What autumnal albums have we got to help ease us into dark nights and colder weather now October’s here? Here’s 28 records we’re looking forward to this month, from Caribou to the mighty Johnny Marr…
1Caribou – ‘Our Love’. Released: October 6.
Caribou – ‘Our Love’. Released: October 6. Dan Snaith puts his Daphni moniker back in the cupboard to return to his Caribou project this month, with new album ‘Our Love’. It’s his fourth under the name and sees the 35-year-old Canadian producer ploughing through dancefloor-friendly bangers.
2Zola Jesus – ‘Taiga’. Released: October 6
Zola Jesus – ‘Taiga’. Released: October 6 Nika Roza Danilova finds her inner Rihanna on ‘Taiga’, adding new skyscraping pop moments to her dark electronic torch songs. It’s a combination that brings new life to the singer’s sound five albums in.
3Philip Selway – ‘Weatherhouse’. Released: October 6
Philip Selway – ‘Weatherhouse’. Released: October 6. As Thom Yorke dropped his surprise album via BitTorrent, his Radiohead bandmate was gearing up for a more traditional release. The drummer’s second solo record expands on the acoustic nature of his debut ‘Familial’ to create a fuller, richer sound.
4Johnny Marr – ‘Playland’. Released: October 6
Johnny Marr – ‘Playland’. Released: October 6. After last year’s debut solo album from the former Smiths guitarist, ‘The Messenger’, Marr swiftly follows things up with his second effort. ‘Playland’ takes its title from Homo Ludens, a book by Dutch historian Johan Huizinga, and continues the musician’s social commentary.
5Flying Lotus – ‘You’re Dead!’. Released: October 6.
Flying Lotus – ‘You’re Dead!’. Released: October 6. Los Angeles producer Steven Ellison has been busy of late, making music as Captain Murphy and producing parts of Kendrick Lamar’s new album. ‘You’re Dead!’ sees him return to Flying Lotus and indulging in twiddly jazz and inventive hip-hop, while roping in collaborations from Lamar and Snoop Dogg.
6Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Memories Of A Madman’. Released: October 6.
Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Memories Of A Madman’. Released: October 6. The metal legend has had a career filled with drama and controversy. On this new greatest hits collection, he collates some of the songss that have soundtracked those moments, from ‘Crazy Train’ to ‘Flying High Again’.
7Sivu – ‘Something On High’. Released: October 6.
Sivu – ‘Something On High’. Released: October 6. Cambridge singer-songwriter James Page infuses biblical references with experimentally tinged indie-pop on his soaring debut ‘Something On High’.
8Jessie Ware – ‘Tough Love’. Released: October 13.
Jessie Ware – ‘Tough Love’. Released: October 13. The Brixton singer’s debut album ‘Devotion’ saw Ware reach such levels of success that she was soon collaborating with A$AP Rocky while being nominated for the Mercury music prize. This follow-up should continue that ascent, featuring even bigger names like Miguel and Ed Sheeran.
9Gorgon City – ‘Sirens’. Released: October 6
Gorgon City – ‘Sirens’. Released: October 6. The Klaxons collaborators (the duo produced the band’s comeback single ‘There Is No Other Way’) launch their own assault on British dance music with their own album of club bangers. Expect contributions from Kieza, MNEK and Katy B.
10Wampire – ‘Bazaar’. Released: October 6
Wampire – ‘Bazaar’. Released: October 6. Portland’s Wampire, aka Rocky Tinder and Eric Phipps, made their second album after shutting themselves away in a claustrophobic space and writing as many songs as they could. The results are typically off-beat and odd, recalling the likes of Ariel Pink.
11Iceage – ‘Plowing Into The Field Of Love’. Released: October 6
Iceage – ‘Plowing Into The Field Of Love’. Released: October 6. Copenhagen’s punks returned with a surprising new sound with recent single ‘The Lord’s Favorite’ and ‘Plowing Into The Field Of Love’ sees them continue to head for new sonic ground that’s still intimidating and abrasive.
12Peaking Lights – ‘Cosmic Logic’. Released: October 6
Peaking Lights – ‘Cosmic Logic’. Released: October 6. Husband-and-wife duo Aaron Coyes and Indra Dunis return for their second LP, mixing politics with confident electronica. ‘New Grrrls’ has Dunis running through her thoughts on feminism and music, including Kim Gordon and Lydia Lunch.
13Weezer – ‘Everything Will Be Alright In The End’. Released: October 6
Weezer – ‘Everything Will Be Alright In The End’. Released: October 6. For their ninth studio album, Weezer have gone back to their roots, reuniting with The Cars’ Ric Ocasek who produced their debut album. There’s still room for surprises though – one song was co-written by The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins.
