The Best of April 2021
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Porch beer indie rock, surprise-released ska, and apocalyptic anti-capitalist sentiments make up the best releases of April.
Ratboys - Happy Birthday, Ratboy
Topshelf Records
For a day typically filled with fibs, fakeouts, and general tomfoolery, Happy Birthday, Ratboy is no joke. Surprise released on April 1st, the fourth album from Ratboys is a celebratory and reflective recreation of their debut EP RATBOY. There are gorgeous pedal steel contributions, well-observed slice-of-life portraits, and tales of elderly neighborhood cats. The second side of the album finds the band collecting long-unreleased tracks and rarities, all capped off by a sunny new song, “Go Outside.” Happy Birthday, Ratboy is continuing proof that ten years in, Ratboys are some of the greatest (and hardest working) ever to do it.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!
Constellation Records
Godspeed You! Black Emperor has always been a punk band in spirit disguised as a post-rock band in practice. While they are technically instrumental rock, the message behind their music was always lying in plain sight in the form of sampled field recordings, album art, coded song titles, and the occasional interview. In the case of G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!, the group released a manifesto featuring a list of demands ranging from dismantling the prison system to taxing the rich. They’re anti-establishment, anti-capitalist, and anti-authoritarian, and those topics are a lot to break down without any concrete lyrics.
Despite their status as the favorite band of Rate Your Music Boyfriends® the world over, Godspeed really is that good. They’ve become a benchmark for an entire genre, and that doesn’t happen by accident. The group’s latest album is centered around two twenty-minute tracks, each punctuated by shorter six-minute songs. The result is a powerful and moving 52-minute run time that ends on a delicate but (surprisingly) uplifting note.
Wild Pink - 6 Cover Songs
Royal Mountain Records
I love Wild Pink. I also love a good cover song. Throughout 6 Cover Songs, Wild Pink bandleader John Ross culls together a half-dozen tracks that suit every style and tempo of music captured on A Billion Little Lights from earlier this year. Following up one of 2021’s best heartland indie rock albums with a collection of covers two mere months later is an unexpected move, but I suppose in retrospect, 2016’s 4 Songs and 2019’s 5 Songs had set out a clear pattern. What’s more, the song selections are nothing short of excellent. There are some artists who feel like a shoo-in for this type of thing: Springsteen and Coldplay, echoing recent covers by Waxahatchee and Hovvdy, respectively. There are also some batshit crazy wild swings like Taylor Swift and Carly Rae Jepsen that appeal to my inner poptimist and are pulled from various comps over the years. Perhaps most notably, there’s a 49-second cover of the Jeopardy theme song plopped smack-dab in the middle of the tracklist that acts as a sort of pleasant, wandering interlude. Show me any other artist who can do that.
Jeff Rosenstock - SKA DREAM
Polyvinyl Record Co.
Jeff Rosenstock announcing a ska rendition of his latest album on April Fool’s Day was funny. Actually following through and dropping it on 4/20 was even funnier. Falling back on the ska-based instincts from his Bomb The Music Industry days, SKA DREAM is a complete track-for-track re-recording of 2020’s NO DREAM, and it’s glorious. For what could have just been a fun, jokey novelty, the songs work shockingly well in this new context. There are skank-worthy “pick it up’s” on “Airwalks (Alt),” a woozy dub breather in the form of “Horn Line,” and even a Grey Matter-esque hardcore breakdown on “S K A D R E A M.” Plus, with guest contributions ranging from PUP and Deafheaven to ska mainstays like Jer Hunter and Fishbone, SKA DREAM is impressively diverse, shockingly faithful, and wonderfully inventive.
Remember Sports - Like a Stone
Father/Daughter Records
The resting state for the fourth album from Remember Sports is unwavering boppy indie rock. As they grew from emo basement shows and rough-around-the-edges recordings, Like a Stone sees a band evolving into a finely-oiled version of what came before. Thriving in the space between the jangly country-tinged Ratboys and the confessional bedroom rock ethos of Adult Mom, this collection of tracks strikes a perfect mix between emotional and easy-going. It’s breezy springtime music that isn’t afraid to shy away from the harder feelings of life.
Spirit of the Beehive - ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH
Saddle Creek
The world is sick, and we are the ones who have poisoned it. More specifically, capitalism has taken in, used up, and discarded Mother Earth for its short-sited pursuits. These heartless, unfeeling corporations have perverted and discarded our home, all in the name of profit and appeasing shareholders. Much like the new Godspeed record, ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH is an album mired in the failings of the modern world. It’s a disorienting, uneven, and uneasy listen designed to emulate the feeling that comes from thinking too long about the system in which we are forced to exist. As sampled commercials punctuate the band’s electro-psych indie rock, one can’t help but wonder if we’re witnessing the death throes of a dying empire. By the time the record is over, it genuinely seems like death is letting the system off easy.
