Barnes & Noble Presents Album of the Month Selections for April 2024

New York, NY – April 4, 2024 – Barnes & Noble announces its April selections for Albums of the Month. The B&N Albums of the Month program features four categories: Artist to Watch, Blues Monthly Pick, Classic Indie Monthly Pick and Rock Monthly Pick. Booksellers consider albums from brand-new to decades-old during the selection process to ultimately feature four discs that showcase varied genres and appeal to myriad tastes.

This month’s Artist to Watch is the musical trio Khruangbin for their fifth studio album, A La Sala. Drawing inspiration from dub, soul, rock and more, Khruangbin is a band that defies labels and boundaries, embodying a style all their own.

“Khruangbin’s 2020 album, Mordechai, helped put the psychedelic rock trio on the map with their upbeat party tunes,” said Crissi Bariatti, Senior Merchandise Manager of Music. “With their new album, A La Sala, the band beautifully shows their laid-back side, with world music-tinged trip-hop that is reminiscent of Morcheeba or Thievery Corporation. The perfect album heading into warmer weather, A La Sala transports you to a tropical beachside, umbrella cocktail in hand.  This is just the album you will want to spin when you want to chill out at the end of a long day.”

For the Blues Monthly Pick, Barnes & Noble booksellers chose Gary Clark Jr.’s JPEG RAW. Clark Jr.’s sixth album continues to successfully merge his combination of soul, blues, rock and hip-hop.

“Already known as a blues guitar legend to many, multi-Grammy winning artist Gary Clark Jr. shows off his lyrical prowess in his new album, JEPG RAW,” said Bill Castle, Director of Merchandise for Music & Video. “Deeply personal and socially conscious, Clark Jr.’s lyrics showcase his authentic and outspoken nature. Musically, while retaining his blues roots, Clark this time adds flourishes of jazz, world music, rock, rap, and even spoken word to create a fresh new sound unlike anything you have heard before.”

The Classic Indie Monthly Pick goes to Vampire Weekend’s eponymous album, Vampire Weekend, which launched the band into the public eye with their catchy hits in 2008.

“Bursting onto the scene with the track ‘Oxford Comma’, Vampire Weekend took the music world by storm in 2008 with their self-titled first album,” said Tina Mong, Commercial Strategy Manager for Media. “Each track is a blend of catchy pop, synth, and world music along with cleverly crafted lyrics that make you want to get up, dance, and sing along at the top of your lungs.  Landing itself on Pitchforks’ ‘Top 200 Albums of the 2000s’ and Rolling Stone’s ‘500 Great Album of All-Time’ lists, Vampire Weekend is an album you will want to listen to again and again.”

Lastly, the Rock Monthly Pick goes to Is This It? by The Strokes. Formed in 1998, The Strokes took home the Grammy for the Best Rock Album of 2020 with The New Abnormal and continue to be a staple on the indie rock scene.

“Garnering tons of buzz before it was even released in 2001, the debut album by The Strokes lives up to its hype,” said Bariatti. “80’s punk influenced, each track on Is This It? packs a punch with short bursts of infectious energy and irresistible hooks. Reminiscent of early Lou Reed, frontman Julian Casablancas brings the swagger as he howls, coos, and invites you to join him on his next adventure. Is This It? encapsulates the NYC music scene in the 2000s.”

Barnes & Noble is enthusiastic about celebrating the wide world of music, and the Albums of the Month selections are the newest way to enjoy the past and present of the music scene. Previous Barnes & Noble Albums of the Month selections have included: Tidal, by Fiona Apple, Little Girl Blue by Nina Simone, Master of Puppets by Metallica, and What Now by Brittany Howard.