Music
New Music Friday: John Mayer, Kendrick Lamar and more
It’s our favourite time of the week – New Music Friday is the new release fix you need to get your weekend started. This week we’ll be listening to John Mayer, Kendrick Lamar, Little Dragon and more.
What’s even better about New Music Friday is that you can listen to a lot of the new music live. We’ve also found artists who’ve got new records out and are about to take them on tour. Double win!
RELEASE OF THE WEEK: John Mayer – The Search For Everything
In this Easter edition of New Music Friday, we start your record basket off with John Mayer’s new album The Search For Everything. Over the last weeks, Mayer had release batches of songs from his new record, but today you can hear it all in full. It’s his seventh full studio album, and the follow-up to 2014’s Paradise Valley. John Mayer will be playing two nights at London’s O2 arena, get your tickets via Ticketmaster.co.uk. Grab a copy of the album here.
Kendrick Lamar – Damn
On Tuesday, Kendrick Lamar finally revealed details of his new album Damn. The record features collaborations with Rihanna and U2, and its first single Humble scored Lamar’s highest chart ranking as a lead artist yet when it debuted at No. 2 on Monday. With a track listing full of titles like Pride, Love and Fear, this highly-anticipated hip-hop album is something you can’t miss. And we sure hope that a new record means a new tour, so make sure you sign up to alerts via our website here.
Little Dragon – Season High
Season High is Little Dragon’s follow-up to Nabuma Rubberband, released in 2014. The Swedish band present a record that’s wonderfully surprising with R’n’B inspired tracks as well as songs like the dance-heavy Sweet. “We kind of like the feeling of escapism, when music sort of takes you to another place,” they say of the concept for the record. The band have a busy year ahead of them with two headline shows at London’s Roundhouse on 27 and 28 October and a slot at Parklife Festival in Manchester. Get your tickets via Ticketmaster.co.uk. Grab a copy of the album here.
Talib Kweli & Styles P – The Seven
Two of New York City’s finest hip-hop artists have come together and released their latest project The Seven. The seven-track record features guest appearances by Common and The L.O.X. “Older artists, traditional artists, legacy artists have to learn from newer artists,” Kweli said. “Learn from the 21 Savages & Lil Yachtys and the Ugly Gods I guess that I just heard about just now.” Talib Kweli is playing KOKO on 7 July with The Soul Rebels and we’ve got a few tickets left here.
Little Hurricane – Same Sun Same Moon
San Diego-based rock and blues duo Little Hurricane release their new record Same Sun Same Moon today. The album tells of their adventures as newlyweds and its creation has a wild background story. Tone explains: “I kept hearing frequencies or vibrations that made it impossible for me to work on the album. For days, I had been unable to eat or sleep. Everything I saw seemed symbolic, and I found profound meaning in everything happening. Something called to me to go to the top of the mountain. I had no other response but to listen.” Little Hurricane take over London’s Borderline on 2 May, so get your tickets while you still can via Ticketmaster.co.uk. Grab a copy of the album here.
Low Roar – Once in a Long, Long While
Low Roar share their third studio album Once In A Long, Long While today. Produced by Andrew Schepps (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele), the 13-track release follows 2014’s 0. Their minimalist, stripped back atmospheric sound plays out like their band name would suggest, a low roar tinged with beauty. The Icelandic band play three shows in London, Leeds and Brighton this summer and you can get your tickets from our friends at Ticketweb.co.uk.
Fionn Regan – The Meetings of the Waters
Ireland’s Fionn Regan is back with a brand new record this week. The follow-up to 2012’s The Bunkhouse Vol. 1: Anchor Black tattoo, the album holds Fionn’s signature clear-cut tunes and intriguing mixture of sounds. Fionn’s track Abacus was recently also sampled on Bon Iver’s 22 A Million album. Don’t miss Fionn Regan’s show at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 14 October, tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.co.uk. Grab a copy of the album here.
Will Joseph Cook – Sweet Dreamer
Kent-born indie pop rising star Will Joseph Cook releases his debut album Sweet Dreamer today. The record takes us back to 00’s rom com soundtracks and melodic indie disco sounds. It’s a playful artwork that deserves a place in any indie lovers collection. Having recently toured with Sundara Karma, you can catch Will Joseph Cook on his UK tour next month. Last remaining tickets are on sale here. Grab a copy of the album here.
Single: Linkin Park – Good Goodbye
Nu-metal icons Linkin Park are back with new music and today they share Good Goodbye with us. The collaboration with grime superstar Stormzy is another taster of what’s to come on their new album One More Light (out 19 May). If you haven’t got your tickets yet to see Linkin Park live, you better get them quick! Head to Ticketmaster.co.uk and pre-order their album here.
Did we miss something? Let us know on Twitter. And check back every Friday for a list of album releases to get excited about.
