9 Albums Out Today You Should Listen to Now: Frank Ocean, Crystal Castles, Sharon Jones, More
With so much good music being released all the time, it can be hard to determine what to listen to first. Every week, Pitchfork offers a run-down of significant new releases available on streaming services. This week’s batch includes new albums (and visual albums) from Frank Ocean, Crystal Castles, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Gonjasufi, DJ Earl, Tory Lanez, TOBACCO, and Ryley Walker, as well as the second volume of the “Stranger Things” soundtrack.
Frank Ocean: Endless [Def Jam]
Frank is back. Over four years after releasing Channel Orange, and weeks after launching a carpentry-heavy livestream, he put out his new “visual album” Endless. It’s a 45-minute video with brand new music, including his cover of Aaliyah/the Isley Brothers’ “(At Your Best) You Are Love.” Endless features contributions from Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, James Blake, Sampha, Jazmine Sullivan, Arca, and Alex G; it’s mastered by Mike Dean.
Frank, however, may not be done releasing new music. Reports indicate that another album is on the way this weekend, and it may not be called Boys Don’t Cry. In April 2015, Frank did say “I got two versions,” possibly alluding to multiple albums. Catch up on everything with “Frank Ocean’s Boys Don’t Cry: The Complete Timeline” on the Pitch.
Watch on Apple Music
Crystal Castles: AMNESTY (I) [Casablanca]
AMNESTY (I) is Crystal Castles’ first album without former frontwoman Alice Glass. For this record, Ethan Kath partners with singer Edith Frances. The band previously released several tracks from the album: “Fleece,” “Chloroform,” “Enth,” “Char,” “Concrete,” and “Femen.”
Listen on Apple Music
Listen on Spotify
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: Miss Sharon Jones! OST [Daptone]
Miss Sharon Jones! is a documentary centering around Sharon Jones of the Grammy-nominated group Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. The film documents her career, her fight with cancer, and her comeback. The official Miss Sharon Jones! soundtrack is a collection of classic songs from the Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings catalog, and it’s led by a new track called “I’m Still Here.”
Listen on Apple Music
Listen on Spotify
Gonjasufi’s Callus is a follow-up to 2012’s MU.ZZ.LE. It was was written, performed, and produced by Gonjasufi, and it also features former Cure guitarist Pearl Thompson.
Listen on Apple Music
Listen on Spotify
DJ Earl: Open Your Eyes [Teklife]
Teklife’s DJ Earl worked closely with Oneohtrix Point Never on his new EP Open Your Eyes. Every track on the album is a collaboration, and its guests include MoonDoctor, DJ Manny & DJ Taye, and OPN, who helped mix the project. The EP took two years to make.
Listen on Apple Music
Listen on Spotify
Tory Lanez: I Told You [Interscope]
I Told You is Tory Lanez’s debut album, following a recent pair of mixtapes—The New Toronto and Chixtape. It features production from Cashmere Cat, Benny Blanco, DJ Dahi, Frank Dukes, Noah Breakfast, and more. It’s led by the singles “Say It” and Luv.”
Listen on Apple Music
Listen on Spotify
TOBACCO: Sweatbox Dynasty [Ghostly International]
Thomas Fec’s fourth album as TOBACCO is called Sweatbox Dynasty. It follows 2014’s Ultima II Massage.
Listen on Apple Music
Listen on Spotify
Ryley Walker: Golden Sings That Have Been Sung [Dead Oceans]
Ryley Walker’s Golden Sings That Have Been Sung is a follow-up to a pair of 2015 albums: Primrose Green and Land of Plenty.
Listen on Apple Music
Listen on Spotify
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein: Stranger Things OST, Vol. Two [Lakeshore]
The official soundtrack for the Netflix hit “Stranger Things” is scored by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, who are a part of the Austin band S U R V I V E. The first volume of the soundtrack was released last week. Read “Inside the Spellbinding Sound of ‘Stranger Things’” on the Pitch.
Listen on Apple Music
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