Alabama Shakes — I Must Be Dreaming
Alabama Shakes return with their first new album in more than a decade, expanding their powerhouse Southern soul and rock into lush, psychedelic territory. Produced with longtime collaborator Shawn Everett, the record explores time, mortality, love and modern life.
Billy Strings — So Much for Goodbyes
Billy Strings returns with a 16-song collection that continues his boundary-pushing approach to bluegrass. Virtuosic picking, roots tradition and the restless musical curiosity that has made Strings one of acoustic music's biggest contemporary stars all come together here.
Interpol — This Mirror Weighs a Ton
Interpol turn inward without abandoning the tension and atmosphere that have defined the band for more than two decades. Synthesizers, strings, acoustic guitars and expanded percussion subtly broaden their signature post-punk palette.
Mastodon — Marrow Deep
Mastodon channel grief, resilience and loss into one of the most emotionally charged records of their career. Crushing riffs and progressive ambition remain intact, but the Atlanta metal veterans push their sound into darker and more cathartic territory.
Dinosaur Jr. — There Near
J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph return with another dose of Dinosaur Jr.'s unmistakable guitar-heavy alternative rock. Fuzz, melody and Mascis' singular guitar work remain at the heart of a sound the band has made entirely its own.
Russian Circles — Nine
The Chicago instrumental trio's ninth album finds Mike Sullivan, Brian Cook and Dave Turncrantz continuing to blur the boundaries between post-rock and metal. Recorded at Electrical Audio and God City and mixed by Kurt Ballou, Nine emphasizes the band's massive dynamics and intricate interplay.
Ty Segall — Chrome
Segall gets the full band involved for a blast of guitar music that ricochets between proto-punk, garage rock, grunge and power pop. Big riffs and raw energy make Chrome one of the louder entries in his enormous catalog.
Jim James — Wowed Out
The My Morning Jacket frontman returns with a new solo album of psychedelic, exploratory rock. Across ten tracks, James stretches his singer-songwriter instincts into the spacious and colorful territory that has long characterized his work outside the band.
Prince — Timeless
A new posthumous Prince collection brings together 10 previously unreleased recordings from the legendary artist's vault. It's another glimpse into the extraordinary volume of music Prince created beyond what appeared on his albums during his lifetime.
Airbourne — Airbourne
The Australian hard-rock veterans return with a self-titled album built around the no-frills formula they do best: huge guitars, pounding rhythms and unapologetically loud rock & roll.
Boy Harsher — Get Mean
Boy Harsher return with another dark collision of synth-pop, industrial electronics and coldwave. Minimal beats, ominous synthesizers and Jae Matthews' hypnotic vocals make this one for the after-hours crowd.
The Linda Lindas — Gotta Get Out
The Los Angeles punk band continues its rapid evolution with another blast of youthful, melodic guitar music. Punk urgency, power-pop hooks and the band's infectious personality remain front and center.
Czarface & Frankie Pulitzer — Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer
Czarface adds another unexpected collaborator to its comic-book universe, this time joining forces with actor and rapper Tom Hardy under his Frankie Pulitzer alias. Underground hip-hop, larger-than-life characters and dense wordplay make for a suitably unusual pairing.
Rapsody — God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops
Rapsody returns with another showcase for the intricate lyricism and thoughtful storytelling that have established her among contemporary hip-hop's most respected MCs. Soulful production provides the foundation for a record rooted equally in personal experience and rap tradition.
Saul Williams — Leap Life
Poet, actor and musician Saul Williams continues dissolving the lines between spoken word, hip-hop, punk and experimental electronics. Urgent, literate and rhythmically adventurous, Leap Life adds another chapter to one of alternative music's most difficult-to-categorize careers.
Sara Bareilles — Good Grief
Bareilles returns with a new collection centered on the emotionally direct songwriting and expressive vocals that have defined her career. Pop craftsmanship meets a more reflective singer-songwriter sensibility.
Alex Warren — WILDCHILD
Warren follows his rapid pop breakthrough with a new full-length built around emotionally direct songwriting and arena-sized hooks. Contemporary pop production and an emphasis on personal storytelling remain at the center.
Rod Wave — Don't Look Down
Rod Wave continues his distinctive fusion of hip-hop, R&B and deeply personal melodic storytelling. Vulnerability and introspection remain as important as beats on another emotionally heavy collection.
Mike D — Thank You
The Beastie Boys' Mike D steps forward with a new project under his own name. Decades of hip-hop history, eclectic taste and an instinct for sounds well beyond conventional rap inform the record.
Pulp — Live!
Jarvis Cocker and company bring Pulp's wit, drama and unmistakably British art-pop to the stage on a new live release. A chance to hear one of Britpop's most distinctive bands in its natural theatrical environment.
Dahi — Black Boy (Alternative)
Producer Dahi steps further into the artist role with an adventurous project drawing from hip-hop, R&B and alternative music. His production background gives the album a detailed, genre-fluid sonic identity.
Beartooth — Pure Ecstasy
Beartooth return with another high-impact mixture of metalcore aggression and enormous melodic hooks. Heavy riffs and cathartic choruses continue to push the band toward the intersection of hardcore and modern arena rock.
Allah-Las — Sirenas
The Los Angeles group returns with more of its sun-drenched mixture of garage rock, psychedelia and vintage West Coast pop. Laid-back grooves and hazy guitars make Sirenas a natural extension of the band's distinctly Californian sound.
Holding Absence — Modern Life Is Lonely
The Welsh band delivers another emotionally charged collection of post-hardcore and alternative rock. Soaring vocals and atmospheric guitars balance heaviness with the band's increasingly ambitious melodic side.
Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour — Watching the Tide
The legendary guitarist and songwriter adds another chapter to a career stretching back to Stax Records and Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Blues, soul and rock & roll provide the foundation for a record steeped in Cropper's unmistakably economical guitar style.
Tanya Donelly — This Hungry Life
The Throwing Muses and Belly co-founder returns with a new solo collection highlighting her gift for melodic, thoughtful alternative songwriting. Donelly's distinctive voice connects the record to a lineage stretching back to the original '80s and '90s indie-rock underground.
Kulk — Choosing to Die
The British duo delivers a punishing combination of sludge, noise rock and experimental heaviness. Dense distortion and an abrasive physicality make this one of the week's more uncompromising underground releases.
Notable Reissues & Catalog Releases
HTRK — Work (work, work) — 15th Anniversary Edition
HTRK's cult 2011 album receives an anniversary vinyl edition. Minimal rhythms, skeletal electronics and sensual, narcotic atmosphere have helped the record's reputation grow well beyond its original release.
Lucius — Wildewoman
Lucius' breakthrough debut returns to vinyl, showcasing the remarkable vocal interplay of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig. Indie pop, folk and classic girl-group harmonies combine on the album that first brought the band widespread attention.
A Certain Ratio — The Joy of Sextet
Manchester post-punk institution A Certain Ratio resurfaces with another physical release from its deep catalog. Funk, punk, jazz and dance music collide in the restless style that made the group a defining part of the Factory Records era.
A Certain Ratio — Force Majeure
Another A Certain Ratio title arrives this week, continuing the renewed attention around the influential Manchester band's catalog. Their fusion of post-punk with funk and experimental dance music remains remarkably contemporary.
Acid Reign — Daze of the Week
British thrash-metal veterans Acid Reign return to vinyl with a release celebrating their fast, irreverent take on the genre. A worthwhile pickup for listeners digging beyond the biggest names of the late-'80s thrash scene.