So many artists, so little time. Each week we review a handful of new albums (of all genres), round up even more new music that we'd call "indie," and talk about what metal is coming out. We post music news, track premieres, and more all day. We update a playlist weekly of some of our current favorite tracks. Here's a daily roundup with a bunch of interesting, newly released songs in one place.
PIERRE KWENDERS - "PAPA WEMBA"
Congolese-born, Montreal-based musician Pierre Kwenders has announced a new album, José Louis and the Paradox of Love, due April 29 via Arts & Crafts. The song is a tribute to Papa Wemba, who's been called the king of Congolese Rumba, and you can hear his influence on the polyrhythmic song, and it also has a strong jazz influence thanks to skronky sax from former Shabazz Palaces member Tendai Maraire.
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JAPANESE BREAKFAST - "NOBODY SEES ME LIKE YOU DO" (YOKO ONO COVER)
The Ben Gibbard-curated Yoko Ono covers album, Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono, is due out next month, and the latest single ahead of its release if Japanese Breakfast's piano-and-voice rendition of "Nobody Sees Me Like You Do."
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TAJ MAHAL & RY COODER - "HOORAY HOORAY"
Blues legend Taj Mahal and slide guitar great Rising Sons played together in the short-lived band Rising Sons, whose 1965-1966 album was shelved until finally getting a 1992 release, and now the pair have teamed up once again for Get On Board: The Songs Of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, due April 22 via Nonesuch. The first single features Ry on mandolin and vocals and Taj on harmonica, and it's a very fine dose of vintage blues.
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TESS PARKS - "HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOREVER"
Tess Parks has announced new album And Those Who Were Seen Dancing which will be out April 25 via Fuzz Club. It's her first solo album in nine years (though she's released a few with Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe since.) “In my mind, this album is like hopscotch”, Parks says: “These songs were pieced together over time in London, Toronto and Los Angeles with friends and family between August 2019 and March 2021. So many other versions of these songs exist. The recording and final completion of this album took over two years and wow - the lesson I have learned the most is that words are spells. If I didn’t know it before, I know it now for sure. I only want to put good out into the universe. First single "Happy Birthday Forever" is danceable but keeps her dark psych sounds as well.
WIDOWSPEAK - "WHILE YOU WAIT"
Here's another wonderfully chill song and video from Widowspeak's upcoming album, The Jacket. "While You Wait" glides on a wave of flutes and Molly Hamilton's breathy vocals, while the video glides on rollerskates.
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SAD PARK - "YOU SAID" / "CHEST PAINS"
LA emo band Sad Park have put out a new two-song single on Lauren Records and also announced a tour (including The Broadway in Brooklyn on 2/21). Both songs are catchy and anthemic and we recommend giving them a spin.
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WIZ KHALIFA & JUICY J - "BACKSEAT" (ft. PROJECT PAT)
Juicy J and Wiz Khalifa are releasing a collaborative album in February (details TBA), and it'll include this song, which Juicy J produced and which features Juicy J's brother/frequent collaborator Project Pat.
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REIGNING SOUND - "A LITTLE MORE TIME" / "LONELY GHOST"
Reigning Sound have a new 7" on the way and while the A-side, "A Little More Time," is within their soulful garage rock wheelhouse, the b-side, "Lonely Ghost," gets very twangy.
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BUKE AND GASE & RAHRAH GABOR - "PASS IMPASSE"
Arty duo Buke and Base have teamed with NJ rapper Rahrah Gabor for a new album that's due out February 11 via Brasslands. It's a combo that really works on new single "Passe Impasse."
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HYD - "INTO MY ARMS" (NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS COVER)
Hyd, aka QT co-creator Hayden Dunham, released their self-titled debut solo EP last year, and now they've followed it with a stylized, electronic cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' "Into My Arms."
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TEMPERS - "NIGHTWALKING"
“I took a lot of long walks at a time when people had abruptly vacated NYC, and left the remnants of their homes on the sidewalks,” says Tempers' Jasmine Golestaneh of the duo's dark, slinky new single. “The city’s landscape became very surreal - a ghost town turned inside out. I was thinking about how to stay open, and embrace life derailed. The sky over the city was a real source of mystery, in it’s own world of pink sunsets, and sparkling nights. The contrast of that oblivious beauty amidst the pandemic chaos felt very special, and inspired the song.” Tempers' new album, New Meaning, is out April 1 via DAIS.
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PINEGROVE - "HABITAT"
Pinegrove's new album 11:11 is due out on Friday, and they've sharred one more single ahead of its release, "Habitat," which Evan Stephens Hall says "collages imagery from across the 2020's - monuments to the past torn down, vandalized, and thrown to the waves, making much needed room for new symbols to ornament our world with."
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STEVE GUNN - NAKAMA EP (FT MDOU MOCTAR, CIRCUIT DES YEUX, MORE)
Steve Gunn has just released a new EP, Nakama, that's out today via Matador. It features songs from last year's Other You that have been reworked/rerecorded by Gunn with Mikey Coltun and Ahmadou Madassane of Mdou Moctar, and Natural Information Society, as well as remixes by Circuit des Yeux and Bing & Ruth.
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P.E. - "BLUE NUDE (RECLINED)"
Brooklyn band P.E., which features members of Pill and Eaters, have announced their second album, The Leather Lemon, which will be out in March via Wharf Cat. First single "Blue Nude (Reclined)" marries a hard electro beat with a cloud of hazy saxophones.
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LEON VYNEHALL - "SUGAR SLIP (THE LICK)"
Electronic musician Leon Vynehall has announced a new Fabric Presents mix, and it'll include this new song. Read more about it here.
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TORO Y MOI - "POSTMAN" & "MAGAZINE"
Toro y Moi has announced his seventh album, MAHAL, and shared two songs from it. Read more about them here.
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MANEKA - "WINNER'S CIRCLE"
Maneka, the current project of former Speedy Ortiz/Grass Is Green guitarist Devin McKnight, has announced a new album, Dark Matters, and you can read more about lead single "Winner's Circle" here.
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YOUR OLD DROOG & THA GOD FAHIM - "WALL ST WITH BRIEFCASE" & "NO DAYS OFF"
Tha God Fahim and Your Old Droog have announced a sequel to last year's Tha Wolf On Wall St, and shared two songs from it. Read more about them here.
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WARPAINT - "CHAMPION"
Warpaint have announced their first album in six years, Radiate Like This, and you can read more about lead single "Champion" here.
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GRIMES - "SHINIGAMI EYES"
Grimes calls her new single "Shinigami Eyes" "the label executive decision song."
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CARLY COSGROVE - "REALLY BIG SHRIMP"
Philly emo band Carly Cosgrove have announced their debut album See You In Chemistry, which was produced by Hop Along's Joe Reinhart and comes out on Wax Bodega on March 25. Read more about the great new single "Really Big Shrimp" here.
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Looking for even more new songs? Browse the New Songs archive.