2024’s New Music Releases & Upcoming Albums

Atwood Magazine’s staff works together to compile this regularly updated guide to upcoming and new music releases. Check back here for a calendar of the albums, EPs, mixtapes, and projects we’re anticipating (and most excited about) in 2024!

For more, visit our Artists to Watch and Artist Discoveries pages to see whose music has captured our ears and our hearts.

Click on the artist’s name to read our interviews and reviews of their music, and stay tuned for more to come as we continue to build up this page!

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January 2024

February 2024

March 2024

April 2024

May 2024

June 2024

6/14 Blvck Hippie – Basketball Camp (The Record Machine)

6/14 The Decemberists – As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again (YABB Records / Thirty Tigers)

6/14 Fana Hues – MOTH (Bright Antenna Records)

6/14 FEET – Make It Up (Sub Cat Records)

6/14 Hermanos Gutiérrez – Sonido Cósmico (Easy Eye Sound)

6/14 Hockey Dad – Rebuild Repeat (Farmer & The Owl)

6/14 Infinity Song – Metamorphosis Complete (Roc Nation)

6/14 James Vincent McMorrow – Wide Opens, Horses (Nettwerk Music Group)

6/14 Jelani Aryeh – The Sweater Club (Ballona Record Co / Imperial Music)

6/14 KNEECAP – Fine Art (Heavenly Recordings)

6/14 Las Nubes – Tormentas Malsanas (Sweat Records Records)

6/14 Lindsey Stirling – Duality (Concord Records)

6/14 LULLANAS – Pretty Lies & Time Machines (Nettwerk Music Group)

LULLANAS’ softly soothing debut album Pretty Lies & Time Machines is a dreamy folk-pop wonderland: Twin sisters Atisha and Nishita Lulla have crafted a moving musical gentle giant that wraps its listeners in blankets of soul-stirring sound, inviting us to destress even as we dwell in our depths. – Mitch Mosk

6/14 Meghan Trainor – Timeless (Epic Records)

6/14 Moby – always centered at night (Mute Records)

6/14 RJD2 – Visions Out of Limelight (RJ’s Electrical Connections)

6/14 – ~ – Searching (Luaka Bop)

6/14 Walt Disco – The Warping (Lucky Number)

6/20 Juice Mazelee – HERE NOW N FOREVER (independent)

6/21 Alice Ivy – Do What Makes You Happy (Helix Records)

6/21 Been Stellar – Scream From New York, NY (Dirty Hit)

6/21 Gracie Abrams – The Secret of Us (Interscope)

6/21 Lake Street Dive – Good Together (Fantasy Records)

“Lake Street Dive call the ethos of their latest album ‘joyful rebellion.’ Good Together maintains the upbeat and jazzy temperament that Lake Street Dive fans know and love – however, the record celebrates and incorporates dozens of sounds, influences, and stories, more so than previous works. It was made with the help of an all-knowing twenty-sided die, which dictated musical choices for each song. The end result is an intentional and courageous product of musicians who are not afraid to work together.” – Nasim Elyasi

6/21 Lawrence – Family Business (Beautiful Mind)

6/21 Lola Young – This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway (Island Records)

6/21 Megan Winsor – INTERMISSION (independent)

6/21 The Mysterines – Afraid of Tomorrows (Fiction Records)

6/21 POND – Stung! (Spinning Top Records)

6/21 Rui Gabriel – Compassion (Carpark Records)

6/21 talker – I’m Telling You the Truth (independent)

6/25 Jae Soto – Leave the Light On (Switch Hit Records)

6/28 Aaron Frazer – Into The Blue (Dead Oceans)

6/28 Camila Cabello – C,XOXO (Interscope Records)

“Camila Cabello’s highly anticipated fourth album represents an evolution for the singer-songwriter, as she pushes boundaries with a project that is both musically and visually explorative, tapping into genres that extend beyond just pop and drawing inspiration from her Miami roots.” (PR)

6/28 Channel Tres – Head Rush (RCA Records)

6/28 Daniel Nunnelee – June, Baby (One Riot)

6/28 Dex Green – Imaginary War (3Sirens Music Group)

6/28 The Felice Brothers – Valley of Abandoned Songs (Million Stars)

6/28 Gabriel Birnbaum – Patron Saint of Tireless Losers (Western Vinyl)

6/28 greek – ACCELERATOR (independent)

“Almost entirely self-produced, Greek’s second full-length outing is steeped in personal reflection about coming of age in a poverty-stricken small town within the heart of the American Bible Belt, yet still having the drive to pack up your car and chase your dreams — hence the album title ACCELERATOR… While Greek continues to carve out his own lane within the experimental indie space, the Virginia crooner’s new album ACCELERATOR turns the page on his next chapter as he prepares to embark on a national tour later this year.” (PR)

6/28 Hiatus Kaiyote – Love Heart Cheat Code (Brainfeeder Records / Ninja Tune)

“Hiatus Kaiyote’s Love Heart Cheat Code is a snapshot of four musicians dancing together on the edge… Throughout the album, Hiatus Kaiyote emphasizes sensing rather than knowing, a type of trust that can only be brought through creative harmony and hours of studio sessions. The result is a wide-eyed, cohesive, yet relaxed body of work that reflects a deeper understanding of themselves and the music they wish to share with the world around them.” (PR)

6/28 HOMESHAKE – Horsie (SHHOAMKEE)

6/28 Imagine Dragons – LOOM (KIDinaKORNER / Interscope)

6/28 Leila Sunier – Too Big For Right Now (independent)

6/28 Loma – How Will I Live Without A Body? (Sub Pop)

6/28 Mabe Fratti – Sentir Que No Sabes (Unheard Of Hope)

6/28 Megan Thee Stallion – MEGAN (Hot Girl Productions)

6/28 MILLY – Your Own Becoming (Dangerbird Records)

6/28 Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – South of Here (Stax Records)

6/28 People I Love – People I Love (VHS Records)

6/28 Phillip Jon Taylor – De Nada (Wish Fulfillment Press)

6/28 Queen of Jeans – All Again (Memory Music)

