Amoeba Music

Killswitch Engage are back with the epic, intense This Consequence . The band blends punishing riffs with melodic choruses to create songs that expertly balance brutality and beauty. Because this is an album about finding hope, personal power, and the will to go on...in spite of what seems like an inexorable darkness. Packed with headbanging rhythms, sweeping melodies, and incredible vocals, This Consequence will help you dust yourself off and keep fighting. More

The Lumineers are back with some of their best work yet. The songs on Automatic are eclectic and electrifying, from infectious sing-a-long stompers to intimate, introspective ballads. Album highlights include the wistful, tender, and moving "You're All I Got" and the bittersweet, rock'n' roll epic "So Long." Written in response to the strangeness of modern life, the blurred lines between reality and artifice, and the desire to numb out, the warm, spirited, and deeply human Automatic is an antidote to what ails us. More

Sharon Van Etten returns with a new band and a new sound. Her new self-titled album with The Attachment Theory is grandiose, exhilarating, and no holds barred. Rooted in post-punk, the album is cinematic and moody, with moments bridging shoegaze, Krautrock, goth rock, and bristling electronica. Rich in atmosphere, with sweeping soundscapes and bigger than life choruses, these songs will make you swoon. More

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Coolio's legendary "Gangsta's Paradise" single, Tommy Boy brings us Coolio's Greatest Hits . Out on CD and yellow vinyl, this collection truly is classic after classic, with none of the filler you find on other compilation albums. That's because Coolio was one of the most unique, influential, and straight-up talented rappers of the '90s era — and these songs sound just as killer today as they did back then. Of course, "Gangsta's Paradise" is on here, as is "Fantastic Voyage," "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)", "C U When U Get There," and "Rollin' with My Homies" (from the Clueless soundtrack). Essential and enjoyable. More

Maribou State return with Hallucinating Love , an album celebrating kindness, companionship, and care — just when it seems like the world is in short supply. The album was written after a particularly challenging period for Chris Davids and Liam Ivory, both on a personal and a global level. Their solution? Write an album “about being in a dark place, a place of struggle, and then looking forward to bright futures,” as Davids put it. That's the vibe of this gentle, gorgeous electronic album. With guest appearances from Holly Walker, Andreya Triana, North Downs, and Gaidaa, Hallucinating Love feels as warm and welcoming as the ecstatic and enveloping love it describes. More

With Lay Low , Eddie Chacon delivers one of the most compelling R&B records in recent memory. As one half of the '90s soul music duo Charles & Eddie, he brought us the undeniable "Would I Lie to You?," a 1992 global chart-topper. Lately he has teamed up with indie stars like John Carroll Kirby and Nick Hakim to create dreamy leftfield R&B influenced by neosoul, dub, and trip-hop. "Empire" is a timeless track with retro appeal, a beautiful heartbreaker, with bittersweet, enticing instrumentation, dreamy harmonies, and simple but gut-punching lyrics. "Let the Devil In" is a woozy, dub-influenced track that casts a sad, lovely spell. "End of the World" combines dub with alt-R&B to create a hypnotic, downbeat mood. Lay Low is moving, entrancing, and deeply cool. More

ALT BLK ERA's debut is wildly original and ultra addictive. The young UK sister duo fuses drum 'n' bass, alt-pop, and electronic into a gorgeous, hardcore, headbangin' mix. "My Drummer's Girlfriend" is a wickedly funny saga about the mean girls in your social circle. "Straight to Heart" is a real heartbreaker, a deeply vulnerable look at chronic illness and the feeling of being left behind. Then there's the hedonistic, frenetic "Run Rabbit," a track that conjures up wild, endless nights where anything can happen. Rave Immortal will make you want to do just that: rave 'til you've got nothing left to leave on the dance floor. More

Angelea Muñoz's Descanso is a brilliant, sophisticated solo debut. Dreamy and downbeat, these leftfield R&B tracks are atmospheric, languid, and seductive. Just twenty-two-years-old, the native Angeleno collaborated with Adrian Younge for 2020 release Introspection and joined The Midnight Hour, Younge's group with Ali Shaheed Muhammad, at age seventeen — she's an accomplished, assured, uniquely gifted artist. Descanso is absolutely lovely, calling to mind the moody magic of iconic fellow traveler Sade. More

The Human Fear is some of Franz Ferdinand's most irresistible, enjoyable work yet. With new wave synths, rollicking pianos, and post-punk guitars, the band makes writing catchy-as-hell indie anthems seem effortless. Yet there's a thrilling darkness beneath these ear worms: as you may have guessed from the title, the album is about chasing fear to feel human, the fear of leaving something familiar, the fear of isolation. Thrilling and tightrope tense, perhaps that's what makes this album hit so hard. More

