITAS – Irreducible Fear of the Sublime
July 19 // I, Voidhanger Records
Olivier Cong – Tropical Church
July 19 // Room40
Lava La Rue – STARFACE
July 19 // Dirty Hit
Hitoshi Kojima – Small Changes
July 19 // Independent
A very sweet collection of influences, catchy and kind of…cyberpunk-ish? Good stuff.
Eliza & The Delusionals – Make It Feel Like The Garden
July 19 // Cooking Vinyl Australia
This band feels like it could go places. There is definitely something special going on with Eliza & The Delusionals, and the potential of this band is super high. These songs are addictively good, and I hope the fact that these guys are from Australia doesn’t mean they can’t make it in the rest of the world.
Dim – planted in the soil
July 19 // Star Rats Records
A little album by a relatively unknown skramz/pop punk duo – and it’s pretty much my favorite album of the year so far. It has no right to be this good, and its songwriting rivals Arm’s Length, who write crazy good songs. Listen to Dim!
Hereisaropegoodluck – NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT
July 19 // Wax Vessel
Orcas – How to Color a Thousand Mistakes
July 19 // Morr Music
Glåsbird – A Sonic Expedition
July 20 // whitelabrecs
Some of the best Icelandic ambient around. If you know, you know – Glåsbird is no stranger to people who like ambient, but it’s one of those projects that I wholeheartedly recommend to people outside of that branch of music. It’s accessible enough to grab your attention, but intricate enough to soothe your mind. Fuck yes, Glåsbird.
Hakushi Hasegawa – Mahōgakkō
July 24 // Brainfeeder
Wonderful soundscapes, super captivating and charmingly weird – Hakushi Hasegawa has made fantastic music for quite a long time, and their newest album is no exception from their already impressive catalog. If you are more into the adventurous, colorful world of modern electronica, this is a must listen!
Iress – Sleep Now, In Reverse
July 26 // Church Road Records
Defacement – Duality
July 26 // Avantgarde Music/Total Dissonance Worship
Mountaineer – Dawn and All That Follows
July 26 // A Thousand Arms
Passepartout Duo and Inoyama Land – Radio Yugawara
July 26 // Tonal Union
Beautiful. As always. If you want to escape reality, this is the way.
State Faults – Children Of The Moon
July 26 // Deathwish
Sinai Vessel – I SING
July 26 // Keeled Scales
Thanks for scrolling!
