Amoeba Music

For Stella Chronopoulou's fifth studio album, the Greek singer/songwriter decided to sing in her native language for the first time on two tracks. That extra touch of authenticity elevates this distinctive artist's sophisticated pop, as evidenced on the infectiously groovy "Omorfo Mou." The title track is lush and laidback with tropical percussion, and "Baby Brazil feat. Las Palabras" (Rafael Cohen of !!!) leans into a Sade vibe, especially on the smooth vocals. More

Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith and Winery Dogs’ Richie Kotzen team up again as Smith/Kotzen for their atmospheric, ambitious, and diverse second album, Black Light / White Noise . Expect stratospheric guitar solos and bluesy vocals with soulful touches, intricate playing, beautiful songwriting, and plenty of original style. More

The second installment in the Bare Bones collection captures the magic of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman's spontaneous musical reunion. This volume features unreleased recordings, including original versions of songs that became staples of their repertoire, and the very first spontaneous duo recording captured in Grisman's home studio. More

The third and final album in the Bare Bones collection offers an intimate look into the musical exploration of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, featuring alternate takes of their duo recordings. Free from deadlines and full of inspiration, they revisit songs across multiple sessions, discovering new possibilities with each take. More

Penelope Trappes' fifth studio album is a tour de force of haunting, ambient, Gothic soundscapes. Her meditative vocals and dark drones of cello wrap themselves around the minimalist, clattering percussion on "Platinum." "Sleep" is ominous and evocative, incorporating subtle elements of distortion and static into its pulses of vocals and strings. "Red Dove" features darkly uplifting synths and hushed vocals, as if cautiously hopeful but with a warning. It's a heavily atmospheric set, unsettling and fascinating from beginning to end. More

Veteran rockers L.A. Guns prove they can still deliver the goods on Leopard Skin. '70s rock hooks and grooves abound here, making tracks like "Lucky Motherfucker" and "Taste It" a fun, swaggering good time. Sunset Strip vibes meet blues-influenced guitar solos and Led Zeppelin influences on this set, with "Hit and Run" standing out for its more mellow, melodic vibe. More

California indie band Momma return with a fourth studio album of their nostalgic '90s alternative/grunge-pop sound. Combining strains of Veruca Salt and The Breeders with a mid 2000s hushed indie rock vibe, the band has created a sound that is endlessly familiar and satisfying. "Ohio All The Time" and "I Want You (Fever)" are instant earworms, with irresistible hooks and dreamy production. "Rodeo" is another highlight, offering fuzzed-out guitars and a strong hook à la early Weezer, augmented by soft vocals. More

The Grammy-nominated New Orleans artist writes about his hometown on new album The Parish Record, addressing religion, politics, and more. "Shotgun Religion" is catchy Americana with a bluesy edge, augmented by that slight grit to his soulful vocals. "Felt My Heart Breaking" moves from Dan Auerbach-style blues/rock verses to a more melodic, emotional chorus with gentle strings. "Waco Kool-Aid" leans more into country/rock and offers some shrewd, timely lyrics like, "We're failing science but we're acing religion." More

Hardcore band Scowl, hailing from Santa Cruz, CA, have expanded their sound on their second album to incorporate a broader range of punk and hard rock. The first two tracks "Special" and "B.A.B.E." immediately hit the sweet spot, combining hardcore screams with a jaded Shirley Manson-style vocal from frontwoman Kat Moss, a dynamic that works well. '90s alternative rock meets the energy of punk and the crunch of hardcore throughout this excellent album, including on the riveting, high-energy "Not Hell, Not Heaven" and "Tonight (I'm Afraid)," which speeds up in the last half to a headbanging tempo. More

Finnish band Rosettes make their album debut with Lifestyles , delivering a strong set of psych-soul and jazz/funk music. These are hypnotic, groovy, intricately arranged songs inspired by artists like Cymande and Sade. Tytti Roto's laidback vocals excel on the funky, stirring "Green Ray," which sounds like the soundtrack to striding through NYC in the '70s. "Spirals" and the title track are sophisticated soulful gems, while "Souvenir" is stately and lounge-y. More

My Morning Jacket's latest is voyaging music — tunes for dusty highways, open roads, losing and finding yourself. Titled is , the album finds the band moving towards the '70s rock meets AM Gold sound that has always served as an underpinning to their country-informed jams. The tracks are soulful and lively, the mood upbeat and driving. This is an album that sees all the disappointments and drama of life and finds a way to make you just feel good in spite of it all. A listening experience to luxuriate in. More