Seeing The National live is a magnificent, revelatory experience. The vocals are urgent and insistent, the melodies driving and powerful, the mood elevated and transformative. The band's new live concert album, Rome , will transport listeners to a very special night under the stars of the Italian city, circa summer 2024. Listening to these twenty-one relentless tracks, it's easy to get caught up in the compelling, intense atmosphere of the band's performances. Rome is The National at their addictive, epic best. More

On his tongue-twister of a new album (Mahashmashana means "great cremation ground" in ancient Sanskrit), Josh Tillman - more popularly known as Father John Misty – deftly threads his acerbic wit into his trademark radiant vocals. The mood shifts frequently on songs like “Screamland,” which fluctuates from intensely personal and intimate to a soaring, epic chorus, and on “She Cleans Up,” Father John has recruited the raucous, red-hot Swedish punks Viagra Boys. You don’t need to be a Bronze Age scholar to appreciate the beauty of Mahashmashana . More

This one was worth the wait. As the duo Black Star, No Fear of Time was Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli's first release in two and a half decades. Originally released in 2022 as a digital only record, this excellent, Madlib-produced album is now available to hold in your hip-hop-loving hands. As you'd expect, the album is smart and timely, with standout beats that sometimes veer into the experimental. No Fear of Time is a consuming listen that'll keep you hitting rewind; there's something new to discover (or rediscover) on every track of this fantastic album. More

Chappell Roan’s Grammy-nominated debut album chronicles her move from Missouri to Los Angeles and focuses on love and self-discovery. Big pop hooks and strong vocals abound here, often tinged with melancholy. The energy rides high on the ultra-catchy but sweet-natured “Pink Pony Club” and the cathartic, breakup track, “My Kink is Karma.” Elsewhere “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” is edgy and funky with tongue-in-cheek lyrics. More

The rapper’s third mixtape earned her three Grammy nominations for its quirky beats, clever lyrics, and incorporation of genres like jazz rap, EDM, and soul. “Boom Bap” is a highlight with its funny lyrics criticizing the supposed rules of the hip-hop genre. “Denial is a River” has a fun throwback vibe with equally witty rhymes, while “WAIT” is a smoother R&B-inflected number. More

The latest from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds is as ecstatic, strange, and questing as life itself. Wild God runs the gamut from the rollicking and picaresque to the poignant and extraordinary. The album feels radical in its belief in beauty and transcendence after the darkest nights; the power of the band's earlier excursions into the murk and the mire still rumbles beneath these compositions, even as they showcase the surprising twists and turns of our time here on this mortal coil. Cave has said that "joy" was considered as a title for this album and while the phrase "Wild God" packs in more of the mystery and awe of the experience, joy is certainly an appropriate descriptor of the way you'll feel while listening. More

Fresh, smart, and invigorating, Oddisee's People Hear What They See sounds as vital today as it did when it was first released all the way back in 2012. Oddisee's production is next-level: lush and evocative, sparkling and sensual. His delivery as an MC is irresistible and energetic. This gorgeous album deserves another spin and thankfully, with this top-notch reissue, fans will get another chance. A splendid, sensational record. More

BoyWithUke's latest album is also planned as his last under the moniker. Burnout finds strength in vulnerability, as Charley Yang gets introspective and open on these genre-hopping, enjoyable songs. "Can You Feel It?" opens with plaintive keys, building a poignant, delicate mood before the percussion kicks in and the anxiety ramps up. "Ghost" is wistful and bittersweet, a love letter to a relationship gone by. Burnout is a beautiful, dynamic album with arrangements that surprise and delight and lyrics that feel oh-so-relatable. More

The Linda Lindas prove once again that they are one of the coolest, most rock 'n' roll bands in music today. On No Obligation , the band serves up scathing punk and irresistible power pop, informed by riot grrrl, indie rock, new wave, post-punk, and garage. The Linda Lindas set the tone right out the gate with the title track, a blistering basement punk jam, before somehow seamlessly shifting to a gorgeous yet gritty, droll and catchy mode via "All in My Head." As the album progresses, the energy never stops, with the band joyfully experimenting (and succeeding) with genre after genre. No Obligation is a thoroughly enjoyable, full-speed-ahead odyssey through underground rock 'n' roll. More

The mad masterpiece that is The Blood Brothers' Crimes album is getting a 20th-anniversary reissue. The band's intense blend of post-hardcore, post-punk, a bit of funk, and a lot of frenzied weirdness still sounds utterly arresting, unlike anything else out there. Out on bubblegum pink and baby blue vinyl, it's a limited release that captures the full-throttle pleasures of the band's live shows. An exhilarating, raucous, and unpredictable thrill ride of an album. More

The latest from Being Dead is just ridiculously good. On Eels , the Austin rockers deliver a delightfully unpredictable, totally intoxicating collection of songs that effortlessly segues from downcast post-punk to near-dreampop. Dark and light frolic hand-in-hand through these arresting, devastatingly lovely tracks. Gleefully experimental and unafraid to swim through the shadows, Eels is a must-hear. More