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. In these concertless times, that includes daily livestreams and live concert videos we love. 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.
PUPIL SLICER - "INTERLOCUTOR"
One of our most anticipated new mathcore albums at the moment is Mirrors, the debut LP from UK trio Pupil Slicer. Every song they've released from it so far has been intense, and third single "Interlocutor" is no exception. In less than two minutes, the band goes from mathy and chaotic to slow and sludgy, and vocalist/guitarist Katie Davies tells Revolver the song is "a look into some of our more direct and immediate work, a musical train of thought running off the rails, constantly evolving in one direction. This theme is reflected in the lyrics which tell of an internal struggle, a fight between a voice of reason and love of life pitted against a twisted mirror image of crushing depression and self-loathing."
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ASSERTION (WILLIAM GOLDSMITH OF SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE) - "SUPERVISED SUFFERING"
William Goldsmith, founding drummer of Sunny Day Real Estate and The Fire Theft and a '90s-era Foo Fighter, has been on hiatus from music for a while, but he's now drumming in a new band, Assertion, alongside guitarist/vocalist Justin Tamminga and bassist Bryan Gorder. Their debut LP Intermission comes out April 9 via Spartan Records, and first single "Supervised Suffering" hearkens back to the kind of mid '90s post-hardcore that William helped pioneer. It sounds great, and hearing those frantic drum rolls will bring you right back to the Diary days.
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SNAFU - "CHOKING GAME"
Detroit's SNAFU (which stands for Situation Normal All Fucked Up) make bleak, thrashy hardcore, as you can hear on their latest ripper, "Choking Game." It's the first taste of their upcoming album Exile//Banishment, due March 26 via Life After Death.
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HANALEI - "STEEP RAVINE"
Hanalei (aka Brian Moss) has released the third single off his upcoming album Black Snow (due 3/12 via A-F Records), and this one finds him exploring slowcore-ish indie rock territory (a little Pedro the Lion-esque). It's a very different side of him than the two previous singles, and it's genuinely gorgeous.
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BRONZE NAZARETH & RECOGNIZE ALI - "SEASON OF THE SE7EN"
Ghana MC Recognize Ali and Detroit producer (and Wu-Tang affiliate) Bronze Nazareth have temaed up for a collaborative album, Season of the Se7en, due April 16 via Mello Music Group. The lead single/title track finds them offering up psychedelic soul-infused boom bap.
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REMA - "BOUNCE"
Fresh off appearing on Stefflon Don's "Can't Let You Go" remix alongside Tiwa Savage, Nigerian pop artist Rema revealed that he's gearing up to release his debut album this year via Don Jazzy's Mavin Records. It's being prefaced by this very infectious new single (which Don Jazzy produced).
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VAPOUR THEORIES - "THE BIG SHIP" (BRIAN ENO COVER)
Vapour theories, aka Bardo Pond guitarists, brothers John and Michael Gibbons, release Celestial Scuzz on Friday which is their first album in 15 years. The album title makes for a pretty good descriptor of their sound too which is apparent in this roaring cover of Brian Eno's Another Green World instrumental.
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MADISON MCFERRIN - "EVERYTHING IN ITS RIGHT PLACE" (RADIOHEAD COVER)
A day after Julien Baker shared a cover of Radiohead's Kid A-opening "Everything In Its Right Place" comes a cover of the same song from Madison McFerrin, who did her version for Sound of Saving's "Song That Found Me At The Right Time" series. "I think one of the reasons why I love music as much as I do is it stops a lot of the noise that's in my brain," Madison says. "I had a unique experience in the fact that I am a Black woman who had access to therapy from a really early age. And I'm incredibly grateful for that. Now that the conversation has opened up to have more awareness of everyone's mental health, I think it's incredibly important for Black people to dive into that, especially considering the generational trauma that has been experienced in America is so deep.”
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TIM HECKER, AGATA HARZ & KATARZYNA SMOLUK - "DEMETER & JOHANNES' SONG OF PANDEMIA"
Experimental musician Tim Hecker has teamed up with Agata Harz & Katarzyna Smoluk of cult Polish folk group Ksiezyc for this haunting, atmospheric song. Hecker says the song was based around improvised vocals takes, “an ancient Slavic spell, or ‘enchantment,’ as they called it, the purpose of which is to call forth spring after a dark, terrifying wintertime.” The song is from Unsound Festival's forthcoming compilation Intermission.
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JAS SHAW (SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO) - BECOME THE SCENIC ROUTE EP
Simian Mobile Disco's Jas Shaw is releasing a series of EPs this year which will make up a new album titled Sollbruchstelle. Between the pandemic and an operation for his cell disorder AL amyloidosis, Jas made these records in true isolation. “All records are a document of their time, but in this case, it was quite literal,” he notes. The first of the EPs is Become the scenic route, 26 minutes of tranquil, melodic ambience.
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THE PEACERS (SIC ALPS / FRESH & ONLYS / OH SEES) - "GHOST OF A MOTHERFUCKER"
The Peacers -- the band led by Sic Alps' Mike Donovan and includes Mike Shoun (Oh Sees) and Shayde Sartin (Fresh & Onlys) -- will release new album Blexxed Rec on March 26 via Drag City. "Ghost of a Motherfucker" is the sludgy, bluesy first single.
