Every Friday, 88Nine music director Erin Wolf and Lilliput Records co-owner Tanner Musgrove tell you about the new albums you can’t miss on a new episode of On Vinyl. Check out their top picks and a list of this week’s other releases, and listen to their full conversation using the player on this page or on the 88Nine airwaves at 1 p.m. every Friday.
We’ve got a study of contrasts among this week’s releases, with two R&B-flavored selections and two synth-y offerings.
If you love a unique voice, you can’t go wrong with the soon-to-be-legend Baby Rose’s fresh take on relationships with an old-soul appeal. Kelela also offers up her chilled-out and slickly produced version of the genre that speaks to the human machine in all of us.
To get all pop-y on you, we’ve got a fresh reissue of the coldwave debut classic from indie fave Black Marble, as well as the maximalist pop sound of Panda Bear and Sonic Boom, who cram as much as they can into the waves they create — including guest collabs!
Happy New Music Friday!
Best new albums out July 10
Baby Rose, YEARNALISM
The deep-souled Atlanta-based crooner drops her third album today, her first since 2023’s Through and Through. Right now, Rose feels like an artist on the brink of greater recognition. Her voice is as timeless as the genres she pulls from: soul, gospel, jazz, rock and R&B. She says she grew up listening to Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway and Janis Joplin, and that really shows up in her music.
Rose’s newest batch of songs is a take on dating and nascent relationships in the modern world, and how she feels like we’re losing “recipes” for how to properly yearn for each other. For the YEARNALISM vinyl, there will be gold and maroon variations, as well as classic black, compliments of Secretly Canadian Records. You can find these options on the shelves at your fave local shop.
Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, A ? of When
On their newest collaborative album, the avant-electro-pop project duo of Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) and Sonic Boom (Peter Kember) run with their love of playful experimentation and Beach Boys-esque vibes. It feels like it’s been an extra-long wait for a new record from them, but somehow it’s only been since 2022’s Reset.
There are some fun contributions on this one, including harpist Mary Lattimore, British multi-instrumentalist Daniel O’Sullivan, “Steel Witch” Zena Kay on pedal-steel guitar and even a mariachi band from Mexico City. Domino Records is issuing some cool options, all with a 3D embossed sleeve: an orange biovinyl version via the Domino Mart, as well as a pink biovinyl version and a standard black biovinyl available at any record shop near you.
Kelela, new avatar
American singer-songwriter Kelela has made waves in the contemporary R&B scene after making her mixtape debut back in 2013. Known for blending shoegaze, grunge, R&B and electronic music, she’s releasing her third studio album that features A.K. Paul, Foushee and the one and only PinkPantheress.
If you’re hoping to catch Kelela live, she’ll be at the Vic Theatre in Chicago on Oct. 6. But if ticket prices (or the drive) have got you down, there are a few vinyl options available to hopefully cheer you back up: an indie-exclusive purple along with a classic standard black at all the shops.
Black Marble, A Different Arrangement
Originally starting out as a duo, Black Marble has evolved into the solo project of electronic musician Chris Stewart. But their 2012 debut album, A Different Arrangement, is an oldie but a goodie. We’re big fans of Black Marble’s mix of coldwave and synth-pop that hearkens to early ’80s synth pop bands like OMD, Depeche Mode and Yazoo — all the classics! Today, we get a fresh vinyl reissue of their first full-length, and it’s available on a black-and-white swirl vinyl at your fave shop.
More of our picks
- Adam Lambert, Adam
- Houndmouth, Lordy
- Suki Waterhouse, Loveland
- Temper Trap, Sungazer
- The Rolling Stones, Foreign Tongues
- The War & Treaty, The Story of Michael and Tanya
- Xiu Xiu, Eraserhead Xiu Xiu
