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.
BLUR – “STICKS AND STONE”
We’ve already heard two bonus tracks from the 7″ that comes with the deluxe vinyl edition of Blur’s great new album, The Ballad of Darren. Now they’ve shared another song from those sessions, a bonus track from the Japanese version of the album with Graham Coxon taking lead vocals.
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AOIFE NESSA FRANCES – “FANTASY”
Aoife Nessa Frances has shared a new track from the sessions that produced her great 2022 album Protector, the lushly orchestrated “Fantasy.” “With ‘Fantasy’ I took inspiration from the High Priestess Tarot card,” she says. “I was learning to read tarot at the time of writing the song, spending time with each card so that I could soak in meaning. The High Priestess depicts a woman sitting on a throne, between two pillars symbolising her role as a mediator between the different worlds. Drawing on this imagery, I wrote ‘Fantasy’ as a reflection of her essence and symbolism. She embodies the bridge between two worlds, connecting the realms of intuition and the conscious mind. Each lyric connects to her and her surroundings: swimming between the pillars as a form of duality, standing at the threshold, guarding the secrets to the subconscious mind, darkness and light, femininity and masculinity. Water as emotion; representing the depths of the unconscious mind, bringing a sense of fluidity and adaptability, emphasising the importance of embracing change and allowing emotions to flow naturally. The falling fruit as a symbol for change and transformation, the pomegranate from the cards imagery, a symbol for sexuality and regeneration. Writing ‘Fantasy’ took me on my own journey of self-discovery, connecting me to my own intuition. Méabh McKenna’s harp throughout the song acts like a flowing river, a constant presence that underscores the meaning. While ‘Fantasy’ was written during the same period as Protector, I decided to keep it separate because it occupies a unique space for me.”
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EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY – “MOVING ON”
Explosions In The Sky have shared another shimmering, climactic taste of upcoming album End.
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THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS – “SKIPPING LIKE A STONE” FT. BECK
Beck featured on The Chemical Brothers 2015 track “Wide Open,” and he and the duo have joined forces again for the exuberant “Skipping Like a Stone,” from their tenth album For That Beautiful Feeling.
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RUNNNER – LIVE IN LOS ANGELES 08-09-2022
Runnner (aka Noah Weinman) has released a live album recorded in LA last year. Noah says, “I’ve always tried to create space between the live versions and the recorded versions because I think that keeps things fun and exciting (and it’s really hard to capture the live energy in recorded form), but/so I’m really happy to have these live versions exist as recordings of their own now. Only people in LA have been able to see the full 7-piece Runnnerband so far, so I’m excited for everyone to hear the saxes in action.”
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HEMLOCKE SPRINGS – “ENKNEE1”
Hemlocke Springs is continuing her run of very good singles with the bubbly “enknee1.”
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AL GREEN – “PERFECT DAY” (LOU REED COVER)
Legendary soul singer Al Green’s first new single in five years is a cover of Lou Reed’s timeless “Perfect Day.” “The song immediately puts you in a good mood,” Al says. “We wanted to preserve that spirit, while adding our own sauce and style.”
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RUN INTO THE SUN – “NO ONE SEES ME” / “NOTHING HEALS HERE”
Salt Lake City’s Run Into The Sun are back with another two-pack, and these songs find them churning out heavy, chunky post-hardcore.
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POBBLES – ANOTHER POBBLES CHRISTMAS
PC Music main man A.G. Cook and visual artist George Michael Brower shared a new EP as Pobbles, Another Pobbles Christmas, described as “A new festive paradigm, a transformative cognitive event, and a very merry tapestry of holiday cheer!”
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BILLY BRAGG – “RICH MEN EARNING NORTH OF A MILLION”
Billy Bragg responded to Oliver Anthony’s viral track “Rich Men North of Richmond” with a song of his own, which you can read more about here.
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LOST GIRLS – “WITH THE OTHER HAND”
Lost Girls, the duo of Jenny Hval and Håvard Volden, are back with a new album, Selvutsletter, and they’ve shared the second single, “With the Other Hand,” Which you can read more about here.
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NEIL HAMBURGER – “MAIDS CAN’T MOP UP MEMORIES” FT. PUDDLES PITY PARTY
Neil Hamburger announced a new album, Neil Hamburger Presents Seasonal Depression Suite, and shared the first single, which has Puddles Pity Party doing vocals (and starring in the video). Read more about it here.
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Looking for even more new songs? Browse the New Songs archive.
