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Ashbringer - "Vessels"

Minneapolis-based post-black-metal ensemble Ashbringer surfaces from the cold cosmic void with their new album, Subglacial (out 02/13/2026). Their latest offerings embark on a passage through ruined kingdoms and sonic wastelands. Guitars extend in long, grim movements, creating expansive soundscapes rather than riffs. Nick Stanger's punishing vocals deliver a prophetic question: "Are we all just vessels for our deeper pain?" with a hope for healing. Catch them live for their record release show on February 20th at Reggies in Chicago.

Pre-order Subglacial

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Bill Callahan - "Lonely City"

The cult-defining and uncompromising folk auteur, Bill Callahan, surprises us with a new song from his forthcoming album, My Days of 58. "Lonely City" is a sparse offering about the nuanced relationship we have with the empty municipal infrastructure we live in. The music video was created by acclaimed NYC street photographer Daniel Arnold. Daniel used 15 years of his work to create the visuals. 

My Days of 58 is out February 27, 2026, through Drag City.

Bill writes:

“Lonely City is a song I’ve been meaning to write for decades. It has been inside me that long. I tend to focus my writing on humans and the spirit within. So writing about concrete and steel felt like a no go. Like I’m going to write a song about a car next?

But of course cities are made by humans so they are human, too. 

You have a relationship with them, like friends. 

You get mad at them when you get a parking ticket, you love them when they offer you a nice meal. 

It’s a song acknowledging all this.”

– Bill Callahan, 2025

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Constant Smiles - "Allowed To Be"

New York-based Constant Smiles are back with their new album, Moonflowers, out November 7th on Felte. Formed in 2009 by Ben Jones, the DIY project has had a creative journey through an ever-evolving music industry. "Allowed To Be" is a pared-down bedroom folk song in the spirit of Van Morrison or Nick Drake. The video, directed by Sam Mason, was created as a love letter to New York City and the films of Jim Jarmusch. You can catch them on tour in November.

Tour dates: Sun, November 9 - New York City NY - Union Pool (Record Release Show) Mon, November 10 - Boston MA - Deep Cuts Tuesday November 11 - Philadelphia PA - Ortlieb's  Wed, November 12 - Pittsburgh PA - Government Center  Sat, November 15 - St Louis MO - Dissonant Works  Sun, November 16 - Chicago IL - Ramova Theatre Loft

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Faetooth - "White Noise"

Los Angeles-based doom metal trio Faetooth conjure a haunting serenity they describe as "fairy-doom." Their sophomore album, Labyrinthine, will be released on September 5th through AWAL/Flenser. "White Noise" emerged from an internal struggle and will obliterate your senses with its gothic cathedral-sized sorrow. You can catch them on tour now with Slow Crush.

Faetooth and Slow Crush tour dates 2025: 9/4 Allentown, PA - Arrow 9/5 Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry 9/6 Boston, MA - The Sinclair 9/7 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg 9/9 Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz 9/10 Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground 9/11 Detroit, MI - El Club 9/12 Chicago, IL - Reggie's 9/13 Indianapolis, IN - HiFi 9/14 St. Louis, MO - Duck Room 9/16 Fort Worth, TX - Tulips 9/17 Austin, TX - Radio/East 9/19 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom 9/20 Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom 9/21 Oakland, CA - Crybaby 9/23 Seattle, WA - El Corazon 9/24 Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre 9/26 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge 9/27 Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre 9/29 Kansas City, MO - RecordBar 10/1 Nashville, TN – Eastside Bowl 10/2 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade 10/3 Durham, NC - Durham Fruit Company 10/4 Richmond, VA - The Broadberry 10/5 Washington, DC - Union Stage

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Joviale - "Snow"

London-based experimental adult contemporary artist Joviale will release their debut album, Mount Crystal, on September 12 by way of Ghostly International. Their sensual new single "Snow" resonates with life's hardest moments. While "Moonshine" will have us two-stepping in our unmentionables with its smooth jazz groove. They will embark on a UK/EU tour this fall.

