So many artists, so many songs, 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.
BRAIDS - "RETRIEVER"
Braids shared a new single ahead of their European dates supporting Future Islands. They describe "Retriever" as "a 9-minute journey track, simple in its sentiment of love and friendship, yet complex in its lush arrangement and textural experimentation. We returned to our roots with this one, exploring new corners of sound, collaboration and a ‘DGAF’ attitude with where we ended up. This song is a trip back to euphoric freedom and lightness during a time of intense isolation. We were happy to travel there, and for you to now dive into it."
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MIGHTMARE (SARAH SHOOK) - "EASY"
Sarah Shook has shared a second single off their upcoming debut solo album as Mightmare, Cruel Liars, which arrives 10/14 via Kill Rock Stars. "Easy is a rickety indie pop song, a far cry from the country music that Sarah's best known for. Sarah says it's "easily the most lighthearted song I've written" and about the video, adds, "I felt like anime was the perfect way to tease the innocence and agony of exploring a new love interest."
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ICE SPICE - "MUNCH (FEELIN' U)"
Bronx drill rapper Ice Spice puts a fresh and very fun spin on the NY drill sound with her instantly-likable new single "Munch (Feelin' U)." It's no surprise to learn that this song already got a co-sign from Drake.
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NNAMDÏ - "ANTI"
Chicago multi-instrumentalist NNAMDÏ signed to Secretly Canadian for a new album, Please Have a Seat, due out in October. The latest single is the shapeshifting "Anti." "I really like teetering on the edge of playful and unsettling and I think we did that with this video," NNAMDÏ says. "The song/video is a journey through how generational and childhood trauma can manifest itself in different ways as an adult, especially if never confronted. Basically the things that help create your origin story. I’ve had this video idea since the song’s conception and Austin really brought my treatment to life."
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EARLY JAMES - "REAL LOW DOWN LONESOME (ft. SIERRA FERRELL)
Fellow old souls Early James and Sierra Ferrell will take you back about 70 years with this retro ballad off James' upcoming album Strange Time To Be Alive.
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ACEPHALIX - "GODHEADS"
Acephalix have shared another rager off their upcoming LP Theothanatology, and this one finds them adding some tornadic black metal into their usual brew of death metal crust punk.
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INTENSIVE CARE - "BEHIND EVERY CLOSED DOOR"
Toronto duo Intensive Care are following a string of EPs and splits (with Full of Hell, Unearthly Trance, and Incinerated) with their first full-length, That We Be Made Worthy, on September 23 via Closed Casket Activities. First single "Behind Every Closed Door" is caustic, noisy, sludgy industrial metal. It kinda scratches a similar itch as early Godflesh, and it rips.
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CORDAE - "UNACCEPTABE" & "SO WITH THAT"
Cordae said he has a new mixtape on the way, and still no concrete word on that, but here's two more songs, both of which embrace Cordae's love of mid '90s rap without shying away from pop appeal.
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STRATEGIES - "OUTAGES"
Strategies, the new band with Chicago punk vets Paul Lask (The Ghost, Tight Phantomz), Neil Hennessy (Lawrence Arms, Joyce Manor) and Brian Moss (Great Apes, Hanalei, The Ghost), have shared the second song off their upcoming self-titled debut EP, and this one's an emo-y slow-burner.
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BOUNDARIES - "HEAVEN'S BROKEN HEART"
Connecticut metalcore band Boundaries have announced a new album, Burying Brightness, due October 14 via 3DOT Recordings. The album was produced by Randy Leboeuf, and they've now got three members sharing vocal duties, and they're bringing in more clean vocals without toning down the aggression. Lead single "Heaven's Broken Heart" is a great example of that.
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ABSINTHE FATHER - "BURIED"
California-based songwriter and artist Haley Butters has shared another new single as Absinthe Father, "buried," a poignant indie rock track. "Wrote this one about one of my favorite childhood memories," Haley writes. "I grew up in North Carolina, and my dad used to play this game with me and my siblings where he would put a Bud Light on top of a basketball in our backyard and we would start along the treeline by the woods bordering our yard. On his count, we would try to run to collect the can while he would shoot paintballs at us. We LOVED it. Whoever got to the beer first would bring it to him, he'd drink most, then we'd place it back on the basketball and got to shoot a pellet gun at it. My dad could invent fun out of nothing. He was the greatest-- and still is, it's just different. All for you, Pops. Miss you every day."
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COLD MEGA & LIL UGLY MANE - "FLOORBOARDS"
Cold Mega (aka Angel Du$t/Trapped Under Ice singer Justice Tripp) and experimental rapper/singer Lil Ugly Mane have put their heads together for the totally unpigeonholable "Floorboards."
