Amoeba Music

Thundercat's first album in six years is lush, smart, and so satisfying. Distracted takes its name from our current culture of nonstop notifications and endless upgrades. The sound, however, is rich, sparkling, deeply human, and incredibly gorgeous. Thundercat partnered with heavyweight pop producer Greg Kurstin (Adele, Beyoncé, Beck) for many of the tracks, enlisting Flying Lotus, Kenny Beats, and The Lemon Twigs for additional production duties. Guest vocalists include Tame Impala, Willow, Lil Yachty, A$AP Rocky, Channel Tres and the late, great Mac Miller. What they've all made together is pure magic. More

Fcukers make their debut with Ö , out on Ninja Tune. There's been a lot of buzz around this indie house record and from the very first track you'll see why: the album is euphoric, full speed ahead, gritty and sexy. Heavy basslines, heady melodies, and languid, seductive vocals make you feel like you're on a sweaty packed dance floor in a NYC basement. Ö creates a sense of wild abandon and pure joy that it seems like so many of us have been needing. More

Little legends amass around LA's The Sophs. For example, the band cold-emailed demos to Rough Trade Records prior to ever playing a show...and they got signed. That's how you hold their debut album Goldstar , in your hands now. If that's not enough intrigue to get you to press play on this album, read on. The Sophs are deeply in touch with the spirt of rock 'n' roll, with killer songwriting instincts, shambolic Strokes energy, punk rock chaos, and bouncy Western flair. Witty, wild, and electrifying, Goldstar really is a fantastic first record. More

Sleaford Mods are in fine form on The Demise Of Planet X . Of course, the inspiration for the album lies in the fact that so much of the world is...not. Anger fuels every moment of the album, from the expected moments of pure art-rock abrasion to the more off-kilter, on-edge snatches of R&B and pop songwriting. In short, if you're confounded by politics and contemporary society, The Demise will hit just right. Featuring appearances by Sue Tompkins (Life Without Buildings), Aldous Harding, Liam Bailey, MC Snowy, and actress Gwendoline Christie ( Wednesday/Severance/Game Of Thrones ). More

Dry Cleaning's Secret Love is one of the most exciting records in recent memory. The South London band writes tracks that simmer with rage and disaffection beneath studied nonchalance and wry humor. The songs lie somewhere between post-punk and art rock, with a blazing edge of punk fury that makes even the quietest moments feel like a ticking time bomb. Produced by Cate Le Bon, this is a smart, ferocious, very moving album with the rare power to surprise. More

The Veils have hit on something special with Fragile World . Solemn and lovely, an album in love with life and aware of its ephemerality, this is the band at their most haunting and urgent. These atmospheric indie rock songs deal with pain and isolation, grief and destruction. Yet they also make a strong case for perseverance, for dreaming, and building anew. Agilely moving from intimate moments to grandiose and cinematic sounds, Fragile World will strike a chord. More

You read that right. There's a new Social Distortion album out. Born to Kill is the band's first studio album in fifteen years and it feels like classic Social Distortion. It's gritty rock 'n' roll, with punk rock fury, top-notch songwriting, and more than a few earworms. The band covers Chris Isaak's twangy heartbreaker "Wicked Game." Lucinda Williams guests on a track. A satisfying listen from an essential band. More

Shaboozey is one of the most satisfying, original, intriguing storytellers in modern country music. His latest, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales , goes straight to the heart: it's a concept album about the titular Cherie Lee, her quest for vengeance against the outlaws who killed her father, and the disastrous consequences of losing her heart to one of them. These songs are mournful yet magnetic, with keening strings, lonesome guitars, and Shaboozey's warm and world-weary voice narrating these tales of revenge and redemption. A cinematic, devastating, and evocative album with a cast of characters including Leon Bridges, Gunna, Jamie Foxx, Orville Peck, Kehlani, Sam Elliott, and Teyana Taylor. More

Lido Pimienta's Caribenya is intoxicating from the very first notes. Lead track "Tóxica" casts a spell instantly; it's hypnotic and heady as Pimienta puts a bad friendship on blast. The sparkling "Talento" heads to dreamier, more languid territory, with a rhythm that'll keep you swaying. Some albums feel so full of life, they transcend the turntable. This is one such album. Warm, vibrant, and transportive, Caribenya is a jewel box of a record. More

Everything I Ever Saw finds The Menzingers doing what they do best. Tinged with nostalgia and an unflinching view of human behavior, the album is jam-packed with riff-heavy, gut-punch melodic punk tracks. It's also an intensely personal album, with Tom May and Greg Barnett sharing vocal duties and life experiences. Falling in love, building a family, letting go of a marriage: it's a full spectrum of love on display here as both May and Barnett chronicle the different stages they find themselves at. Everything I Ever Saw is vulnerable and authentic, an album that feels like it races by. You'll want to hit rewind on this one. More

