Amoeba Music

Ween’s second album, The Pod , is perhaps their most surreal and demanding album. Released in 1991, the songs were recorded at “the Pod,” an apartment they shared, with a Tascam four-track cassette recorder, and both the music and the vibe are proudly lo-fi. The “brothers” Ween flex their satire muscle at prog rock and classic rock with trademark snark and catchy songwriting. More

Let the good vibes roll with the mellow, kitschy pop-rock of New Orleans duo Video Age’s latest release, Away From the Castle . A light, sunny, musical breath of air, Away chronicles the long friendship and musical partnership of Ross Farbe and Ray Micarelli. More

North Carolina indie rockers Wednesday make their Dead Oceans debut with Rat Saw God . Singer/guitarist’s Karly Hartzman twangy wobble spearheads these raw, shoegaze+grunge – flavored songs, with whipsmart lyrics about life in the South. The brooding verses and buzzy chorus of “Bath County” are effective and satisfying, while “Bull Believer” feels quite epic; it’s practically woozy with dynamics and wild guitars. Then there is “Chosen To Deserve” which leans on the band’s country influence with plaintive steel guitar. It’s easy to see why Wednesday is a band on the rise. More

You couldn't ask for a better tribute album than A Song For Leon: A Tribute To Leon Russell . Margo Price opens the album with her rendition of "Strangers in a Strange Land," a joyful, wondrous, country rocker infused with gospel spirit. The track sets the tone for a truly enthralling collection of tracks that crosses genres and makes for some intriguing pairings (U.S. Girls with Bootsy Collins or Bret McKenzie with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, anyone?) You'll find Orville Peck, Pixies, and Durand Jones & The Indications here, and that's just a sampling. A Song for Leon celebrates Russell's enduring legacy as an artist, his influence, and the incredible songs that still soundtrack our lives, whether they're stone cold classic originals or incredible reinterpretations. More

The legendary 1953 concert at Massey Hall in Toronto, in which five of jazz’s most influential musicians – Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, and Bud Powell – performed as a quintet for the first time, is commemorated on Hot House: The Complete Jazz at Massey Hall Recordings . This definitive collection presents the entirety of that evening’s recorded material restored and remastered by the GRAMMY®-winning engineer, Paul Blakemore. More

Taking Back Sunday has long brought mature songcraft and pop sensibilities to punk's rigid conformity. Their eighth studio album, 152 , offers an intensely personal and emotionally pure collection of songs inspired by the hard times of the pandemic. From the album’s intricate riffs and anthemic vocals, to its elegantly warm synths and economical string arrangement, expect their most realized work to date. More

Slowdive’s first new album in six years is a triumph: The shoegaze legends have enhanced their signature sound with modular synths, without detracting from their beautiful guitar reverb and hushed, intertwined vocals. The production is gorgeous. Richly atmospheric tracks like “Skin In The Game” are meant for daydreaming along to, while “Alife” is gently stirring with a jangly guitar line and steady beat. “Kisses” is another strong track, awash in the swirly goth pop revived lately by groups like Drab Majesty. More

The new one from Slaughter Beach, Dog, Crying Laughing Waving Smiling , is warm, intimate, and inviting. "Strange Weather" harkens back to the classic songwriting of Neil Young and Randy Newman — two influences on the album — with its upbeat melodies, bittersweet chorus, and emotionally right-on lyrics. The nearly nine-minute-long "Engine" is beautifully sad, so moving in its vulnerability, you don't want the song to end. Crying Laughing Waving Smiling is a perfect title for this album that seems to encapsulate all the difficulties and delights of being a person. More

Sampha's Lahai works some powerful sonic magic. These underground R&B meets electronic tracks are the type of low-key feel-good tracks that up the mood for any occasion...but this listening experience is no short-lived high. Inspired by the passage of time and by finding joy and creativity in the midst of chaos, the South London singer/songwriter/producer brings curiosity and beauty to the everyday. These songs feel sensual, comforting, and optimistic. On Lahai , Sampha seems to be marveling at the wonders of a day-to-day that may at first seem anything but marvelous when you're in the thick of it. Put this album on and you'll be able to transmit some of that wonder into your own environment. More

