Xymox

16 New Songs Out Today

So many artists, so little time. Each week we review five new albums (of all genres), round up even more new music that we’d call “indie,” and talk about what metal is coming out. We post music news, show recaps, track premieres, and more all day. That includes a lot of tour announcements, a list of tonight’s NYC shows, and NY shows that just went on sale. We publish a monthly playlist of some of our favorite tracks. Here’s a daily roundup with a bunch of interesting, newly released songs in one place…

CRAIG WEDREN – “INTO THE BLUE SKY” (ACOUSTIC DEMO)

Former Shudder To Think frontman Craig Wedren (who is now often busy composing music for film and television) is releasing an expanded edition of his recent Adult Desire album next week (11/16), and he’s shared one of its new tracks, an acoustic demo of “Into The Blue Sky,” which was written with his friend Chris Cornell in mind. It’s a gorgeous song, and Craig’s backstory on the song is very worth reading:

As with many of the songs on Adult Desire, “Into The Blue Sky” began as a movie assignment. A few years ago I was composing the score for ‘Lucky Them’, a film about the mysterious disappearance of a fictional ’90s-era singer from Seattle, and his former lover-and current rock journalist (Toni Collette)-who seeks to unravel the mystery of his disappearance.

If memory serves, we needed an original song for one scene, where a present-day Seattle band is playing a cover of one of the legendary singer’s songs. I wanted to write a slightly grizzled, Classic Rock-meets-Grunge acoustic ballad, and had Chris Cornell in my mind’s eye.

It so happened that Chris -a friend with whom I’d recently done an acoustic tour- was in Miami writing and recording demos. I sent him a version of the song, and he graciously sang the first verse and chorus, which I presented to Megan Griffiths, the director. She loved it, but ultimately went a different direction with the scene. I shelved the song and completely forgot about it.

When Chris died, I was heartbroken. Although we really only knew each other in that backstage, no-time/no-place kind of way, I loved him and considered him a pal. Spookily, our mutual friend Jeff Buckley first introduced us in the mid-’90s. Another weird nocturnal ghost-memory.

About a day or two after receiving the crushing news about Chris, I had this little tickle in my brain, like ‘wait: wasn’t there a song…?’ At the time, I was nearing completion of Adult Desire, but felt the album needed one more song, something relatively traditional (a song-y song, nothing too experimental) to balance out the album.

That’s when I remembered ‘Into The Blue Sky.’ I dug out all the various different versions from ‘Lucky Them’, including the one with Chris, and then rearranged and re-recorded the whole thing.

Included in Adult Desire Expanded is the original demo I wrote for the movie and sent to Chris.

AS CITIES BURN – “2020 AD”

As Cities Burn are officially back with brothers TJ and Cody Bonnette sharing lead vocal duties (TJ, who did most of the screaming, stepped away after their 2005 debut Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest and they adopted a lighter sound with Cody taking the lead), and they’ve just signed to the trusty Equal Vision Records. Their first single for the label — and first song since 2009’s Hell or High Water — is “2020,” which sorta finds the middle ground between their heavier debut and the more indie rock leanings of their later material, but it also sounds like nothing they’ve ever done before. There’s some atmospheric, gaze-y stuff in the mix, and a little mewithoutYou/La Dispute-style speak-shouting too. It’s a promising return.

HEART BONES (HAR MAR SUPERSTAR & SABRINA ELLIS) – “LITTLE DANCER”

Har Mar Superstar (aka Sean Tillman) and Sabrina Ellis of A Giant Dog will soon be performing the songs of Dirty Dancing on tour together as Heart Bones, but they’re also writing originals. They shared This Time It’s Different” in October and now here’s a second track which is also an a very ’80s style. Sabrina Ellis wrote this one specifically for Har Mar to sing, “which adds whole level of nuance and role reversal that I love,” says Sean.

SWAMP DOGG – “SEX WITH YOUR EX”

Cult musician Swamp Dogg released new album Sex, Loss and Autotune came out back in September and its title gives you a good idea of what to expect from the eccentric blues and soul artist. He’s just released a video for “Sex With Your Ex” which is, in a word, unique and maybe just a little too raunchy for the office. Say directors Nazeem & Spencer Jones, “Swamp did his own stunts and his actual ex also starred in the video.”

J. FERNANDEZ – “VOLCANIC WINTER”

J. Fernandez has shared another song off his new album, Occasional Din, which is out this week. With vibraphone right out front, there’s an American Analog Set vibe to this lovely, autumnal pop song.

SARAH LOUISE – “CHITIN FLIGHT”

Guitarist Sarah Louise is releasing her new album Nighttime Birds and Morning Stars on January 25 via Thrill Jockey and she has shared lead single “Chitin Flight.” It sees her digitally manipulating her electric guitar textures to the point where the instrumentation sounds like much more than solo guitar, and the airy, wordless vocals are a nice touch too.

XYMOX – “Blind Hearts” (Club Mix)”

Gothy synthpop band Xymox (aka Clan of Xymox) are reissuing their 1989 album Twist of Shadows, which featured college radio and commercial alternative radio hits “Obsession” and “Blind Hearts.” There are a bunch of bonus tracks on the CD and vinyl reissue, including this club mix of “Blind Hearts” which premiered over at The Big Takeover. Clan of Xymox are also currently on a North American tour.

KEY! x JAY CRITCH – “CABLE GUY” (prod. KENNY BEATS)

KEY! teamed back up with Kenny Beats (who’s fresh off producing most of the new Vince Staples album) for the new single “Cable Guy,” which follows their collaborative project 777 Volume 1. This song features rising Brooklyn rapper Jay Critch and it’s an ode to the 1996 Jim Carrey movie of the same name. It also happens to be a total banger.

THE END OF THE OCEAN – “DESIRE”

Ohio post-rockers The End of the Ocean are set to release their second album (and first in eight years), -aire, on January 18 via Equal Vision. They’ve shared a new song from it, “Desire,” which is a beautiful dose of slightly metallic post-rock that fans of Caspian and This Will Destroy You will wanna hear.

DEVI MCCALLION & KATIE DEY – SOME NEW FORM OF LIFE (ALBUM STREAM)

Canadian musician Devi McCallion (one half of Black Dresses) and Melbourne, Australia’s Katie Dey timed the release of their new collaborative album Some New Form of Life to sync with the dawning of a new moon, as they told Noisey. Discordant and experimental sounds highlight moments of beauty hidden in the layers of its twelve tracks.

CHERRY GLAZERR – “DADDI”

Clementine Creevy said she wanted the new Cherry Glazerr album, Stuffed & Ready, to “sound massive,” and mission accomplished with first single “Daddi.” Read more here.

EARL SWEATSHIRT – “NOWHERE2GO”

While we patiently await a followup to 2015’s great I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside, Earl Sweatshirt has dropped another new single, which we wrote more about here.

PANDA BEAR – “DOLPHIN”

“Dolphin” is the lead single off Panda Bear’s just-announced album Buoys, which we wrote more about here.

JULIA JACKLIN – “HEAD ALONE”

Australia’s Julia Jacklin announced her sophomore album and shared a great new song from it, which we wrote more about here.

FRUIT BATS – “GETTING IN A VAN AGAIN”

Indie vets Fruit Bats have signed to Merge, and along with the signing news comes a new song and a new mockumentary short film. More info here.

SOM – THE FALL (ALBUM STREAM)

SOM, the new band with current, former, and/or touring members of Constants, Junius, Caspian, and Rosetta, are streaming their debut album and we wrote more about it here.

Looking for even more new songs? Browse the ‘New Songs’ archive.