Keeping track of all the new albums coming out in a given month is a big job, but we’re up for it: Below is a comprehensive list of the major releases you can look forward to in May. If you’re not trying to potentially miss out on anything, it might be a good idea to keep reading.
Friday, May 4
- Belly, DOVE (The Orchard Records)
- Benjamin Lazar Davis, Nothing Matters (11A Records)
- Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Songs In the Key of Funk (Bolden Boys)
- Birds Of Chicago, Love In Wartime (Signature Sounds Recordings)
- Black Moth Super Rainbow, Panic Blooms (Rad Cult)
- BlocBoy JB, SIMI (Self-released)
- Brian Eno, Music For Installations (Astralwerks)
- Cuco, Chiquito EP (Self-released)
- Cut Worms, Hollow Ground (Jagjaguwar)
- Dada Life, Our Nation (So Much Dada)
- Damien Jurado, The Horizon Just Laughed (Secretly Canadian)
- Daniel Blumberg, Minus (Mute)
- D.O.A., Fight Back (Sudden Death Records)
- DJ Koze, Knock Knock (Pampa)
- Drake White, Pieces (BMLG Records)
- Eleanor Friedberger, Rebound (Frenchkiss Records)
- Erik Dylan, Baseball On The Moon (Iddy Biddy OKC)
- Eternal Summers, Every Day It Feels I’m Dying… (Nevado Records)
- FAN (Meric Long of The Dodos), Barton’s Den (Polyvinyl)
- Frank Turner, Be More Kind (Polydor Records)
- Gaz Coombes (of Supergrass), World’s Strongest Man (Caroline)
- Granville Automatic, Radio Hymns (Rock Ridge Music)
- The Glitch Mob, See Without Eyes (Glass Air)
- The Goldberg Sisters, HOME: A Nice Place To Visit (apologymusic)
- Harry Permezel, Wax Man (Muscle Beach Records)
- High Sunn, Missed Connections (PNKSLM)
- Horse Feathers, Appreciation (Kill Rock Stars)
- Iceage, Beyondless (Matador)
- Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders, Blue Poles (Terrible Records)
- Jessica Risker, I See You Among The Stars (Western Vinyl)
- Johnny Yukon, Installation I (Atlantic)
- JOHNNYSWIM and Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, Goodbye Road (Goodbye Road)
- Jon Hopkins, Singularity (Domino)
- Lake Street Dive, Free Yourself Up (Nonesuch)
- Leftover Salmon, Something Higher (Soundly Music, LLC)
- Leon Bridges, Good Thing (Columbia Records)
- Mat Kearney, CRAZYTALK (Tomorrow Music)
- Mating Ritual, Light Myself On Fire (Smooth Jaws)
- Matt & Kim, Almost Everyday (Fader Label)
- Middle Kids, Lost Friends (Domino)
- Mount Kimbie, Love What Survives Remixes Part 1 (Warp)
- Parker Millsap, Other Arrangements (OKRAHOMA RECORDS)
- Parkway Drive, Reverence (Epitaph Records)
- Peace, Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll (Ignition Records Ltd)
- Rachel Sage, Myopia (MPress Records)
- Rae Sremmurd, SR3MM (EarDrummers Entertainment)
- Reuben and the Darks, Arms Of A Dream (Arts & Crafts)
- RF Shannon, Trickster Blues (Cosmic Dreamer Music)
- Royce Da 5’9″, Book Of Ryan (Entertainment One Music)
- Shakey Graves, Can’t Wake Up (Dualtone Music Group, Inc.)
