Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow (Jagjaguwar)

Remind Me Tomorrow was written in stolen time. In the 4 years since Are We There, she had a child, and began studying psychology. In the scraps of hours between these endeavors, Remind Me Tomorrow was born. Working with producer John Congleton, the breadth of her passions have inflected the album with a wise, warped-time perspective. She explains, "I want to be a mom, a singer, an actress, go to school, but yeah, I have a stain on my shirt, oatmeal in my hair. I feel like a mess, but I'm here. Doing it. This record is about pursuing your passions."

Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared? (4AD)

Deerhunter's 8th LP forgets the questions and makes up unrelated answers. From the opening harpsichord figures, it is impossible to tell where the record came from. An outtake of an aborted Kinks recording session in 1977 Berlin with Eno producing? No. That is nostalgia. If there is one thing Deerhunter are making clear it is that they have exhausted themselves with that toxic concept. What they spend their time doing instead is reinventing their approach to microphones, the drum kit, the harpsichord, the electromechanical and synthetic sounds of keyboards. Whatever guitars are left are pure chrome, plugged straight into the mixing desk with no amplifier or vintage warmth. The result is as thrilling, haunting, and unpredictable.

Aesop Rock & Tobacco - Malibu Ken (Rhymesayers)

Aesop Rock has been credited as one of the most verbose MC's in Hip-Hop today. Known for his dense and abstract wordplay, he manipulates language to illustrate elaborate stories and difficult concepts with sharp clarity. Tobacco is a member of psych-electronic band Black Moth Super Rainbow. Known for working with pre-digital electronic instruments like analog synths and tape machines, he crafts distorted, experimentalist beats that intertwine feelings of tension and anxiety with sensations of bemusement and pleasure. Together, Aesop Rock and Tobacco are... Malibu Ken.

Steve Gunn - The Unseen In Between (Matador)

Gunn is known for telling other people's stories, but on his breakthrough 4th album, he explores his own emotional landscapes with his most complex, fully realized songs to date. The lyrics evoke voyages, tempests, and a rich cast of characters met along the way- the work of an artist finding a place of calm in the midst of a storm. Produced by frequent collaborator James Elkington. It is a revelatory and redemptive set, offering the balm of understanding at a time when that seems in very short supply.

Joe Jackson - Fool (earMusic)

Joe Jackson's 20th studio album. 'Fool' is the fulfillment of a career-long dream: to finish a tour and head straight into the studio with the band firing on all cylinders. The album was co-produced by Jackson and producer Pat Dillett (David Byrne, Sufjan Stevens, Glen Hansard, etc.) The band in question was the same group that Jackson has played live with ever since the release of Fast Forward : Teddy Kumpel on guitar, Doug Yowell on drums, and long-time collaborator Graham Maby on bass (Maby was on that first recording session 40 years ago as well). The Fast Forward Tour took on a life of its own and enjoyed several encores over the last 3 years with the band ultimately playing 103 shows together during that time span.

Pedro the Lion - Phoenix (Polyvinyl)

Phoenix is the first Pedro the Lion record in 15 years, though David Bazan, songwriter and sole constant, never went anywhere. Under that moniker, starting in the mid-90s, Bazan interrogated the strength of conviction and the nature of belief. After 4 albums, he retired the name, but continued making music, working through the personal thorns of faith and fidelity in his early solo output. Given the title, it's tempting to call Phoenix a rebirth. But more accurately, it's a return, both in name and in form. Bazan returns to a part of his history by revisiting his childhood - with the perspective that only time can offer. Reflective and revealing, it's a remarkable opening to a new chapter in Bazan's musical history.

Toro y Moi - Outer Peace (Carpark)

Following the ever-emotive Boo Boo, Toro Y Moi's new album is a time capsule that captures our relationship to contemporary culture into one comprehensive, sonic package. As a producer, he utilizes abstract sound pairings with recognizable samples for his most pop influenced record to date. This is no departure from his funk and disco roots, which can be heard on "Ordinary Pleasure", later fusing into variations of house with tracks like "Freelance" and "Laws of the Universe." Smooth interludes melt into fast paced beats. Outer Peace is duality. Listen and let your imagination become the universe.

Greensky Bluegrass - All For Money (Big Blue Zoo)

For almost 20 years, Greensky Bluegrass have been creating their own version of bluegrass music, mixing the acoustic stomp of a stringband with the rule-breaking spirit of rock & roll. Recorded at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, NC alongside co-producers Dominic John Davis (Jack White's bassist) and Glenn Brown, this set of 12 new songs finds the band pushing boundaries and breaking new ground, welcoming old fans and new audiences alike. They're going full steam ahead into this new era with both the passion and vigor of a band in their infancy and the knowledge and power of one that's been together for almost two decades.

M. Ward - What a Wonderful Industry (M.Ward)

M. Ward's solo work is a mixture of folk and blues-inspired Americana analog recordings; he has released 9 albums since 1999. In addition to his solo work, he is a member of pop duo She & Him and folk-rock supergroup Monsters of Folk. What A Wonderful Industry takes on a subtler shade of music industry beef, writing about the heroes and villains he's encountered over 20 years. "This album is a reminder to keep your friends close, your enemies closer and don't let the ones that just need an extra couple hours of therapy bring you down."

Also New This Week

Altitudes & Attitude - Get It Out (MRI)
Antena - Camino del Sol (Numero)
James Blake - Assume Form (Republic)
Liz Brasher - Painted Image (Fat Possum)
Frances Cone - Late Riser (Living Daylight)
Dog Power - s/t (Flying Nun)
Lee Fields & The Expressions - It Rains Love (Big Crown)
Ghostface Killah - The Lost Tapes (Daupe)
Hama - Houmeissa (Sahel Sounds)
Jpegmafia - Veteran LP (Deathbomb)
Angelique Kidjo - Remain in Light (Kravenworks)
Julian Lynch - Rat's Spit (Ya Reach)
Machinefabriek - With Voices (Western Vinyl)
Alice Merton - Mint (Mom + Pop)
Ronnie Milsap - The Duets (Riser House)
DJ Muggs - Soul Assassins: Dia Del Asesinato (Soul Assassins)
Night Beats - Myth Of Man (PIAS)
Orgone - Reasons (Killion)
Neyla Pekarek - Rattlesnake (S-Curve)
Lee Ranaldo - Electric Trim live at Rough Trade East (Mute)
Maggie Rogers - Heard It In A Past Life (Capitol)
Klaus Schulze - reissues (SPV)
Shabazz Palaces - reissues (Templar)
Soul Asylum - While You Were Out (Omnivore)
Sourakata Koite - En Hollande (Awesome Tapes from Africa)
Laurie Spiegel - reissues (Unseen Worlds)
The Steel Woods - Old News (Woods)
The Twilight Sad - It Won't Be Like This All The Time (Rock Action)