tinariwen
Tinariwen

21 New Songs Out Today

Tinariwen
Tinariwen

So many artists, so little time. Each week we review a handful of 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…

TINARIWEN – “KEL TINAWEN” (ft. CASS MCCOMBS)

Another hypnotic song off the upcoming Tinariwen album is out, and this one features jammy indie rock great Cass McCombs. According to a press release, this song ” is about the Tuareg rebellion and its detractors. Tinariwen’s founding member Ibrahim Ag Alhabib denounces treachery and corruption and puts the stress on Tamasheq people’s resilience: they will always stay true to their beliefs, never give up and never forget their past.”

LINDSTRØM – “REALLY DEEP SNOW”

Lindstrøm’s new album On A Clear Day I Can See You Forever is a first for the Norwegian dance music producer. He made it entirely with keyboards drum machines, and other instruments, and not with computer plug-ins. “The joy of making music on actual physical objects and devices makes a lot of sense to me now. After working on a computer for over 15 years, I don’t think I’ll ever look back.” Lindstrøm also cites Robert Wyatt as an influence, which you can hear on first single “Really Deep Snow.” On A Clear Day I Can See You Forever is out October 11 on Smalltown Supersound.

SOMOS – “MEDITERRANEAN”

Last week, Somos gave their upcoming album Prison On A Hill an early, one-week-only digital release following the tragic news that their guitarist Phil Haggerty passed away at age 28. (Proceeds went to his funeral expenses.) The whole album is truly awesome stuff, and it seems Somos taking a clear step forward, incorporating bits of ’80s new wave and synthpop into their usual indie-emo sound. If you didn’t download a copy last week, you can now hear second single “Mediterranean.”

THE MENZINGERS – “AMERICA (YOU’RE FREAKING ME OUT)”

The Menzingers have shared a second single off their upcoming album Hello Exile, and this one’s the kind of catchy punk banger that The Menzingers have always done so well but it’s also a little more political than you might expect from this band. “We’re living in a pretty insane time, where all you can think about every single day is ‘What the hell is going on with this country?’,” says co-frontman Greg Barnett. “But as I was writing that song I realized that it’s kind of always freaked me out, especially coming-of-age during the Iraq War. I love so much about America, but I think you can’t deny that there are some people in power who are absolutely evil.”

TWIN PEAKS – “FERRY SONG”

Chicago band Twin Peaks are making a sonic left turn with their upcoming Lookout Now, veering into ’70s pop/rock territory. You can hear it for yourself on laid-back new single “Ferry Song” that sounds a little like their neighbors Whitney.

SAMPA THE GREAT – “FREEDOM”

African rapper Sampa The Great is back with a soulful new single off her anticipated debut album The Return, due September 13 via Ninja Tune.

LONG BEARD – “GETTING BY”

“Getting By,” the new single from Long Beard’s upcoming album Means to Me, “is about having an existential crisis- moving through the mundane day to day, and struggling to find purpose and meaning in life while being made to feel incompetent,” Leslie Bear says. “I started writing this song while I was desperately looking for a job and finished it after I had been working at a job that made me question what I really wanted to be doing. The lyrical content is fairly dark, but the melodies and arrangements are more hopeful and pillowy as if reassuring me or the listener that ‘everything will be ok’.”

LUKE TEMPLE – “TAKING CHANCES”

Here’s the third single from Luke Temple’s upcoming album Both-And. “Taking Chances” begins minimally, with just drums, piano and Temple’s voice but slowly and surely adding layers for a widescreen finish.

LOWER DENS – “GALAPAGOS”

Lower Dens’ new album The Competition is out in a couple weeks and new single “Galapagos” has a moody, Big ’80s feel to it, with waves of synths, glistening guitars and pounding toms.

ITASCA – “BESS’S DANCE”

LA-based psych-folk singer Itasca announced her third album and follow-up to 2018’s Morning Flower. Spring is due out November 1 via Paradise of Bachelors, and its first single is the gentle, ruminating “Bess’s Dance.”

