Hey folks! Since summer can be a slow time for new releases, we thought we’d take a brief time-out to remind you of some of our favorite records from 2013 so far. In no particular order, here are a few MadCity staff favorites you may have missed.

Sweet Talk “Pickup Lines”

We might be kinda suckers for good power-pop/garage-revival stuff here at MadCity, but you really can’t blame us after hearing this Austin outfit’s punchy rhythms and shiny hooks. Plus, the inner sleeve with the LP has a picture where one band member is wearing an Iron Maiden T-shirt and another is wearing a Gentleman Jesse T-shirt. Clearly, this is a group you can trust.

Handsome Family “Wilderness”

The ever-intriguing folk duo return with a set of songs focused on the natural world, plus a tune inspired by Wisconsin’s own famous window smasher, Mary Sweeney. They’re playing at the High Noon Saloon on July 20!

And now, new releases for July 2!

…

Mavis Staples “One True Vine”

Big Star “Nothing Can Hurt Me” (soundtrack)

Booker T. “Sound The Alarm”

India.Arie “Songveration”

All Tiny Creatures “Dark Clock”

Dessa “Parts Of Speech”

Transplants “In A Warzone”

De La Soul “3 Feet High And Rising” (Vinyl Reissue)

Baths “Obsidian”

Femi Kuti “No Place For My Dream”

David Y0w “Tonight You Look Like A Spider”

Various Artists “Sing Me The Songs: Celebrating The Works Of Kate McGarrigle” (2 CD Set)

Chuck Prophet “Let Freedom Ring”

John Prine “The Missing Years”

Lightning Dust “Fantasy”

Smith Westerns “Soft Will”

Sigur Ros “Kveikur”

Quasimoto “Yessir Whatever”

Kanye West “Yeezus”

Lemuria “The Distance Is So Big”

Camera Obscura “Desire Lines”

Delbert McClinton And Glen Clark “Blind, Crippled And Crazy”

Zomby “With Love”

Patricia Barber “Premonition Years 1994-2002: Originals”

Lurrie Bell “Blues In My Soul”

Donna The Buffalo “Tonight Tomorrow And Yesterday”

Eddie Spaghetti “Value Of Nothing”

Empire Of The Sun “Ice On The Dune”

Bill Frisell “Big Sur”

High On Fire “Spitting Fire Live, Vols. 1 and 2”

Bill Kirchen “Seeds And Stems”

No Means No “Wrong” (Splatter Vinyl Reissue)

Primal Scream “More Light”

Valient Thorr “Our Own Masters”

Frank Zappa “Freak Out,” “Over-Nite Sensation” (Vinyl Reissues)

Gold Panda “Half Of Where You Live”

Paul Metzger “Tombeaux”

Boards Of Canada “Tomorrow’s Harvest”

Black Sabbath “13”

Deafheaven “Sunbather”

John Vanderslice “Dagger Beach”

Sonny And The Sunsets “Antenna To The Afterworld”

Spinal Tap “This Is Spinal Tap” Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Vinyl Reissue)

Surfer Blood “Pythons”

The Goo Goo Dolls “Magnetic”

Mick Harvey “Four (Acts Of Love)”

The Lonely Island “Wack Album”

Jimmy Eat World “Damage”

Blackmore’s Night “Dancer And The Moon”

CSS “Planta”

Jason Isbell “Southeastern”

Bob Schneider “Burden Of Proof”

White Mandingos “The Ghetto Is Tryna Kill Me”

Duke Ellington “Duke At Fargo 1940”

Queens Of The Stone Age “…Like Clockwork”

Future Bible Heroes “Memories Of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing” (Complete Collection)

Albert King “Roadhouse Blues”

Melissa Ferrick “Truth Is”

Portugal. The Man “Evil Friends”

Rogue Wave “Nightingale Floors”

Sigur Ros “Hvarf Heim” (Reissue)

The Knife “Deep Cuts”

Filter “Sun Comes Out Tonight”

Barenaked Ladies “Grinning Streak”

Dave Davies “Will Be Me”

Eleanor Friedberger “Personal Record”

Megadeth “Super Collider”