“On their excellent third album All Again, Philadelphia’s Queen of Jeans listeners through the beginning of a new relationship all the way to the end, including all of the heart-wrenching details… Even though loneliness and isolation are key themes throughout the record, Queen of Jeans expertly take listeners through the highs and lows of a relationship. And even though we’ve all been through relationships where we know things maybe should’ve gone differently, sometimes we just have to accept that we’d pursue it again.” – James Crowley

6/28 Redd Kross – Redd Kross (In the Red Records)

6/28 Silverada – Silverada (Prairie Rose Records)

6/28 Sour Widows – Revival of a Friend (Exploding In Sound Records)

6/28 Storefront Church – Ink & Oil (independent)

“Ink & Oil was conceived quite insidiously after years of Storefront Church’s Lukas Frank deciphering the familial lore of his great uncle Roger. After receiving a five year prison sentence for a desertion charge of the Army in 1993, Roger Frank mysteriously vanished from his cell, leaving nothing but an orange behind. Roger’s body was never found. When he was just 5 years old, Lukas began receiving visitations from his elusive uncle through vivid, recurring nightmares. Roger would come to Lukas in his room and try to speak with him, but Roger’s mouth wasn’t working; like it was glued shut. In his hands was a large orange, the skin peeled back, and written in the rind were words in black ink. While all of the stories told in Ink & Oil speak to experiences from Lukas’ past, there is an open ambiguity as to what’s factually real and what’s emotionally real. He finds his inspiration in the tension between the two; the gray area where memory and belief overtake accepted truth and certainty to reform into something deeper; something that Lukas feels can be described simply as Faith.” (PR)

6/28 Towa Bird – American Hero (Interscope Records)

6/28 WAASH – WAASH (Light Organ Records)

6/28 Washed Out – Notes From a Quiet Life (Sub Pop)

July 2024

7/4 Zach Bryan – THE GREAT AMERICAN BAR SCENE (Warner Records)

7/5 Burr Island – Days Dreamt (Left Foot Records)

7/5 Eves Karydas – Burnt Tapes (independent)

7/10 Smooth Rogers – Roger That! (independent)

7/12 Armlock – Seashell Angel Lucky Charm (Run For Cover Records)

7/12 Bette Smith – Goodthing (independent)

7/12 Brijean – Macro (Ghostly International)

7/12 Cassandra Jenkins – My Light, My Destroyer (Dead Oceans)

7/12 Cassandra Lewis – Lost in a Dream (Elektra Records / Low Country Sound)

7/12 China Bears – Participation Trophy (Fierce Panda Records)

“Rousing and romantic, China Bears’ debut album Participation Trophy feels cinematic in its grandeur, whilst also feeling incredibly personal in its storytelling. It was recorded in the autumnal sunshine of Leith with Rod Jones from Idlewild at the production controls. From the driving ‘I Will Break My Own Heart’, the twinkling ‘Beck and Call’, the electric force of ‘Total Communication Breakdown’ to the blossoming ‘Gracie’, there is a song to accompany everyone’s own life soundtrack.” (PR)

7/12 Cigarettes After Sex – X’s (Partisan Records)

7/12 Clairo – Charm (Virgin Music Group)

“Evoking balmy summer evenings and tête-à-têtes in plush conversation pits, Clairo’s third album Charm is a collection of warm, ’70s-inspired grooves that move lithely between jazz, psychedelic folk and soul, an extroverted bounce back from her beloved 2021 album Sling. Co-produced by Clairo and Leon Michels (of The Dap-Kings and El Michels Affair), Charm is the type of gorgeous, ornate, sensual record only Clairo could create, an amalgamation of everything that has made her one of the most celebrated artists of the last five years.” (PR)

7/12 Donovan Woods – Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good (End Times Music)

“On his seventh studio album, singer/songwriter Donovan Woods takes a long look inside – and isn’t necessarily thrilled with what he sees. For an artist who isn’t afraid to bear his soul, this is as emotionally gritty as he has ever been. Across the album’s 12 sparse, intimate songs, Woods finds himself reflecting on the ups and downs he has been through since 2020. His writing allowed him to open up and address the complexities of life that he has been going through. The album, he notes, serves as ‘a funeral to the life he was living.'” (PR)

7/12 Font – Strange Burden (Acrophase Records)

7/12 Hannah Mohan – Time Is a Walnut (Egghunt Records)

7/12 Phish – Evolve (Phish Inc)

7/12 Travis – L.A. Times (BMG)

“Frontman Fran Healy calls Travis’ 10th album his most personal and ambitious work since The Man Who. Produced by Tony Hoffer (Air, Beck, Phoenix), L.A. Times was written by Fran Healy in his studio on the edge of Skid Row, Los Angeles, the city he has called home for the last decade. The tinderbox feeling of the city; its huge inequality and environmental and social precariousness; is a key theme, alongside personal connection, relationships and fatherhood.” (PR)

7/12 Ynys – Dosbarth Nos (Night Class) (Libertino Records)

7/19 Beta Radio – Waiting for the End to Come (Nettwerk Music Group)

7/19 Childish Gambino – Bando Stone & The New World (RCA Records)

7/19 Glass Animals – I Love You So F***ing Much (Republic Records)

7/19 GUM / Ambrose Kenny-Smith – Ill Times (p(doom) records)

7/19 Highly Suspect – As Above, So Below (Roadrunner/300/Elektra)

7/19 Lava La Rue – STARFACE (Dirty Hit)

7/19 Major Murphy – Fallout (Winspear)

7/19 Role Model – Kansas Anymore (Interscope Records)

“Role Model’s been in love. He was so in love he wrote his entire debut album Rx about it. But not all romances last forever, and the 26-year-old’s grieving of his last relationship is at the center of his sophomore album Kansas Anymore, a record inspired by homesickness, heartbreak, and the process of redefining oneself amidst those feelings.” (PR)

7/23 Alex Winston – Bingo! (Rat Rizzo Records)

7/25 Abbie Ozard – everything still worries me (House Anxiety)

7/25 Coral Moons – summer of u (Better Company Records)

7/26 CULTS – To The Ghosts (IMPERIAL)

7/26 Elsy Wameyo – Saint Sinner (independent)

7/26 Fancy Gap – Fancy Gap (Ghost Choir Records)

“On their self-titled debut album, Fancy Gap – the duo of singer/songwriter Stuart McLamb (The Love Language) and songwriter/producer Charles Crossingham – take listeners on a journey that steers through life’s melodies with windows down. It’s a country-tinged, radio-ready sound, yet delves deep into universal themes. From stirring reflections on death and aging to the joyous celebrations of life, love, and triumph, every track on Fancy Gap captures different facets of the human experience. With a twang evoking the heartland and a widescreen perspective hinting at something greater, McLamb and Crossingham explore poignant moments of laughter and loss, enduring bonds of friendship, and the ups and downs of relationships.” (PR)

7/26 Ferry Townes – Side Effects of Happiness (Licorice Pizza Records)

7/26 Joshua Bassett – The Golden Years (Warner Records)

7/26 Little Mystery – Little Mystery (Ruination Record Co.)