True to his word, ‘80s pop superstar Rick Astley never gave us up, and is back with his first album in five years, Are We There Yet? With the lead single “Dippin My Feet” at the vanguard, Astley brings his signature brand of adult contemporary with a whole lot of soul. More

The mighty Queens of the Stone Age are back with their first album in five years, the scorching In Times New Roman... "Paper Machete" is as unhinged, intense, and electrifying as its name suggests. The slowed down "Carnavoyeur" is moody, dark, and intoxicating. "Emotion Sickness" is propulsive and effortlessly cool, with an operatic '70s rock 'n' roll chorus. In Times New Roman... proves QOTSA can still deliver unexpected pleasures, sweeping desert rock soundscapes, and some total headbangers. More

Princess Goes (FKA Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum), the electro-alterno-pop trio shines bright on their sophomore full-length album, Come of Age . Made up of Blondie keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen, Dexter and Broadway star Michael C. Hall, and Exclamation Pony drummer Peter Yanowitz, Princess Goes has crafted a colorful array of new-wavey modern synthpop blended with dark electronic rock, evoking Bowie, Reznor, and Gore along the way. More

Mitski's The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We is simply stunning. Opener "Bug Like an Angel" finds power and transcendence in spite of deep pain, with unforgettable lyrics about dead bugs looking like angels and broken promises that break you in return. "Heaven" feels like just that: opening with a gentle country twang, it's one of those magical songs that perfectly encapsulates a moment that's inexpressible in mere words. "Star" has a lullaby-like comfort, conveying solace and hope in spite of all the costs of living and loving. This is one of Mitski's best, an album as grand and sweeping and deeply romantic as the experience of life itself. More

Bay Area artist Meernaa's So Far So Good is...seriously So Good. The songs are richly nuanced, readily hopping genres from the Sade-esque R&B of opener "On My Line" to the mournful twang of "As Many Birds Flying" to the sweet, assured indie pop of "Bhuta Kala." The songs are stunningly beautiful, lush, and textured: this is the type of album you'll want to immerse yourself in. So Far So Good is pure cool. Get ready to be dazzled by this gorgeous album. More

The prolific band’s 2016 breakout album, Nonagon Infinity , must be experienced to be believed. Not only is this a tour de force of face-melting garage rock/power pop, but it is constructed as the world’s first infinitely looping album. Drop the needle anywhere and be amazed by their best work to date. The construction of the album may be novel, but the songs are pure rock & roll straight from the vein. More

Smiths guitar icon Johnny Marr has issued the definitive collection of his solo works on Spirit Power: The Best of Johnny Marr . Highlighting both his past work and including two new songs, “Somewhere” and “The Answer,” Spirit Power is also available in a 2CD Deluxe Hardback version with an assortment of bonus tracks. More

Kinks fans rejoice! Following up their release of The Journey, Pt. 1 earlier in 2023, British rock royalty The Kinks bring us The Journey, Pt. 2 . Covering most of their albums from The Kink Kontroversy (1965) through Soap Opera (1975), Pt. 2 features original songs, B-Sides, remixes and previously unreleased live tracks from London in 1975. More

Jelly Roll, the Memphis rapper-turned-country crossover star, returns with Whitsitt Chapel , the follow-up to his 2021 hit Ballads of the Broken . Joined by featured guests like Brantley Gilbert and Yelawolf, Whitsitt showcases a more introspective and optimistic side of Jelly Roll, layering gritty, heartfelt modern country with the occasional hip-hop beat. More

Pat Morrissey and Jess Corazza were both professional songwriters (SZA, Weezer, Pharrell, and Big Freedia, just to name a few), but they were often told that their songs were just a little too weird, so they formed the project ill peach as an outlet for their freakazoid ideas. All of the weirdness comes to fruition on THIS IS NOT AN EXIT , a collection of anthems made of equal parts bright pop and gritty experimental elements, punctuated with hooky choruses. More

The latest album from Coleman Williams (great-grandson of Hank Williams, Sr.) and his crew is a departure from their debut, Southern Circus . IV’s quirky, punk-rock approach to roots music is still in play, but the country sound is embraced more fully, and shows growth and maturation of the artist’s trajectory. Produced by Shooter Jennings, Hang Dog weaves a narrative of IV's life, serving as a concept album about gratitude. More