Tour Dates: Wed. Sept. 17 - Liverpool, UK @ Jacaranda Club (in-store) Thu. Sept. 18 - Leeds, UK @ Vinyl Whistle (in-store) Fri. Sept. 19 - Oxford, UK @ Truck (in-store) Tue. Sept. 23 - Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade (in-store) Thu. Sept. 25 - London, UK @ Oslo Thu. Nov. 13 - Berlin, DE @ Säälchen * Sat. Nov. 15 - Utrecht, NL @ EKKO * Sun. Nov. 16 - Antwerp, BE @ Trix * Mon. Nov. 17 - Paris, FR @ Petit Bain * Wed. Nov. 19 - Bristol, UK @ Lantern Hall * Thu. Nov. 20 - London, UK @ Electric Brixton *

* = supporting Nourished By Time

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Sparks - "Drowned In A Sea Of Tears"

Sparks, the Immortal art-pop duo of brothers Russel and Ron Mael have had a career that any Melomaniac would be envious of. You can catch a glimpse into their revered half-century legacy with the 2021 documentary, The Sparks Brothers. They return with their new album, MAD!, out May 23rd on Transgressive Records. "Drowned In A Sea Of Tears" paints on their signature canvas of pomp and circumstance with a splatter of modern satire. You can see Sparks live worldwide in 2025. (click below for tour dates)

MAD! Tour Dates: Sun. June 8 - Kyoto, JP @ ROHM Theatre Tue. June 10 - Osaka, JP @ Zepp Namba Thu. June 12 - Fri. June 13 - Tokyo, JP @ EX Theater Wed. June 18 - Thu. June 19 - London, UK @ Eventim Apollo Sat. June 21 - Sun. June 22 - Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo Tue. June 24 - Glasgow, UK @ Royal Concert Hall Thu. June 26 - Haarlem, NL @ PHIL Haarlem Sat. June 28 - Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal Mon. June 30 - Paris, FR @ La Salle Pleyel Tue. July 1 - Cologne, DE @ Live Music Hall (venue upscale) Thu. July 3 - Copenhagen, DK @ The Koncerthuset Fri. July 4 - Stockholm, SE @ Grona Lund Tivoli Sun. July 6 - Berlin, DE @ Uber Eats Tue. July 8 - Milan, IT @ Teatro degli Arcimboldi Sat. July 12 - Bilbao, ES @ Bilbao BBK Tue. July 15 - Dublin, IE @ National Stadium Wed. July 16 - Dublin, IE @ National Stadium Fri. July 18 - Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh Playhouse Sat. July 19 - Wolverhampton, UK @ The Halls Fri. Sept. 5 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle Mon. Sept. 8 - Philadelphia, PA @ Keswick Theatre Tue. Sept. 9 - Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre Thu. Sept. 11 - Boston, MA @ Berklee Performance Center Fri. Sept. 12 - Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre Sun. Sept. 14 - Columbus, OH @ The Athenaeum Theatre Mon. Sept. 15 - Cleveland, OH @ TempleLive at Cleveland Masonic Wed. Sept. 17 - Toronto, On @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre Sat. Sept. 20 - St. Paul, MN @ Fitzgerald Theater Tue. Sept. 23 - Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre Wed. Sept. 24 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre Fri. Sept. 26 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall Sat. Sept. 27 - San Francisco, CA @ Golden Gate Theatre Mon. Sept. 29 - El Cajon, CA @ The Magnolia Tue. Sept. 30 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre

[moldytundra]

Great Grandpa - "Never Rest"

Great Grandpa knows how to tug at your heartstrings. Their blend of operatic grunge-folk will leave you wanting to listen on repeat. The Seattle-based group is back with their first new album in over 5 years. Patience, Moonbeam is out March 28th via Run For Cover Records. "Never Rest" is an epic medley that contrasts their earnest vocals with pummeling distortion.

Pre-order Patience, Moonbeam

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Marshall Allen - "New Dawn" feat. Neneh Cherry

The legendary avant-garde saxophonist and composer, Marshall Allen, has been a member of The Sun Ra Arkestra since 1958. His contributions to music have resonated spiritually through the jazz landscape. He started work on his debut solo album, New Dawn, 2 days after his 100th birthday. It will be available through Mexican Summer / Week-End Records on February 14th, 2025. Tracks like "New Dawn" and "African Sunset" offer warmth and wisdom from a cosmic soul on a new interdimensional journey.

