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.
THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN – “CHEMICAL ANIMAL”
The Jesus and Mary Chain will release new album Glasgow Eyes on March 8 and here’s the second single. “Our work on our autobiography definitely bled into our work on the album,” says frontman Jim Reid. “‘jamcod,’ the first single from the album, was about that night in 1998 in the House of Blues when the band broke up. ‘Chemical Animal’ is different but related. I was thinking back to those dark days of chemical dependency. When you fall so deep into that hole that everything you do is by instinct. The drugs are the driving force. The thing that gets you from a to b is whether you can score. It was a horrible way to live and I’m thankful I don’t live that way any more. One effect is that it made me aware of how our brains, who we are, how we feel, and what we do, depend on our neural chemistry, a chemistry beyond our control. It’s a biological curse we can’t escape.”
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LAURA JANE GRACE – “BIRDS TALK TOO”
Of the latest single from her anticipated new album, Laura Jane Grace says, “10 years ago I started getting tattooed by a Japanese tattoo artist named Gakkin. I traveled all around the world getting the work done literally starting with my feet and ending with getting my head tattooed in Amsterdam in July of 2022. At the end of our session, Gakkin gifted me a hand-painted Gretsch guitar, covered in beautiful, intricate, swirling design. I took the guitar back to my hotel room and immediately wrote ‘Birds Talk Too’. The lyrical references are all Amsterdam: Schipol is the airport, Rookies is my favourite cannabis cafe and Champagne Haze is my favourite strain.”
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HIGH LLAMAS – “TORIAFAN”
“The song is about learning through action and not through the page,” says High Llamas svengali Sean O’Hagan. “It speaks to those with dyslexia. I did not learn well in the classroom. I was a slow reader and to this day learn as a listener and conversationalist. I failed all my exams and worked on construction sites and car factories from 15 to 23. It features vocals from my daughter Livvy, Rae Morris and Fryars, plus a really confusing chord journey that could be Connie Converse but then falls away like Dorothy Ashby.” The High Llamas’ new album Hey Panda is out March 29 via Drag City.
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MAGIC TUBER STRINGBAND – “DAYS OF LONGING”
Durham, North Carolina folk/American primitivism duo Magic Tuber Stringband (Courtney Werner and Evan Morgan) will release new album Needlefall on March 22 via Thrill Jockey, and here’s the gorgeous lead single “Days of Longing.”
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J. ROBBINS – “LAST WAR”
Jawbox’s J. Robbins still knows how to dish out twitchy post-hardcore like he and other Dischord peers did in the ’90s, and new single “Last War” is a great example of that. His new solo LP Basilisk arrives 2/2 via Dischord.
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RACHEL CHINOURIRI – “NEVER NEED ME”
London singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri announced her debut album, What A Devastating Turn of Events, due out May 3 via Elektra. New single “Never Need Me” is sparkling alt-pop.
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JAHARI MASSAMBA UNIT (MADLIB & KARRIEM RIGGINS) – “MASSAMBA AFUNDANCE”
Madlib and Karriem Riggins have shared a new taste of their upcoming Jahari Massamba Unit album YHWH is LOVE,due 3/1 via Law of Rhythm. It’s a groovy, kinetic, jazzy instrumental with a strong Brazilian influence called “Massamba Afundance.”
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BITE THE HAND – “DAY OF PAIN”
Bay Area hardcore band Bite The Hand share members with Spiritual Cramp, State Faults, and Absinthe Father, and they’re now set to release their Andy Nelson-mixed sophomore EP Brutal By Design on March 8 via Big Bite Records. Lead single “Day of Pain” is as catchy as it is aggressive, and it’s a promising first taste.
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IHSAHN – “THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US”
Norwegian black metal veteran Ihsahn (of Emperor) is releasing a new self-titled album on February 16 via Candlelight. He’ll release “two melodically interlinked versions of the same album: one prog metal, one fully symphonic, both creating a cinematically-influenced masterpiece,” and the symphonic side very much comes through on this new song.
