This Month's Picks

Untame The Tiger (CD)

Mary Timony
Cult favorite Mary Timony returns with her first solo album in fifteen years. On Untame the Tiger , Timony sings of ephemerality, loneliness, and romantic misadventures. Despite the challenging themes, however, these tracks are immediately likable, with upbeat, driving melodies. Timony fuses college rock confessionalism with grungey riffs and forlorn country guitar. Timony fans will dig this one. More
Genre: Rock

Gangbusters Melody Club (CD)

Caravan Palace
Caravan Palace's Gangbusters Melody Club is pure fun. The French electronic group blends swing, jazz, French House, Big Beat, and international styles to create songs that feel cinematic, addictive, and eminently danceable. The vibe is Jazz Age meets late '90s electronica in modern Paris; it's a euphoric, hands-in-the-air, shaking-that-booty listening experience. This is an album that has to be experienced for yourself, though, so don't just take our word for it. Turn this one up when you need a strong groove and a huge smile. More

Olustee (CD)

JJ Grey & Mofro
On Olustee , JJ Grey & Mofro immerse listeners in Florida style soul, blues, and swamp rock. There's the strutting, soulful barnyard blues of "Rooster," a song that'll make you laugh and make you dance in equal measure. "Wonderland" is a gospel and blues-tinged stomper, an ebullient anthem to finding yourself and persevering on your own unique path. Things get quieter and more contemplative on "The Sea," with its gentle acoustic guitar, keening strings, and bittersweet harmonies. Olustee is a journey, with eclectic, emotionally rich songs. More
Genre: Rock

Girl With No Face (CD)

Allie X
Allie X's Girl with No Face is going to blow your mind. The songs are strangely beautiful and very, very strange: is the world ready for darkwave pop? Allie X's vocal gymnastics are impressive, her voice candy-sweet, sultry, menacing, and operatic. The melodies will lure you immediately to the dancefloor with their pounding percussion, buoyant synthlines, and atmospheric washes of sound. The lyrics get weird, the music gets dark, and the whole listening experience begins to feel like a haunted carnival funhouse. Allie X is an artist to watch and Girl with No Face an album to savor. More
Genre: Rock

1 2 3 4 (CD)

Modern English
Let's be real: so often our favorite bands from the new wave/post-punk eras release new albums that feel watered down, phoned in, and straight up uninspired. That's not the case with Modern English. On their first studio album in eight years, the band sounds as vital, smart, and compelling as ever. On 1 2 3 4 , the lyrics are wry, urgent, and outraged, whether they're singing about getting older ("Long in the Tooth") or seeing the same repetitive cycles of politics-over-people ("Not My Leader"). The melodies are tightly-crafted and addictive. These tracks could've come from 1984 or 2024; they're in line with Modern English's beloved earlier work while building on their legacy to create something fresh as hell. The songs of 1 2 3 4 all feel like classics already. More
Genre: Rock

On The Lips (CD)

Molly Lewis
They don't make albums like this anymore. Unless, of course, you're the fascinating Molly Lewis, purveyor of evocative, atmospheric, enchanting sonic worlds gone by. On The Lips feels like a dreamy, seductive slip into the past, a time where the louche glamour of Fellini's La Dolce Vita mingles with the swingin', smokey setpieces of classic Hollywood jazz clubs. With producer Thomas Brenneck at the helm (Menahan Street Band, Budos Band, Dap-Kings), Lewis' shimmering exotica and impressive whistling skills sound at their moody, magical best . On the Lips is gorgeous, ridiculously cool, and totally compelling. More
Genre: Rock

Adult Contemporary (CD)

Chromeo
It has been six years since we last heard from Chromeo. Their new album, Adult Contemporary , feels like a breath of fresh air and a welcome return, all at the same time. Funky, fun, and danceable, these tracks have everything you've always loved about the duo. Their throwback, retro futuristic sound feels essential, now more than ever. Transform your space into an instant dance party, transform your dull, workaday existence into a glamorous, champagne-sozzled affair. Adult Contemporary will help you get there. More

Skin In The Game (CD)

The Immediate Family
Immediate Family are back with their sizzling second album, Skin in the Game . These legendary backing musicians have worked with an incredible list of who's who in modern music — including Keith Richards, Stevie Nicks, David Crosby, and Joni Mitchell, to name just a few — and now they take center stage. Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel, Steve Postell, Russ Kunkel, and Leland Sklar deliver scorching, gritty rock 'n' roll meets barroom blues with a dash of classic R&B thrown in. This is down-and-dirty, electrifying rock 'n' roll at its finest. More
Genre: Rock

What Happened To The Beach (CD)

Declan McKenna
Declan McKenna sounds poised for stardom on What Happened to the Beach . The English singer-songwriter creates ultra catchy, quirky indie numbers that somehow manage to combine both jangle pop weirdness with Brit-pop stadium rock grandiosity. McKenna has nodded to Unknown Mortal Orchestra and St. Vincent as inspirations for the Beach recording sessions, which makes sense once you hear these instantly likeable tracks, although McKenna's distinct, gifted artistic voice is all his own. Enter the sunshine-y, left-of-center world of What Happened to the Beach — you'll be glad you did. More
Genre: Rock

INNERSTANDING (LP)