Charley Crockett is back with a new album that further cements his status as one of our finest contemporary country artists. His latest, Lonesome Drifter , effortlessly combines lonesome country atmospherics with addictive songwriting and classic twang. Heck, listening to this album may (and should!) convince you he's also one of our finest country artists, period. Crockett's sound is timeless, urgent, and gripping, calling to mind legends like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. Co-produced with Shooter Jennings, Lonesome Drifter is captivating and ultra cool. More

The legendary Bob Mould sounds more vital and electrifying than ever on Here We Go Crazy . The erstwhile Hüsker Dü frontman serves up more blistering, thrashing punk rock in the vein of that essential band on "Neanderthal." On the title track, the sound is gritty and melodic, homey and heartfelt in spite of all the contemporary chaos. Here We Go Crazy finds Mould continuing to deliver urgent, intelligent songs with his inimitable blend of incisiveness and warmth. Crank this one up loud. More

Is there anything the mighty Beyonce can't do? Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of Beyonce's new country album, Cowboy Carter . But this epic 27-track album is so much more than its glorious twang. The songs showcase Beyonce at her most creative, with elements of psych, soul, folk, trap, gospel, blues, hip-hop, pop, and rock effortlessly combining to create their own country melange. With appearances from country legends Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Linda Martell, Top 40 stars Miley Cyrus and Post Malone, sometimes under-the-radar Black country artists like Willie Jones, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, and Shaboozey, plus musical contributions/samples from Stevie Wonder, Jon Batiste, Paul McCartney, Nile Rodgers, Gary Clark Jr., and Rhiannon Giddens. More

You've probably never heard a leftfield, lo-fi bedroom pop extravaganza quite like X-Cetra's Summer 2000 before. Elementary school pals Jessica, Ayden, Janet, and Mary recorded this ultra DIY album twenty-five years ago, fusing trip-hop, dance pop, downbeat, and '90s R&B into a haunting, off-kilter, gently experimental record with some serious sleeper sleepover hits. The songs are dreamy and hypnotic, trippy and infused with a latent suburban ennui. Out on Numero, X-Cetra has a bit of a cult following and with this 25th anniversary edition, you'll understand why. More

Mogwai sound as brilliant, innovative, and delightful as ever on their latest. The Bad Fire is working-class Glaswegian slang for "hell," a name the band chose to reflect the challenging times the band members were each experiencing when they got together to start work on the album. This is no "depths of despair" album, though. Instead, it sounds like someone crawling their way out of the pit, with panache, grace, and sense of humor intact. Album opener "God Gets You Back" is a hushed, urgent, desperately beautiful ambient track. "Fanzine Made of Flesh" is a driving, '80s synth number with woozy Vocoder vocals. An intensely adventurous album that manages to find joy and hope amidst it all. More

Originally released in 2004, MF DOOM's MM..FOOD? is hailed as a classic hip-hop album full of inventive production, remarkable wordplay, and unique themes. Celebrated for its seamless blend of humor, wit, and social commentary, the album ushers listeners into a bizarre world of food-related metaphors, painting a bitterly comedic portrait of a life tainted by vice, violence, and jealousy. It was a brilliant and novel concept that gave DOOM plenty of room to explore the album’s subjects. Throughout MM..FOOD?, DOOM embeds complex ideas within seemingly simple narratives. Overall, MM..FOOD? is both a social commentary and a piece of social satire, showcasing MF DOOM’s ability to blend serious themes with his unique, playful lyrical style.   More

Kishi Bashi are back with the ebullient, ecstatic Kantos . These high-energy songs are an eclectic blend of jazz, funk, and city pop that'll boost any mood. The compositions are kaleidoscopic and joyful, a party soundtrack for the end of the world. Drawing inspiration from the sci-fi cult classic Hyperion Cantos , philosopher Immanuel Kant, and a visit to the ancient ruins of Crete, Kantos has a lot of emotional depth beneath its dazzling, danceable melodies. More

It has been almost seven years since the last release from Mumford & Sons. Now the British folk rockers are back with Rushmere , an album that'll make your heart beat a little faster. The album takes its name from a pond situated in the London neighborhood where the band first formed. That sense of anticipation and excitement for the future informs the album...as does an older, wiser look back on those days. Restlessness and resilience, relief and belief inform this heartfelt, rollicking, earnest album. More

A Place To Bury Strangers deliver another gloomy, relentless masterpiece on their latest, Synthesizer . Conceived in response to the rise of emotionally void AI, Synthesizer is both icy and ferocious, gritty and brutal. The forcefulness and devastation of the songs, while bolstered by the band's intense guitar work and moody electronics, feels painfully human. The tracks simmer with anticipation and surrender, despair and incorruptible hope. On this record, it feels like the band lets a bit more light peak through the shadows...which makes the listening experience all the more powerful and worth pondering. More