7/26 Nightshift – Homosapien (Trouble in Mind)

7/26 MAITA – want (Fluff & Gravy Records)

7/26 Ray LaMontagne – Long Way Home (Liula Records)

“The core of Long Way Home reverberates deep into Ray LaMontagne’s youth—at 21-years-old, in a small club in Minneapolis, he recalls seeing Townes Van Zandt perform live. A line from ‘To Live Is To Fly’ has stuck with him ever since; Van Zandt sang, ‘When here you been is good an gone, all you keep is the getting there.’ LaMontagne reflects, ‘Thirty years later it occurs to me that every song on Long Way Home is in one way or another honoring the journey. The languorous days of youth and innocence. The countless battles of adulthood, some won, more often lost. It’s been a long hard road, and I wouldn’t change a minute. It took me nine songs to express what Townes managed to say in one line. I guess I still got a lot to learn.’” (PR)

7/26 The Red Clay Strays – Made By These Moments (RCA Records)

“Made by These Moments is filled with The Red Clay Strays’ signature genre-blending sound, as they meld electric rock and roll with southern soul. Across these eleven tracks, the band explore fundamental elements of the human condition, reflecting on faith, love and redemption. Of the project, lead singer Brandon Coleman shares, ‘Made by These Moments shines a light on overcoming the battles we face in life like loneliness, depression, and hopelessness. We hope you listen and recognise that our pain has a purpose.'” (PR)

7/26 Sinai Vessel – I Sing (Keeled Scales)

7/26 Wild Rivers – Never Better (Nettwerk Music Group)

August 2024

8/2 Anberlin – Vega (Equal Vision Records)

8/2 Blood – Loving You Backwards (Ramp Local)

8/2 Brigitte Calls Me Baby – The Future Is Our Way Out (ATO Records)

8/2 Footballhead – Before I Die (Tiny Engines)

8/2 Personal Trainer – Still Willing (Bella Union)

8/2 Tones And I – Beautifully Ordinary

8/9 Amos Lee – Transmissions (Hoagiemouth Records / Thirty Tigers)

8/9 Aquilo – A Quiet Invitation to a Hard Conversation (AWAL)

8/9 DICE – Midnight Zoo (Tone City Records)

8/9 Florence Clementine – One Mile Upstream (Preserve Artists)

8/9 Louis Cole – Nothing (Brainfeeder)

8/9 Mal Not Bad – This Is Your New Life (independent)

“Self-produced and recorded by Mal Not Bad in their home in the Melrose District of Los Angeles, This Is Your New Life – as its title suggests – is as much a gesture to their past as it is a gateway to new beginnings. Across its twelve tracks, Mal Not Bad draws upon influence from the spiraling electronic and ambient worlds of Aphex Twin and Brian Eno to the deft songwriting nuances of Feist, David Byrne and Alex G, with its subject matter stretching across relationships — to ones we love and with ourselves, and with death and life itself, as well as reflections upon modern day communication, and ultimately pausing to observe the world around us, rather than being consumed by the chaos.” (PR)

8/9 Never Ending Fall – American Disco (Create Music Group)

“Combining nostalgic familiarity with original excitement, indie rock band Never Ending Fall shine on their new record American Disco.” (PR)

8/9 Ravyn Lenae – Bird’s Eye (Atlantic Records)

8/16 Amy Shark – Sunday Sadness (Wonderlick / Sony Music Australia / RCA Records)

8/16 beabadoobee – This Is How Tomorrow Moves (Dirty Hit)

8/16 Charly Bliss – FOREVER (Lucky Number)

8/16 Horse Jumper of Love – Disaster Trick (Run for Cover Records)

8/16 KALISWAY – A Kid from Toronto (independent)

“Consisting of 14 immaculately produced tracks, skipping between R&B, Funk, Hip-Hop and Soul, including focus track “Sugar,” Kalisway’s highly-anticipated album A Kid From Toronto is groovy, psychedelic and her personal definition of funk.” (PR)

8/16 Lesibu Grand – Triggered (Kill Rock Stars)

“Using modern sounds of celestial pop, punk, and surf rock, each song off Lesibu Grand’s debut album Triggered encapsulates the essence of our tumultuous society, weaving together threads of personal introspection and societal commentary.” (PR)

8/16 Matty – POPS (Lex Records)

8/16 Marlin’s Dreaming – HIRL (Ditto Music)

Longtime standouts in the global indie pop scene, Marlin’s Dreaming prove that their inner flame burns brighter than ever on HIRL. They consider their fourth studio album one of change, inner (and outer) transformation – tracking personal growth as well as their own physical movement, from their home territory of Dunedin to New Zealand’s bustling capital of Auckland. To them, it’s “a complex and layered indie pop record that sparkles and shines with a studio pop gusto not seen for [some time]… Notably, it takes the layered and tender songwriting of the previous records and levels up the production to a sparkling studio pop sheen,” marking a turn as they level up their production and embrace a pop mindset.” – Mitch Mosk

8/16 Maude Latour – Sugar Water (Warner Records)

“Sugar Water is about growing up and learning how to lose things, people, and love— all parts of getting older. This album is an attempt at trying to hold onto the sweetness of this short life while it is still happening. It’s my most existential, deepest thoughts coated in pop music. I hope it takes you on the journey of a lifetime.” – Maude Latour

8/16 Ok Cowgirl – Couldn’t Save Us From My Gut (Easy Does It Records)

