Depending on where you live it may be hard to tell, but summer is fast-approaching, and with the rising temperatures comes an avalanche of new music competing for your attention and blog coverage. We cannot and should not tell you how to run your blog, but if you’re the kind of writer looking for the best of the best to share with your audiences then we know of a few upcoming releases you should definitely keep your eye on. These records criss-cross genres, but each one adds something special to the global music community that we believe is worthy of coverage.
Also, just so you don’t start believing we claim to have final say over everything that is good or bad, please know we are always in the market for new discoveries ourselves. It’s rare that more than a day or two passes without someone pitching us new music, and we do our best to hear everything that arrives in our inbox. If you know of a great record on the horizon that is not mentioned in the list below, please comment and add your suggestion. We will definitely make time to listen, and who knows? Maybe you will be responsible for kickstarting the development of future blog content down the line.
Anyways, here are our picks for the must hear albums of May 2016:
The Obsessives – My Pale Red Dot (May 6)
It is incredibly hard to summarize the sound of The Obsessives in a paragraph, let alone a single sentence, but their music can best be likened to carefree indie punk with often gut-wrenching themes. The band’s latest EP is a testament to their ability to take a wealth of diverse influences and channel them into something entirely unique. There is no other group in the world that could write or perform the way The Obsessives do, and this release sets the bar extremely high for everything they may do in the future.
Astronautilus – Cut The Body Loose (May 13)
If you have yet to listen to Astronautilus on our podcast, what are you waiting for? The Minneapolis based emcee is set to release his label debut for SideOneDummy Records this month, and we’ll be the first to tell you it is a serious contender for our favorite record of 2016. Cut The Body Loose celebrates the human spirit and mankind’s unique ability to accomplish pretty much anything we set our mind to. It’s the inspirational rap album to end all inspirational rap albums, and it’s coming out on one of the most punk labels in existence today. Don’t sleep on this record.
Pierce The Veil – Misadventures (May 13)
There are very few bands in alternative music today who are able claim they have maintained a singular narrative throughout the career, but Pierce The Veil can. The California rock act has been teasing the release of their fourth studio album for the better part of two years and the wait finally ends later this month. So far, early singles like “Texas Is Forever” and “Circles” tease a diverse offering that pushes the lyricism and technical prowess of the band. Whether or not it can top their other records remains to be seen, but we certainly hope it will.
Modern Baseball – Holy Ghost (May 13)
Modern Baseball are to pop-punk in 2016 what The Wonder Years were back in 2010. Having ascended through nearly every rung of the alternative underground as if they were propelled by jet fuel, the band is now in a place where mainstream publications are knocking on their door. Still, the material that makes up their third full-length is perhaps their most personal offering to date. The record addresses mental health, religion, and the stress distance places on relationships with an unabashed sense of realism that can shake you to your core. This makes for a challenging listen, but also a rewarding one, and at just twenty-eight minutes in length the album makes repeat listens incredibly easy to justify.
Head Wound City – A New Wave Of Violence (May 13)
This band features both Jordan Billie and Cody Votolato of The Blood Brothers. Do we really need to say more? Head Wound City has been a force for raw rock and roll goodness since the mid-2000s, but their musical output has sadly been pretty minimal. That changes this month when A New Wave Of Violence arrives in stores, and our hopes for the record could not be higher. Those who loved Billie and Votolato’s work with Blood Brothers will not be disappointed by this group’s sound, but those who disliked the band may find something to enjoy as well. This is not a knock-off as much as it is a variant that was inspired by acts that a lot of older alternative and hard rock fans still care about.
Tiny Moving Parts – Celebrate (May 20)
Minnesota rock purveyors Tiny Moving Parts have been in a league all their own since day one, and their latest record, Celebrate, cements their place as kings of the indie rock underground. Ripe with finger tapping, riffs, and hooks that just won’t quit, the third album from TMP features their longest and most creative songs. That said, the album barely cracks thirty-minutes in length, so though the songs are longer the nonstop party vibe of previous records is still present. There are no radio cuts on this record, but the band’s songwriting has taken an ever-so-slight turn toward the more accessible that should help them recruit a new group of devoted fans without alienating longtime supporters.
Hit The Lights – Just To Get Through To You (May 20)
2016 marks the ten-year anniversary of Hit The Lights’ debut album arriving in stores, and the band is celebrating their success by releasing a one-of-a-kind acoustic EP that features reworked version of classic songs, as well as a new track called “Lighthouse” that is sure to become a fan favorite. It seems every pop-punk band eventually reaches a point where they feel it necessary to release stripped down versions of their biggest hits, but in the case of Hit The Lights the changes made actually give you a new appreciation for the material. Even seemingly disposable songs, like the infectious and utterly empty “Drop The Girl,” feel more important when presented in a new light on this record.
Pup – The Dream Is Over (May 27)
It is quite possible that The Dream Is Over will be the best rock and/or punk album you hear all year. If Pup were a single US citizen and not a group of cool dudes from Canada we would call for them to be elected as president because that is how much we believe in their message, their music, and the endless fun that runs through everything the do. Listening to this album is akin to throwing the greatest party known to man, only there is no cleanup and the risk of nursing a hangover the next day are much lower. If a better collection of twenty-something anthems exist in 2016 we have yet to hear them.
Half Hearted Hero – Isn’t Real (May 27)
New England is no stranger to producing unique punk bands, and Half Hearted Hero are the latest exports from the area to earn national attention. After listening to their new record it’s not hard to understand why either as the group delivers catchy hooks and toe-tapping melodies with skill well beyond their years. It doesn’t hurt that the band spent the better part of a decade being a popular regional act, but they do not let their humble beginnings define who they will become in the future. Isn’t Real offers the promise of an alternative scene where the best music is held in higher regard than who can generate the most clicks, and we cannot wait to see where the band finds themselves once the world hear the art they have created.
Thrice – To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere (May 27)
It’s 2016 and we’re about to hear a new album from Thrice. Not a single, or an EP, but a complete full-length record filled with songs most of the world has never heard. If you had told us even a year ago this would be happening we probably would have scoffed in your face, but here we are and our excitement is through the roof. We have only heard as much of the record as the rest of the general public, yet we are convinced this will be one of the band’s best albums to date. Even mediocre Thrice is better than most bands at their absolute best.