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.
The final Friday of July snuck up on us! You, too? Because we’re busy trying to freeze time, we’re going to make this one short and sweet.
There’s no shortage of fun, indie pop and rock records out today, including the latest from Jason Singer’s Midwestern-nice-sounding project, Michigander, where it finds him more thoughtful than ever before. And if you want an indie album inspired by the natural world, look no further than Shearwater’s latest, inspired by the lead singer’s trip to Antarctica to study sea life.
Classic Scottish jangle pop band Trashcan Sinatras return with their seventh album, which is something to cheer about, as they’ve always had admirable musical and lyrical writing chops. Finally, another return from a beloved indie fave lies with genre-defying post-punk project The Durutti Column, who are back with their first full-length release in over 15 years.
Happy New Music Friday!
Best new albums out July 31
Michigander, Over Before You Know It
Jason Singer — known musically as Michigander — is originally from his namesake state and has retained his Midwest warmth despite now being based in Nashville. He’s just great at writing songs that feel friendly but down to earth.
This new album verifies those qualities and gets even more introspective. Singer seems to be both real and honest as a person and a musician, and he shared that these new songs reflect him becoming the person he still wants to be while being grateful for what he does have. Because, as the title says, it’s “over before you know it.”
For vinyl options, there’s a plain black, a translucent green and a cool “sunny lawn splatter” (a green-and-gold pattern that should appeal to the Packers fans).
Shearwater, The New World
Austin-based indie folk-rockers Shearwater are led by singer-songwriter Jonathan Meiburg, who over the years has leaned solidly on the natural world. The band’s newest album is no different.
A good chunk of this project was inspired by Meiburg’s trip to Antarctica, traveling with a crew of scientists “studying the life of the polar seafloor,” as he described it, marrying music and science in a magnetic way. He also shared poetically that the nine songs unfolded like “a globe-spanning journey to the heart of a deep mystery.”
The New World is a very romantic record and unusual in sonic scope, falling into that deep sonic abyss Tori Amos is so great at creating. It’s out today via Polyborus Records on standard black wax at your neighborhood record store.
The Durutti Column, Renascent
Creating a lane entirely of their own, Vini Reilly and company are known for their melancholic, minimalist and timeless sound that blends elements of jazz, dream pop and even contemporary classical. The Durutti Column were among some of the first bands to sign to Manchester-based Factory Records and have been noted as pioneers of ambient and atmospheric sounds.
You can pick up the brand new album on clear yellow vinyl or standard black at your local record shop via London Records.
Trashcan Sinatras, Ever the Optimist
Forming right outside Glasgow in 1986, Trashcan Sinatras now find themselves releasing their seventh studio album. These guys nail the jangle-pop sound just right and mix it with bittersweet yet reflective lyrics, making for a super fun and elevated listen.
If you’re looking to scoop Ever The Optimist from TCS Recordings at record stores, they’ll be carrying a “goldfinch gold” vinyl version, while Trashcan Sinatras’ website will offer a hand-numbered “kingfisher blue” variant that comes with a bonus 7-inch.
More of our picks
- Ariana Grande, petal
- Darling Buds, Same Sun/Same Sky
- DOMi & JD BECK, “WHO ASKED?”
- GA-20, BLUES NOW
- Shaboozey, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales
