The Tubs

Let's get jangly with some new music from UK band The Tubs.  Dig on the old school indie rock sounds of "Who's Gonna Love You Now?" below and pre-order the band's upcoming "Hard Life" LP here from Merge.

Fruit Bats

The Fruit Bats have been making lovely, pastoral indie folk rock for the last couple of decades now, and every new release is always a treat.  June brings us new album "The Landfill" featuring the Americana, alt-country-tinged title track.  Check it out below and pre-order the LP here from Merge.

Superchunk Covers The Magnetic Fields

Here's Superchunk covering a classic from The Magnetic Fields.  Listen to "I Don't Want to Get Over You" below and download it here from Merge.

Previous Industries

LA rap group Previous Industries, the trio of Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave, and STILL RIFT, dropped a surprise new EP earlier this week with "Evergreen Plaza."  Check out "Goldblatt's" below and download the whole thing here from Merge Records.

M(h)aol

Trying to keep up with the bands i want to see next week and new sounds to explore, and one of those is most definitely the strange and jarring post punk of Dublin's M(h)aol.  The group's new album "Something Soft" is out in May.  Pre-order it here from Merge, look for them next week in Austin, and listen to "DM:AM" below.

Destroyer

A whole slew of new releases were announced over the last few days, and i'm just now catching up on all of them.  One of said new albums is the upcoming "Dan's Boogie" from the ever difficult to classify Dan Bejar project Destroyer.  The first single is "Bologna" features an assist from Toronto band Fiver and plays like weird lounge music.  Dig on it below and pre-order the LP here from Merge.

Previous Industries

Previous Industries is the Chicago born, LA based trio of Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave, and STILL RIFT, three rappers combining their talents to make something truly weird with the aid of a slew of different producers including Kenny Segal among others.  Debut album "Service Merchandise" plays like a fractured eulogy to derelict, abandoned malls and the decline of the west.  Dig on "Pliers" below and pre-order the LP here from Merge Records.

Fucked Up

2023 is apparently starting out with a bang of new music, including a new LP from Toronto's long running hardcore punk band Fucked Up.  Listen to new tune "One Day" below and pre-order the album of same name here from Merge.

Archers of Loaf

Good news everyone!  October brings us a brand new album from seminal '90s alt-rock band Archers of Loaf.  Check out the soaring and practically anthemic "In the Surface Noise" below and pre-order the "Reason in Decline" LP here from Merge.

Superchunk

On Friday, long running alt-rock stalwarts Superchunk released a new nugget with "There's A Ghost."  It's fun.  Check it out below and get it here from Merge.

Archers of Loaf Cover The Rolling Stones

One of the great '90s alt-rock bands, Archers of Loaf, offered up a cool cover of the The Stones' classic "Street Fighting Man" on Friday.  Listen to it below and get it here from Merge.

The Mountain Goats

John Darnielle's long running band The Mountain Goats released a new album of bedroom recordings this morning, the cassette pre-order of which disappeared from the Bandcamp link when i tried to click on it.  And now the Merge Records site is crashing.  So...i guess it's pretty hot item.  Anyway, i love theses types of lo-fi recording.  Listen to "The Wooded Hills Along the Black Sea" below and download the "Songs for Pierre Chuvin" album here.

Destroyer

Dan Bejar's long running Destroyer project has a new album heading our way in January.  And if our first taste, the synth heavy "Crimson Tide," is any indication, we're in for the artist's idiosyncratic take on dance pop and new wave.  Check it out below and pre-order the "Have We Met" LP here from Merge.

Mike Krol

Listening to Mike Krol's music makes me think of writing lyrics in my bedroom in 10th grade, or driving around Midland, Texas in my mom's car with a fellow group of like minded dummies looking for something to kill the time and boredom.  That '90s alt-rock influence is heavy here, but i'm digging on every second of it.  Listen to "What's the Rhythm" below and get the perfectly titled "Power Chords" LP here via Merge.  Also be sure to look for the man during SXSW if you are so inclined.

The Mountain Goats

Generally speaking, i've got to be in the right frame of mind before listening to The Mountain Goats, but when that frame of mind hits, the band is utterly divine.  New album "In League with Dragons" and its accompanying fantastic album artwork are headed our way in April from Merge.  Listen to first single "Younger" below to warm yourself up, or if anything, just to marvel at the songwriting ability of John Darnielle.  Check it out and pre-order the record here.

Superchunk with Damian Abraham

My son has been sick for days, his fever going up and down like a damn rollercoaster.  And i'm worried, but stuck at work, and posting mindlessly about music.  Anyway, Superchunk have a couple new songs out benefiting 350.org.  "Our Work Is Done" features a vocal assist from new label mate, Fucked Up's Damian Abraham, and "Total Eclipse" is a Klaus Nomi cover of all things.  Both are great.  Listen below and then go get them here via Merge, and help raise money to fight climate change.

Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams

Just a quick public service announcement that Fucked Up's new album "Dose Your Dreams" is an epic, career defining monster (the latest in a string of epic, career defining monsters) and deserves your ears and your dollars.  Listen to the whole thing below and get it here from Merge.

Titus Andronicus - Home Alone (on Halloween)

Here's hoping i can find all manner of even loosely Halloween related music to post about this month.  Off the bat, i've got a new jam from Brooklyn band Titus Andronicus, their seasonal tune "Home Alone (on Halloween)" meshing elements of psych rock, classic rock, and soul into a 9-minute blast of sound.  Listen below and get the 12" single (on orange vinyl of course) here from Merge.

Fucked Up

If you've never had the fortune to catch a live show from Ontario's long-running, dramatic, often almost operatic, hardcore punk troubadours Fucked Up, you really need to do yourself the favor of remedying that just as soon as humanly possible.  And hey, the band has a new record headed our way in October on Merge, so some shows should be in our future.  Listen to the kind of new wavey "Raise Your Voice Joyce" below and go ahead and pre-order the upcoming "Dose Your Dreams" here.

Ought

I'm admittedly late to the party for Canadian post punk act Ought, but after falling in love with main man Tim Darcy's solo effort last year, i'm firmly on board.  New album "Room Inside the World" is out next week on Merge, but check out new single "Desire" below now.