September's Best New Releases
A good month for power-pop, an even better one for shoegaze?
Monthly round-ups aren’t an entirely new thing for me, but I usually do them in podcast form with my good friend and No Ripcord colleague, Juan Edgardo Rodriguez. As we’ve taken a little break from that format, I’m going to try to conjure up the same spirit on this virtual page — with one major difference. Here, I want to focus on the good and the great. That means no Katy Perry this time. Sorry Katy.
There’s a Spotify playlist at the bottom of this article, which features more selections than I will write about. I’m just going to stick to the standouts and some of the less heralded picks.
Nilüfer Yanya
My Method Actor
Nilüfer Yanya came onto my radar with 2022’s PAINLESS, which was a phenomenal record and one of my favourites of that year. While My Method Actor falls a little short of her previous mark, it’s still a strong collection. There’s a quiet intensity and clarity of vision here; it’s polished and soulful, the vocal is characteristically smooth, and the crisp guitar work is always engaging. I just miss the unpredictable fizz of PAINLESS.
julie
My Anti-Aircraft Friend
This Californian band fuses shoegaze with grungy indie-rock on one of September’s stronger debuts. There’s a lot of activity in this genre right now (see also: Dummy’s Free Energy), but My Anti-Aircraft Friend captures an evolving act with the potential to truly break out of the pack next time around. For now, “clairbourne practice” is a particularly satisfying slab of noise.
Best Bets
The Hollow Husk of Feeling
Sometimes it just feels like a band is custom made for you. New Zealand’s Best Bets specialise in a raucous brand of power-pop, with nods to Flying Nun’s golden era, the better elements of Britpop, and 90s indie-rock. That’s basically my musical DNA. It’s a fun record rather than a perfect one, but isn’t that pretty much a defining feature of the power-pop genre? I’ve included the opening banger “Heaven” on the playlist, but “The Last Grand Prix” deserves a mention for bringing Exploding Hearts vibes to the table.
Cœur Joie
Réminiscences
A lovely surprise from this self-described post-twee Parisian band. Sadly, because they’re French, I’m going to clumsily reference Stereolab and hint at a faint echo of Serge Gainsbourg (at least that’s what I hear on “Les années moyen-âge”). I’m only half-serious though. There’s a lot more going on here and I highly recommend exploring this delightful little record.
ALBUM OF THE MONTH
MJ Lenderman
Manning Fireworks
“Indie-rock cliches abound” was my pithy dismissal of 2022’s Boat Songs. A little harsh perhaps? Having fallen in love with Wednesday’s Rat Saw God, I changed my tune on Lenderman the guitarist, which paved the way for a reappraisal of his solo work — and just in time for the start of his imperial phase! Last year’s John Daly referencing “Knockin’” was utterly thrilling — his best performance yet, with a raucous climax that sounded like it would surely fall apart in lesser hands. And if Lenderman’s contributions to Waxahatchee’s Tigers Bloods earlier this year hinted at an artist approaching the top of his game, this month’s Manning Fireworks confirms his arrival at the peak. A huge leap forward from Boat Songs, these nine songs brim with humour, poignancy, and heartbreak. Manning Fireworks is one of my absolute favourites of 2024.
You can find all the picks above and many more in my creatively titled Best of September 2024 playlist on Spotify. Please feel free to share your own favourites in the comments!
sean was just telling me about julie! i liked what i heard.