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ALANA YORKE – “MARION”
Canadian art-pop artist Alana Yorke is back with new album Destroyer that will be out Mary 17 via Paper Bag. First single “Marion” is a tribute to her late grandmother. “After my grandmother’s passing I was looking through old family photo albums, and the deep brown eyes of my grandmother really spoke to me, but also the ‘green and gold’ hazel eyes of myself as a young toddler,” says Alana. “Eyes became a link between generations, what we share in ways that are difficult to understand, and how a loved one can continue to live on through us. The intensity of the music and the vocal is an expression of the grief I was feeling. When we produced this song, we created so many beats, tracked drum parts, edited them, and later in the process we ended up peeling almost everything back to reveal the vocal and piano. When the strings were tracked, the new arrangement made sense, and had a new power that was more confident than expected.”
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DENT MAY – “ONE CALL, THAT’S ALL”
Dent May is back with his first new music in a while, this slightly Strokesy single “One Call, That’s All.” To go along with it, he’s launched a new call in line: 1-833-DENT-MAY.
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VILLAGERRR – “NEVERRR EVERRR” (FEAT. MERCE LEMON)
Columbus, OH’s Mark Allen Scott leads Villagerrr who make blissed-out indie rock. The band just announced new album, Tear Your Heart Out, which drops March 22 via Darling Recordings. Dig this first taste featuring Merce Lemon.
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BOLIS PUPUL – “SPICY CRAB”
Charlotte Adigery collaborator Bolis Pupul will release new album Letter to Yu in March via Soulwax’s DEEWEE label and here’s its second single. “Spicy Crab” was inspired by the spicy crustacean dish he ate on his first visit to Hong Kong.
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JAD FAIR – “SO FAR SO GOOD”
Half Japanese leader Jad Fair has made over 160 albums since covid lockdown. Your move, Robert Pollard! If that’s too much to take in, he’s whittled all that down to the slightly more digestible 100 Songs (A Master Class In Songwriting) which will be out March 1 via Kill Rock Stars. Still too much? You might just want to start with this one, “So Far So Good.”
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MEATBODIES – “MOVE”
Meatbodies, the Ty Segall-adjacent band led by Chad Ubovich, will release new album, Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom, on March 8 and here’s another ’90s-inspired taste. ““I wanted to make a hypnotic driving song that felt kind of dangerous,” says Chad. “There’s an energy to it that is undeniable.”
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REAL ESTATE – “HAUNTED WORLD”
“‘Haunted World’ sounds like a 90s sitcom theme to us. Network execs – this song is available and we are ready and willing to sell to the highest bidder,” says Real Estate singer/guitarist Martin Courtney of the new single from their upcoming album, Daniel. “We’re super happy with how this one turned out. We had a nice arrangement worked out before we headed to Nashville to record, but it really came to life in the studio. Sometimes a song will surprise you like that.”
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REYNA TROPICAL – CARTAGENA”
Los Angeles musician and ‘She Shreds’ founder Fabi Reyna has led Renya Tropical since the late-2010s; Malegría will be out March 29 via Sylvan Esso’s Psychic Hotline label. “Cartagena” is a welcome warm breeze.
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A CERTAIN RATIO – “ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS”
Manchester legends A Certain Ratio worked with Dan Carey on their 13th album, which will be out April 19 via Mute. The title track is excellent.
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NORAH JONES – “RUNNING”
Norah Jones announced her ninth solo album, and shared the first single, which you can read more about here.
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SIERRA FERRELL – “DOLLAR BILL BAR”
Americana singer/songwriter Sierra Ferrell has announced a new album, Trail of Flowers, and you can read about its great lead single “Dollar Bill Bar” here.
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TOURNEFORTE – “WILMER”
Myrtle Beach’s Tourneforte are a little emo, a little indie, and a little alt-country, and their new single “Wilmer” especially leans towards that last one. Read more about it here.
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MOOR MOTHER – “GUILTY” (ft. LONNIE HOLLEY, RAIA WAS, & MARY LATTIMORE)
Moor Mother has announced a new album, The Great Bailout, and the first single is a 10-minute collaboration with Lonnie Holley, Raia Was, and Mary Lattimore. Read more about it here.
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JLIN – “THE PRECISION OF INFINITY” (ft. PHILIP GLASS)
Indiana electronic musician Jlin has announced her first full-length album since 2018, Akoma, and it features appearances by Björk, Kronos Quartet, and Philip Glass. Glass is on the lead single, which you can read about here.
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Looking for even more new songs? Browse the New Songs archive.