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FLOCK OF DIMES - "PRICE OF BLUE"
Jenn Wasner has been more interested in synthesizers later but never forget she's an incredible guitar player. Her new Flock of Dimes single puts an axe back in her hand and it sounds pretty great. Says Jenn, “This song is about trying, and failing, to connect. It’s about the ways in which, despite our best efforts, we misunderstand each other, and become so attached to stories that we’re unable to see the truth that’s right in front of us. And it’s about the invisible mark that another person can leave on your body, heart and mind long after their absence. It can be difficult to make sense of the memory of your experience when the reality on the surface is always shifting—when the story you’re telling, or the story you’ve been told, unravels, leaving you with a handful of pieces and no idea how they used to fit together.” Flock of Dimes' new album, Head of Roses, is out in April on Sub Pop.
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THE REDS, PINKS AND PURPLES - "THE RECORD PLAYER AND THE DAMAGE DONE"
Glenn Donaldson, who founded San Francisco's Skygreen Leopards (as well as the shortlived but excellent Art Museums) has been busy lately with a few projects, including his kitchen sink solo project The Reds, Pinks & Purples. Nodding to Neil Young, this song is about is about a different kind of needle. "I didn't set out to write an anthem about records, but that's maybe what this is," says Glenn. "It was written before covid times, but putting on a record has as much meaning now as it ever has, and more people are buying them again too. It's as valid a spiritual journey as any, and we need to hear records that cut deep."
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INARA GEORGE (THE BIRD & THE BEE) & MIKE ANDREWS - "SOUTHERN NIGHTS" (ALLEN TOUSSAINT COVER)
The Bird & The Bee's Inara George launched the "Road Angel Project" last year, which is a series of collaborative benefit singles raising money for Sweet Relief Musician Fund's COVID-19 Fund. The fifth in the series pairs Inara with Michael Andrews -- who you may know from Greyboy Allstars or the scores for Donnie Darko or Freaks & Geeks, among others -- and together they cover Allen Toussaint's classic, "Southern Nights."
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PAUL WELLER - "COSMIC FRINGES"
Paul Weller's new single (from upcoming album Fat Pop) is not about his haircut.
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TUNS (SLOAN / INBREDS / SUPER FRIENDZ) - "WE STAND UNITED"
TUNS, the Canadian indie rock supergroup featuring Sloan's Chris Murphy, The Super Friendz's Matt Murphy and The Inbreds' Mike O'Neill, will release their second album, Duly Noted, on March 26 via Murderecords. The second single off the record is Matt Murphy's "We Stand United," a nostalgic power-pop gem and, as the band note, a "positive message of unity in these often divisive times."
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SPOON - "LINES IN THE SUIT"
Spoon's Girls Can Tell turned 20 last week and to celebrate, they've shared this demo of "Lines in the Suit."
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HELADO NEGRO - "SOUND AND VISION" (DAVID BOWIE COVER)
Helado Negro (Roberto Carlos Lange) has shared his contribution to upcoming David Bowie tribute compilation Modern Love. He's taken on "Sound and Vision," originally from Bowie's 1977 album Low, and transforms it into a lush, hushed lullaby.
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AFI - "LOOKING TRAGIC" & "BEGGING FOR TROUBLE"
AFI have announced their 11th album and shared two genuinely good songs from it, which you can read more about here.
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STEVE VON TILL (NEUROSIS) - "THE EMPTINESS SWALLOWS US ALL" & EXCERPT OF 23 UNTITLED POEMS
Steve Von Till is releasing a new ambient album and a spoken word album, and you can hear the lead single from the former and an excerpt of the latter, and read more about both here.
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DEVON KAY & THE SOLUTIONS - "FRUSTRATED PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, UNITE!"
Devon Kay & the Solutions are rolling out singles all year (which will eventually turn into an album), and here's the third. Read more about it here.
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NAPALM DEATH, VOIVOD, MUNICIPAL WASTE, CHILD BITE, AND YAKUZA MEMBERS - "TARRED AND FEATHERED" (CARDIACS COVER)
Members of Napalm Death, Voivod, Municipal Waste, Child Bite, and Yakuza have come together to pay tribute to the late Cardiacs leader Tim Smith with a cover of "Tarred and Feathered," with help from none other than Cardiacs bassist (and brother of Tim Smith) Jim Smith. You can read more about how it all came to be here.
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BACHELOR (JAY SOM & PALEHOUND) - "ANYTHING AT ALL"
Bachelor, the new project from Jay Som and Palehound, shared their first single for Polyvinyl, "Anything At All."
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POST MALONE - "ONLY WANNA BE WITH YOU" (HOOTIE AND THE BLOWFISH COVER)
Post Malone covered Hootie and the Blowfish's ubiquitous 1995 hit in honor of the 25th anniversary of Pokemon.
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Looking for even more new songs? Browse the ‘New Songs archive.