Pre-order New Dawn

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Verböten - "No More Indecision"

Verböten launch themselves out of 20th century mythical obscurity with their first ever self-titled album, Verböten, out October 4th. "No More Indecision" will electrify you with a jolt of midwestern irreverence.

The Evanston, IL, punk band was formed in 1982 by guitarist/singer Jason Narducy (Bob Mould Band, Superchunk, Sunny Day Real Estate), Tracey Bradford (vocals), Chris Kean (bass), and John Carroll (drums). They only lasted for a year as a band but were witnessed by Tracey's cousin, a teenage Dave Grohl. The album was recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago.

You can see them perform their first show since 1983 at Riot Fest in Chicago on Saturday, September 21st.

Pre-Order "Verböten"

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Hana Vu - "Hammer"

Hana Vu is a Los Angeles based singer-songwriter with a gift for writing therapeutic power-pop that will tug at your heartstrings. Her razor-sharp new album, Romanticism, is available now on Ghostly International. Tracks like "Hammer", "22", and "Airplane" will easily land on your summer playlist. You can catch her live at the Turf Club in St. Paul on Tuesday, July 16th. (Buy Tickets)

Hana Vu Tour Dates Tue. July 9 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop Thu. July 11 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall Fri. July 12 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza Sat. July 13 - Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall Tue. July 16 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club Wed. July 17 - Chicago, IL @ Subterranean Fri. July 19 - Toronto, ON @ Baby G Sat. July 20 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz Mon. July 22 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Tue. July 23 - Cambridge, MA @ Sonia Thu. July 25 - Washington, DC @ Atlantis Fri. July 26 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s Sat. July 27 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe Mon. July 29 - Columbus, OH @ Natalie’s Tue. July 30 - Nashville, TN @ Row One Wed. July 31 - Atlanta, GA @ Purgatory Fri. Aug. 2 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Sat. Aug. 3 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk Sun. Aug. 4 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Wed. Aug. 7 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Fri. Aug. 9 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room

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Ausecuma Beats - "Jeunesse Africaine"

Boubacar Gaye and Bassdi Koné returned home to Western Africa during the pandemic to reconnect with their families. The result was the vision of Dakar Bamako, the new album from Afro-Cuban ensemble, Ausecuma Beats (out now on Music in Exile). The album features 14 musicians from Senegal, Mali, and Melbourne. "Jeunesse Africaine" prays for our dreams to come true, and the world to be a better place.

You can catch them live on Friday, February 9th at Shotkickers in Thornbury (Australia) BUY TICKETS

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Prize Horse - "Further From My Start"

Prize Horse deliver a fresh perspective on angst-ridden post-rock with their new single "Further From My Start". The track establishes a seething grunge tone that might help you trudge through a frozen winter day. Their debut album, Under Sound, will be released February 16th via New Morality Zine.

You can catch them live at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis on February 22nd for their record release show! W/ Downward & Giallo BUY TICKETS

Pre-order Under Sound

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Dawn Richard - "Babe Ruth"

Dawn Richard continues her innovative career with the release of the new EP, The Architect, out now via Merge. "Babe Ruth" hacks into the mainframe with its dial-up glitch sound bath. Dawn's celestial whispers invite you to strike a Pose while out Nightclubbing with Grace Jones. You can see her perform live at the London Jazz Festival on Saturday, November 11th.

Dawn Richard Tour Dates Fri. Nov. 10 - London, UK @ Pitchfork London Sat. Nov. 11 - London, UK @ London Jazz Festival

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Blonde Redhead - “Melody Experiment”

Sit Down for Dinner by Blonde Redhead

Sit Down for Dinner by Blonde Redhead

Blonde Redhead are back with their first new album in 8 years. Sit Down for Dinner will be released on September 29th through section1. “Melody Experiment” is about a communication breakdown between two people in a relationship. The album was written and recorded over a 5 year period in various locations around New York and Italy. Their North American, UK and European tour kicks off this fall. They will play the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in Saint Paul on Monday, October 30th. (Buy Tickets)

