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38 New Songs Out Today

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 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.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS – “BIRCH GROVE” & “ANNO SATANA”

The Smashing Pumpkins have shared the fifth and sixth singles off their upcoming double album Cyr, and like the previous ones, these new ones find the Pumpkins going in a synthier direction.

BIG BOI & SLEEPY BROWN – “WE THE ONES” (ft. KILLER MIKE & BIG RUBE, ORGANIZED NOIZE REMIX)

It’s a Dungeon Family reunion on this new remix of 2017’s “We The Ones.” “In a time of so much despair we wanted to give the people a little light to live to,” said Big Boi of the new track.

DEATH ANGEL – “UNDER PRESSURE” (QUEEN & DAVID BOWIE COVER)

Bay Area thrash vets Death Angel have released a new acoustic EP, Under Pressure, and the title track is a cover of the Queen & David Bowie song. It also includes a new song and two acoustic versions of older songs.

MANNEQUIN PUSSY – “THE EXECUTION OF ALL THINGS” (RILO KILEY COVER)

Here’s the second track from No Bad Words for the Coast Today a cover album of Rilo Kiley’s The Execution of All Things, benefiting G.L.I.T.S. Mannequin Pussy deliver a faithful rendition of the title track, with a little extra grit than the original.

PREME & POPCAAN – “COMFORTABLE” (ft. DAVIDO)

Fresh off dancehall great Popcaan releasing an album that has two songs featuring Drake, OVO’s Preme and Popcaan are set to release a collaborative EP, Link Up, next week (10/16). This new single features Afrobeats star Davido and it’s a compelling, genre-blurring track.

KILLER BE KILLED – “DREAM GONE BAD”

Killer Be Killed — the metal supergroup of Troy Sanders (Mastodon), Ben Koller (Converge), Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan), and Max Cavalera (Soulfly, ex-Sepultura) — have released the second single off Reluctant Hero, and this one’s an especially Mastodon-like ripper.

PORTUGAL. THE MAN – “FEEL IT STILL” (36% IS NOT ENOUGH VERSION)

Portugal. The Man have re-released their song “Feel It Still” and its video, but you can only hear or see 36% of the song/video at any given moment, to make case for why only 36% of young voters participating in the 2018 election was not enough.

THE INEVITABLES (LESS THAN JAKE, INTERRUPTERS, JEFF ROSENSTOCK BAND) – “THE WEIGHT OF THE WORRY”

Ska-punk supergroup The Inevitables — Vinnie Fiorello (Less Than Jake), Obi Fernandez (Westbound Train), Matt Appleton (Reel Big Fish), Billy Kottage (the Interrupters), John DeDomenici (Jeff Rosenstock, Bomb The Music Industry!), Alex Stern and Jon Degen (Big D And The Kids Table) and Sean-Paul Pillsworth (Nightmares For A Week) — are releasing their self-titled debut album on October 30 via Paper + Plastick, and if you like the members’ other bands, you’ll probably like this catchy new song too.

NAS, DAVE EAST, STYLES P, REMY MA, GHOSTFACE KILLAH, RAHDAMUSPRIME – “THE MECCA”

Netflix’s The Forty-Year-Old Version premieres today. It was written and directed by Radha Blank, who also stars as frustrated playwright and Harlem high school teacher. To quote Vox, “She likes the play she’s written about a couple living in Harlem, but to get it produced she’ll have to change it to align with a prominent white producer’s ideas about what a play should be — and her exasperations drive her to a (hilarious) breaking point that seems to scuttle her future chances of ever getting a play on stage again. Bereft, but exhilarated, she has an epiphany: She’s going to try becoming a hip-hop performer instead.” Her rap moniker is RadhaMUSPrime, and along with the premiere of the show comes this new song which finds RadhaMUSPrime joined by some actual New York rap greats.

KATE DAVIS – “I’LL DO ANYTHING BUT BREAK DANCE FOR YA, DARLING”

Kate Davis released Trophy last year via Solitaire Recordings, and she’s just announced a new album, Strange Boy, a full album cover of Daniel Johnston’s Retired Boxer. The first single is her take on “I’ll Do Anything but Break Dance for Ya, Darling,” which swirls with synths.

ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, ETC MEMBERS – “RHIANNON” (FLEETWOOD MAC COVER)

Fleetwood Mac is everywhere lately, and here they are again, getting a faithful (non-metal) cover by a cast of metal musicians: Anthrax‘s Charlie Benante, Testament’s Alex Skolnick, Skolnick‘s Metal Allegiance bandmate Mark Menghi, Beauty In The Machine’s Jennifer Cella, and Randy McStine.

JONATHAN SINGLETARY – “NEVER LIKE THIS” (ft. ADELINE)

Jonathan Singletary and Adeline team up on “Never Like This,” an appealing new song that finds the middle ground between ’60s psychedelic pop and ’90s neo-soul.

CUPCAKKE – “ELEPHANT”

CupcakKe’s been dropping a handful of new songs lately, and this hard-hitting, no-frills track proves she’s still got a lot to say.

LYKKE LI – “BRON”

Last month Lykke Li shared a haunting, piano-based cover of “I Will Survive,” and now she’s shared a new original track, “BRON.” It’s her first release of a song in Swedish, and it was co-written and produced by Ludwig Göransson and Little Jinder.

CHANNEL TRES – “SKATE DEPOT”

Channel Tres has a new mixtape called I Can’t Go Outside on the way, and it’ll include this new dose of chilled-out atmospheric funk.

TENNIS – “SUPERSTAR” (CARPENTERS COVER)

“Karen Carpenter has always influenced my writing,” Alaina Moore of Tennis writes. “Her voice is so distinctive I can imagine her take on any song. Our goal with ‘Superstar’ was to re-cast her voice in the context of a different band in a different era. This led us to take a lot of liberties, including writing a bridge that doesn’t exist in the original. The result is something that doesn’t sound like Tennis or The Carpenters, which we really liked.”

AKAE BEKA – “BLACK CARBON” (ft. CHRONIXX)

Vaughn Andre Benjamin, singer of roots reggae bands Akae Beka and Midnite, sadly passed away last year at age 50, but posthumous Akae Beka music continues to come out, including this new track with the fast-rising, very prolific Chronixx (who also has a new song on the Roc Nation benefit comp that’s out today).

BEBE REXHA – “BABY, I’m JEALOUS” (ft. DOJA CAT)

R&B/pop singer Bebe Rexha and rapper Doja Cat take on social media-induced insecurity on this funk-infused new track that comes with one hell of a music video.

SOUVENIRS – “FEAR AND MOVING FORWARD”

SoCal emo band Souvenirs have shared a new track off their upcoming album Love For The Lack Of It, and it’s calming yet upbeat, kind of like a cross between Death Cab and Turnover.

ZEAL & ARDOR – “TRUST NO ONE”

Zeal & Ardor continues to completely defy genre on his new song “Trust No One,” which is part vintage blues, part black metal, and will appear on his upcoming EP of protest songs, Wake Of A Nation.

DREW CITRON – FREE NOW (ALBUM STREAM)

Drew Citron, who fronted Beverly and plays in Public Practice, has released her debut solo album, a confessional breakup record that isn’t a million miles away from the dreamy/crunchy pop she made with Beverly.

GORD DOWNIE – “ABOUT BLANK” (ACOUSTIC & ELECTRIC)

Away is Mine, the posthumous album from late Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie, is out next week and features the final 10 songs he wrote in both electric and acoustic versions. Arts & Crafts has just shared both versions of the countrified “About Blank”

DJANGO DJANGO – “THE ARK”

Scottish dance-rock band Django Django returned with terrific new single “Spirals” last month and now here’s the b-side, a wigged-out instrumental with some nice acid house touches.

TOBACCO – “HEADLESS TO HEADLESS”

Tobacco’s Hot Wet and Sassy will be out just in time for Halloween. “I feel like it’s the most I’ve been able to refine what I’m doing,” says Tobacco’s Tom Fec. “For the past decade I’ve had this motherfxcker on my shoulder that makes me pick away at structure and melody. Purposely covering up moments because I can. That really came to a peak on Sweatbox. So I wanted the opposite this time. Write the songs without ripping them in half. I went from ‘what would the Butthole Surfers do?’ to ‘what would Cyndi Lauper do?’” “Headless to Headless” might be that midpoint between Gibby Haynes and Cyndi, with a little doom thrown into the mix.

