• Show Me The Body - Alone Together
• Kelela - new avatar

For this past week’s new music, I have one album from a singer (Kelela) that I fully expected to be good (spoiler, it is) and another album from a band (Show Me the Body) that surprised me in a big way. I enjoyed the last couple of Show Me the Body albums, but their latest is a serious level up in a Turnstile kind of way. Big things are in store for that band!

In terms of the Honorable Mentions, the Houndmouth and Trophy Wife albums may warrant a second chance when it comes to my end-of-year list. They are both really solid and were very close to making the featured group. I will definitely give both more time in the second half of the year. Beyond that, there is one of Jack White’s best solo albums and new ones from Twisted Teen, Suki Waterhouse, and Hew. All are very much worth your time if the references sound up your alley.

Enjoy!

Honorable Mentions

This month also had many excellent releases worth exploring. Stay tuned for more discoveries.

Lordy by Houndmouth

• 💿 Released: 10 July on Dualtone Music Group
• 🤘 FFO: Lucero, Bright Eyes, Jeff Tweedy, Mt. Joy
• 🎧 Your first song: “Tiger Blood”
• 💰 Support: Official

Pathetic by Trophy Wife

• 💿 Released: 10 July (self released)
• 🤘 FFO: lowertown, Bully, PJ Harvey
• 🎧 Your first song: “Kind of Girl I Am”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Frozen Charlotte by Jack White

• 💿 Released: 10 July on Third Man Records
• 🤘 FFO: White Stripes, Led Zeppelin
• 🎧 Your first song: “There’s Nobody There”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Florida Water Blues by Twisted Teen

• 💿 Released: 10 July on Going Underground Records
• 🤘 FFO: Sharp Pins, Greg Freeman, Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band, Friendship
• 🎧 Your first song: “Florida Water Blues”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Loveland by Suki Waterhouse

• 💿 Released: 10 July on Island
• 🤘 FFO: Lana Del Rey, Mitski, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo
• 🎧 Your first song: “Back in Love”
• 💰 Support: Official

Your Version by Hew

• 💿 Released: 10 July on Tiny Engines
• 🤘 FFO: Copper, Lemuria (two iconic Buffalo bands!), Sweet Pill
• 🎧 Your first song: “Paper Fingers”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

• mary in the junkyard - Role Model Hermit

A quick week, but a good one! Especially on the featured side of things, with mary in the junkyard’s debut album, Role Model Hermit, a stellar debut and a record that’s currently in my top 5 for the year. Well worth your time.

On the honorable mention side, we have a protest “mixtape” from Margo Price (including covers of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Charlie Daniels, and others) and two solid indie albums: a power punk/pop album from Smirk and an indie folk/pop album from Nixon Boyd. All three are worth checking out, if the mini reviews sound up your alley.

Enjoy!

Honorable Mentions

This month also had many excellent releases worth exploring. Stay tuned for more discoveries.

Days of Unrest by Margo Price

• 💿 Released: 3 July on Loma Vista
• 🤘 FFO: folk/country protest music, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan
• 🎧 Your first song: “Maggie’s Farm”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Speculative Fiction by Smirk

• 💿 Released: 3 July on Smoking Room
• 🤘 FFO: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, early Replacements, Wipers
• 🎧 Your first song: “Going Off to Die”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Every Time We Turn a Corner by Nixon Boyd

• 💿 Released: 3 July on Royal Mountain Records
• 🤘 FFO: indie pop X folk, Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Hollerado
• 🎧 Your first song: “Blindfolded”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

• Dari Bay - Surprise Wish
• Frankie Morrow - Way Out West
• Chanel Beads - Your Day Will Come

THREE featured albums for you this week!

The highlight comes from Frankie Morrow, who (from Scotland) does American folk better than many Americans. Then we have Robber Robber co-leader Zack James fronting Dari Bay with their lofi fuzzy power pop. And finally, some hazy dream pop from Chanel Beads. Decent coverge of the rock spectrum!

I’ve also got seven honorable mentions for you, ranging from well-known acts like Muse and Beth Orton, to lesser known bands like Knitting.

Hope you enjoy!

Honorable Mentions

This month also had many excellent releases worth exploring. Stay tuned for more discoveries.