“The album is named Couldn’t Save Us From My Gut because this record is about me learning to listen to and trust my intuition in various contexts from leaving my first long-term relationship, to entering my first queer relationship, to coming to terms with growing apart from friends, to navigating my career in a f*d up economy. That’s the through-line, and it’s a direct lyric from the third track, ‘Our Love.'” – Leah Lavigne, Ok Cowgirl

8/16 Rosie Lowe – Lover, Other (Blue Flowers Music)

8/16 Tama Gucci – Notes to Self (Sinderlyn)

8/16 Veronica Lewis – Too Late for Tears (Moonwink Records / Symphonic)

“With this album, Boston-based, 20-year-old indie singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Veronica Lewis shows a singular vision, confidence, and stunning artistic honesty. Merging American roots rock with ’90s alt and modern indie-pop, this sonic coming-of-age odyssey reflects Veronica’s powerful vulnerability as a songwriter and musician. ‘This is about coming to terms with things we all struggle with… disillusionment, self-discovery, the beauty and flaws you find in yourself and the world around you,’ says Veronica.” (PR)

8/16 Wishy – Triple Seven (Winspear)

8/23 Andrew Combs – Dream Pictures (independent)

“A vivid portrait of the musician and visual artist at work, Dream Pictures is a dreamy, dusky record for the quiet hours that bring each day to a close.” (PR)

8/23 Closebye – Hammer of My Own (independent)

8/23 Dhruv – Private Blizzard (Little Worry / RCA Records)

“Recorded in Nashville with Grammy-nominated producer JT Daly (Noah Kahan, Bully, Benson Boone), Private Blizzard echoes the rollercoaster of emotions Dhruv experienced during this time as he allowed his intuition to guide him, an ebb and flow similar to the changing of the seasons. He focused on developing his vocal range to give himself a larger canvas to express these varied emotions, arriving at a sound that incorporates classic live elements but still feels modern. The end result is a debut album that feels true to Dhruv above all else.” (PR)

8/23 Dutch Criminal Record – Novium (AntiFragile Music)

8/23 Emily Wurramara – NARA (ABC Music)

“Titled for the Anindilyakwa word meaning ‘nothing,’ NARA beckons its listeners through mystical portals on a varicoloured journey through the years since Emily Wurramara’s debut album Milyakburra (2018), tracing intense highs and lows – from winning accolades and taking her music across the world, losing her house in a fire, giving birth to her daughter and struggling with her mental health – to her ultimate arrival at peace in the knowledge that ‘It was when I had nothing, I realised I had everything.’ Expanding into weird and wonderful spaces sonically and visually without losing the organic timelessness of Wurramara’s songwriting and steeped in love for community, NARA and its twelve songs are the testament of a soul now finally at peace, making the music she wants to make, anchored by a deep love, respect and appreciation for community, family and country – always with a sense of humour and purpose.” (PR)

8/23 Emma Russack – About the Girl (Dinosaur City Records)

8/23 Fontaines D.C. – Romance (XL Recordings)

8/23 Fruition – How To Make Mistakes (independent)

“How To Make Mistakes is the beloved Portland, Oregon band’s first album in four years, with a different recording approach this time around. The album was co-produced by the band, and everything was recorded live on the floor in the studio – both firsts for the quintet. The new song captures their raw, heartfelt sound and 15-year journey together, blemishes and all. How To Make Mistakes is a melting pot of rock, soul, folk, and pop with its combination of soaring vocal harmonies and collaborative, song-driven Americana. You should’ve received download and stream links to the album already, but I also included them below again for convenience.” (PR)

8/23 Geneva Jacuzzi – Triple Fire (Dais Records)

8/23 GIFT – Illuminator (Captured Tracks)

8/23 Gilligan Moss – Speaking Across Time (Foreign Family Collective)

“With their new album Speaking Across Time, Gilligan Moss — the Brooklyn-based electronic duo of childhood friends Ben + Evan — have created a swirling and expansive survey of 90s rave, old country, pastoral house, and vintage soul. Gilligan Moss say that it ‘explores how creation and collaboration change over time — and how music can outlast us.'” (PR)

8/23 Illuminati Hotties – Power (Hopeless Records)

“Power is not a grief record. It is not a love record, either. Instead, it is a real-life record, a reflection of all the things Tudzin has endured or enjoyed during the too-long span since Illuminati Hotties’ wonderfully infectious last batch. Sadness, joy, and the busyness of modern existence are all bound into these 13 songs, characters and circumstances sometimes exaggerated not just for effect but to offer a modest buffer between Sarah Tudzin’s world and those inside of her words.” (PR)

8/23 Luna Li – When a Thought Grows Wings (In Real Life / AWAL)

8/23 Montell Fish – Charlotte (Virgin Music)

8/23 The National Parks – Wild Spirit (independent)

8/23 Sabrina Carpenter – Short N’ Sweet (Island Records)

8/23 SOFI TUKKER – BREAD (independent)

8/23 Sycco – Zorb (Future Classic)

8/30 Becca Stevens – Maple to Paper (GroundUP)

“In the early days of 2023, Becca Stevens felt an overwhelming need to process two monumental changes in her life: the death of her mother, and the start of her own journey into motherhood. Seeking the catharsis of self-expression, she withdrew to her home studio. Emerging from this unfettered creative period, Stevens had completed Maple to Paper: A glimpse into her most private moments of grief and transcendence, rendered with devotion to music’s alchemical powers. Maple to Paper is Stevens’ first entirely solo acoustic record. Recorded live with no overdubs and mixed by frequent collaborator Nic Hard, the album features a stripped-down sound rooted in her spellbinding guitar work and raw yet luminous vocal performance.” (PR)

8/30 David Kushner – Dichotomy (Miserable Music Group / Virgin Records)

“David Kushner’s debut album delves into the tapestry of human existence by exploring two contrasts. Comprising 17 songs, this musical work examines the interplay between light and darkness, happiness and sadness, anger and love, hero and villains, and the dichotomy of our inner demons and angels. Through a fusion of introspective lyrics, David Kushner captures the essence of emotional experiences, providing connection from all walks of life.” (PR)

8/30 Kid Dakota – Praegustator (Graveface Records)

