governorsball-2019-saturday-09

23 New Songs Out Today

Governors Ball 2019 - Saturday
Clairo at Governors Ball 2019 (more by Toby Tenenbaum)

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, track premieres, and more all day. In these concertless times, that includes daily livestreams and live concert videos we love. We update a playlist weekly of some of our current favorite tracks. Here’s a daily roundup with a bunch of interesting, newly released songs in one place.

MONO – “MEET US WHERE THE NIGHT ENDS” (LIVE WITH THE PLATINUM ANNIVERSARY ORCHESTRA)

In December 2019, Japanese post-rock greats MONO celebrated their 20th anniversary with some very special shows at the Barbican Centre in London, and they’re now releasing a live album of the final night, which saw the band collaborating on stage with The Platinum Anniversary Orchestra. The album arrives March 19 via Temporary Residence, and here’s your first gorgeous taste of it.

STEVEN WILSON – “MAN OF THE PEOPLE”

Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson releases his new solo album Future Bites this week (1/29), and he’s now revealed one more song ahead of its release: the atmospheric “Man of the People.”

CLARK – “SMALL”

Electronic wiz Clark is releasing a new album, Playground In A Lake, on March 26 via Deutsche Grammophon. The album features strings, Radiohead/Arca collaborator Oliver Coates, and Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, and the first single is the ambient art pop of “Small.”

CLOSER – “ANGRY FLOOD”

In the time since Brooklyn post-hardcore/screamo band Closer released their 2018 debut album, vocalist/drummer Ryann Slauson’s other band 소나기 aka Sonagi released one of the best screamo splits of 2020, and now Closer are back with their sophomore album, Without One Stem, due March 12 via Lauren Records. First single “Angry Flood” is five minutes of climactic, atmospheric post-hc/screamo, and it’s a very promising first taste.

CHARLIE HICKEY – “TEN FEET TALL” FT PHOEBE BRIDGERS

California artist Charlie Hickey has been working on music with Phoebe Bridgers collaborator Marshall Vore. We heard “No Good at Lying” back in October, and now he’s shared “Ten Feet Tall,” which, like the last single, features backing vocals from Phoebe.

PONZO HOUDINI – “ANOTHER DAY IN THE LIFE”

Griselda associate Ponzo Houdini (who appears in their new Conflicted film) is releasing his new project You Know The Vibes II on February 16 via Cake Boss Life Entertainment, and if you dig Griselda’s gritty boom bap revival, you’re probably gonna like Ponzo’s new song too.

’68 – “THE KNIFE, THE KNIFE, THE KNIFE”

The Chariot/Norma Jean vocalist Josh Scogin’s current band ’68 will release their third album, Give One Take One, on March 26 via Cooking Vinyl, and lead single “The Knife, The Knife, The Knife” finds them putting a sludgy twist on swaggering punk-blues.

HENO – “BLACKSTARRR”

Maryland rapper/producer Heno is putting out a new album, Death Ain’t THAT Bad, on March 19 via self-release (with production from JPEGMAFIA and others), and this very good new single switches from pensive, hard-hitting rap to ominous, psychedelic R&B.

KID CONGO & THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS – “HE WALKED IN”

Kid Congo is back with a new EP titled Swing from the Sean Delear which will be out February 19 via In the Red. The title, and EP itself is a tribute to the late non-binary, African American singer and Los Angeles legend Sean De Lear. The closing song is this 14-minute laid back jazz groove which is based on a dream Kid Congo had about his former Gun Club bandmate, the late Jeffrey Lee Pierce.

MOTHER OF MARS (VITO & DRUZZI OF THE RAPTURE) – “DURGA & DEMON”

The Rapture’s Vito Roccoforte and Gabriel Andruzzi have formed Mother of Mars which also includes Jaiko Suzuki on vocals. The group’s debut album, I Hear, will be released on March 5 via Ransom Note Records and the first single is “Durga & Demon” which has some Can-style rhythms mixed more more current club sounds.