14Tinashe – ‘Aquarius’. Released: October 6
Tinashe – ‘Aquarius’. Released: October 6. ‘Aquarius’ is 21-year-old Tinashe’s debut album and an attempt to live up to the hype that surrounds her. She does so with alternative R&B atmospherics and guest spots from the likes of Schoolboy Q and Dev Hynes.
15Ex Hex – ‘Rips’. Released: October 13
Ex Hex – ‘Rips’. Released: October 13. Mary Timony, formerly of Wild Flag, took inspiration from her childhood growing up obsessed with radio for the first album from her new band, Ex Hex. While the record gleams with pop production, it’s also full of hooky Television riffs.
16Kele – ‘Trick’. Released: October 13
Kele – ‘Trick’. Released: October 13. Though the Bloc Party frontman says he wasn’t aiming to make dance music on his second solo album, ‘Trick’ is as club-ready as they come whilst still retaining Kele’s knack for personal songwriting.
17Foxygen – ‘…And Star Power’. Released: October 13
Foxygen – ‘…And Star Power’. Released: October 13. Stretched over two discs and 82 minutes, Foxygen’s comeback is as insane as you’d hope for. It might be an endurance test, but sifting through the duo’s madness will unearth some gems.
18The 2 Bears – ‘The Night Is Young’. Released: October 13
The 2 Bears – ‘The Night Is Young’. Released: October 13. Raf Daddy and Joe Goddard zip up their bear suits once more for the successor to 2012’s ‘Be Strong’, reigniting the tongue-in-cheek house that characterized that debut.
19Julian Casablancas + The Voidz – ‘Tyranny’. Released: October 13
Julian Casablancas + The Voidz – ‘Tyranny’. Released: October 13. Instead of coming back with ‘Phrazes For The Young’ part two or something that could slot into The Strokes’ back catalogue, Julian Casablancas has veered spectacularly off piste. If you think you know what the inside of the New Yorker’s head sounds like, this album will prove you wrong.
20Thurston Moore – ‘The Best Day’. Released: October 20
Thurston Moore – ‘The Best Day’. Released: October 20. The former Sonic Youth man is readying his first solo album since 2010’s ‘Demolished Thoughts’, recorded with his current band, featuring members of his old group and My Bloody Valentine. On it, he tackles activism and authority
21New Build – ‘Pour It On’. Released: October 20
New Build – ‘Pour It On’. Released: October 20. Hot Chip’s Al Doyle and Felix Martin wear their love for new-age folk, sci-fi and techno on their sleeves on their new record as New Build. They take those influences and pour them into their own inimitable style of dance music.
22The Coral – ‘The Curse Of Love’. Released: October 20
The Coral – ‘The Curse Of Love’. Released: October 20. ‘The Curse Of Love’ might be The Coral’s first album since 2010’s ‘Butterfly House’ but it’s not clear if it’s the beginning of a full-blown comeback as yet. The record features 12 previously unreleased tracks, recorded in 2006.
23Scott Walker & Sunn O))) – ‘Soused’. Released: October 20
Scott Walker & Sunn O))) – ‘Soused’. Released: October 20. In a completely unexpected collision of worlds, avant-garde US musician Scott Walker and drone metallers Sunn O))) have worked together on this new record. Expect an uncompromising listen.
24Ultimate Painting – ‘Ultimate Painting’. Released: October 27
Ultimate Painting – ‘Ultimate Painting’. Released: October 27. Ultimate Painting are comprised of Jack Cooper of Mazes and Veronica Falls’ James Hoare. Together, they’ve made a record of spiky, psych-tinged guitar triumphs.
25Run The Jewels – ‘RTJ2’. Released: October 27
Run The Jewels – ‘RTJ2’. Released: October 27. Killer Mike and El-P join forces once again on their second collaborative album. The former has already declared it will be “the best hip-hop album to drop this year” so expect big things.
26Ought – ‘Once More With Feeling EP’. Released: October 27
Ought – ‘Once More With Feeling EP’. Released: October 27. Montreal post-punks impressed with their debut album ‘More Than Any Other Day’ earlier this year. Now they’re following it with a new 24-minute, four-track EP that sees them moving on their sound to something more developed.
27Mark Lanegan Band – ‘Phantom Radio’. Released: October 20
Mark Lanegan Band – ‘Phantom Radio’. Released: October 20. The Screaming Trees man and frequent QOTSA collaborator wrote most of his new album on an app called Funk Box. It’s taken his music into unexpected territories, mining gospel and blues rather than disco grooves.
28These New Puritans – ‘Expanded’. Released: October 20
These New Puritans – ‘Expanded’. Released: October 20. Recorded at the Barbican earlier this year, These New Puritans frontman Jack Barnett has described this live album as being as definitive as the studio version of 2013’s ‘Field Of Reeds’. The record also includes a new track, ‘Spitting Stars’.