“Kid Dakota’s seventh album showcases the creative talents of original frontman Darren Jackson and new drummer Lars Oslund, who have further refined the lush, orchestrated sound that marked their last two albums, “Denervation” and “Age of Roaches.” Not for the faint of heart, this dark, brooding album delves into themes of alienation, addiction, inequality, and environmental catastrophe. Praegustator is both innovative and fresh while staying true to Kid Dakota’s Art Rock/Alternative roots. The sound evokes a comforting nostalgia yet feels entirely new.” (PR)

8/30 Leyya – Half Asleep (INK Music)

“Self-reflection due to inner turbulence defines Leyya’s upcoming album, Half Asleep. The process of recognising and gaining self-awareness runs through the album like a common thread, and with titles such as ‘I Don’t Hug So Well’, ‘Ease My Mind’, or ‘Sometimes You’re Lonely’, this proves self-explanatory. Despite the record’s self-effacing modesty, Half Asleep was written without preconception. It was inspired by lived experiences, favourite songs and sounds, the wheel of human emotion, and the art of music making “’cause it’s fun.” Every sound, sample or lick has been lovingly crafted and is harmoniously organic, contrary to the fast-moving circumstances and conventional production methods. Egoless but stubborn, Half Asleep shows a new kind of honesty and openness circulating between digital and analogue, as the band share their experience of how healing it can be to return to oneself.” (PR)

8/30 Los Bitchos – Talkie Talkie (City Slang)

8/30 Marianas Trench – Haven (604 Records / Warner Music Canada)

“Since their inaugural album Fix Me, Marianas Trench have always continued to evolve, and with Haven, the Vancouver-based four-piece pushes the envelope and takes their musical and thematic efforts to new heights. The album showcases that at the core Marianas Trench is a take-no-prisoners, four-piece rock band featuring singer, songwriter and producer Josh Ramsay’s expansive vocal range, and Haven adds exciting layers of synthesizer and orchestral elements.”

“Haven is inspired by Joseph Campbell’s scholarly book, The Hero’s Journey, which defines the arc of virtually every quest narrative. ‘The more of a deep dive I did into the book, the more I was in awe of how much it applied to every story,’ says Marianas Trench singer, songwriter, and producer Josh Ramsay. He added that each of the songs on Haven is inspired by the plot points Campbell defines as commonalities in every hero’s journey. The result is a narrative sequence of thirteen tracks based on the framework of the book, and like previous Marianas Trench albums is extremely broad in scope.” (PR)

8/30 Mondo Cozmo – It’s PRINCIPLE! (Last Gang Records)

“Mondo Cozmo’s fourth studio album is his most complete and vulnerable body of work. Instead of an ending, it marks a new beginning. Not many artists are fortunate to successfully hit the reset button. Yet, that’s exactly what It’s PRINCIPLE is: An artist, who has been through it, taking a big swing and connecting with an album he believes he made for himself but it would be nice if others like it too.” (PR)

8/30 Sima Cunningham – High Roller (Ruination Record Co.)

8/30 Valley – Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden (Capitol Records / Universal Music Canada)

8/30 Why Bonnie – Wish On The Bone (Fire Talk)

“When Why Bonnie recorded their debut 90 in November, they set out to make a country album, aligning their respective technical instincts with the genre trappings. With Wish on the Bone, Blair Howerton had no interest in adhering to genre standards. Howerton, Chance Williams, and Josh Malett fleshed out these songs with help from Jonathan Schenke, who co-produced alongside Howerton. ‘Personal experience of learning to be bolder and more assertive and trusting myself has carried over into my music. I’m not afraid to take risks,’ Howerton says. Although Wish on the Bone is untethered from the particulars of landscape or genre, its fixation on what it might look like to lead an authentic life grounds the record in place. With Wish on the Bone, Howerton is wide-eyed and waiting, reminding herself, even on the worst days, that despair is not inevitable.” (PR)

8/30 Wunderhorse – Midas (Communion / Mick Music)

“Midas adopts an unpolished recording process which captures the visceral atmosphere of Wunderhorse’s lauded live performances and establishes the band as one of the most exciting new UK artists. Of the album, frontman Jacob Slater explains, ‘When we first went into the studio to make this record, the only thing we were sure about is how we wanted it to sound; very imperfect, very live, very raw; no frills. We wanted it to sound like your face is pressed up against the amplifiers, like you’ve been locked inside the bass drum.'” (PR)

September 2024

9/3 Cheridomingo – Shapeshift (independent)

9/3 Rachel Platten – I Am Rachel Platten (independent)

“This record emerges from Platten’s own struggles with mental health – depression, chronic pain, and how she dug herself out of the hole she fell into. It’s a raw and radiant journey of healing.” (PR)

9/6 Amy Allen – Amy Allen (AWAL)

“One of the most vital behind-the-scenes forces in pop music today, Amy Allen has brought her massive songwriting talents to a steady stream of smash hits in the first few months of 2024 alone, with her contributions to songs like Sabrina Carpenter’s culture-dominating “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” and more. A Billboard Hot 100 hitmaker who has worked with superstars like Olivia Rodrigo, Justin Bieber, and Leon Bridges, won an Album of the Year GRAMMY for her work on Harry Styles’ Harry’s House, and was nominated for the inaugural Songwriter of the Year award, Allen showcases a new dimension of her one-of-a-kind artistry on his record. Centered on a gorgeously composed and endlessly unpredictable form of indie-rock, with inspiration ranging from Cocteau Twins to John Prine, Amy Allen introduces an essential new artist whose music you didn’t know you already loved.” (PR)

9/6 Ashe – Willson (Mom+Pop)

9/6 Claude Fountaine – La Mer (Innovative Leisure)

9/6 Dummy – Free Energy (Trouble In Mind)

9/6 Fat Dog – WOOF. (Domino Records)

9/6 Gooseberry – All My Friends Are Cattle (independent)

“All My Friends Are Cattle represents Gooseberry’s most ambitious project yet, showcasing the expansive distance they cover, from punch-you-in-the-mouth punk rock to lyrically-driven singer-songwriter to atmospheric prog rock. Though powered by heavy 90s alternative influences, this LP showcases what Gooseberry can be: an exciting amalgamation of many genres and sounds, taking the listener on a journey that never once leaves the ear tired and consistently keeps the mind guessing where they will head next.” (PR)

