Reporting to you live from the Old Caustic Factory, the team is bringing in the night shift to help out with this bustling morning of fresh releases. After giving our team the day off to celebrate Record Store Day (we all hope you checked off everything on your RSD wishlist), we’re back in full force for yet another exhilarating edition of New Music Friday. This week, we have stirring jazz that takes you to wondrous places, both intimate and hearty folk, and a dash of otherworldly rock to sink your teeth into. As our employees shake the cobwebs out of their heads and fire up the machinery, we settle in to bring you a fresh Caustic.
Check out Glide’s picks for this week’s best new releases, and check out April’s Caustic Spotify playlist, as we update it one last time before heading into May.
Mikaela Davis – “Wild Flower”
Graceland Way
Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Mikaela Davis returns with Graceland Way, the artist’s first LP in three years. These ten songs showcase a more robust side of Davis’s musicianship and a more poetically raw side of her songwriting, culminating in a revealing and rewarding listen that keeps pace with the ebbs and flows of life’s complexity. “Wild Flower” is an ethereal highlight with psychedelic undertones that dance with the twangy tonality, allowing Davis’s imagery to sparkle.
The Milk Carton Kids – “Lost Cause Lover Fool”
Lost Cause Lover Fool
Beloved, simplistic folk duo The Milk Carton Kids adds a touch of atmospheric ambiance to their singular collaborative spirit on their raw, fresh LP, Lost Cause Lover Fool. The heartbreaking 9-song LP is a love letter to the present moment, a touching listen that explores emotions most attempt to numb, while the duo finds solace in them. The title track combines this new sonic terrain with classic Carton Kids, as their harmonies twirl around downtrodden acoustics.
White Denim – “Time Time” (Feat. Dawes)
13
The ever-evolving White Denim has been in an era that seems to refuse complacency, keeping listeners on their feet with every new release. On their sonically expansive new LP, 13, the Austin-bred outfit uses their veteran status to employ a collection of A-list collaborators to execute the lofty visions that fill this 13-song tracklist, which ranges from longing-fueled pop to space-aged rock balladry. “Time Time,” featuring the great Dawes, is a bright, punchy tune that blends lo-fi warmth with lively melodies, creating a playful, uplifting atmosphere.
White Fence – “I Wanted a Rolex”
Orange
Since 2019, the Tim Presley-led White Fence has been silent, but all that waiting pays off with the release of the Ty Segall-assisted Orange. The triumphant return of White Fence is marked by 11 spellbinding performances that find Presley evoking a nostalgic spirit through sleek guitars and fuzzy textures, while penning some deeply personal truths that color in the corners of this stellar LP. “I Wanted a Rolex” features mind-melting guitar riffs that pair beautifully with Presley’s distant harmonies, creating a highlight that can only be felt wholeheartedly.
Failure – “Solid State”
Location Lost
One of the more influential bands of their time. Failure has experienced a whirlwind career. With a shifting sonic terrain that finds solace in experimentation, their musical adventures have led them back to their roots on Location Lost, the band’s first album in five years. The epic cinematic outing is the stadium-sized listen fans have been waiting for, 9 intense, beautifully executed examples of pure hard rock. “Solid State” is an example of the glitzy grunge that dots this tracklist, with polished yet aggressive tones that elevate the soaring vocals to new heights.
Evolfo – “Anywhere But Here”
Of Love
In an explosion of refreshing experimentation and heady psychedelia, Evolfo emerged with their first album in five years. The young psych-rock outfit stumble upon something they can call their own on Of Love, their first album since 2021. Blending their devotion to spacious textures with subtle touches of jazzy funk, the band’s return is highlighted by a new lease on creativity and a renewed trust in their lofty visions. “Anywhere But Here” is an eerily awkward yet inviting highlight, with lush vocals navigating the maze of punchy drums and groovy riffs. Of Love has not made its way to Spotify just yet, but it is available on Apple Music and Evolfo’s Bandcamp.
CAVS – “Boitatá”
Sojourn
Welcome to the wonderfully imaginative world of Sojourn, the stunning sophomore effort from King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard drummer Michael “CAVS” Cavanagh. After his strictly drums debut, CAVS’s second solo album is a delightful, full-band outing driven by whimsy and grace, with the artist’s sprawling percussion prowess leading wind instruments and groovy basslines through a fantasy land of CAVS creation. “Boitatá” is a whirlwind of a listen, with quaint flutes leading the charge for pounding drum patterns, creating an atmosphere that welcomes enlightened listlessness. This album has not yet appeared on Spotify, but it can be found on CAVS’s Bandcamp.
