Summer is well and truly over, and as we venture into the colder months it’s time to look out for the best alternative music releases. Here, Music Malady rounds up some of the best rock releases from September, that you can take with you into the autumn nights.
IDLES – ULTRA MONO
Of all the albums out in September, IDLES’ Ultra Mono has to be the one that had the most buzz among critics and fans alike. After 2018’s meteoric Joy as an Act of Resistance, expectations were set high, and the band have proved themselves unbeatable with their third record. Singles ‘Grounds’, ‘Model Village’ and ‘Mr Motivator’ remain the jewels of Ultra Mono, but the rest of the album isn’t far behind. This album shows IDLES still at their lyrical best, with the added bonus of a more refined and experimental sound. Ultra Mono features contributions from Jehnny Beth of Savages and Warren Ellis of Bad Seed fame, among others.
IDLES’ Ultra Mono is available via Partisan Records.
YUNGBLUD – ‘god save me, but don’t drown me out’
September also saw YUNGLUD release another single, following on from title track ‘Weird!’ and ‘Strawberry Lipstick’ from his upcoming album, due to be released on November 13th. ‘god save me…’ is a highly emotive track with a music video to go with it. It’s an optimistic song, a rallying cry against depression that does the job without coming across as clichéd or patronising. ‘god save me, but don’t drown me out’ is YUNGBLUD doing what he does best, and no doubt this song will quickly become an anthem of the underrated youth and weird kids alike.
YUNGBLUD’s ‘god save me, but don’t drown me out’ is available via Locomotion Recordings Limited, under exclusive license to Interscope Records.
Gorillaz feat Robert Smith – ‘Strange Timez’
Gorillaz have been working hard this year on their Song Machine series, and the recent release of Episode 6 saw them pair up with Cure singer Robert Smith on ‘Strange Timez’. It’s a dreamy, yet strangely ominous track that fits Smith’s vocals perfectly. It might not seem like an obvious combination of artists, but it works surprisingly well. Vocally, it feels like 90s/00s Cure with a classic Gorillaz sound and a perfectly whacky music video to go with it.
Gorillaz feat Robert Smith’s ‘Strange Timez’ is available via Gorillaz Partnership under exclusive license to Parlophone Records Limited.
Billie Joe Armstrong – ‘Kids In America’
Another solo release here with Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong’s take on Kim Wilde’s 80s pop hit ‘Kids In America’. Armstrong has been releasing weekly covers all throughout lockdown as a part of his ‘No Fun Mondays’ series, some of which have made their way onto Spotify. The covers have ranged from pop to classic rock, with Kids In America standing out as one of the best so far. He doesn’t make too many changes to the style, but delivers the song with such an energy and passion that renders it impossible to ignore. ‘Kids In America’ is exactly the kind of energy that we need to sustain us this month.
Billie Joe Armstrong’s ‘Kids In America’ is available via Reprise Records.
Featured Image courtesy of Canva.
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