NMW: JIMI HENDRIX, Judas Priest, David Byrne, and More!!!

Time to surf the waves of new music this week. I’ll tell ya what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s a waste of your time! Thanks for stopping by!

The Big News

No question about it the most exciting release of the week is Both Sides of the Sky, a compilation of mostly unreleased music from the archives of the Jimi Hendrix estate. It’s comprised of post Electric Ladyland stuff, all recorded in the studio, and features guest appearances from the likes of Johnny Winter and Stephen Stills. The well of unreleased Hendirx material may be running dry (this is the third installment of a trilogy of stuff culled from the archives) so this release, which NPR favorably concludes “doesn’t disappoint”, is one to be treasured.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHAdV5mwDxw

BONUS

Here’s some advice for playing Jimi:

Metal Mania

The godfathers of heavy metal, Judas Priest, return with their 18th studio release, Firepower. It’s the band’s first release since 2014’s Redeemer of Souls.

Industrial powerhouse Ministry unveil AmeriKKKant, Al Jourgensen and Co’s fourteenth record and first since 2013.

Everything Else

Ex-Talking Head David Byrne offers up his latest solo effort, American Utopia., his first truly solo effort in fourteen years. Utopia follows years of collaborations with artists like Brian Eno and St Vincent, so to hear something that is fully Byrne for the first time in forever is exciting.

Canadian rockers Three Days Grace return with Outsider, their sixth release and first since 2015.

White is Relic / Irrealis Mood is the latest addition to the prodigious discography of Athens, GA psych-party bopper of Montreal. If it seems like I post about of Montreal all the time it’s because I do. I’ve been writing this column since late 2012 and Kevin Barnes and Co have released a record every single year since then with the exception of 2014. I’ve loved every one of them and this one seems like it might be the best yet.

My Recommendation

Typically I use this space to promote something weird or off the radar, but with new Hendrix being released I cannot honestly recommend anything other than Both Sides of the Sky. It’s been streaming on NPR all week, but for realz yo, you should by this goddamn thing and listen to it all the time.