The Wow! Signal by Muse

• 💿 Released: 26 June on Warner Records
• 🤘 FFO: arena rock, Foals, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Placebo, The Killers
• 🎧 Your first song: “The Dark Forest”
• 💰 Support: Official

Offering by Ibeyi

• 💿 Released: 26 June on KAINDE NAY D YA IBEYI
• 🤘 FFO: FKA Twigs, Sudan Archives, Solange, serpentwithfeet, Janelle Monae
• 🎧 Your first song: “Aset”
• 💰 Support: Official

Public Luxury by Downtown Boys

• 💿 Released: 26 June on Sub Pop Records
• 🤘 FFO: Fucked Up, Mannequin Pussy, War on Women, Priests, Sheer Mag
• 🎧 Your first song: “You’re a Ghost”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

The weathervane is my body by Truck Violence

• 💿 Released: 26 June on The Flenser
• 🤘 FFO: Chat Pile, Agriculture, Portrayal of Guilt
• 🎧 Your first song: “New Jesus”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

The Ground Above by Beth Orton

• 💿 Released: 26 June on Partisan Records
• 🤘 FFO: Cat Power, Cowboy Junkies, Aimee Mann, PJ Harvey
• 🎧 Your first song: “Cigarette Curls”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Souvenir by Knitting

• 💿 Released: 26 June on Mint Records
• 🤘 FFO: Wombo, FACS, Greg Freeman, Deeper
• 🎧 Your first song: “Sunrise”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Probably Claws by Sincere Engineer

• 💿 Released: 26 June on Hopeless Records
• 🤘 FFO: Hop Along, PUP, Real Friends, Worriers
• 🎧 Your first song: “Pilot Light”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

• Office Dog - Prime Corner
• Tierra Whack - WHACK'S MUSEUM

Compared to recent weeks, June 19 was a pretty small release day. Less albums in general, but even fewer that made the cut for the week. BUT, as always, I’ve got some new records for you to check out! Some indie rock, some hip hop, shoegaze, post punk, maybe a little jam-y alt country/folk… the variety you’ve come to expect!

For the featured albums, I’ve got Tierra Whack’s new mixtape and the sophomore album from indie rock band, Office Dog. Both have earned repeat listens from me this week, so be sure to give them a listen if you dig the reviews.

Honorable Mentions

This month also had many excellent releases worth exploring. Stay tuned for more discoveries.

Any River by Styrofoam Winos

• 💿 Released: 19 June on Dear Life Records
• 🤘 FFO: MJ Lenderman, Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band, Thomas Dollbaum, Friendship, Grateful Dead maybe?
• 🎧 Your first song: “Somebody Wants to Send You a Message”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Terrestrials by Pond

• 💿 Released: 19 June on Spinning Top Records
• 🤘 FFO: Tame Impala x Radiohead x Gang of Four
• 🎧 Your first song: “Skyworks”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Trapper’s Alley 3: Hell or High Water by Nicholas Crave and Boldy James

• 💿 Released: self released on 19 June
• 🤘 FFO: Boldy James, Freddie Gibbs, Westside Gunn, underground hip hop, East Coast hip hop
• 🎧 Your first song: “Summer’s Eve”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Hum by Swim Deep

• 💿 Released: 19 June on Submarine Cat Records
• 🤘 FFO: shoegaze x dream pop, Ride, The 1975, Beach House
• 🎧 Your first song: “Pieces of You”
• 💰 Support: Support

• Wiki - Ancient History

I am finally all caught up! It took me building a custom backend CMS for the blog to make publishing posts super easy to do it, but it’s worth the time and focus.

Anyway, the music! This week saw the release of a new album by Wiki, which I really like, so that’s the Featured Album for the week. I have it in my top 12 for the year so far.

Beyond that, I have five other albums for you to check out. I’d probably consider Olivia Rodrigo for a Featured slot, but she’s well known enough that you don’t need any words from me to tell you anything. Otherwise, there’s Piebald with their first album in almost 20 years, some dance punk from La Sécurité, some alt folk from Fruit Bats, and an ambitious baroque pop album from Kelsey Lu. It almost met my Featured criteria, but while beautiful, I am not sure it’s something I would listen to a lot.

Enjoy!

