Ten July Albums Worth Checking Out

Photo by Charlene Chae

According to Wikipedia, July “is, on average, the warmest month in most of the Northern hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer) and the coldest month in much of the Southern hemisphere.” How dynamic! Much like the month they’re released in, the albums below run a diverse gamut. Rap, indie rock, folk, experimental dance and more are featured, and it’s all worth checking out. Enjoy:

Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty [Def Jam, July 6]
From Paste’s summer album list: “He’s been part of one of the hottest hip-hop duos in the country, helped bring Janelle Monáe to the world and dazzled us with his exquisite taste in bow ties. Now, we’re looking toward his upcoming solo album.” Listen to it now.

School of Seven Bells – Disconnect From Desire [Vagrant, July 13]
Paste review (8.2/10) excerpt: “Dizzyingly energetic, loopy and surreal. Synths and bells make slower songs pulse pleasantly, and repeated phrases like ‘I used to love’—a cornerstone of more than one track—amp up the nostalgia.” Ani Vrabel

M.I.A. – /\/\ /\ Y /\ [Interscope, July 13]
From Paste‘s summer album list: "Her ’Born Free’ video was rough, controversial and banned from YouTube, true to classic M.I.A. form. In 2007, we wrote of Arular: ‘As American audiences gradually venture into world-urban music like grime, reggaeton and favela, M.I.A. has become a de facto ambassador for electro-globalization, effortlessly mixing flavors of Kingston, London, New York, Delhi, Ibiza, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro and San Juan.’" Jeff Leven

Sun Kil Moon – Admiral Fell Promises [Caldo Verde, July 13]
Paste review (7.3/10) excerpt: “Mark Kozelek is an adept storyteller, always toeing the thin emotional line between hope and hopelessness; even at his brightest, a lingering sadness surrounds him like relentless fog. [Admiral Fell Promises is] a beautiful, melancholy snapshot of a musician dealing with his past.” Liz Stinson

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse – Dark Night of the Soul [EMI, July 13]
Paste review (9.0/10) excerpt: “It’s a breathtaking set of atmospheric ballads (plus a few rockers) that explore cosmic concerns, from the self-destructive trap of revenge to the possibility of spiritual renewal.” Jon Young

The Love Language – Libraries [Merge, July 13]
Paste review (7.2/10) excerpt: “Lead Lover Stuart McLamb has made a tremendous leap in terms of accessibility, scope and arrangement on Libraries: His gift for soaring tunes no longer pushes against scrappy guitar but rather it expands outward into Arcade Fiery terrain and GarageBand Springsteen.” Michaelangelo Matos

Blue Giant – Blue Giant [Vanguard, July 13]
Paste review (8.5/10) excerpt: “Blue Giant’s debut LP begins with a song about starting over, and that’s just what these Pacific Northwesternerns have done. It’s a turmoil of glorious noise.” Gray Chapman

Mahjongg – Long Shadow of the Paper Tiger [K, July 20]
You have to hand it to this Paste Band of the Week alum; Mahjongg seems to get a little weirder on each successive release. On this, the band’s second release for Calvin Johnson’s K imprint, the Chicago-by-way-of-mid-Missouri collective’s dance rock is as inscrutable (and occasionally catchy!) as ever. Austin L. Ray

Mark Olson – Many Colored Kite [Ryko Records, July 27]
Paste review (8.1/10) excerpt: “What’s most striking here is a feeling of renewal. Even if his simple brand of folksy Americana is occasionally sleepy, his craft is impeccable. But the album’s true power lies in his thoughtful songwriting.” Jeremy Medina

Menomena – Mines [Barsuk, July 27]
Paste review (8.5/10) excerpt: “Menomena has always taken a cut-and-paste approach to songwriting. On Mines, however, full-blown insanity finally breaks free of the straightjacket.” Christina Lee