The Best of June 2021
/
A (slightly delayed) roundup of the best releases of June from ska to stoner rock, plus a couple of easy album of the year contenders.
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
Dead Oceans
Listening to Jubilee is like eating a cheesecake; it’s sweet, delicate, and best enjoyed when you savor every morsel. This is not a dessert to be scarfed down in one sitting over the kitchen counter, but a delicacy where each bite delights your palette in different ways. While Psychopomp was a brief but impactful album that saw Michelle Zauner grappling with the loss of her mother, Soft Sounds From Another Planet was a coping mechanism where that grief was filtered through a sci-fi lens and beamed in from some distant corner of the galaxy. By contrast, Jubilee sees Zauner trading the far reaches of space for a more grounded sense of serenity. However, joy, while hard-fought and well-earned, cannot exist in a vacuum. In order to genuinely experience happiness, one must open themselves up to a full range of emotions. Even with the record’s relatively sunny disposition, Zauner is realistic in the strides she attempts to make. Perfection is too far away, but lines like “I want to navigate this hate in my heart... somewhere better” illustrate an achievable middle ground. After two records of grief and self-consolation, Zauner is ready to reclaim her joy.
We Are The Union - Ordinary Life
Bad Time Records
You wake up to an empty apartment in Pasadena. You are trans, and the world is not your oyster. Ordinary Life follows We Are The Union singer Reade Wolcott’s gender transition and details all the feelings, events, and dynamics that come in the wake of such a seismic personal change. This is a story that’s told beautifully on-record but also through the band’s fun-loving music videos. From burying your old self to removing labels, each outing is a vibrant and lighthearted helping of summer ska. Ultimately, despite all the consolatory cigarettes, side-eyes, depression, and dysphoria, Wolcott achieves peace through the realization that she is “anything but ordinary,” and that is not only worth celebrating but worth every ounce of strife encountered along the way.
Read our full review of Ordinary Life here.
ME REX - Megabear
Big Scary Monsters
In a landscape dominated by substanceless viral singles, blatant streaming bait, and otherwise uninspired artistry, sometimes you have to do things differently to stand out. What’s more, sometimes you have to be realistic about your listener. Not everyone will listen to your album, and those who do might not even make it all the way through. Maybe that’s why Megabear is such an exciting album. The debut record from the UK indie rockers is comprised of 52 different song “segments” that can be shuffled together in any order to form an infinite, endless loop of songs. It sounds like a gimmick, but the amazing part is that it actually works. Most of the tracks are sub-one-minute excursions, but that doesn’t mean there’s any lack of personality or charm. In a world where the concept of the “album” changes on a seemingly daily basis, it’s interesting to see an artist lean into breaking old formats and doing it so effectively.
Parting - Unmake Me
Count Your Lucky Stars
Unmake Me is an unassuming little album. A lightweight seven tracks clocking in at a collective 18 minutes and 23 seconds, it might be easy to mistake for an EP. What’s hiding behind the new band name, goofy song titles, and the swan-adorned cover is the musical talent of an emo supergroup composed of members from iconic acts like Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) and Dowsing. Together they join forces to craft a compelling narrative of loss and conflict in classic fourth wave emo style. The members’ tenure in other bands is impossible to miss; the instrumentals are tight, and the lyrics stick to your brain like glue. It’s easy to listen to Unmake Me and see “just another” emo album, but just a few spins will soon reveal the powerful force of humanity at its center.
Read our full review of Unmake Me here.
Lucy Dacus - Home Video
Matador Records
Aside from being one of the best albums of 2018, the last LP from Lucy Dacus centered around the idea of being a “historian.” Throughout the album, she uses the term to describe both herself and members of her lineage capturing each other’s lives through words and experiences. On her newest album, Home Video, Dacus puts this idea into practice with a collection of tracks that see the singer-songwriter holding her past up to the light and letting it bounce off like a disco ball. These memories take the form of basement makeouts, abusive parents, and friends settling in their relationships. All of these tales are delicately woven through Dacus’ velveteen voice, masterful guitarwork, and dynamic instrumentation in what is an easy shoo-in for one of the best records of 2021.
Newgrounds Death Rugby - Pictures of Your Pets
Suneater Records
I’m a simple man; when I hear a good riff, my brain is happy. Luckily, Newgrounds Death Rugby is here to supply the serotonin for me and every other emo like me with Pictures of Your Pets. The release opens with a mellow little guitar lick and toy piano, which welcome the listener into the record with a sense of childlike wonder. Soon lead singer Danny Jorgensen enters with vocals that feel reminiscent of long-lost emo side project Adventures. Overall, the songs on Pictures grapple with the same sense of innocence lost as many other emo records of its ilk, but through some combination of sincerity, charm, and technical skill, Newgrounds Death Rugby manage to make it all feel fresh.
