I’ve hinted at my struggle during my efforts with THE WEEKLY RECS, the beloved feature you all wait for all week until it finally comes around to Friday. In the last few issues, I’ve been complaining about the amount of great albums that keep coming out in June – normally, after the May frenzy, releases slow down and build up to the reliable summer slump. Nah ah. Not this time. Once again, I tried to condense June into a manageable list of greatness – and without patting myself on the back too much, this list turned out to be fire.
Blu-Swing – Panorama
June 5 // Junonsaisai Records
Ever heard of city pop? It’s a kind of left-field subgenre from Japan that’s only vaguely defined by the urban aesthetics of the ’70s and ’80s – but you still get music in that style here and there, which is a blessing. Blu-Swing‘s new album Panorama offers a dreamy, jazzy, and funky take on city pop, and I’m all for it.
Hydropsyche – Exhumed & Forgiven
June 6 // Unguarded
A kind of obscure record, dark and twisted, but strangely hopeful. From the Berlin-based label Unguarded, Exhumed & Forgiven carries a distinctive vibe and richly textured layers of glitchy electronica, ambient, and hints of industrial.
Dalton Alexander – Almost Home If I’m Still Alive
June 6 // laaps
laaps is the gift that keeps on giving. Want a steady stream of stellar ambiance? They got your back. Dalton Alexander‘s gorgeous new album is another example, a hypnotic collage of field recordings, samples, and acoustic guitars.
Insect Ark – Raw Blood Singing
June 7 // Debemur Morti Productions
Hippotraktor – Stasis
June 7 // Pelagic Records
Sect – Plagues Upon Plagues
June 7 // Southern Lord
I was never the biggest fan of Sect – good band, just not my cup of tea. I’m still not sure what Plagues Upon Plagues did differently, but when I hit play on this album, it hit me back, like a good slap in the face. Been spinning it ever since, one of the most energetic records of the year!
L’Impératrice – Pulsar
June 7 // Microqlima
All that funk. L’Impératrice are irresistible, it’s so funky and smooth that even for a dance clown like me, it makes my hips sway or something. Pulsar is so damn good.
AURORA – What Happened To The Heart?
June 7 // Decca/Glassnote/Petroleum
Norwegian artist AURORA should be on the table of everyone who is interested in modern art pop. All of her albums have been a blast, different and lush. Her new album What Happened To The Heart? is influenced by countless travels, influences from all over the world, and an incredible vibrancy.
SYL – afmagt
June 7 // Audible Records
Danish skramz/post hardcore outfit SYL continue the fantastic streak of northern European skramz – so many fantastic bands, and after SYL‘s fantastic debut album back in 2022, this EP is yet another highlight for the band!
INCIPIENT CHAOS – Incipient Chaos
June 7 // I, Voidhanger Records
Ulcerate – Cutting the Throat of God
June 14 // Debemur Morti Productions
What can I add to the tidal wave of praise that has surrounded Ulcerate for years? There is no other band like them. Period. Cutting the Throat of God is dark, complex, and overwhelmingly beautiful, and I’m still trying to figure out how you can write music on that level.
Julie Christmas – Ridiculous and Full of Blood
June 14 // Red Crk
Alfredo Colón – Blood Burden
June 14 // Out Of Your Head Records
Zsela – Big For You
June 14 // Mexican Summer
Raveena – Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain
June 14 // Moonstone Recordings/EMPIRE
Somewhere between r&b, soul and dream pop, Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain is a tender, magical experience. There is an enchanting warmth to these songs, and Raveena‘s silky smooth vocal performance adds tons of charisma.
Otto A. Totland – Exin
June 14 // LEITER
Produced and mixed by Nils Frahm, you might be able to guess what kind of music you’re in for – and while Exin isn’t the most original music you’ve ever heard, it’s also a fantastic example of how to master a well-established formula with sound design and composition. There is a hypnotic pull to this album, and it makes for a highly rewarding experience.
NxWorries – Why Lawd?
June 14 // Stones Throw
Martha Skye Murphy – Um
June 14 // AD 93
Caroline Shaw & Sō Percussion – Rectangles and Circumstance
June 14 // Nonesuch Records
SMUSH – if you were here i’d be home now
June 15 // Candlepin Records/Softseed Music
Valerian Swing – Liminal
June 21 // Pax Aeternum Digital
This brand of modern, electronica-influenced jazz is a hit-or-miss affair. Sometimes it’s lightning in a bottle – think early GoGo Penguin. Sometimes it’s kind of soulless and formulaic – think later GoGo Penguin. Valerian Swing sits comfortably in the former category, and if you want jazz to be a hit, it’s for you.
Stax + Max Stadtfeld – Fancy Future
June 21 // Boomslang Records
Alcest – Les Chants de l’Aurore
June 21 // Nuclear Blast Records
I’ve already spent a couple of weeks with Alcest‘s latest album, and besides knowing that “Flamme Jumelle” is one of my favorite songs of the year (and that damn video, it’s so beautiful), but Les Chants de l’Aurore kept growing on me, and I’m pretty sure now – this album is their best work yet.
Black Decelerant – Reflections Vol. 2: Black Decelerant
June 21 // RVNG Intl.
Been Stellar – Scream from New York, NY
June 21 // Dirty Hit
Hiatus Kaiyote – Love Heart Cheat Code
June 28 // Brainfeeder
The first euphoria is gone, and I can check this now sober, not drunk on Hiatus Kaiyote. Love Heart Cheat Code is not their best album, but still one of the best albums of the year, which tells you everything you need to know about this band. They are a gift and I’m thrilled to be following their career.
ROUÉ – Eastwest / Remote
June 28 // Independent
Outlander – Acts of Harm
June 28 // Church Road Records
At first I thought it was crazy good. Then I ended up coming back to this album every day – now I can’t imagine my life without it. Yes, overly dramatic, but the immense growth this album has gone through while listening to it is extraordinary. Outlander needs to be on your radar.
Hail Spirit Noir – Fossil Gardens
June 28 // Agonia Records
Uboa – Impossible Light
June 28 // The Flenser
Storefront Church – Ink & Oil
June 28 // Independent
Back in 2021, Storefront Church gave me a hard time. Their debut album As We Pass was crazy good and I pitched it to everyone, but people mostly ignored it. I saw a few voices that shared my admiration – let’s raise those voices again for Ink & Oil, the new one, which is at least as good.
MILLY – Your Own Becoming
June 28 // Dangerbird Records
Lupe Fiasco – Samurai
June 28 // 1st & 15th/Thirty Tigers
I’ve loved Lupe Fiasco‘s stuff since his last album DRILL MUSIC IN ZION, and now he’s back with a conceptual album about Amy Winehouse? Sounds awesome, I’m in.
Love Letter – Everyone Wants Something Beautiful
June 28 // Iodine Recordings
With members of Defeater and Quinn Murphy of Verse on vocals, this is a certified nostalgia trip for me. The vibe of the album, Murphy’s energy, the sound – I was back in my youth, in a basement, part of a ball of sweat and hardcore kids. Right to the heart.
Loma – How Will I Live Without a Body?
June 28 // Sub Pop Records
Thanks for scrolling.