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CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX - "BONEFIRE"
Heavy rock band Crippled Black Phoenix have shared a new song off their upcoming LP Banefyre, and it's a soaring, sludgy, melodic song that singer/percussionist Belinda Kordic says is "targeted at the politicians, who’re some of the wealthiest people around, and also the most un-empathetic sons of bitches towards the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. These people in government have the power to change things around, make a difference, but they choose not to."
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BENOIT & SERGIO - "MINDS & DRUMS"
US/German dance duo Benoit & Sergio have been releasing singles since the late '00s but are only now gearing up to release their debut full-length album, Lost Decade, which will be out August 26 via FourFour. They've just shared "Mind & Drums," which falls in a liminal space between the dancefloor and dreampop.
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SURFBORT - "NEVER GONNA BE WHAT YOU WANT ME TO BE"
Surfbort are back with this snarling new single. Says singer Dani Miller, "“Realizing you can’t change someone and they can’t change you. We had a total blast recording the song with Chris Coady. The video isn’t a literal interpretation of the song. We recently got back from tour. We have so much fun playing shows and dancing and screaming with you around the world. Here is a little taste of our latest travels. Thanks to all the new friends we have met along the way.”
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JASON MOULES - "THE ART OF PULLING PORK"
Jason Moules, who has made music with groups Allusinlove and Allusondrugs, is currently finishing up his debut solo album but has shared this very '90s-sounding taste of wahat's to come. "The song title 'The Art of Pulling Pork' came about after eating at an Italian burger restaurant on my birthday," says Moules. "The restaurant claimed to have crafted the art of pulled pork. Made me laugh. It’s not specific. Funny title, not specific. Most of my songs are about imagery. Close your eyes and think about whatever you want...burgers or something else."
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FAKE PALMS - "CIVIL LIBERTIES"
Fake Palms' Michael le Riche (ex The Darcys) says "Civil Liberties" is "the most direct thing I’ve ever done. All the distorted guitars playing 16th-note riffs in different time signatures, washes of noise and buried vocals are basically gone. In their place we made a record that’s lean and a punch to the gut." Fake Palms' new album Lemons is out September 16 via Hand Drawn Dracula.
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BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY FT DAVID BERMAN - "OUTSIDER" (RAMONES COVER)
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy has a new single, a wonderful cover of Ramones' "Outsider." His rendition of the Dee Dee-penned song, from Ramones' 1983 album Subterranean Jungle, turns it into a wanderin', lonesome cowboy ballad. It was recorded back in 2016 and features the late David Berman, as well as William Tyler, Chris Scruggs and drummer Pete Townsend (not to be confused with The Who's Pete Townshend).
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EDDIE CHACON - "HOLY HELL"
Eddie Chacon was one half of soul duo Charles and Eddie who scored a 1992 hit with “Would I Lie To You” and returned after nearly three decades in 2020 with his first-ever solo album, Pleasure, Joy And Happiness. He's has now signed to Stones Throw and released his first single for the label. “After so many years without an outlet for my music I’m so grateful to be back doing what I have loved the most throughout my life," says Eddie. The Success of Pleasure, Joy and Happiness was such a surprise because it was a record about closure for me. I expected it to be a final goodbye to music as a way of letting go and moving on. Being invited to join the Stones Throw family is an opportunity I never thought I’d have in my life.” If you're unfamiliar with Eddie, "Holy Hell" is a terrific introduction.
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PROTOJE - "FAMILY" (ft. JESSE ROYAL)
Protoje has shared the third single off his anticipated sixth album, which is expected in September (title and exact release date TBA), and you can read more about it here.
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ASTRONAUT PUSHERS (SUPERDRAG, SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER, THE SUNDAYS, etc) - "MONDAY MORNING"
Alt-rock supergroup Astronaut Pushers gave their sole EP a very limited release in 2005, and now it's getting a wider reissue this Friday, with this bonus track. Read more about it here.
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MARIEL BUCKLEY - "NEON BLUE"
Alt-country/heartland rock singer/songwriter Mariel Buckley's new album drops tomorrow, and here's one last single ahead of the release. Read more about it here.
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BUDDY GUY - "GUNSMOKE BLUES" (ft. JASON ISBELL)
Blues legend Buddy Guy will release his new album The Blues Don't Lie on September 30 via RCA, and it'll feature "Gunsmoke Blues," a powerful song about mass shootings that was made with Jason Isbell. "Still hard to believe I’m on a song with Buddy Guy, but here it is, out today," Jason wrote. "Can’t imagine a higher honor, and it’s a great song too." Read more here.
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SUMERLANDS - "EDGE OF THE KNIFE"
Retro-metal superground Sumerlands have shared the second single off their upcoming album Dreamkiller. Read more about "Edge Of The Knife" here, and pre-order the album on limited gold vinyl.
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Looking for even more new songs? Browse the New Songs archive.