- Shinedown, Attention Attention (Atlantic Records)
- Shonen Knife, Alive! In Osaka (Valve Records)
- Skating Polly, The Make It All Show (El Cami)
- Slim Jxmmi, Jxmtroduction (EarDrummers Entertainment)
- Styles P (of The Lox), G-Host (D-Block Records)
- Sugar Candy Mountain, Do Right (People In A Position To Know)
- Swae Lee, Swaecation (EarDrummers Entertainment)
- Trampled By Turtles, Life Is Good On The Open Road (Banjodad Records)
- Traveller (Robert Ellis, Cory Chisel, and Jonny Fritz), Western Movies (The Refuge)
- Venetian Snares And Daniel Lanois, Venetian Snares And Daniel Lanois (Mutesong)
- Vive La Void (Sanae Yamada of Moon Duo), Vive La Void (Sacred Bones Records)
- When Saints Go Machine, It’s A Mad Love EP (Kartel Music Group)
- WOLVHAMMER, The Monuments Of Ash & Bone (Blood Music)
- Yonatan Gat, Universalists (Joyful Noise Recordings)
Friday, May 11
- Aborted Fetus, The Ancient Spirits Of Decay (Comatose Music)
- Adam Sanders, Adam Sanders (Big Yellow Dog Music)
- Aïsha Devi – DNA Feelings (Houndstooth)
- Arctic Monkeys, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (Domino)
- Ashley Campbell, The Lonely One (Whistle Stop Records)
- Bad Wolves, Disobey (Eleven Seven Music)
- Beach House, 7 (Sub Pop)
- Beatrice Deer, My All To You (Self-released)
- Benjamin Jaffe, Oh, Wild Ocean of Love (Diamond Family Records)
- Bladee, Red Light (YEAR0001)
- The Body, I Have Fought Against It, But I Can’t Any Longer (Thrill Jockey)
- Boys, Rest In Peace (PNKSLM Recordings)
- Brent Cobb, Providence Canyon (Low Country Sound/Elektra)
- Charlie Puth, Voicenotes (Artist Partner)
- Fascinator, Water Sign (Spinning Top Records)
- Gold Connections, Popular Fiction (EggHunt Records)
- Haleek Maul, In Permanence EP (Lex Records)
- Hit Bargain (featuring members of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Cold Beat, North Highlands and Beach Fossils), Potential Maximizer (Buzz Records)
- Jean-Michel Blais, Dans Ma Main (Arts & Crafts)
- Jeff Ament (of Pearl Jam), Heaven/Hell (Monkeywrench Records)
- Jess Williamson, Cosmic Wink (Mexican Summer)
- John Mellencamp, Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre (Eagle Records)
- La Luz, Floating Features (Sub Pop)
- Las Rosas, Shadow By Your Side (Greenway Records)
- Loreena McKennitt, Lost Souls (Quinlan Road)
- Luke Winslow-King, Blue Mesa (Bloodshot Records)
- The Magic Numbers, Outsiders (S-Music)
- Marian Hill, Unusual (Photo Finish Records)
- Mark Kozelek, Mark Kozelek (Caldo Verde Records)
- Marmalakes, Please Don’t Stop (ATHRecords)
- Mount Kimbie, Love What Survives Remixes Part 2 (Warp)
- Red Hare, Little Acts of Destruction (Dischord/Hellfire)
- Ry Cooder, The Prodigal Son (Caroline Distribution)
- Sarah Louise, Deeper Woods (Thrill Jockey)
- Sarah Mary Chadwick, Sugar Still Melts In The Rain (Sinderlyn)
- The Sea and the Cake, Any Day (Thrill Jockey)
- Sean McGowan, Son Of The Smith (Xtra Mile Recordings)
- Sevendust, All I See Is War (Rise Records)
- Simian Mobile Disco, Murmurations (Wichita Recordings)
- Skinless, Savagery (Relapse Records)
- SSION, O (DERO Arcade)
- Strung Out, Black Out The Sky EP (Fat Wreck Chords)
- Tee Grizzley, Activated (300 Entertainment)
- Wajatta (John Tejada and Reggie Watts), Casual High Technology (Comedy Dynamics)
- Yours Are The Only Ears, Knock Hard (Team Love Records)
Friday, May 18
- A. Wesley Chung, Neon Coast (LP Records)
- Ash, Islands (Infectious Music)
- Bad Wolves, Disobey (Eleven Seven Music)
- Barry Walker, Diaspora Urkontinent (Driftless Recordings)
- Big Ups, Two Parts Together (Exploding In Sound Records)
- Bombino, Deran (Partisan Records)
- Brad Mehldau Trio, Seymour Reads The Constitution! (Nonesuch Record)
- Buck Meek (of Big Thief), Buck Meek (Keeled Scales)
- Burn the Priest (Lamb of God), Legion: XX (Nuclear Blast)
- Charles Watson (of Slow Club), Now That I’m A River (Moshi Moshi Records)
- Clarence Bucaro, Passionate Kind (Clarence Bucaro Music)
- Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel (Mom+Pop/Marathon Artists/Milk! Records)
- The Dead Tongues, Unsung Passage (Psychic Hotline)
- Family of the Year, Goodbye Sunshine, Hello Nighttime (Reprise Records)
- Fatoumata Diawara, Fenfo (Something To Say) (Shanachie Records)
- Five Finger Death Punch, And Justice For None (Eleven Seven Music)
- Forest Swords, DJ-Kicks (!K7 Records)
- Frog Eyes, Violent Psalms (Paper Bag Records)
- The Front Bottoms, Ann EP (Fueled by Ramen)
- GAS, Rausch (Kompakt)
- Harrison Lipton, Loveliness (Yellow K Records)
- James Bay, Electric Light (Universal Records)
- Jennifer Castle, Angels Of Death (Paradise of Bachelors)
- Joe Bonamassa, British Blues Explosion Live! (J&R Adventures)
- John Maus, Addendum (Ribbon Music)
- Kelly Willis, Back Being Blue (PREMIUM Records)
- Kevlar, Aftermath EP (intheclouds)
- KYLE, Light of Mine (independently popular.)