Pre-Order Sit Down for Dinner

Tour Dates 

Thu. Aug. 31 - Ogden, UT @ Ogden Amphitheater (supporting Phantogram) Thu. Oct. 12 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent - NEW Mon. Oct. 16 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall Wed. Oct. 18 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre Fri. Oct. 20 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Sat. Oct. 21 - Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall Tue. Oct. 24 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre Wed. Oct. 25 - Sante Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf Fri. Oct. 27 - Austin, TX @ TBA Sat. Oct. 28 - Dallas, TX @ Studio at The Factory Mon. Oct. 30 - St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar and Hall Tue. Oct. 31 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Thu. Nov. 2 - Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall Fri. Nov. 3 - Montreal, QC @ Le Studio TD Sat. Nov. 4 - Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre Wed. Nov. 8 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer Thu. Nov. 9 - Washington, DC @ Howard Theatre Fri. Nov. 10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel Mon. Nov. 20 - Genève, CH @ PTR L’Usine Tue. Nov. 21 - Parma, IT @ Teatro Regio di Parma Thu. Nov. 23 - Cologne, DE @ Gebaude 9 Fri. Nov. 24 - Berlin, DE @ Hole 44 Sat. Nov. 25 - Hamburg, DE @ Bahnhof Pauli Mon. Nov. 27 - Lille, FR @ Aeronef Tue. Nov. 28 - Paris, FR @ La Cigale Wed. Nov. 29 - Nantes, FR @ Stereolux Fri. Dec. 1 - Rennes, FR @ Antipode Sat. Dec. 2 - La Rochelle, FR @ La Sirene Sun. Dec. 3 - Toulouse, FR @ Le Bikini Tue. Dec. 5 - Brussels, BE @ Orangerie (at Botanique) Wed. Dec. 6 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Thu. Dec. 7 - Leffinge, BE @ De Zwerver Sat. Dec. 9 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. Dec. 10 - Bristol, UK @ Thekla Tue. Dec. 12 - London, UK @ Village Underground

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12 Rods - “Twice”

If We Stayed Alive by 12RODS

If We Stayed Alive by 12RODS

If We Stayed Alive by 12RODS

Ryan Olcott and his extremely underrated 12 Rods project, has been a legacy shrouded in mystery. I remember hearing “Glad That It’s Over” for the first time on the Orange County soundtrack. A movie which has become a cult classic.

 If you ever dig into Twin Cities music history, you’ll know that 12 Rods Has made an impact on the local scene as well as alternative music, in general. After a reunion in 2015 and the documentary “Accidents Waiting to Happen”, No one knew if we’d hear from them again. But here we are in 2023 with a new 12 Rods album, out on July 7th (Vinyl release via American Dreams)… the first new music from them in two decades. “If We Stayed Alive” was recorded in Saint Paul, and is an unexpected gift from from one of the few bands who was given the perfect 10. “Twice” is a slacker anthem that could have easily been on the classic “Gay?” EP. (you can listen to their entire discography on Spotify.) 12 Rods will play First Avenue on Friday, July 14th. w/ Crimes

Lost Time (Deluxe) by 12RODS

Accidents Waiting To Happen from James Francis Flynn on Vimeo.

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Betty Davis - “Crashin’ From Passion”

Pre-Order the previously unreleased album, Crashin’ From Passion by the visionary singer/songwriter Betty Davis : Out August 25th on Light In the Attic.

”This year marks the 50th anniversary of Betty Davis’ self-titled debut — an electrifying artistic statement that launched one of modern music’s most revolutionary figures. To celebrate the visionary singer, songwriter, producer, and fashion icon’s broadly influential career, acclaimed reissue label Light in the Attic is revisiting four essential titles from The Queen of Funk’s catalog: Betty Davis (1973), They Say I’m Different (1974), Is It Love Or Desire? (recorded in 1976, released in 2009), as well as the first-ever vinyl release of Crashin’ From Passion, which captures Davis’ final 1979 sessions. All four tiles were produced in close collaboration with Davis, who sadly passed away in 2022.

Each album will be available on CD, black wax, and in a variety of exclusive color variants. All titles will be released on August 25th.