Iceburn - Asclepius
Southern Lord
The invitation was simple; “feel it’s mammoth power,” read the tweet from Southern Lord records. It turns out that was all I needed. A tweet from a label that I love promising mammoth riffs? Say no more. Even though it’s from a band I’ve never heard of, Asclepius delivers on every possible front. Containing two tracks clocking in at just under 20 minutes each, both songs on this album pummel the listener with dense, fuzzy stoner rock riffs that will have you bobbing your head along with the all-powerful groove. I discovered upon doing just a minimal amount of research that Asclepius is the tenth release from Iceburn and the first in 21 years. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the sand-covered Mad Max world of stoner rock, a reunion album that shreds this hard is worth your time. The riffs speak for themselves.
Pom Pom Squad - Death of a Cheerleader
City Slang
For nearly one century of media, the cheerleader has been one of the most persistent tropes in pop culture. Cheerleaders are always depicted as the most popular, attractive, and dominant forces in any school. They sit atop the social hierarchy and look down upon their fawning masses with a strange mix of pity and admiration. For a school full of teenagers, the death of a cheerleader would be tantamount to England losing their queen; it’s a loss that would make their respective domains stand still. Death of a Cheerleader takes this dynamic and upends it in a collection of 14 poppy indie rock tracks that reframe this all-too-familiar narrative with a definitively queer perspective.
In its best moments, Cheerleader feels like an assembly of cult faves funneled through a pastel-colored pep rally lens. Whether taking visual inspiration from films like Heathers and The Virgin Suicides or channeling iconic left-field creatives like John Waters and David Lynch, the album still feels like it was created with a holistic perspective. Song topics range from things as heavy as questioning gender roles and weathering abusive relationships but still maintain the energy of a cheerleader facing the crowd during the first homecoming game. In the album’s most simple moments, the songs can feel like a reminder to allow yourself to indulge in rage or simply feel emotions in the first place. Most notably, a cover of “Crimson and Clover” sits smack dab in the middle of the tracklist, echoing Joan Jett’s famous gender-swapping cover from 40 years earlier. Whether consumed in one sitting or snacking on the album’s bite-sized singles, Death of a Cheerleader is an undeniable new landmark for queer poppy indie rock.
Quick Hits
Holy Profane - Jettison Yr Dreams - The latest album from Holy Profane tackles disillusionment, disjointed memories, and the hangover of youthful folk punk idealism.
Danny Elfman - Big Mess - Essentially the closest we’ll ever get to a Nightmare Before Christmas sequel.
Sleater-Kinney - Path of Wellness - A back-to-basics course-correction after 2019’s disastrous The Center Won’t Hold.
Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend - Explosive and ever-shifting, Blue Weekend effortlessly winds its way from heartfelt ballads, soaring indie rock, and sneering punk rock with impressive finesse.
Migos - CULTURE III - The third entry in the Culture series comes after a trifecta of solo albums and omnipresent trap features over the last few years. It’s unwieldy, but it ticks all the boxes.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Butterfly 3000 - In their second album of the year, the Australian rockers lean far into the synthy side of their spectrum for an MGMT-like psych record.
Portugal. The Man - ULU Selects Vol #1 - Three stripped-down live cuts and an Oasis cover from the recently-ascendant Alaskan indie rockers.
Dating - I Would Prefer Not To - Part shoegaze, part post-rock, part emo, part post-hardcore, the first album in eight years from the Swedish quartet sits at an intersection of genres that feels tailor-made for me.
heavenly creature records - 1980 something: an 80s cover comp for no more dysphoria - A compilation of DIY greats covering their favorite 80s songs with all funds going to No More Dysphoria.
Good Beats Records & Ear Coffee - Simple Demands: A Hop Along Tribute - A collection of Hop Along covers with all proceeds will going No More Dysphoria and The Jim Collins Foundation.
Fuckin Whatever - Fuckin Whatever - A wonderful little EP from a supergroup comprised of Anthony Green (Circa Survive), Adam Lazzara, and John Nolan (Taking Back Sunday).
Rostam - Changephobia - The expansive and exploratory sophomore album from the ex-Vampire Weekend member.