WEEPING ICON – “LIKE ENVY”

Weeping Icon’s new self-titled album is out September 27 via Fire Talk/Kanine and the band have just shared this astringent slow-burner from it. “’Like Envy’ is a critique of social media’s mutation into a place where everyone can become their own brand, and the unsustainable model of one’s livelihood being staked on constantly staying relevant to a public whose attention is being fought over by, potentially, everyone on social media,” says guitarist Sarah Fantry. The satirical video plays off those ideas too. “The video is about an influencer struggling to carve out a special place for herself in the social media marketplace. Only when she loses her connection to the curated world, is she suddenly aware of the ominous things lurking around and within us – things our generation is often too preoccupied to notice when having to concentrate on being ‘on’ all the time.”

METZ – “I’M A BUG” (URINALS COVER), “M.E.” (GARY NEWMAN COVER), “PIG” (SPARKLEHORSE COVER)

Vinyl copies on METZ’s recent Automat compilation came with a bonus 7″ featuring three rare covers: an inspired take on Sparklehorse’s “Pig” from a Record Store Day release, a storming version of Urinals’ “I’m a Bug” (uploaded only to YouTube), and a previously unheard version of Gary Numan’s “M.E.” (the original formed the basis of Basement Jaxx’s “Where’s Your Head At?” and was used memorably in the new season of Netflix’s Mindhunter). Those are now available digitally, dig:

DROWSE & LANE SHI OTAYONII (of ELIZABETH COLOUR WHEEL) – “SUDO BEAST”

Slowcore/shoegaze artist Drowse (aka Kyle Bates) and the insanely talented Elizabeth Colour Wheel singer Lane Shi Otayonii have teamed up for two new collaborations, “Sudo Beast” and “Open, Alone,” which will make up side A of an upcoming Drowse mini-LP, Second Self, due September 20 via The Flenser. (Side B features two new Drowse songs.) The first song to be released is the 11-and-a-half minute “Sudo Beast,” which is a gripping trek through darkness and noisy ambience that really earns its lengthy running time. More info and tour dates here.

MONOLORD – “THE LAST LEAF”

Monolord have unleashed another helping of fuzzed-out, permastoned Sabbath worship with “The Last Leaf,” the second single off their upcoming Relapse debut No Comfort.

CANNABIS CORPSE – “CYLINDERS OF MADNESS”

Self-proclaimed “marijuana death metal” band Cannabis Corpse are releasing their new album Nug So Vile (a play on Cryptopsy’s 1996 classic None So Vile) on November 1 via Season of Mist, and first single “Cylinders of Madness” comes with an absurd, trippy video featuring animated nudity, bong rips, and murder. They’re just drawings, but still, maybe don’t watch it at work.

KIM GORDON – “SKETCH ARTIST”

Three years after releasing her solo single “Murdered Out,” Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon has announced her first-ever solo album and shared a second single. Read more about it here.

LITTLE BROTHER – MAY THE LORD WATCH (ALBUM STREAM)

Durham, NC hip hop greats Little Brother reunited last year and today they surprise-released their first new album in nine years. It features Questlove, Black Milk, and others. You can read more about it here.

COMMON HOLLY – “JOSHUA SNAKES”

Montreal art pop artist Common Holly shared a second single off her upcoming Barsuk debut, and we wrote more about it here.

DEATH VALLEY HIGH & CHINO MORENO (DEFTONES) – “CAVITY – FIRST COMMUNION” (CHRISTIAN DEATH COVER)

Death Valley High have shared this Christian Death cover featuring Deftones frontman Chino Moreno off their upcoming guest-filled EP, and you can read much more about it here.

STURGILL SIMPSON – “SING ALONG”

Sturgill Simpson has a new album and accompanying Netflix anime film out in September — get a taste of both here:

PRINCE RAMA – RAGE IN PEACE (EP STREAM)

Prince Rama, the duo of sisters Nimai and Taraka Larson, have called it quits after 10 years of out-there new age dance pop. As a goodbye, they’ve shared a farewell EP.


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