Dhani Harrison
Dhani Harrison's INNERSTANDING is a compelling, thoughtful, atmospheric work. The vibe is brooding and melancholic, with washes of light piercing the darkness. The voices of Graham Coxon, Mereki and Liela Moss float in and out of the mix, adding insistent, otherworldly elements to the proceedings. This is trip-hop updated for more tumultuous times, with ambient, electronic, and alt-rock influences. INNERSTANDING is moody and mysterious, bleak and beautiful. More
Genre: Rock

Luther's Blues (CD)

Bernard Allison
Bernard Allison puts his own spin on his father Luther Allison's oeuvre via Luther's Blues . This is a scorcher of an album, fusing Chicago blues with hard and heavy, almost psychedelic rock 'n' roll. Luther's Blues is thoroughly enjoyable, a high-octane thrill ride that sounds like the wildest night of your life. Turn this one up loud and crank the AC because things are about to get sweaty. More
Genre: Blues

The Roof Is On Fire (CD)

Mitch Ryder
The inimitable Mitch Ryder delivers on a dose of what makes his work so unforgettable on The Roof is on Fire . This essential double live album features covers (Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues") and Ryder classics ("Betty's Too Tight"). The melodies are blistering, gritty, and guaranteed to turn up the heat. Ryder is a legend and The Roof Is on Fire is a fitting celebration of his storied career. More
Genre: Rock

Return To Archive (CD)

Matmos
Matmos' Return to Archive is a monumental work of art. The album consists of non-musical sounds originally released on the Folkways label, essentially chopped and screwed from their origins as field recordings of beetle, metal balers, and shortwave radio into crunchy, experimental, electronic music. It's a little weird and a little wild listening as animal noises morph into industrial-influenced, glitched-out tracks. It's also deeply cool, with surprises around each sonic bend. More

Blue Raspberry (CD)

Katy Kirby
The soft, sweet indie of Katy Kirby's Blue Raspberry feels as lovely and easy-going as a summer's day. But these tales of love, growth, and questioning are no syrupy fun fair concoction: there's a lot of depth to these low-key charmers. The melodies are playful, the lyrics thoughtful. ("Party of the Century" ponders the ethics of having children in this world.) It's a celebration of queer love, an evaluation of how romance and challenge work — or don't work — together, and a masterful release from an ultra-talented singer-songwriter. More
Genre: Rock

Quaranta (CD)

Danny Brown
Danny Brown gets real on Quaranta , and it's one of his best. With themes including isolation and addiction, the tracks are deeply personal: the album is basically a document of what Brown wanted to say about his life, should he not have gotten through rehab. The album veers from the upbeat and off-the-wall to the vulnerable, introspective, and sometimes devastating. The production is top-notch, with glittering, sometimes woozy melodies. The lyrics are smart, emotional, and arresting. Quaranta is an evolution for Danny Brown, an interesting, intense chronicle of a period of pain and growth. More
Genre: Hip Hop

Sones De Mariachi (CD)

Mariachi Los Camperos
Mariachi Los Campero's Sones de Mariachi is a vibrant, beautiful collection from the multi Grammy-winning group. Featuring swooning, cinematic arrangements by Jesús "Chuy" Guzmán, these sones run the gamut from popular and beloved to lesser known gems. Guaranteed to be one of the finest mariachi albums you hear this year. (And yes, we know it's only January.) Virtuosic, transportive, and just plain gorgeous. More
Genre: World

Live Forever (CD)

Lil Peep
Live Forever is the second full-length mixtape from the great, gone-too-soon Lil Peep. The Kurt Cobain comparisons are apt. Blending grunge, hip-hop, punk, and trap, the tracks are moody, atmospheric, downcast, and haunting. In other words, utterly unforgettable. This is raw, vulnerable, innovative lo-fi rap, and with a record this good, Lil Peep's legacy lives on. More
Genre: Hip Hop

Laugh Track (CD)

The National
The National's Laugh Track is one of the band's best and most brilliant records to date. Fans of the band perhaps won't be surprised to learn that it's emotionally devastating in the most hurts-so-good way: taken in combination with the raw, all-too-relatable lyrics, the aching strings used through the album convey enough unfulfilled longing to make you stop what you're doing, sigh meaningfully, and stare forlornly into the middle distance. Fortunately, Laugh Track is an ultimately cathartic listen. Featuring excellent guest appearances from Bon Iver, Rosanne Cash, and Phoebe Bridgers, it's no exaggeration to say this LP is a masterpiece. More
Genre: Rock

The Holdovers [OST] (LP)

Various Artists
Prefer your holiday soundtracks on the wry side? Then you'll dig The Holdovers soundtrack, the musical companion piece to Alexander Payne's Paul Giamatti-starrer about a misfit group of holiday holdouts at a New England prep school. The original compositions by Mark Orton give a nod to classic '70s film music; inspired by the likes of Carol King and Cat Stevens, the tracks are endowed with a sense of restlessness and adventure, warmth and familiarity. The other tracks are a mix of Christmas and non-Christmas, throwback and contemporary, with selections from Khruangbin, Shocking Blue, The Allman Brothers, and Andy Williams. A cozy listen that readily evokes the movie's milieu. More
Genre: Soundtracks

Hold (CD)

Wild Nothing
Virginia singer-songwriter Jack Tatum, aka Wild Nothing, gets a little help from friends Becca Minari, Molly Burch, and members of Beach Fossils and Hatchie on his fifth album, Hold . Tatum overlays funky, dancey grooves underneath sincere lyrics laying bare his trials and tumultuous times. More
Genre: Rock