9/6 Hinds – VIVA HINDS (Lucky Number)

9/6 The Howl & The Hum – Same Mistake Twice (Miserable Disco)

“Across The Howl & The Hum’s second album Same Mistake Twice, Sam Griffiths confronts the pain and chaos of recent tumultuous years across 12 tracks of his most direct songwriting to date. Surviving the breakup of his band, the global pandemic and reckoning with his future in music, he points the spotlight directly at the anxiety involved in any breakup we experience: how am I perceived? How do people speak about me? How will I be remembered? Am I a good person? The album traverses the raw harshness of Neutral Milk Hotel as much as the unblinking self-reflection of country pioneers like John Prine or Townes Van Zandt. Throughout, Griffiths’ voice is acrobatic and powerfully emotive, even while singing about the most vulnerable of topics. Effortlessly veering between gravelly introspection to soaring falsetto, it is a unifying counterpoint to his themes of anxiety and dread.” (PR)

9/6 Mercury Rev – Born Horses (Bella Union)

9/6 MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks (ANTI-)

“Manning Fireworks is an instant classic of an LP. MJ lets us in on his frank observations on the intersection of wit and sadness. The punchlines from his previous albums are still here, as are the rusted-wire guitar solos that have made him a favorite for indie rock fans looking for an emerging guitar hero. But there’s a new sincerity, too, as Lenderman lets listeners clearly see the world through his warped lens.” (PR)

9/6 Sarah Kinsley – ESCAPER (Verve Records)

9/6 Shovels & Rope – Something Is Working Up Above My Head (Dualtone Records)

“Less is more has always been the approach for the husband-and-wife duo of Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent in their incendiary live shows, and many of their recordings. From the stage, the two of them alone can sound like a raucous full band one moment or create an intimate, moving moment that commands the full attention of an audience the next. Less is more is truly fitting on Shovels & Rope’s latest album. The two decided to simplify their recording process by only using instrumentation they can replicate live, as opposed to changing the arrangements to fit the live performance. Something Is Working Up Above My Head finds Shovels & Rope leaning into their rock and punk roots that have always been a part of their sound. Hearst and Trent are, at their core, songwriters and great storytellers. Their character-driven narratives and vivid, cinematic vignettes of flawed protagonists who are often derailed by their shortcomings are as present as ever.” (PR)

9/12 Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors – Strangers No More Volume Two (Magnolia Music)

9/13 Albin Lee Meldau – Discomforts (Mayfly / Glassnote)

9/13 Beau – Girl Cried Wolf (Immortal Records)

9/13 BONES UK – SOFT (Sumerian Records)

“Unapologetically rebellious and GRAMMY-nominated duo BONES UK return with a visceral, anthemic take on their future-rock mélange of swaggering guitars, gritty electronics, and love-yourself / think-for-yourself lyrics. SOFT‘s eleven tracks are bound by through-lines of massive hooks, bold stylistic cocktails, and empowering lyrics that also include collaborations with Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins and Mike Schuman of Queens of the Stone Age.” (PR)

9/13 COIN – I’m Not Afraid of Music Anymore (10K Projects)

“The new album finds the band in their most vulnerable state and continuing to push the boundaries of alternative pop without straying from their trademark dynamic energy. It’s bright, bittersweet, electric, intimate and a record fans new and old can embrace open heartedly. After thinking they were out of stories to tell, songs to shape, I’m Not Afraid of Music Anymore suggests that COIN have unlocked not a new chapter in their existence but an entire new volume, with more depth than they’ve ever shared before.” (PR)

9/13 Divine Sweater – A Time for Everything (Better Company Records)

9/13 Gia Ford – Transparent Things (Chrysalis Records)

9/13 Hello Mary – Emita Ox (independent)

9/13 HYPER GAL – After Image (SKiN GRAFT Records)

“Springing from Osaka, Japan’s cultural center and historical heart, comes HYPER GAL, a two-piece band consisting of visual artist Koharu Ishida on vocals and noise artist Kurumi Kadoya on drums. The minimalist duo make maximum impact – stripping music down beyond the bare essentials, to create shimmering, no wave pop from blast beat drums, glittery keyboard loops and ethereal bubblegum vocals – laced with velvet and firecrackers. On After Image HYPER GAL hold fast to their limited palette, but expand their reach. Working with a canvas larger than ever before, the band fearlessly alternate bold, avant-garde strokes with intimate, deliberate gestures. The result is a new world awash in a sea of endless possibilities – only visible with closed eyes and open ears.” (PR)

9/13 Lily Kershaw – Pain & More (Nettwerk Music Group)

9/13 Lunar Vacation – Everything Matters, Everything’s Fire (Keeled Scales)

“Decatur, GA-based band Lunar Vacation’s sophomore album Everything Matters, Everything’s Fire is the product of a group who grew up together as childhood friends, but have since become something deeper and more profound. Now living under the same roof and having overcome life-threatening challenges together, Lunar Vacation have grown as best friends, homemakers, and a band, having learned to trust their instincts, as well as each other. Since the band’s last record, lyricist/vocalist/guitarist Gep Repasky experienced a year of emotional tumult that led to a psychiatric hospitalization, which was both traumatic and transformative. Most of the album documents that period. For a while after, the songs Gep wrote were lovelorn, angry, hopeless, but with the band’s encouragement, they began to see the duality in every lyric they penned, the cracks that let the light in.” (PR)

9/13 Nilüfer Yanya – My Method Actor (Ninja Tune)

“While writing My Method Actor, Nilüfer Yanya retreated into the studio with her creative partner, Wilma Archer (Sudan Archives/MF Doom/Celeste). She had toured her second album, PAINLESS, for a year and entered a period of transition, between albums, between record companies, between homes. My Method Actor deals a lot with the idea of movement from one part of life and into another. The seeds of My Method Actor were planted in early 2023, but it wasn’t until the spring of that year that shoots began to appear. As songs started to form, Yanya and Archer squirreled themselves away from the world. ‘This is the most intense album, in that respect,’ Yanya says. ‘Because it’s only been us two. We didn’t let anyone else into the bubble.’ They wrote and recorded in small sessions, spread across London, Wales and Eastbourne. You can feel this cocooning of creative energy in the atmosphere of the record: It envelopes you entirely in cinematic sweeps while feeling intimate, finally inviting you into the little world they created and offering up its secrets.” (PR)