Sufjan Stevens - Convocations - Returning to his earliest electronic tendencies, everyone’s favorite indie sadboy dropped a massive 49-track, five-part computerized release that stretches from inward meditations to outward celebrations.
Slow Fire Pistol - Rabbit Town Blues - A five-track hardcore release that contains one of the coolest riffs of the year so far.
Dikembe - Game Over - A career-spanning collection of 8-bit remixes from one of Florida’s forefront emo bands.
Terrible People - Home, In A Way - An EP-length Singaporean emo album that will undoubtedly scratch that Hotelier itch.
COWBOY BOY - GOOD GIRL - With vocals that sound like Retirement Party’s Avery Springer, lyrics as relatable as Future Teens, and instrumentals that bring the bite of Diet Cig, GOOD GIRL is a catchy, anthemic, and personable collection of 12 songs.
Options - On the Draw - Wrote and recorded in just a week, On the Draw is beautifully roomy with wonderful, dancy indie rock sensibilities.
Turnstile - TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION - A pack of three-and-a-half shredders from the hardcore punk act.
Angel Du$t - Bigger House - The once-hardcore band pivots further into softer 90-alt-rock-inspired sounds to great effect. Beautiful summer bops capped off with two remixes.
The Mountain Goats - Dark in Here - John Darnielle and co. create another darn good Mountain Goats record that possesses a hunkered-down-in-the-bomb-shelter feel.
Beabadoobee - Our Extended Play - Beatrice Laus teams up with The 1975’s Matty Healy for a bite-size EP of 90s alt-pop bangers.
Pure Noise Records - Pure Noise LoFi Punk Chill - Pop-punk goes lo-fi-hip-hop-beats-to-study-to featuring the best of the Pure Noise roster from Knocked Loose and Seahaven to Just Friends and The Story So Far.
Free Throw - Piecing It Together - As Free Throw approach their first decade together as a band, they continue to crank out high-energy emo that’s as moshable as it is relatable.
Slow Pulp - Deleted Scenes - The porch-beer-friendly indie rockers revisit and reimagine two songs from last year’s excellent Moveys.
Modest Mouse - The Golden Casket - A multicolored acid trip that grinds its way from off-kilter to optimistic in classic Modest Mouse fashion.
Jungheim - Songs That Piss Men Off - Nayla Maya continues to prove herself as one of the sharpest and most creative musicians with this collection of five loosely country-themed songs.
SPELLLING - The Turning Wheel - FKA Twigs, but witchy.
Kevin Devine - No One’s Waiting Up For Me Tonight - Tender and wistful sentiments lie coiled at the heart of Kevin Divine’s new folky back-to-basics EP. Read our full review here.
Owen - The Avalanche Remixes - Emo Godfather Mike Kinsella turns his 2020 LP over to a host of conspirators and collaborators ranging from Jay Som to NNAMDÏ.
Olivia Kaplan - Tonight Turns to Nothing - Finally, Mermaid Rock is here, and it’s a glorious genre.
Skatune Network - Burn The Billboard - Ska covers of pop songs, alternative rock hits, and ringtone rap. Checker-patterned chef’s kiss.
Tyler, The Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST - Tyler, The Creative drops the lounge singer heartbreak found on 2019’s IGOR and returns to the golden era of early 2010’s mixtape bars.
Faye Webster - I Know I’m Funny haha - Hushed vocals, slide guitar, and sentimental feelings are the foundation keeping Faye Webster’s excellent fourth album afloat.
Wild Pink - 3 Songs - Another three songs from the heartland indie rocker who has already gifted us one of the best albums and some of the best covers of the year.
Maple Glider - To Enjoy is the Only Thing - Naturalistic indie rock fit for the backdrop of campfires, lakeside chats, and beachside sunsets.
Hiss Golden Messenger - Quietly Blowing It - Despite the objectively hilarious title, the umteenth record from Hiss Golden Messenger is a pleasant, unoffensive, and laid-back listen.
Drug Church - Tawny - Eleven minutes of borderline-post-hardcore that will satisfy all your brawny Title Fight desires.
Squirrel Flower - Planet (i) - From desert flora to the far reaches of space, the latest from Squirrel Flower is a miraculous indie rock record.
Hurry - Fake Ideas - Somewhere between porch beer albums and emo rock exists bands like Sinai Vessel, Trace Mountains, and now... Hurry.
Covey - Class Of Cardinal Sin - Personal tales woven into an emo-tinted singer-songwriter blanket.
