Amoeba Music

Dale Crover, the longtime drum basher for metal icons The Melvins, is raising his artistic sails and flexing his creativity on his latest solo album, Glossolalia . Normally the hardest-hitting drummer in rock since Bonham, Crover downshifts and has crafted a mellower, free-spirited indie rock album. Joining him on this effort are guests such as Ty Segall, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, and the legendary Tom Waits on the title track. More

This funky, joyful, eclectic album will transform even the sourest mood. On his debut for Ghostly, Shinbangumi , SoCal's own Ginger Root develops a vivid and electrifying musical palette, using elements of disco, Japanese City Pop, funk, synthpop, and alt-R&B. With songs this upbeat, kaleidoscopic, lush, and entrancing, you'll want to get lost in Ginger Root's sonic dreamworld. Get ready to be swept off your feet because Shinbangumi is one of the year's best albums. More

The much-buzzed about MJ Lenderman returns with some of the finest work of his brief yet dazzling career. Manning Fireworks is autumnal and essentially lonesome, a record that feels warm, gracious, and ever-so-slightly optimistic, even as Lenderman chronicles the unrepentant foibles and failures of his songs' characters. The music is twangy, fuzzed out, and gritty: it's the sound of epic yet angsty nights out where the lines blur between melancholic hedonism and letting the good times roll. Going nowhere fast has never sounded so good. More

The maternal experience is the key thematic element to The Wandering Hearts' stunning new album, titled, (yes) Mother . The folk-meets-Americana melodies perfectly convey the earth-shaking change and confusion of life as a new mother. Growth isn't always easy but it is rewarding, opening up life and one's conception of self into multifaceted new directions: Mother does a wonderful job of capturing these complex moments, with all their challenges and luminosity. With their latest, the UK trio has crafted an album that's poignant, joyful, and deeply moving. There's much to connect with here, whether motherhood is an experience you relate to or not. More

Yes, you heard right. There's a new album from beloved indie pop minimalists The Softies. The Bed I Made is lilting and tender, a softly beautiful and introspective exploration of grief and rebirth. The songs are quietly powerful, a testament to love, hope, and growth through challenges. The Bed I Made is an album to treasure, one you'll want to listen to closely, again and again. This album will remind you that nobody does it quite like The Softies. More

Sweet harmonies and even sweeter strings take center stage on The Po' Ramblin' Boys' Wanderers Like Me . Hailing from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, the album is packed to the gills with good old-fashioned bluegrass that feels dynamic, urgent, and alive. These timeless tracks will keep your foot tappin' as the band segues from rollicking, road-worn tunes to wistful, melancholic numbers. The songs on Wanderers Like Me have deep, satisfying roots in the country and bluegrass genres while simultaneously feeling fresh, immediate, and entertaining. More

Death Lens delivers scorching modern punk on Cold World . The songs tackle the topics of social injustice and global turmoil, and how we react to the seemingly nonstop flow of bad behavior and bad news. Listening to Cold World is an exhilarating experience that speeds by and will leave you aching for more. Grounded and gritty, the album moves from fierce and uncompromising to alienated and abrasive. This is the real deal. More

Themes of life, love, faith are explored on Weird Faith , the latest album from Madi Diaz. Coming off of a stint as a touring guitarist with Harry Styles, Diaz's unique style of introspective indie folk with a pop sheen uses minimal bells and whistles, her voice being the star of the show. The album also features "Don't Do Me Good," a duet with country star Kacey Musgraves. More

Sarah Jarosz seventh studio album, Polaroid Lovers , delivers her viscerally potent and resplendent brand of folk-rock, while exploring the ephemeral moments that indelibly shape our lives. The alchemy of Jarosz's finely wrought lyricism, gorgeous vocal work, and virtuosic yet unfettered musicality creates an album-long meditation on love and longing. More

No exaggeration: Sierra Ferrell's Trail of Flowers is a masterpiece. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter writes captivating, fresh songs inspired by classic country, bluegrass, and folk. These are ramblin', rootsy tracks that chronicle the excitement and disappointment of life on the road, gently make fun of Ferrell's ability to drive a suitor mad, and take a tongue-in-cheek look at romantic despair at a dive bar. All of which is to say that — woo boy — Ferrell has a voice, both in terms of her dulcet tones and her ability to weave a tale. An eclectic, electrifying indie country album that's likely to top many end-of-the-year "best of" lists. More

Taking its name from the infamous Georgia recording studio, Capricorn is a big step in the evolution of Atlanta bluesman Eddie 9V. Whether it’s the N’awlins funk of lead single “Yella Alligator” or the simmering ‘70s soul of “Are We Through” or “How Long,” Eddie 9V spreads his wings and flies across the genres and decades on Capricorn . More