9/13 Suki Waterhouse – Memoir of a Sparklemuffin (Sub Pop)

9/14 Sans Soucis – Circumnavigating Georgia (Decca Records)

9/20 Blossoms – Gary (ODD SK Recordings)

9/20 Bright Eyes – Five Dice, All Threes (Dead Oceans)

9/20 David C Clements – The Garden (Third Bar Records)

9/20 FIDLAR – SURVIVING THE DREAM (independent)

9/20 Jake Bugg – A Modern Day Distraction (Arista Records)

9/20 Jamie xx – In Waves (Young / Remote Control Records)

9/20 Joan As Police Woman – Lemons, Limes and Orchids (Play It Again Sam)

9/20 Katy J Pearson – Someday, Now (Heavenly Recordings)

9/20 Katy Perry – 143 (Capitol Records)

9/20 Lea Thomas – Cosmos Forever (Triple Dolphin Records)

9/20 Lutalo – The Academy (Winspear)

“Named after the St. Paul, MN school they attended on scholarship — the same school F. Scott Fitzgerald attended and famously dissected throughout his work — The Academy marks a period of re-invigoration and self-actualization for 24-year-old Vermont-based artist Lutalo. Diverging from the gentler sounds of last year’s AGAIN EP or their collab with bedroom pop phenom Claud on “Running” from earlier this year, The Academy is an altogether knottier and bloodier affair that traverses down fresh sonic avenues while maintaining Lutalo’s idiosyncratic voice. Their time as an interloper into the elite world of The Academy lends Lutalo’s observations on class disparity and privilege a uniquely nuanced and humanizing perspective.” (PR)

9/20 Neon Trees – Sink Your Teeth (Round Hill Records)

9/20 Pale Waves – Smitten (Dirty Hit)

9/20 Sammy Rae & The Friends – Something For Everybody (Nettwerk)

9/20 The Voidz – Like All Before You (Cult Records)

9/20 Wilderado – Talker (Bright Antenna Records)

9/27 Adeline Hotel – Whodunnit (Ruination Record Co.)

9/27 Ben Böhmer – Bloom (Ninja Tune)

9/27 Christian Lee Hutson – Paradise Pop. 10 (ANTI Records)

“A captivating, breezy charm permeates every track of Paradise Pop. 10, with each song hooked around Christian Lee Hutson’s warm, earthy vocals and dexterous storytelling. Whether fragile finger-picking folk or rousing, beachy power pop, these songs are informed by a sense of creeping melancholy about the place Hutson has spent most of his life; in the lead up to the writing and recording of the album the sprawling, inscrutable city of Los Angeles had become haunted in his mind. A move to the East Coast, and the “eyes up” city of New York, was required to refresh his memory banks. “I wanted to make an eyes up record. A looking forward record,” he explains. Paradise Pop. 10 is co-produced with three of Hutson’s longtime collaborators: 4x GRAMMY winner Phoebe Bridgers, GRAMMY-nominated songwriter & producer Marshall Vore and GRAMMY-nominated engineer & multi-instrumentalist Joseph Lorge. The album also features guest vocals from Bridgers, Katy Kirby, and Maya Hawke – another frequent collaborator whose universally lauded new album credits Hutson as producer and co-writer.” (PR)

9/27 Ezra Collective – Dance, No One’s Watching (Partisan Records)

9/27 Kate Bollinger – Songs from a Thousand Frames of Mind (Ghostly)

9/27 Leif Vollebekk – Revelation (Secret City Records)

9/27 Merce Lemon – Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild (Darling Records)

9/27 MICHELLE – Songs About You Specifically (Atlantic Records / Transgressive)

9/27 Naima Bock – Below a Massive Dark Land (Sub Pop)

“Most of the writing of Naima Bock’s second album, Below a Massive Dark Land, was a solitary affair. It may not sound it – it’s made up of strong, purposeful arrangements with a huge host of musicians; filled with cradling space and warm light. This will also come as a surprise to anyone who has seen Naima perform in the time since the release of her 2022 debut Giant Palm, undoubtedly a communal experience.” (PR)

9/27 Nina Nesbitt – Mountain Music (Apple Tree Records)

9/27 October Drift – Blame The Young (Physical Education Recordings)

9/27 SOPHIE – SOPHIE (Transgressive / Future Classic)

“This album was created by SOPHIE and some of her most cherished collaborators. Close to completion when she tragically died, it has been lovingly finalized by those who hold her closest.” (PR)

9/27 Tuelo – Regarding My Heart (independent)

9/27 Xiu Xiu – 13″ Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips (Polyvinyl)

October 2024

10/4 Balance and Composure – with you in spirit (Memory Music)

10/4 Casual Male – Casual Male (independent)

10/4 Half Waif – See You At The Maypole (ANTI- Records)

“See You At The Maypole was originally intended as a departure from the darker works of Half Waif. Whereas 2021’s Mythopoetics dealt with familial traumas and the patterns we carry with us, Nandi Rose––armed with the anticipation of planning her own family––envisioned a new collection of soft and joyous odes to motherhood, and to new beginnings. That writing sparked in the summer of 2021 at a solo retreat in the Catskills, as melodies formed in a small cabin overlooking a luscious and rain-rippled pond. A month later, Rose found out she was pregnant and anticipated nine months of writing through a new, maternal lens, speckled with the verdure of certainty. But when that soundless morning arrived in December, See You At The Maypole took on a new life. One that would seize the uncomfortable reigns of uncertainty.”

