New Albums Streaming Today: Foo Fighters, Ariel Pink, The Cool Kids, Rostam, & More
It’s a huge day for new album releases, and we’ve collected most of the major titles here for your streaming pleasure. The list does not include some of the noteworthy albums that streamed ahead of release, including titles from Hundred Waters, Emily Haines, Washer, and Antibalas.
First up is Concrete And Gold, which our Pranav Trewn calls the best Foo Fighters album this century. The album was produced by Greg Kurstin (Beck, Adele, Kelly Clarkson) and features appearances by Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake, Boyz II Men’s Shawn Stockman among others, but they’re largely not noticeable; mostly it just sounds like the Foo Fighters, albeit a revitalized Foo Fighters.
Weirdo-pop icon Ariel Pink is also back today with Dedicated To Bobby Jameson, his tribute to a cult LA musician who disappeared for more than 20 years. In our interview with Pink, he described the album’s sound as such: “I’m dad rock now.”
Former Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij is releasing his debut solo album today. Half-Light features guest appearances from Wet’s Kelly Zutrau and Angel Deradoorian and sees Batmanglij foregrounding the symphonically tinged indie-pop melancholia that had been a crucial part of his old band’s DNA.
Chicago hip-hop duo the Cool Kids have returned from hiatus to deliver a new LP called Special Edition Grandmaster Deluxe. It’s streaming now, and according to our interview with the group, they consider it their proper debut album. Guests include Hannibal Buress, Travis Barker, Syd, Buddy, Jeremih, Boldy James, Smoke DZA, and more.
Former Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo’s new solo album Electric Trim arrives today. It features Sharon Van Etten and finds Ranaldo mostly applying his unique skill set to acoustic guitar and piano pieces with electronic accents (hence the album title, presumably).
Today also marks the release of the self-titled debut album from Prophets Of Rage, the supergroup combining Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Cypress Hill’s B-Real with the three instrumentalists from Rage Against The Machine.
LA-based underground rapper Open Mike Eagle has a new album called Brick Body Kids Still Daydream out today. It features guest appearances from Sammus and Has-Lo and follows last year’s Paul White collab Hella Personal Film Festival.
Lastly, here’s Nine Inch Nails members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ soundtrack for the PBS documentary The Vietnam War.