OHTIS – “SCHATZE” (FT. STEF CHURA)

LA trio Ohtis are back with this new single that’s part of Saddle Creek’s Document series. The song is a duet with Stef Chura, who plays the role of frontman Sam Swimson’s undervalued girlfriend. “Sam is a rare songwriter,” Stef says. “He speaks from an honest and dark place with a sincerity that I think is refreshing and deeply relatable. Adam is an old friend who was living down the street from me in Detroit at the time this collaboration came to be tossed around. I think someone on my Instagram kept asking me about doing a song with them… So I made a poll as a joke which led to the inevitable. When they showed me the song and the call and response format I was instantly in love with it.”

REAL NUMBERS – “IN THE END”

Jangly indie rock group Real Numbers were set to release new EP Brighter Then last week but production issues have delayed it till March 19 via Slumberland Records. While you wait, here’s a new song from it.

CLAIRO – “JUST FOR TODAY”

Clairo shared a quiet, stark new song, “Just For Today,” on her Instagram. “Not sure about you, but my mental health has taken a major dip since quarantine started- at times I feel like I’ve never felt worse,” she writes. “New medication, hotlines, and one scheduled appointment with a psychiatrist later and I’m feeling more like myself again. I wrote this last night and I feel there’s no real reason I should hold onto it.”

SWANSEA SOUND (HEAVENLY, POOH STICKS) – “INDIES OF THE WORLD”

Swansea Sound is UK indiepop supergroup featuring old friends Hue Williams of The Pooh Sticks and Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey of Heavenly/Talulah Gosh/Catenary Wires. (Fletcher sang on The Pooh Sticks’ excellent 1991 album The Great White Wonder, and toured with them too.) Taking aim at the corporatising of music and championing everything indie, the group stay off of streaming services (apart from Bandcamp), preferring people to hear them via physical media. Here’s their new 7″.

PAUL LEARY (BUTTHOLE SURFERS) – “WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?”

Butthole Surfers’ Paul Leary is set to release Born Stupid, his first solo album in 30 years, on February 12 via Shimmy Disc/Joyful Noise (pre-order). He’s just released a second track from it, “What Are You Gonna Do?” which is the kind of wigged-out genre-blender you’d expect from Leary, with elements of metal, industrial, psych-rock, and synthpop meeting at what sounds like the mouth of hell.

ANNA FOX ROCHINSKI (QUILT) – “CHERRY”

Quilt’s Anna Fox Rochinski has announced her debut solo album, Cherry, which will be out March 26 via Don Giovanni. It’s a departure from the folky psych-rock sound you may associate with her as you can hear on the album’s title track.

FKA TWIGS – “DON’T JUDGE ME” FT. HEADIE ONE & FRED AGAIN

FKA twigs’ new single is an extension of “Judge Me,” an interlude she collaborated with Headie One and Fred Again on for their 2020 album GANG.

TEENAGE FANCLUB – “I’M MORE INCLINED”

Teenage Fanclub’s anticipated 11th album, Endless Arcade was set to be released at the beginning of March but due to production delays, the album will now be out April 30 via Merge. In the meantime, here’s the second single from the album.

NERVOUS DATER – “MIDDLE CHILD”

NYC indie punks Nervous Dater are back with their sophomore LP, Call In The Mess, and they’ve shared the first single, album opener “Middle Child.”

GENGHIS TRON – “DREAM WEAPON”

Genghis Tron are back with a new lineup and their first album in 13 years, which is due this March via Relapse. Read more about the newly-released title track here.

HALF WAIF – “ORANGE BLOSSOMS”

Half Waif announced a new 7″ and shared its a-side, the gorgeous, haunting “Orange Blossoms.”

REGIONAL JUSTICE CENTER – “ABSENCE” & “INHUMAN JOY”

Hardcore greats Regional Justice Center have announced a new album and shared two killer songs from it. Read more about them here.

SLAUGHTER BEACH, DOG – “IF I NEEDED YOU” (TOWNES VAN ZANDT COVER)

Jake Ewald’s new take on Townes Van Zandt is done in the same stripped-back style as Slaughter Beach, Dog’s new album, At The Moonbase.

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