Arctic Monkeys at Forest Hills Stadium
Arctic Monkeys at Forest Hills Stadium in July (more by Dana Distortion)

34 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…

ARCTIC MONKEYS – “ANYWAYS”

Arctic Monkeys released the title track off this year’s Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino as a single, and it includes this new B-side “Anyways.” Like other songs from the album, the track features Alex Turner’s soaring, crooned vocals atop slow-moving, lounge pop instrumentation.

TYCHO – “JETTY”

Electronic producer Tycho returned today with this new single, which appears on a new compilation curated by video game streamer Ninja (yes, this exists). The song contains the typical atmospheric synths and driving bass you’d expect from a Tycho track, and it’s as enjoyable as you’d hope.

THE DECEMBERISTS – “TRAVELING ON”

Indie rock greats The Decemberists will release a new EP, Travelling On, on December 14 via Capitol. The 5-tracks are outtakes from I’ll Be Your Girl. You can listen to the title track right now:

MEN I TRUST – “SAY, CAN YOU HEAR”

Canadian band Men I Trust just announced their new album, Oncle Jazz, and now here’s the first single. “Say, Can You Hear” is both driving and dark but also very much in the group’s dreamy world. “Making that video was very special for the 3 of us,” say the band.” Our friend Petrus’ performance was so good and so genuine that we were in awe, nervously laughing and very moved the whole day. The video came together super naturally as a living thing. We wish we could have recorded all the things he said.”

SLEAFORD MODS – “FLIPSIDE”

UK duo Sleaford Mods will release fifth album Eaton Alive on February 22 which will be their first for their own label, Extreme Eating. “Eton Alive speaks for itself really,” says frontman Jason Williamson. “Here we are once again in the middle of another elitist plan being digested slowly as we wait to be turned into faeces once more. Some already are, some are dead and the rest of us erode in the belly of prehistoric ideology which, depending on our abilities and willingness, assigns to each of us varying levels of comfort that range from horrible to reasonably acceptable, based on contribution. So after the digestive system of the Nobles rejects our inedible bones we exit the Arse of Rule, we fall into the toilet again and at the mercy of whatever policies are holding order in the shit pipe of this tatty civilisation. It is here our flesh regenerates as we rattle into another form, ready, and ripe for order.” After that it should not surprise you to hear that first single “Flipside” is a banging barrel of vitriol.

WAVVES – “EMO CHRISTMAS EP”

Wavves surprise-released this pair of short, Christmas-themed tracks, which both fuse the band’s fuzzy, guitar-driven sound with melancholic themes of heartbreak around the holidays. We wrote more about it here.

CHANCE THE RAPPER – “MY OWN THING” (FEAT. JOEY PURP) / “THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING”

As if today wasn’t already a crazy release day for hip hop, Chance the Rapper released these two surprise new tracks, “My Own Thing,” which features a verse from Joey Purp, and “The Man Who Has Everything.” The former is a great slice of pop rap, with some great flows and an addictive, uplifting chorus, while the chilled, psychedelic production of the latter is reminiscent of Chance’s work on his breakout tape Acid Rap.

DOMO GENESIS – “ONLINE”

Former Odd Future member Domo Genesis announced a new EP Facade Records, due out on 12/7, and this knocking lead single features Domo’s aggressive flow over a jazzy instrumental, topped with a breezy, melodic hook.

KAYTRANADA – “NOTHIN LIKE U” (ft. TY DOLLA $IGN), “CHANCES” (ft. SHAY LIA) & “IT WAS MEANT 2 B”

Electronic/hip hop producer Kaytranada returned today with three new songs, one of which features R&B crooner Ty Dolla $ign and one of which features Kaytranada’s frequent collaborator Shay Lia. They’re all different takes on Kaytranada’s ability to combine classic jazz, soul, and funk with modern electronic music, and all very worth hearing. He’s also got instrumental versions of the two with guest vocalists.

KAMAAL WILLIAMS – “SNITCHES BREW”

Kamaal Williams’ new album The Return is one of the year’s finest crossover jazz albums, and he’s set to follow it with the “New Heights” / “Snitches Brew” 12″ on December 13 via his own Black Focus Records. The hurried, dizzying b-side is out now.

BIG K.R.I.T. – “LEARNED FROM TEXAS” & “PICK YOURSELF UP”

Earlier this month, Big K.R.I.T. released a new three-song EP called THRICE X, and now he’s returned with a new two-song EP called DOUBLE DOWN. Like the previous EP, these songs are colder and more electronic than the warm, throwback sound of KRIT’s great 2017 album 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time, but KRIT is an expert at handling this kind of thing too.

SABA – “EXCITED”

Saba already released one of the year’s best rap albums with Care For Me, and lately he’s been dropping new singles that keep the momentum going. His latest is “Excited,” which sees him applying a kinetic, melodic flow to bubbly synths and skeletal percussion. It’s good stuff.

THE ALCHEMIST – “ROMAN CANDLES” (ft. ROC MARCIANO & BLACK THOUGHT)

The Alchemist’s new Bread EP is out today, and not only does it include the previously-released song with Earl Sweatshirt (who also has a new album out today), it includes “Roman Candles” with Black Thought (who also has a new album out this week) and Roc Marciano (who put out three albums this year). These three lifers find the balance between a throwback sound and a fresh one, and they sound as great together as you think they would.

