*INTERESTING* NEW RELEASES 2024: A PRIMER
HOW ABOUT SOME BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY FOR HOW WE'RE DOING THINGS AROUND HERE?
HI THERE!
So we started this thing in 2023, and enough people seemed to give a damn that we decided to keep doing it. Click on that link above to learn more about the impetus for this lil project and with that, don’t fault me for doing some copy pasta below of some good boilerplate from that post.
The bottom line is that I want more people to discover good music that they may not otherwise hear about through their normal channels of discovering new music. The link above talks briefly about the Postcard from Hell, and how it is an invaluable resource for discovering new music. I’m trying to bring a little more of that spirit to a broader audience without having to become a newb to an online community that has been around for 30+ years (and includes several original members). Or maybe you would like that. If so, consider joining.
That said, the records I put on these weekly lists are BY NO MEANS a comprehensive list of new releases; rather they are just those that were pleasing to my own ears - AND - records I thought that friends of mine who might actually read this blog will also enjoy.
Naturally, I will miss some good new releases, and when I do, I invite you to comment at the bottom of each weekly post, or, more naturally, share the suggested record in the comments section of whichever social media site you found this link.
If all goes as planned, I will submit a new post each week with the latest batch of *interesting* new releases. This shit is SUPER time consuming, so if I am being honest, there may be some weeks where I do multiple *interesting* new music release roundups at once to catch up from missed weeks…but for the most part, my hope is to roll into the week of December 31st, 2024 with 52 sets of new releases (though, historically, not much comes out in the final weeks of a given year).
The fun thing about migrating this experiment over to Substack, is now you can subscribe and have these lists sent directly to your email inbox. Look for the email sign up at the bottom of each post and, as the kids say, *smash* that subscribe button!!!
STRUCTURE AND SOURCE(S)
New releases come out every Friday. However, some artists will schedule their records to be released on other days. We will do our best to capture all the releases from a given week up to and through “New Release Friday” of that week.
We split the releases into two categories each week:
THE KNOWNS: Releases by artists you have likely heard of. Sometimes if it’s a solo record by an artist from a well-known band (i.e., if Jonathan Pearce from the Beths were to release his first solo record, it may go here…or it may be in the next section. The rules are fluid. This isn’t a peer-reviewed publication). My aim for this year is to include fewer records in this section, and focus more on…
THE NEWS: Releases by bands I’ve never heard of and presume many folks reading this have also not heard of. This does not mean that it is a debut record by the artist/band. Just that they’re not quite a household name yet. I will also try to limit these releases to stuff that I think is particularly worthy of sharing.
Our list of releases will not usually include reissues, live albums, and/or pop albums that you’re likely hearing about elsewhere that have a billion streams on Spotify (unless it is something that is objectively awesome like Taylor Swift or The Chicks).
Unfortunately, these lists will be light on hip hop and R&B because I am just not skilled enough to separate the wheat from chaff in the glut of hip hop, R&B and trap music being released. Most of what will be included here will likely have an old school flavor (I was raised on Yo! MTV Raps). We welcome your suggestions on good, positive hip hop. The same can be said for metal. There are only so many bands whose names are written with gnarled sticks that stand out from the rest of the pack. You’re probably gonna find some doom, desert sludge, or older school speed metal
Our primary source is the weekly new release list shared by Consequence of Sound as it has been most consistent in sharing releases that have seemed to fit the likes and styles of Postcarders who have been benefitting from these lists. We’re wholly open to exploring other sources and have had past success with allmusic, albumoftheyear, metacritic, and newreleasenow…but Consequence has been most consistent and accurate with release from the date in question.
We link each record to its space on Spotify, and all linked playlists are housed on Spotify. Also, you’re not going to convince me to use another streaming site. I don’t love spotify either, but it’s the most ubiquitous music streaming site, and if these playlists get the song to your earholes, which causes you to spend your money on a physical record, show ticket, and/or a t-shirt at the merch table, then this exercise will work as intended. You do not need a premium account to interact with these links. Eat the fucking rich.
Ok? Ok. What’s next?