“The treatment of a missed miscarriage, as with an at-home abortion, is most effective with the use of two pills: mifepristone and misoprostol. Rose, however, was only prescribed the latter, likely due to FDA regulations on the former. Over the course of the next four months, her body did not recover as it should have. It wasn’t until the spring that she learned she had retained pregnancy tissue and needed an additional procedure, finally allowing her to move forward. “I was literally carrying death inside me,” she explains, “and then my body was frozen.” In that same time, Rose’s beloved mother-in-law was diagnosed with aggressive pancreatic cancer; it felt like the universe was playing an endless, cruel joke. And so, Rose wrote to save herself. Before the sunrise, she wrote in the quiet corner of the would-be nursery while her husband slept across the hall. These were lullabies for no one, whispers dissipating into the fog.” (PR)

10/4 Nick Ward – House With The Blue Door (Republic Records)

10/4 Orla Gartland – Everybody Needs a Hero (New Friends)

“Everybody Needs A Hero explores how Orla Gartland shapeshifts through the currents of a long term relationship and works out how to take up space in a postfeminist world. She explores the idea of a ‘hero’: someone to look up to, someone to rescue us from ourselves, someone we use to deflect from our own shadow self. The album came to life between her London studio and the creative sanctuary of Middle Farm Studios in Devon. With Gartland on a constant quest to push herself as a writer and producer, she captained the ship during the writing and recording processes, with strong direction right through to the mixing and mastering. She worked with longtime collaborators Tom Stafford and Peter Miles in co-producing the album, inspired by each producers’ digital and analog approaches.” (PR)

10/4 Wild Pink – Dulling the Horns (Fire Talk)

“‘Do you still believe it?’ John Ross asks that question after journeying through the wreckage, after singing of thunder rolling down the track and lighting in a bottle. These are tropes, and he knows it. It’s a moment where he’s returning to the ancient wisdom of his classic rock forebears, trying to find the answers all over again. This is the ground Ross travels in ‘The Fences of Stonehenge,’ the lead single, opening track, and mission statement of the new Wild Pink album Dulling The Horns. The question reverberates across the album: ‘Do you still believe it?” And what happens when you don’t anymore?’”

“Ross’ response is to start anew. Dulling The Horns is the sound of Wild Pink fraying at the edges. On the other side of his cancer battle and having to retell the story through an album cycle, he found himself exhausted — desperate for a new spark, a new story. Across the album, and on its mission statement of an opener, you can hear him rediscovering the fire in real time, and the result is something that recalls an earlier iteration of Wild Pink’s sound while carrying with it the lessons of their more recent output.” (PR)

10/11 Current Joys – East My Love (Secretly Canadian)

10/11 Dua Saleh – I SHOULD CALL THEM (Ghostly International)

“Showcasing Dua Saleh’s staggering prowess as a singer, songwriter, and sonic architect, I SHOULD CALL THEM houses a collection of R&B-infused electronic indie-pop songs that portray the spiritual power, resilience, and joy of love found between two star crossed lovers. Equal parts imaginative and lived-through, it’s a statement record only Saleh could make.” (PR)

10/11 Faux Real – Faux Ever (City Slang Records)

10/11 Field Music – Limits of Language (Memphis Industries)

10/11 Great Gable – Small Fry (Warner Music Australia)

“Small Fry is a distinctly home state affair. Great Gable’s first recording stint at home in Perth since 2018, and their first time at Blackbird Studios with Dave Parkin (Spacey Jane, Jebediah), lead singer Alex Whiteman, guitarist Matt Preen, bassist Christopher Bye, and drummer Madi Hanley have produced a record that shows the rest of the world what makes their home so special.  Authenticity that shines through when listening to Small Fry, from the opening notes of ‘Best Friend’ through to the last seconds of closing track ‘Asleep.’ Small Fry is simultaneously a salve for many tender souls, while also being wholly appropriate as the backdrop to a rowdy pub session with loved ones. It’s Great Gable’s ability to write music for every occasion that has made them such a crowd favourite, and their range is explored like never before on this album.” (PR)

10/18 Bear Hands – The Key to What (Rostrum Records / Cantora Records)

10/18 Dean Lewis – The Epilogue (Island Records Australia)

10/18 Japandroids – Fate and Alcohol (ANTI- Records)

10/18 Rubblebucket – Year of the Banana (Egghunt Records)

“Rubblebucket’s new album explores one particular year from the band’s past known as the Year Of The Banana. Frontwoman Kalmia Traver has a personal practice of naming each year since 2011, ie: Year of Brushstrokes (2014), Year Of The Mountain And The Steady Flame (2022), Year Of Stop Crying, Start Flying (2023), etc. However, in 2015 (Year Of The Banana) Kalmia’s romantic relationship with Rubblebucket co-founder Alex Toth fell apart, and that year was spent peeling off psychological layers in search of the sweetness that would allow the friendship, and the band, to continue. ‘People get obsessed with the albums that were never finished because the band couldn’t stay together,’ Kalmia says. ‘But Year Of The Banana is the album that did get finished.’ So Rubblebucket is celebrating 15 years as a band with a record about the year it almost ended.” (PR)

10/18 shower curtain – words from a wishing well (imprint Angel Tapes)

10/25 Pixies – The Night the Zombies Came (BMG)

“Thirty-five years since their groundbreaking album Doolittle catapulted the band into the U.K. Top Ten and was certified Platinum in America, and 20 years since their celebrated reformation at Coachella, Pixies are deep into their second act amid a creative purple patch. The Night the Zombies Came is Pixies’ tenth album if you count their classic 1987 4AD mini-LP Come On Pilgrim and the first new music since 2022’s acclaimed Doggerel LP. Thirteen new songs that find Pixies looking ahead to the most cinematic record of their career. Songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Black Francis explains, ‘Fragments that are related and juxtaposed with other fragments in other songs. And in a collection of songs in a so-called LP, you end up making a kind of movie.’ Druidism, apocalyptic shopping malls, medieval-themed restaurants, 12th-century poetic form, surf rock, gargoyles, bog people, and the distinctive dry drum sound of 1970s-era Fleetwood Mac are just some of the disparate wonders that inform the new songs.” (PR)

10/31 Sister Ghost – Beyond the Water (Third Bar Records)

November 2024

11/1 School of X – Seventh Heaven (Tambourhinoceros)

TBD 2024

TBD 2024 Lawrence Matthews – Between Mortal Reach & Posthumous Grip (Golden Boi)

TBD 2024 theMIND – Dancing While Crying In the Middle of Nowhere (A Terrible Thing to Waste)

TBD Arliston – Disappointment Machine (independent)

TBD Yasmin Williams – Acadia (Nonesuch Records)