Honorable Mentions

This month also had many excellent releases worth exploring. Stay tuned for more discoveries.

you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love by Olivia Rodrigo

• 💿 Released: 12 June
• 🤘 FFO: singer-songwriter, pop
• 🎧 Your first song: “Drop Dead”
• 💰 Support: Store

So Help Me God by Kelsey Lu

• 💿 Released: 12 June on Dirty Hit
• 🤘 FFO: “Running to Pain”
• 🎧 Your first song: baroque pop, chamber folk, Jessie Ware, Jenny Hval, Kelela, Sudan Archives, serpentwithfeet, Ibeyi
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Bingo! by La Sécurité

• 💿 Released: 12 June on Mothland
• 🤘 FFO: dance punk, art punk
• 🎧 Your first song: “Snack City”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Tales for the Rages by Piebald

• 💿 Released: 12 June on Iodine Recordings
• 🤘 FFO: Saves the Day, the Get Up Kids, Jimmy Eat World, Hey Mercedes
• 🎧 Your first song: “This Thing is Old”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

The Landfill by Fruit Bats

• 💿 Released: 12 June on Merge Records
• 🤘 FFO: The Shins, Cut Worms, Bonny Doon, Pinegrove, Bonny Light Horseman
• 🎧 Your first song: “That Goddamn Sun”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

• Converge - Hum of Hurt
• Death Cab for Cutie - I Built You A Tower

Another catch-up issue! Only a week behind with this one, with two featured albums: the second new Converge album released in 2026 and Death Cab’s first album in 4 years.

Beyond that there are 8 Honorable Mentions below, with some interesting sounds from the likes of Bella White and Zoh Amba, as well as known artists like Vince Staples, Modest Mouse, Navy Blue, and of Montreal.

Lots to dig in to, so get to work! :)

Honorable Mentions

This month also had many excellent releases worth exploring. Stay tuned for more discoveries.

Cry Baby by Vince Staples

• 💿 Released: 5 June on Loma Vista Recordings
• 🤘 FFO: Isaiah Rashard, Bartees Strange, Denzel Curry
• 🎧 Your first song: “Blackberry Marmalade”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Sir Render by Navy Blue

• 💿 Released: 5 June on freedom sounds
• 🤘 FFO: MIKE, Wiki, Earl Sweatshirt, Armand Hammer
• 🎧 Your first song: “Belladonna”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

A Sign in the Weather by Bella White

• 💿 Released: 5 June on Rounder Records
• 🤘 FFO: Sierra Farrell, Tyler Childers, Zach Bryan
• 🎧 Your first song: “Stuff”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Aethermead by of Montreal

• 💿 Released: 5 June on Polyvinyl Records
• 🤘 FFO: Animal Collective, The Apples in Stereo, Panda Bear, Neutral Milk Hotel
• 🎧 Your first song: “Take the Form”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Eyes Full by Zoh Amba

• 💿 Released: 5 June on Matador Records
• 🤘 FFO: Adrianne Lenker, punk alt country
• 🎧 Your first song: “Dead End Street”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Roses by Widowspeak

• 💿 Released: 5 June on Captured Tracks
• 🤘 FFO: Sharon van Etten, Angel Olsen, Chastity Belt, Mac DeMarco
• 🎧 Your first song: “No Driver”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

An Eraser and a Maze by Modest Mouse

• 💿 Released: 5 June on Glacial Pace Recordings
• 🤘 FFO: Built to Spill, Pixies, Bright Eyes
• 🎧 Your first song: “Picking Dragons’ Pockets”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Silhouette by Midrift

• 💿 Released: self released on 5 June
• 🤘 FFO: shoegaze X emo
• 🎧 Your first song: “not far gone”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

• Iceage - For Love of Grace & the Hereafter
• Kurt Vile - Philadelphia's been good to me

Later than usual, but still useful! I have two featured albums: the new Iceage and new Kurt Vile for you to dig in to… and six Honorable Mentions from the likes of Boards of Canada, Turnover, Greg Mendez and others – many of which have gotten positive press and reviews on other sites, so I’m sure there will be bigger fans of those records.

Enjoy!

Honorable Mentions

This month also had many excellent releases worth exploring. Stay tuned for more discoveries.

