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First Listen Enjoy select, upcoming albums, in their entirety.
First Listen

First Listen

Hear upcoming albums in their entirety

Sunday

First Listen: Moderat, 'II'

Moderat's new album, II, comes out August 6. Olaf Heine/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Olaf Heine/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Moderat, 'II'

In their second collaboration, dance music duo Modeselektor and electronic producer Apparat make dramatic sounds for the mind and the body.

Moderat, 'II'

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First Listen: Derrick Hodge, 'Live Today'

Derrick Hodge's new album Live Today comes out Aug. 6. Chris Baldwin/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Chris Baldwin/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Derrick Hodge, 'Live Today'

WBGO

The Philadelphia area native grew up, quite literally, around jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller and DJ Jazzy Jeff, R&B singer Jill Scott and the Tribbett family of gospel singers. Now the bassist for Maxwell and Robert Glasper has filled his eclectic debut LP with all that history.

Derrick Hodge, 'Live Today'

First Listen: Pond, 'Hobo Rocket'

Pond's new album, Hobo Rocket, comes out August 6. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Pond, 'Hobo Rocket'

At Pond's core lie the meandering psychedelic adventures of early bands like Can, whose roots can be traced directly to The Velvet Underground's minimalism and drone. But, at the same time, Pond wouldn't attract the mainstream attention it has without its unforgettably blistering pop jams.

Pond, 'Hobo Rocket'

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First Listen: Sam Phillips, 'Push Any Button'

Sam Phillips' new album, Push Any Button, comes out August 6. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Sam Phillips, 'Push Any Button'

Packing 10 songs into just 29 minutes, Push Any Button was inspired by the pop music of the late '60s — and, thematically speaking, by the idea of viewing the present through the prism of the past.

Sam Phillips, 'Push Any Button'

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Sunday

First Listen: Ebony Bones, 'Behold, A Pale Horse'

Ebony Bones' new album, Behold, A Pale Horse, comes out August 5. Tim Bret-Day/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Tim Bret-Day/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Ebony Bones, 'Behold, A Pale Horse'

The British songwriter and producer is a bold, explosive performer who's unafraid to take creative risks. Her frenetic mix of soul, art-pop, rock and punk feels immediate and rootless; it could soundtrack any cityscape around the world.

Ebony Bones, 'Behold, A Pale Horse'

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First Listen: Timo Andres And The Metropolis Ensemble, 'Home Stretch'

Timo Andres' new album, Home Stretch, comes out July 30. Tim Cragg/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Tim Cragg/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Timo Andres And The Metropolis Ensemble, 'Home Stretch'

The composer and pianist weaves together the DNA of Mozart, Charles Ives and Brian Eno. The results provide thought-provoking glimpses into how the past and the present merge in classical music today.

Timo Andres And The Metropolis Ensemble, 'Home Stretch'

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Monday

Sunday

First Listen: Weekend, 'Jinx'

Weekend's new album, Jinx, comes out July 23. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Weekend, 'Jinx'

Weekend synthesizes countless waves of '80s and '90s college radio into a single buzzy rumble. At times, Jinx calls to mind My Bloody Valentine and Psychedelic Furs simultaneously, thanks to its mix of shoegazy guitar swirl and pretty, ringing gloom.

Weekend, 'Jinx'

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First Listen: 'Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros'

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros' new, self-titled album comes out July 23. Nora Kirkpatrick/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Nora Kirkpatrick/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: 'Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros'

On its third album, the band conveys joy amid massively unselfconscious celebrations of community and optimism. Throughout, singer Alex Ebert mixes mission-statement anthems with more hard-bitten tracks in which happiness goes hand-in-hand with the real-world struggles that make music meaningful.

'Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros'

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Sunday

First Listen: Mayer Hawthorne, 'Where Does This Door Go'

Mayer Hawthorne's new album, Where Does This Door Go, comes out July 16. Jeremy Deputat/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jeremy Deputat/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Mayer Hawthorne, 'Where Does This Door Go'

In the course of three studio albums, Hawthorne has transformed himself from underground indie-soul curiosity to imminent star. Hawthorne has long been a student of the music that precedes him, with skills as a composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist that take him well beyond mimicry.

Mayer Hawthorne, 'Where Does This Door Go'

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First Listen: Chris Schlarb, 'Psychic Temple II'

Chris Schlarb's new album, Psychic Temple II, comes out July 16. Ian Souter/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ian Souter/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Chris Schlarb, 'Psychic Temple II'

With cues from pop eccentrics like Frank Zappa and Robert Wyatt, Psychic Temple II crosses genres, continuously seeks new worlds and is often unnerving in its shambling beauty. Sufjan Stevens, Cynic's Paul Masvidal and many more contribute.

Chris Schlarb, 'Psychic Temple II'

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First Listen: Andrew Cedermark, 'Home Life'

Andrew Cedermark's new album, Home Life, comes out July 16. Carianne King/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Carianne King/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Andrew Cedermark, 'Home Life'

Home Life isn't uplifting, but it amply demonstrates the former Titus Andronicus guitarist's capacity to both bum out and stun. Throughout the album, Cedermark plants his warble like land mines under layers of guitars that billow and rumble, Crazy Horse-style.

Andrew Cedermark, 'Home Life'

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Sunday

First Listen: Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 'That's It!'

Preservation Hall Jazz Band's new album, That's It!, comes out July 9. Shannon Brinkman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Shannon Brinkman/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 'That's It!'

The jazz masters' first album of entirely original material pushes music lovers to dance. At its heart, That's It! is a memory trick, managing to sound both familiar and fresh. But this is more than a live performance by a hot band.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 'That's It!'

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First Listen: Maps, 'Vicissitude'

Maps' new album, Vicissitude, comes out July 9. Erika Wall/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Erika Wall/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Maps, 'Vicissitude'

James Chapman's charming songs sound fizzy and bright throughout Vicissitude, Maps' third album, but they also convey his thoughtful reflections on transition and doubt.

Maps, 'Vicissitude'

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First Listen: Speedy Ortiz, 'Major Arcana'

Speedy Ortiz's new album, Major Arcana, comes out July 9. Shawn Brackbill/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Shawn Brackbill/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen: Speedy Ortiz, 'Major Arcana'

Sadie Dupuis writes lyrics that should be scrawled on notebooks and bathroom walls by every disaffected high-school kid, right before the inevitable trip to the counselor's office. Her solo-moniker-turned-band is like a gummy double-helix, twisting sweet-and-sour words around contorted, '90s-inspired indie-rock.

Speedy Ortiz, 'Major Arcana'

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