Blood Sucking Maniacs – “Arroyo Nights”
Blood Sucking Maniacs
Legendary veterans Terry Allen and Jo Harvey Allen combine forces with their own bloodline on their new, multi-generational family band Blood Sucking Maniacs, and their self-titled debut is just as sprawling as you could hope for. Switching between sample-driven experimentation and the warmth of country balladry, this 22-song mixtape-style debut highlights the many talents within the Allen family while proving they all stem from shared experiences. “Arroyo Nights” is a touching stand-out with a droning twang that emphasizes the rawness of this vocal performance.
Friko – “Hot Air Balloon”
Something Worth Waiting For
Since their 2024 debut LP, Chicago’s indie rock darlings, Friko, have been gradually climbing the ladder towards undeniability, racking up acclaim and diehard fans. Now, they look to capitalize on the attention while pushing the boundaries of their already sweeping prowess with Something Worth Waiting For, and these nine songs are exactly that. The band dips from imagery-driven anthems to cathartic lows, all under the banner of a band navigating newfound success. “Hot Air Balloon” is unmistakably Friko, an example of the band’s individuality filtered through vague yet potent imagery and swelling instrumentation.
Angélique Kidjo – “Oyaya” (Feat. Nile Rodgers & IZA)
HOPE!!
A cherished asset in music for several decades now, opening listeners’ minds to new ways of self-expression, Angélique Kidjo emerges with a fresh solo album, HOPE!!. The guest-heavy set of tunes highlights the seamless fusion that has colored Kidjo’s career, delivering digestible, infectious melodies over complex arrangements. “Oyaya,” featuring the legendary Nile Rodgers and the young IZA, is a party that you can go to at any time, with Kidjo’s spirited vocals cascading around brilliant rhythms.
Blu & Exile – “I Don’t Rhyme”
Time Heals Everything
The incomparable, iconic emcee-producer duo of Blu and Exile return with their first LP in six years, Time Heals Everything. Their chemistry sounds just as fresh as when they debuted it all those years ago, as Blu exchanges verses with a star-studded cast over Exile’s dusty, soulful drum loops. “I Don’t Rhyme” is a song for Hip-hop heads, with vinyl scratches interrupting Blu’s stream-of-thought verses that detail head-spinning rhyme schemes and flows.
The Tubs – “Fade to Black”
Single
Fresh off releasing one of the more memorable albums of 2025 with Cotton Crown, jangle rock icons The Tubs have signed with legendary Merge Records. To celebrate the new partnership, the band adds its signature looseness to Metallica’s “Fade to Black,” an impressive rendition of a classic tune that pairs the band’s innate prowess with the honored tradition of a cover.
Modest Mouse – “Picking Dragon’s Pockets”
An Eraser and A Maze
Isaac Brock’s Modest Mouse has descended from their indie rock throne, carrying a fresh LP on a platter made of gold-plated brass. An Eraser and A Maze, the band’s first LP in five years, is set to be released on June 5, and along with the previously released “Look How Far…,” the band has released the album’s second single. “Picking Dragon’s Pockets” is the album opener that flies through the doors with a cacophony of drums and electronic bursts, only to transition into the arty rock Modest Mouse has become known for.
Basement – “Head Alight”
WIRED
UK rock mainstays Basement are gearing up for the release of WIRED, their first new album in nearly a decade. With a release date set for May 8, the band prepares fans for their return with the latest preview of the anticipated project, “Head Alight.” The space-aged single features a crooning vocal performance that blankets the atmospheric arrangement with palpable sincerity.
Fruit Bats – “Think Aboutcha”
The Landfill
Revered indie folk artist Fruit Bats, driven by Eric D. Johnson, are set to follow up on their 2025 LP with The Landfill on June 12. While the warm days of June feel a world away, Johnson checks in with the second single from his upcoming release. “Think Aboutcha” is a lively tune dedicated to longing for something you know will never return, and the fantasies that can be conjured up when a fulfilling love can no longer do its job.
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