Inferno by Boards of Canada

• 💿 Released: 29 May on Warp Records
• 🤘 FFO: Four Tet, Brian Eno, MBV, Aphex Twin
• 🎧 Your first song: “Naraka”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Carousel by vilagerrr

• 💿 Released: 29 May on Winspear
• 🤘 FFO: Merce Lemon, Slow Pulp, Horse Jumper of Love, Lowertown, This is Lorelei, Alex G, Wishy
• 🎧 Your first song: “Full Nelson”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Beauty Land by Greg Mendez

• 💿 Released: 29 May on Dead Oceans
• 🤘 FFO: Elliott Smith, Greg Freeman
• 🎧 Your first song: “Looking Out Your Window”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Down on Earth by Turnover

• 💿 Released: self released on 29 May
• 🤘 FFO: Real Estate, Citizen, The Wonder Years, Glitterer
• 🎧 Your first song: “Wheelie For No One”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Run, Run Pure Beauty by Francis of Delirium

• 💿 Released: 29 May on Dalliance Recordings
• 🤘 FFO: Blondshell, Gretel, Momma, Pom Pom Squad, Girl Scout, Lime Garden
• 🎧 Your first song: “Aliens”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Blurred Away by Oakwood

• 💿 Released: 29 May on Memory Music
• 🤘 FFO: midwest emo X screamo
• 🎧 Your first song: “Every Day, Forever”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

• feeble little horse - bitknot
• Thomas Dollbaum - Birds of Paradise
• Lowertown - Ugly Duckling Union

The May 22 release week was kind of light in terms of overall quantity, but I was still able to find 2 really good albums to feature and 3 honorable mentions below. The highight’s being Thomas Dollbaum’s alt country sound on his new album Birds of Paradise and Lowertown with their lo-fi shoegaze on Ugly Duckling Union. Both worth your time, if you fancy the genres.

I thought I was done once I listened to those 5 albums… then feeble little horse released their new album, bitknot, on Tuesday and I just had to include it in this collection, as it’s one of my favorite records of the year so far. Be sure to check out that review and the album!

In terms of honorable mentions, we have some alt hip hop from JPEGMAFIA, some singer-songwriter in the vein of Joanna Newsom and Joni Mitchell from Alela Diane, and then some avant/experimental rock from Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien on Blue Morpho.

Enjoy! See you in a few days.

Honorable Mentions

This month also had many excellent releases worth exploring. Stay tuned for more discoveries.

Experimental Rap by JPEGMAFIA

• 💿 Released: 21 May on PEGGY
• 🤘 FFO: alt hip hop, clipping, Denzel Curry, Danny Brown, Armand Hammer
• 🎧 Your first song: “babygirl”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Who’s Keeping Time by Alela Diane

• 💿 Released: 22 May on Fluff and Gravy Records
• 🤘 FFO: Joanna Newsom, Laura Marling, Devendra Banhart, First Aid Kit, Joni Mitchell, Sinead O’Connor, Kate Bush
• 🎧 Your first song: “California”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Blue Morpho by Ed O’Brien

• 💿 Released: 22 May on Transgressive Records
• 🤘 FFO: Radiohead, Thom Yorke solo, The Smile, krautrock, avant rock
• 🎧 Your first song: “Incantations”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

• Aldous Harding - Train on the Island
• Broken Social Scene - Remember The Humans
• Basement - WIRED
• Rostam - American Stories

Well, that accumulated quickly.

The May 1st release day featured a lot of OK albums – nothing that really grabbed me, despite listening to a lot of music. Some was pretty good, though… so there are around 7 releases from that day down below.

Then we hit May 8th, which featured a LOT of music… so sifting through that took up until May 14. Thankfully, there were a couple great releases in Aldous Harding, Broken Social Scene, and Basement – in addition to the five honorable mentions below.

That brings us to today. The May 15th release day which was thankfully a little light on things that interested me. I really like the new Rostam album and there are a couple of really solid releases below, from Kevin Morby and Mad Honey. Both worth your time if they sound interesting.

So, you know the drill. Lots of music to catch up on… headphones on and get to work!

I hope you enjoy.

Honorable Mentions

This month also had many excellent releases worth exploring. Stay tuned for more discoveries.