GUSTAF – “MINE”

Gustaf have been one of the more consistently fun live indie rock bands in Brooklyn for years, thanks in no small part to singer Lydia Gammill’s magnetic presence. Somehow in their half a decade of existence they’ve never released any recorded music until now. “Mine” throws down “angular” post punk riff and the band says it’s “about the overly entitled and underwhelmed.” The video, directed by Joey Chriqui, manages to capture some of Gammill’s onstage intensity.

MUCKERS – “SUSPENDED”

Trad guitar rock isn’t as in fashion as it was in the early-’00s heyday of The Strokes and White Stripes, but NYC band Muckers don’t seem detered. New single “Suspended” is catchy and anthemic, showing off more than a little fretwork fire.

MARK KNOPFLER, ROSANNE CASH, DARIUS RUCKER, RICHARD THOMPSON, PETER
FRAMPTON, KEB MO, JIMMIE ALLEN, AND RICK WAKEMAN – “STAND BY ME” (BEN E KING COVER)

In honor of the 60th anniversary of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” a group of musicians have come together — virtually — to cover the song, including Mark Knopfler, Rosanne Cash, Darius Rucker, Richard Thompson, Peter Frampton, Keb Mo, Jimmie Allen, and Rick Wakeman. The song, which will be officially released later in October, will benefit the Help Musicians organization that provides financial assistance to musicians during the pandemic.

BENNY THE BUTCHER – “TIMELESS” (ft. LIL WAYNE & BIG SEAN)

Benny the Butcher’s new Hit-Boy-produced album will be out next week, and you can read more about lead single “Timeless” here.

MEET ME @ THE ALTAR – “GARDEN”

Meet Me @ The Altar, a rising pop punk trio who formed online in 2015 with members based in Florida, New Jersey, and Georgia, have signed to Fueled By Ramen and released a new video for their recent single “Garden.” Read more about it here.

WE ARE THE UNION – “PRE-EXPATRIATE”

Detroit ska-punks We Are The Union have released their second new single in about a month, and it’s another ripper. Read more about it here.

DAVE HAUSE – “WHEN IT DON’T COME EASY” (PATTY GRIFFIN COVER, ft. LAURA STEVENSON)

Dave Hause has released another song off his upcoming Patty Griffin covers EP, and this one features Laura Stevenson. Read more here.

156/SILENCE – “VEXATION”

Pittsburgh metalcore up and comers 156/Silence will re-release their 2020 debut album Irrational Pull in November on SharpTone Records with three new songs, this being one of them. Read more here.

TODD RUNDGREN & RIVERS CUOMO – “DOWN WITH THE SHIP”

Todd Rundgren and Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo have teamed up for a new faithful homage to ’60s Jamaican ska, which you can read more about here.

STEVIE NICKS – “SHOW THEM THE WAY”

Stevie Nicks has released her first new song in six years, and it’s a powerful protest song that was made with Greg Kurstin, Dave Grohl, Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, and others, and comes with an equally powerful video by Cameron Crowe. Read more here.

BILL CALLAHAN & BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY W/ MATT SWEENEY – “OD’D IN DENVER” (HANK WILLIAMS JR COVER)

“One of the many beautiful things about the original ‘OD’d In Denver’ is the contrast between Hank Williams Junior’s effortless carefree vocal and the song’s bleak desperate words,” says Sweeney. “So I thought I’d ‘chop it up’ and make the song’s music ‘line up’ with its lyrics.”

SEAN ONO LENNON – “ISOLATION” (JOHN LENNON COVER)

Sean Ono Lennon, has covered his father’s song “Isolation” in honor of what would’ve been John Lennon’s 80th birthday today. “Hey guys, here’s my version of ‘ISOLATION,’ with me on drums and my nephew Jack on bass,” Sean says. “Crazy how much the lyrics fit our current year…We need his music and his message now more than ever!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd0_xlLiERU

KEVIN PARKER (TAME IMPALA) – “JEALOUS GUY” (JOHN LENNON COVER)

Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, meanwhile, has offered up a cover “Jealous Guy,” played solo acoustic, bed-in style.

THE NOTWIST – “OH SWEET FIRE” FT BEN LAMAR GAY

The Notwist returned earlier this year wit a new EP, their first new music in six years. They’re already back with more, having just dropped this new collaboration with Ben LeMar Gay. There’s a bit of a trip hop vibe going on — all dark and woozy — with Gay’s vocals and lyrics bring a new twist to The Notwist.

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