- Low Cut Connie, Dirty Pictures (Part 2) (Contender Records)
- Mamas Gun, Golden Days (Love Da Records)
- Mary Lattimore, Hundreds Of Days (Ghostly International)
- Matt Costa, Santa Rosa Fangs (Dangerbird Records)
- Matthew Sweet, Tomorrow’s Daughter (Honeycomb Hideout)
- MC Paul Barman, (((echo chamber))) (Mello Music Group)
- Michael Rault, It’s A New Day Tonight (Daptone Records)
- Nellie McKay, Sister Orchid (Palmetto+)
- Nihil Eyes, Black Path (Self-released)
- Now, Now, Saved (LAB Records)
- Overkill, Live In Overhausen (Nuclear Blast)
- Parquet Courts, Wide Awake! (Rough Trade)
- Patrick Paige (of The Internet), Letters Of Irrelevance (Patrick Paige 29 LLC/EMPIRE)
- Pema (Alex Cohen of Alex Napping), Bad Habits (Topshelf Records)
- Postdata (Paul Murphy of Wintersleep), Let’s Be Wilderness (Paper Bag Records)
- The Presets, HI VIZ (Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd.)
- Quiet Slang (Beach Slang’s James Alex), Everything Matters But No One Is Listening (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
- The Ramona Flowers, Strangers (Distiller Records)
- Ray LaMontagne, Part Of The Light (RCA Records)
- Ric Wilson, BANBA EP (Innovative Leisure)
- Ryley Walker, Deafman Glance (Dead Oceans)
- Sarah Mary Chadwick, Sugar Still Melts In The Rain (Sinderlyn)
- Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Are YOU One of Jay’s Kids? (Manifesto Records)
- The Sidekicks, Happiness Hours (Epitaph Records)
- Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Sparkle Hard (Matador Records)
- Trent Harmon, You Got ‘Em All (Big Machine Records)
- TT (Theresa Wayman of Warpaint), LoveLaws (LoveLeaks)
- Wax Chattels, Wax Chattels (Captured Tracks)
- Wax Idols, Happy Ending (Etruscan Gold)
- West Thebarton, Different Beings Being Different (Domestic La La)
- Wussy, What Heaven Is Like (Damnably)
- Xavier Dunn, Isic Tutor EP (1825 Records)
- Ziggy Marley, Rebellion Rises (Sony Music Latin)
Friday, May 25
- Actress x London Contemporary Orchestra, LAGEOS (Ninja Tune)
- Aisha Burns, Argonauta (Western Vinyl)
- Andrew Duhon, False River (Self-released)
- Ari Roar, Calm Down (Bella Union)
- Bernice, Puff LP: In The Air Without A Shape (Arts & Crafts)
- Bleeding Through, Love Will Kill All (Nuclear Blast)
- Biffy Clyro, MTV Unplugged: Live At Roundhouse London (Warner Bros. Records)
- Chad Valley, Imaginary Music (Paper Bag Records)
- Chvrches, Love Is Dead (Glassnote Records)
- Dear Nora, Skull Example (Orindal Records)
- Del McCoury Band, Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass (McCoury Music)
- The Flaming Lips, Seeing The Unseeable: The Complete Studio Recordings of The Flaming Lips: 1986-1990 (Warner Bros. Records)
- Halo Maud, Je Suis Une île (Heavenly)
- The Hands Free, The Hands Free (New Amsterdam Records)
- Hatchie, Sugar & Spice EP (Heavenly)
- Hilary Williams, My Lucky Scars (Broken Angel Music (BMI))
- Hoobastank, Push Pull (Napalm Records)
- Inner Tongues, Favours (Mount Silver Records)
- Jenny Hval, The Long Sleep EP (Sacred Bones Records)
- Jo Passed, Their Prime (Sub Pop)
- Jonathan Davis (of Korn), Black Labyrinth (Sumerian Records)
- Kaada, Closing Statements (Mirakel)
- Lamont Dozier, Reimagination (V2 Records Benelux)
- Lena Stone, Lena Stone (Self-released)
- Lindi Ortega, Liberty (Shadowbox Music)
- Michael Vallera, All Perfect Days (Boomkat)
- Peach Kelli Pop, Gentle Leader (Mint)
- Ruler, Winning Star Champion (Barsuk Records)
- Shy Layers, Midnight Marker (Beats in Space Records)
- Snow Patrol, Wildness (Polydor Records)
- Sudan Archives, Sink EP (Stones Throw)
- Thunderpussy, Thunderpussy (Republic Records)
- Tracyanne Campbell (of Camera Obscura) and Danny Coughlan (of Crybaby), Tracyanne & Danny (Merge Records)
- The Travelin’ McCourys, The Travelin’ McCourys (McCoury Music)
- Wand, Perfume EP (Drag City)
- Weezer, The Black Album (Atlantic Records)
- Wilderado, Favors EP (National Anthem)
- Wooden Shjips, V (Thrill Jockey Records)
- Wound Collector, Eternal Bloodcult (Profane Records)
