Little Simz - lead

7 New Songs Out Today

Little Simz
Little Simz – ‘Offence’ single artwork

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…

LITTLE SIMZ – “OFFENCE”

UK rapper Little Simz seems like she’s gearing up to release a followup to 2016’s very solid Stillness In Wonderland. She just dropped a new single, “Offence,” and is promising more news soon. The new song is a little darker and rawer than the stuff on Stillness In Wonderland, and it’s good stuff.

ADVANCE BASE – “CHRISTMAS IN NIGHTMARE CITY”

Owen Ashworth’s new Advance Base album, Animal Companionship, comes out on Friday, and he’s sharing one more single before its release. “Christmas in Nightmare City” is an eerily resonant portrait of an insomniac night spent with convenience store snacks and a horror audiobook, as he describes for Talkhouse: “‘Christmas in Nightmare City’ deals with the restless energy, sugar cravings, and minor identity crisis I experienced after I quit drinking. That restless energy often led to insomnia, and on a few occasions, I’d spend those late, lonely hours just driving around the Chicago suburbs, listening to talk radio or a Stephen King audiobook, eating gas station candy, and letting my mind wander. I remember one night in early December, making my way through Gary, Indiana with Pet Semetary on my Subaru’s stereo, passing under the blinking street lights of an abandoned downtown, and then getting lost in the industrial zone. I got pretty creeped out, so I turned off the stereo and just listened to the eerie hum of trains, factories, and refineries rolling past. I was struck by the grace of the industrial work lights, twinkling through the mist. They reminded me of Christmas, and I found it all strangely comforting. That was the feeling I tried to get at when I wrote ‘Christmas in Nightmare City.'”

STEVE MASON – “STARS AROUND MY HEART”

The Beta Band’s The Three EPs celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and was just reissued on vinyl last week. Meanwhile, frontman Steve Mason carries on with his solo career, prepping new album About The Light, which is out January 18 on Double Six. The first single is “Stars Around My Heart,” one of his most unabashed pop songs to date. (In a Steve Mason kind of way.) You can check out the sci-fi themed video, directed by Brother Willis:

SMOKING POPES – “WHEN YOU WANT SOMETHING”

’90s alt-rock vets Smoking Popes are gearing up to release their first album with their original lineup since 1998, Into The Agony (due 10/12 via Asian Man), and they’ve let loose another song from it, “When You Want Something.” Like the previous singles, it very much sounds like classic Smoking Popes, and that’s not a bad thing at all.

CLARK – “HARPSICHORD E.C.S.T.”

UK electronic musician Clark is releasing a double A-side single, E.C.S.T. T.R.A.X., this Friday (9/21) via his own Throttle Records, and the glitchy, frantic “Harpsichord E.C.S.T.” is streaming now. “It could sound prancingly medieval, but I kind of took a blow torch to it, and made it something totally different,” he told Stereogum, regarding this song’s instrument of choice (and namesake).

SNEAKS – “BELIEFS”

Sneaks, aka Eva Moolchan, just announced her new album, Highway Hypnosis, will be out January 2019 via Merge. You can check out the first single, “Beliefs,” which keeps with her minimalist style while showcasing refined production.

KERO KERO BONITO – “MAKE BELIEVE”

UK trio Kero Kero Bonito released new single “Make Believe” just in time for their upcoming North American tour. Read more about it here.

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