Could there be a cooler album than Marlon Magnée's Dark Star ? Also known as the co-founder of the cult fave French rock band La Femme, Magnée has created a record that's imaginative, interesting, and an instant mood changer. He sings in French and English, blends punk, cold wave, and classic rockabilly, incorporates swirling '60s guitars, and makes use of a serious amount of synthesizers. Atmospheric and upbeat, Dark Star is a real treat. Put this one on and transport yourself to a more swingin' time and a far cooler place. More

With a name like The Pleasure Is Yours , it's probably no surprise that GENA's debut studio album is a delight. There's a creative alchemy between drummer/producer Karriem Riggins and singer-songwriter/rapper/vocalist/producer Liv.e that results in transcendent, beautiful, world-moving songs. The album's foundation comes from jazz, soul, and hip-hop yet the textures, experimentalism, and moods the duo evokes feels like entering a whole new dazzling level of consciousness. Gorgeous, seductive, and expansive, The Pleasure Is Yours will appeal to fans of J Dilla, Prince, Erykah Badu, and Madlib. More

Death Cab explores loss and grief on their latest, I Built You a Tower . To Ben Gibbard, the titular tower represents the way those emotions stay always firmly present yet often compartmentalized...and how they sometimes surface in unexpected ways despite our best efforts to hold them in and plough ahead. With subject matter like that, it's no wonder there's a certain gravitas and inexorable drive to the record. But there are also soothing, inviting songs, too. It's a complex and excellent listening experience, powered by Death Cab's unforgettable melodies and emotional depth. More

The duo of Ross Cullen and Benedict Goddard, better known as electro-noise-punkers Chalk have released their debut album, Crystalpunk . Chalk had been releasing a steady stream of EPs and singles, refining their sound and leading up to Crystalpunk . The album takes you on a ride, cruising through one style and breaking into the next. The noise-punk opener of "Tongue" is a fraternal twin to the dancy, autotuned "One-Nine-Eight-Zero." Gothy UK darkwave via Belfast oozes between the beats, with vocal speak-singing that calls to mind the techno-rock of Underworld. RIYL: Gorillaz, Viagra Boys, Boy Harsher. More

Prostitute's Attempted Martyr was "written and recorded under duress of a world in turmoil. Dedicated to Lebanon, from Dearborn with love." It all makes sense. The chaotic, brutal, and seemingly inexorable sound of the album, the proud defiance that courses underneath. Prostitute doesn't shy away from the ugliness in this world, but instead transmogrifies it into seething industrial, post-punk, no wave, noise, and punk with Middle Eastern and West African samples – music that taps into the stream of rage, shines a light on the righteous, takes a microscope to the twisted, and chooses to buoy a deep care for humanity atop these violent seas. More

Monsta X fans will dig the band's latest. The Phase features six bold and cinematic tracks, led by the standout single "Magic." The sound is intense, high-energy, and intriguing with a moody, dark beauty. There's a lot of buzz going on around this one and the good news is it's worth it. An epic, impressive collection. More

Amyl & The Sniffers know how to put on a show. The Aussie punks go country on Truth or Consequence , a live album recorded at LA's classic El Coyote restaurant. The band covers their own tracks – country style – and throws in two previously unreleased songs, plus a cover of Australian country artist Slim Dusty's "Lights on the Hill." The album accompanies a film of the concert, which looks gorgeous and filled with throwback country glamour. Let the good times roll! More

Angus & Julia Stone's Karaoke Bar will sweep you off your feet. This is an album about joy: the everyday joys of dingy karaoke bars when you're up next to sing, the pulsing, dreamy joys of being in love. Nostalgia walks hand in hand with melancholy throughout these tracks. Listen to this album from cover to cover and watch your mood slowly improve: what's remarkable about Karaoke Bar is the way the songs mirror life, the ebb and flow of the good and bad times, the delicate sense of loveliness interwoven throughout our days. More

Now here's some good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll. Ricky Warwick, solo artist and frontman of Black Star Riders, The Almighty and Thin Lizzy (2010-2019), delivers the goods on his latest, Fire & Vengeance . Rollicking, gritty, and guaranteed for a good time, these tracks blend bar rock, hard rock, and traditional Irish music. The album practically drips sweat – it's that evocative. Fire & Vengeance is a tribute to the power of rock music, how it brings people together and adds a surge of hope and excitement in the midst of even the darkest times. Featuring appearances from Phil Collen (Def Leppard), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, The Dead Daisies), Darren Holden (The High Kings), and Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke). More

156/Silence's From A Distance will hit you straight in the gut. These songs are relentless and furious, waves of pure emotion pushing out through the speakers. When the storm clouds do part, they reveal moments of intense beauty within the darkness, the punishing percussion and fiery guitars somehow segueing naturally into quieter, more cinematic moments of sound. Drawing inspiration from the horror genre and from retro game soundtracks, these songs will haunt you in the best possible way. Mike Hranica (The Devil Wears Prada) and Alex Reade (Make Them Suffer) make appearances. More