Far ahead of her time, Queen of Funk Betty Davis (1944 – 2022) defied the limits of gender, race, and genre during her all-too-short career. She innovated with her space-age blend of funk, R&B, and blues and enraptured audiences with her raw and powerful vocals – then shocked (and awed) them with her provocative, sexually liberated lyrics. Unapologetic and independent, Davis smashed glass ceilings with gusto. To count a few, she was among the first Black models to grace the covers of Seventeen and Glamour, while later, she became the first Black woman to write, produce, and arrange her own albums.

From a modern lens, the path that Davis forged can be traced clearly throughout the decades, traversed by those who pushed the needle farther and fought for equality in the industry. Many of music’s brightest stars have counted Davis as an influence, including Prince, Erykah Badu, and Janelle Monae, while rappers like Ice Cube, Method Man, and Talib Kweli have all sampled her work. In recent years, Davis has captured a new generation of fans, thanks to the use of her songs in such series as Mixed-ish, Girlboss, Pistol, and Orange Is the New Black. In 2017, she was the subject of the acclaimed documentary, Betty: They Say I’m Different. “

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Tinariwen - “Anemouhagh”

Tinariwen, the legendary, Grammy-winning Tuareg collective will release their new album, Amatssou, on May 19th, 2023. 

Amatssou by Tinariwen

Amatssou by Tinariwen

Amatssou by Tinariwen

Later this month, Tinariwen will embark on their first US tour since 2019, beginning on May 27th at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music and including stops in Los Angeles, New York and more. A list of full dates are below and tickets are on sale now. For decades, Tinariwen have remained ambassadors for the Tuareg people, a way of life in tune with the natural world, which is under threat as never before. Throughout Amatssou — the legendary collective’s ninth studio album — Tinariwen set out to explore the shared sensibilities between their trademark desert blues and the vibrant country music of rural America. Recorded in Djanet, an oasis in the desert of southern Algeria located in Tassili N’Ajjer National Park, with additional production on two tracks by Daniel Lanois (Brian Eno, U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Peter Gabriel, Willie Nelson), Amatssou finds Tinariwen’s signature snaking guitar lines and hypnotic grooves seamlessly co-existing alongside banjos, fiddles and pedal steel. Though Tuareg culture is as old as that of ancient Greece or Rome, the songs of Amatssou speak to the current and often tough reality of Tuareg life today. Unsurprisingly, there are impassioned references to Mali’s ongoing political and social turmoil. Full of poetic allegory, the lyrics call for unity and freedom. There are songs of struggle and resistance with oblique references to the recent desperate political upheavals in Mali and the increasing power of the Salafists. Tinariwen’s message has never sounded more urgent and compelling than it does on Amatssou.

Tinariwen Tour Dates Sat. May 27 - Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music Tue. May 30 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Wed. May 31 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox Fri. June 2 - Berkeley, CA @ UC Theater Sat. June 3 - Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater Mon. June 5 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall Tue. June 6 - Boston, MA @ Sinclair Wed. June 7 - Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre Sat. June 10 - Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival Mon. June 12 - Rubigen, CH @ Muhle Hunziken Wed. June 14 - Florence, IT @Ultravox Thu. June 15 - Milan, IT @ Triennale Garden Fri. June 16 - Turin, IT @ Hiroshima Mon Amour Sun. June 18 - Dublin, IE @ Body & Soul Festival Thu. June 22 - Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Sat. June 24 - Glastonbury, UK @ Glastonbury Festival Mon. 26 - Lille, FR @ Splendid Wed. June 28 - Paris, FR @ Salle Pleyel Thu. June 29 - Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique Sat. July 1 - Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival Sun. July 2 - Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyran Tue. July 4 - Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller Fri. July 7 - Bilbao, ES @ BBK Live Festival Tue. July 11 - Arles, FR @ Les Suds Arles Thu. July 13 - London, UK @ Somerset House Sat. July 15 - Bristol, UK @ SWX Mon. July 17 - Glasgow, UK @ St Lukes Wed. July 19 - Bermingham, UK @ Institute 2 Sat. July 22 - Cheshire, UK @ Bluedot Festival Tue. 25 - Vigo, SP @ Terraceo Festival Sat. July 29 - Luxey, FR @ Musicalarue Festival