I didn't have an update last week because I feel like we're in a little bit of a lull, new-release wise. I suspect there are some big albums that will come out later this year, but we'll have to slog through some quiet weeks as summer draws to a close. That said, there were a things that caught my attention this week.

Above is the new Deftones single. It sounds like a Deftones single. But hey, that's not a bad thing. They've come a long way since I saw them in a McDonald's parking lot. 

The new Blackbraid album dropped today. As a buddy of mine said this morning, it's not a huge evolution of their sound but feels a bit tighter. I concur. I like Blackbraid more in concept than reality, but I'll be giving this one a few more listens to see if it grows on me.

Those two are new today, but we'll close with one that's new to me. The punk band Motorbike ​put out their second album earlier this year, and it's a lot of fun. I would probably call it heavy indie rock rather than punk - it reminds me a lot of early aughts bands like The Hives. Regardless of how you classify it, it's a good time and I have a sneaking suspicion that a vinyl copy will wind up in my collection eventually. Spare a few minutes and give the whole album a spin.