PONY - TV Baby
Take This To Heart Records
When I first heard “WebMD” back at the end of 2020, all I could think was, ‘where has PONY been all my life?’ Effortlessly catchy, disarmingly personable, and scarily relatable, PONY spends a vast majority of their debut album cranking out tightly-refined grunge-pop tunes in the vein of Charly Bliss or Colleen Green. The songs glitter and glisten, accurately reflecting the album art’s sugary sweet bubblegum pink color. The combination of Sam Bielanski’s sharp vocals over the fuzzed-out guitar proves to be a beguiling mix that will keep you coming back for more like a bowl of candy that you just can’t seem to keep yourself from snacking on by the handful.
BROCKHAMPTON - ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE
RCA Records
Even BROCKHAMPTON themselves wouldn’t deny they’ve hard their fair share of ups-and-downs. After a prolific three-album-run in 2017 led to high-profile lineup changes and a couple of rocky follow-ups, America’s favorite boyband is back and better than ever with ROADRUNNER. Welcoming a host of collaborators from Danny Brown to JPEGMAFIA, this record sees the collective leaning into a more West Coast style of rapping that suits them well. Each member has enough space to croon, spit bars, and produce without stepping over each other fighting for the spotlight. The result is arguably the most cohesive and crafted collection of songs the group has ever put out.
Hey, Ily - Internet Breath
Lonely Ghost Records
When I sat down to listen to new music on Thursday night, I started with Internet Breath. That’s the kind of blind faith jump I like to take every once in a while, and boy did it pay off in spades here. Bearing a unique style of chiptunes-flavored emo, Internet Breath Is a six-track 17-minute excursion that defaults to catchy singalong hooks but occasionally vaults all the way up to a hard-hitting wall of distorted screamo. While emo can quickly wear out its welcome (even in 17-minute chunks), the electronic elements give this record a unique angle that feels refreshing from what’s going on in the rest of the scene. As the chiptune beats and autotuned singing depict a world of digital heartbreak, the electronics deftly shift between supplementary elements within the tracks to vital driving forces. A necessity.
Quick Hits
Noods - Blush - Effortlessly charming indie-pop bangers.
Lil Yachty - Michigan Boy Boat - An ice-cold, offbeat, and feature-packed “for the streets” tape from everyone’s favorite bead-adorned rapper.
Young Stoner Life - Slime Language 2 - Another collaborative compilation from Young Thug’s record label with Young Thug and Gunna serving as the Iron Man and Captain America-like figureheads.
Taylor Swift - Fearless (Taylor’s Version) - A complete re-recording of the seminal pop star’s sophomore album with bonus tracks acting as the cherry on top of a (slightly tiring) near-two-hour listen.
Portugal. The Man - Oregon City Sessions - A long-lost 2008 concert film from Portugal. The Man comprised of one-take-only live tracks from their first three albums that did my PTM fanboy heart good.
Sharon Van Etten - epic Ten - Disc one, a tenth-anniversary celebration of Sharon Van Etten’s sophomore album. Disc two, a track-for-track version of the same album with covers from everyone to Fiona Apple, IDLES, Shamir, and more!
Field Medic - plunge deep golden knife - It’s more Field Medic.
The Berries - Throne of Ivory (Singles & B-sides) - Jaunty, jangly indie country that pairs perfectly with porch beers and wistful summer evenings.
4AD - Bills & Aches & Blues - In celebration of their own 40th birthday, the longstanding indie label released this comp featuring current signees covering classic hits from alums.
Tilian - Factory Reset - The Dance Gavin Dance frontman takes center stage on his fourth alt-rock solo outing.
Trousdale - Look Around - Gorgeous harmonies and delicate sentiments make up this four-track folk-pop outing.
The Armed - ULTRAPOP - The once-anonymous punk band from Detroit that isn’t afraid to show their teeth while flexing their muscles on this bristling and artsy hardcore release.
Dinosaur Jr - Sweep it Into Space - a shreddy, distorted return to form from one of the last(?) bastions of the grunge era.
(T-T)b - Suporma - The first time I ever heard chiptunes, the genre blew my mind. Rock music and video game sounds? Suporma recaptures that magic with a slight emo twist.
Origami Angel - Gami Gang - The sophomore double album from the emo duo with one of the strongest discographies in the scene.
Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God - Sad indie rock for emo dads.
Rosie Tucker - Sucker Supreme - Chill, folky, Sunday morning indie that (shockingly) wound up on Epitaph.
Teenage Fanclub - Endless Arcade - Illusionary tunes oscillating from laid-back Silver Jews Americana to dirty garage rock.
girl in red - if i could make it go quiet - Norway’s answer to Billie Eilish unleashes her long-awaited debut album packed with heartfelt bedroom feelings.
Gojira - Fortitude - Fist-balled, horns-in-the-air rock from the French metal quartet.
DJ Khaled - Khaled Khaled - Look man, it’s DJ Khaled. There will probably be some breezy summer hits, some cool features, and some obnoxious adlibs.
