New Music Friday: Our Top 7 Albums For August 9

(NOTE: This week's episode was recorded before Bon Iver announced the digital release, three weeks ahead of schedule, of its lovely new album i,i.)

We're about to hit fall's back-to-school onslaught of music releases, but even in early August, it's hard to keep up with all the great new stuff. The Regrettes' Lydia Night presides over a potent concept album in How Do You Love?; half•alive throws us a slick slice of summertime fun on No, Not Yet; Fionn Regan gives us a meditative balm with Cala; and Murs and 9th Wonder let us relive high-school English with The Illiad Is Dead and the Odyssey Is Over. Rounding out this week's list are Marika Hackman's delightfully candid Any Human Friend, Ra Ra Riot's guitar-pop return Superbloom and WHY?'s a-okay AOKOHIO. NPR Music's Lyndsey McKenna and Sidney Madden join Stephen Thompson as they discuss the best new albums out August 9.

Featured Albums:

1. The Regrettes: How Do You Love?
   Featured Song: "More Than a Month"
2. half•alive: Now, Not Yet
   Featured Song: "Maybe"
3. Fionn Regan: Cala
   Featured Song: "Collar of Fur"
4. Murs & 9th Wonder: The Iliad Is Dead and the Odyssey Is Over
   Featured Song: "The Hulk"
5. Marika Hackman: Any Human Friend
   Featured Song: "The One"
6. Ra Ra Riot: Superbloom
   Featured Song: "Endless Pain/Endless Joy"
7. WHY?: AOKOHIO
   Featured Song: "Rock Candy"

Other notable releases for August 2: Bas, Spilled Milk, Vol. 1; Electric Youth, Memory Emotion; Marc Cohn & The Blind Boys of Alabama, Work to Do; P.P. Arnold, The New Adventures of P.P. Arnold; Rick Ross, Port of Miami II; Tori Kelly, Inspired by True Events.

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