Boduf Songs – Stench of Exist (Singer/Songwriter)

Despite the whisper-quiet approach that dominates Stench of Exist’s runtime, Mat Sweet’s latest output as Boduf Songs is absolutely suffocating. Sweet’s experimentation comes across as a synthesis of Mogwai and Nine Inch Nails’ ambient output, and with only a disheartened murmur and minimalist instrumentation, he imposes a suffocating atmosphere upon the listener.

Death Grips – Jenny Death (Industrial Hip-Hop)

Self-described as a “Conceptual art exhibition anchored by sound and vision,” Death Grips has become renowned as much for their boundary pushing industrial hip-hop as they have for their ludicrous, industry defiling antics (using a picture of a phallus as an album cover, releasing music without any notice to their fans or their label, not showing up to concerts, etc.). Jenny Death, the second half of their supposed double-album swansong The Powers That B, will surely be another interesting addition to their discography (that is, if they decide to release it on time).

Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear (Psychedelic Folk Rock)

Well known for contributing to the Fleet Foxes’ acclaimed experimental folk album Helplessness Blues, J. Tillman has currently been working under the name Father John Misty since parting ways with his former bandmates. Tillman continues in the Fleet Foxes’ tradition of taking the best elements of folk music and stretching them to their farthest progressive extremes.

John Carpenter – Lost Themes (Progressive Electronic)

Responsible for both directing and scoring such acclaimed horror films as Halloween, The Fog and The Thing, John Carpenter has simultaneously left an imprint on the world of music. Lost Themes, Carpenter’s first non-soundtrack album, feels as though it yearns for a film to accent with its chilling sonic themes.

Mount Eerie – Sauna (Ambient Drone)

With a lo-fi take on everything from folk to black metal to hardcore punk, Phil Elverum has proved his eclectic talents under the Mount Eerie name. With Sauna, Elverum tries his hand at drone music, producing beautifully simple ambient soundscapes that still retain his signature songwriting style.