Johnny’s Dreamworld by Modern Woman

• 💿 Released: 1 May on One Little Independent Records
• 🤘 FFO: Dry Cleaning, caroline, angular avant rock
• 🎧 Your first song: “Blessed Day”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Hoopla by Weird Nightmare

• 💿 Released: 1 May on Sub Pop Records
• 🤘 FFO: jangly power pop, Ratboys, Metz
• 🎧 Your first song: “Might See You There”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

I’m People by Hiss Golden Messenger

• 💿 Released: 1 May on Chrysalis Records
• 🤘 FFO: indie folk, Kevin Morby, Bonny Light Horseman, Fruit Bats, Kurt Vile
• 🎧 Your first song: “In the Middle of It”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

It’s Been Awful by Isaiah Rashad

• 💿 Released: 1 May on TDE
• 🤘 FFO: Kendrick, JID, Bas, Joey Bada$$, Vince Staples, Saba
• 🎧 Your first song: “M.O.M.”
• 💰 Support: Official

Maitreya Corso by Maya Hawke

• 💿 Released: 1 May on Mom+Pop Records
• 🤘 FFO: Samia, Faye Webster, Jesca Hoop, Julia Jacklin, Feist
• 🎧 Your first song: “Lioness”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Long Wave Home by Jesca Hoop

• 💿 Released: 1 May on Last Laugh
• 🤘 FFO: alt folk, Aldous Harding, This is the Kit, Joni Mitchell, Vashti Bunyan
• 🎧 Your first song: “Now the Ash”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

From Takoma With Love by Oddisee and Heno.

• 💿 Released: 1 May on Outer Note Label
• 🤘 FFO: underground/alt hip hop, eLZhi, 9th Wonder, Blu
• 🎧 Your first song: “MIMS”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Barely Here by Koyo

• 💿 Released: 8 May on Pure Noise Records
• 🤘 FFO: hardcore punk/emo, One Step Closer, Anxious, Fiddlehead
• 🎧 Your first song: “Barely Here”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Born to Kill by Social Distortion

• 💿 Released: 8 May on Epitaph
• 🤘 FFO: uhhhhh, 40+ years of releasing punk music!
• 🎧 Your first song: “Tonight”
• 💰 Support: Official

Time Under Tension by War on Women

• 💿 Released: 8 May on Smartpunk
• 🤘 FFO: hardcore punk, Laura Jane Grace, Propagandhi, Worriers
• 🎧 Your first song: “Messages Unsent”
• 💰 Support: Official

Dancing on the Wall by MUNA

• 💿 Released: 8 May on Saddest Factory
• 🤘 FFO: dance pop, Lykke Li, Tegan and Sara, Chvrches, Lorde, Billie Eilish
• 🎧 Your first song: “Dancing on the Wall”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Cost of Living Adjustment by COLA

• 💿 Released: 8 May on Fire Talk
• 🤘 FFO: post punk, Dry Cleaning, Empath, Geese
• 🎧 Your first song: “Favoured Over The Ride”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Little Wide Open by Kevin Morby

• 💿 Released: 15 May on Dead Oceans
• 🤘 FFO: Bob Dylan doing alt country/indie rock, War on Drugs, Kurt Vile
• 🎧 Your first song: “Javelin”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

Bridge Over Cumberland by Mad Honey

• 💿 Released: 15 May on Deathwish
• 🤘 FFO: heavy shoegaze & bedroom/dream pop
• 🎧 Your first song: “Reaching”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp

To kick it off, we just launched Desert Island Discs on Crucial Tracks. Community members have 8 slots to share their most important albums. Each post has the album, 3 featured songs, and the reasoning behind the selection. (See my first post.) The community discs feed is open to all (no account needed), including the RSS feed. A perfect way to discover some new music!

Next up is a playlist manager for Apple Music users. This page has a history of all your shared songs and the ability to add songs to your default playlist, create a new playlist, or add to another existing playlist. In addition to that, if you have Apple Music integration turned on, you’ll see a Bookmark button on every shared song on the Public Tracks feed. Bookmarked songs show up on your Playlist Manager page, which means you can create playlists from saved songs as well. Thanks to Mandaris for the idea on that one!

Finally, last week I launched a new “beta” version of the Public Tracks page. Head over to Settings > Preferences to enable the beta and browse the shared tracks in a more visual, “album forward” way that celebrates the artist without taking away anything from each post. It has really grown on me… so hopefully others dig it as well.

If you have feedback on any of these updates, please let me know!

Send Me Your Prompts!

Also, if you are a current member you can submit prompt ideas for the community to use. When logged in, click the Submit Prompt Ideas link on the dashboard… then send me your ideas. I’ve got a review tool that searches to see if any similar prompts exist. If there are no matches, I approve the prompt and it gets added to the queue for others to use. A great way to give back to the community.

We are currently up to 226 prompts, with nearly 1/3 of those from community members!