Traditionally the month of revision, exams and deadlines, sitting inside musty airless libraries dreaming of pints while the sun emerges outside the window, May is a frustrating time for students. TSP feels your existential pain.

Furthermore, there was the horrifying turn of events in Manchester when a terrorist detonated a homemade bomb in the foyer of the MEN Arena as the crowd, mainly consisting of kids, teenagers and families, were leaving Ariana Grande’s gig earlier this month. The world of music is understandably in mourning, but several pop superstars have joined together for a huge benefit gig at the Old Trafford cricket ground on June 4th (tickets HERE).

However, the indie scene has also offered us a pretty interesting summer ahead, on top of the usual festivals and outdoor events.

The main theme of the month seemed to be major North American indie acts announcing new music. HAIM, after an excruciating wait of very nearly four years since their exceptional debut Days Are Gone, finally dropped a new track; The National will be returning in September after a similar wait; and Grizzly Bear announced their fifth album Painted Ruins will be out in August, half a decade after 2012’s Shields. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, one of colourful indie acts of the noughties, are also returning.

Most excitingly of all (well, for the editor at least…) LCD Soundsystem finally dropped some new music, revealing two new tracks in the shape of ‘Call The Police’ and ‘American Dream’, ahead of their much-anticipated fourth studio album that’s due by the end of the year.

David Lynch’s legendary cult TV show ‘Twin Peaks’ also returned after a 26-year hiatus, and to mark its epochal Angelo Badalamenti soundtrack, production wizkid Flying Lotus remixed the theme tune and did some extremely interesting things to it…

British rock titans Muse seemed to hint at more music with a brand spanking new track ‘Dig Down’, although singer Matt Bellamy suggested a few days later that it would be prefacing an upcoming rarities collection dating from around the time of their first two albums, 1999’s Showbiz and 2001’s Origin Of Symmetry. Mogwai’s ninth album Every Country’s Sun will be out in September, while shadowy dubstep maestro Burial dropped a sudden new EP ‘Subtemple’ / ‘Beachfires’.

Lastly, there’s a track from TSP’s Album of the Month for May, which is Indiana producer Jlin‘s exceptional and idiosyncratic second album Black Origami.

Whatever your poison, you can listen to our selection of all the best new music released in May 2017 here via a Spotify playlist!

Happy listening!