LESSER EVIL – “SIGHT OF”

Montreal duo Lesser Evil just released their fantastic debut EP and this is one of the standouts, a dubby, hazy groover that might interest fans of Roisin Murphy and Feist.

LAUREL HALO & HODGE – “TRU” / “OPAL” / “THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU”

Having recently released ambient album Raw Silk Uncut Wood back in July, Laurel Halo steps up into dance mode for this EP made with Bristol, UK producer Hodge. Working together in Berlin the three tracks are heady, pulsing and inviting.

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE – “FORGOTTEN GRAVES” & “TOMBES OUBLIEES”

Having released new LP Something Else earlier this year, the Brian Jonestown Massacre are back with this two-track 10″ single featuring the drony “Forgotten Graves” on one side, while the flip, “Tombes Oubliées,” is from their forthcoming album, also due this year, featuring Rike (Friedrike) Bienert on breathy vocals.

CASSPER NYOVEST & LOS UNIDADES (COLDPLAY) – “TIMBUKTU” (FEAT. STORMZY & JESS KENT)

Here’s another track from Global Citizen EP 1 featuring Los Unidades which is Coldplay in pseudonym form. They’re paired with South African producer Cassper Nyovest on the dancey “Timbuktu” that also features Stormzy and Jess Kent. The South African edition of Global Citizen Fest happens this weekend in Johannesburg with Beyonce, Jay-Z, a collaborative set from Pharrell and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and more.

THE 1975 – “102” (ACOUSTIC)

Not only did The 1975 release their really good new album today, they put out this solo acoustic song from frontman Matty Healy (that’s existed in one form or another for a few years but never properly released). It’s in the Dashboard Confessional style of “Be My Mistake” and “Surrounded by Heads and Bodies” on the new album, but even more stripped-down than those.

AFI – “TRASH BAT”

Goth-punk heroes AFI are releasing their new EP The Missing Man on 12/7 and they’ve now shared another song from it. Like previous single “Get Dark,” “Trash Bat” is a shiny-but-driving ripper that’ll take you right back to the Sing the Sorrow era.

ANNIE LENNOX – “REQUIEM FOR A PRIVATE WAR”

Annie Lennox just released her first song in eight years which, is for the new biopic about war correspondent Marie Colvin. Says Annie, “Writing ‘Requiem for a Private War’ for the film ‘A Private War’ has not only given me an opportunity to honour Marie Colvin, but also aims to amplify the ‘truth to power’ message she fought all her life to convey to the world, regarding the atrocious consequences of warfare and its effects upon innocent civilian populations.”

SAY ANYTHING – “SEND YOU OFF”

Say Anything’s upcoming (and possibly last) album OLIVER APPROPRIATE (due 1/25 via Dine Alone) is being touted as a return to the early days, and all of the previously-released singles have lived up to that promise. “Send You Off” is no different. Fueled by a jangly acoustic guitar and Max Bemis’ unmistakable, spitting delivery, it induces a ton of nostalgia but it feels urgent and modern too.

YOUNG M.A – “BLEED”

It’s been a long two years since Young M.A’s breakout hit “OOOUUU,” and while we’re she still hasn’t released a debut album, she returned today with a killer new song that’s keeping us excited for one. “Bleed” has Young M.A sounding as threatening as ever over ominous production by NY Bangers. It’s the kind of classic New York rap that never goes out of style, and another reminder that Young M.A is better at it than most.

MEEK MILL – “WHAT’S FREE” (ft. RICK ROSS & JAY Z)

The highly anticipated new Meek Mill album is out today and it’s very worth hearing (read our first-impressions review), but if you check out just one song from it, it should be this one with Jay Z. Meek’s lines about what it means to be free already make the song a powerful one, but then Jay comes in sounding like the wise elder-statesman of rap, here to speak cold, hard truths about blacks in America (“In the land of the free, where the blacks enslaved / Three fifths of a man, I believe’s the phrase,” he begins). It’s one of his strongest verses in a while.

KID KOALA & TRIXIE WHITLEY – “ALL FOR YOU”

Kid Koala is gearing up to release the second volume of his Music To Draw To series, and this one is a collaboration with Trixie Whitley. Read more about it here.

ALICE PHOEBE LOU – “SOMETHING HOLY”

Fire-dancer and busker turned singer-songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou is releasing her second full length album, Paper Castles, on March 3, and she’s shared its first single, “Something Holy,” which she says is “about creating a new meaningful relationship with intimacy and my body, finding ways to love and be loved without pain or guilt.” Alice’s massive, commanding voice directs the song from where it starts with mellow folk-rock vibes, to where it expands with organ, horns, and even some electronic sounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFNofGHHozg

AMERICAN PLEASURE CLUB – “DANIELS”

Baltimore indie-punks American Pleasure Club (fka Teen Suicide) released a new 7″ single on Run for Cover records. We shared its a-side, “Oranges”, already, and now you can hear the b-side, “Daniels,” which Sam Ray says is “one of my favorite songs I’ll ever be part of as long as I live.”

PYLON REENACTMENT SOCIETY – “CLIFF NOTES”

Here are the Cliff Notes on PRS: Vanessa Briscoe Hay wanted to keep the Pylon flag flying even though the band officially ceased to be with the death of guitarist Randall Bewley in 2009. Backed by local Athens, GA musicians Hay and PRS have been doing sets of classic Pylon, but this new 7″ features brand new songs and is pretty good.

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