You probably see that we write something like this every week, but we always mean it when we say we cooked up a good one here at the old Caustic laboratory. We sprinkled a little bit of pop experimentalism, blended it with farewell albums from unforgettable indie acts, and threw in a bit of genre-pushing Hip-hop to make it all morph into one fine-looking New Music Friday list. This week, every corner of modern music tossed up some of their best representatives to show us the future of where their genre is heading. Convention is not the name of the game on this brisk October Friday, and it’s all we could’ve asked for before heading into the weekend.
Check out Glide’s picks for this week’s best new music below.
Japandroids – “Fugitive Summer”
Fate & Alcohol
The bittersweet day has finally arrived: Japandroids’ fourth and final album is released today. Fate & Alcohol is ten ripping, punk-leaning tunes that show the band can still create youthful music with big choruses, searing guitar tones, and vivid storytelling. “Fugitive Summer” is the infectious stand-out that features the now-disbanded Jaapandroids navigating bright pop-punk tempos with soaring harmonies for a familiar yet refreshing performance from Japandroids’ swan song.
Phantogram – “I Wanna Know”
Memory of a Day
The electro-pop outfit Phantogram returns with their first full-length in four years, and their bouncy synths and eerie vocals find themselves clashing in a firework display of nuanced performances. Memory of a Day is a hypnotic take on modern pop as Phantogram delivers twelve tracks of psychedelic ballads with lush textures. “I Wanna Know” leans to the darker side of Memory of a Day as the big crescendoes come from the complex vocal layering while wonky synths perform an interpretive dance behind the staggering harmonies.
Karate – “People Ain’t Folk”
Make It Fit
It has been over two decades since we heard from the iconic post-punk band Karate, and today, they break their recording silence. Make It Fit picks up right where the band left off as they craft minimalistic indie rock with a punk attitude that proves the band can still manipulate their sound. “People Ain’t Folk” is a warm yet urgent tune with raw vocals that give the whole song a nice lo-fi feel.
Andrew Bird & Madison Cunningham – “Races Are Won”
Cunningham Bird
The new duet album from icon Andrew Bird and young virtuoso Madison Cunningham is a jaw-dropping display of two generations colliding to create modern-leaning music that harkens back to each artist’s roots. The slightly self-titled effort is brimming with mesmerizing acoustic ballads with a cinematic flair as the duo’s world collides in a flurry of sentimental songwriting and nimble guitar plucking. “Races Are Won” sees Cunningham and Bird skating over subtle psychedelia as the duo slides some left-field melodies into their masterclass of folksy songwriting.
Joy Oladokun – “GOOD ENOUGH”
OBSERVATIONS FROM A CROWDED ROOM
After proving to be one of the more forward-thinking artists in the modern folk scene with their 2023 LP, singer/songwriter Joy Oladokun wastes no time proving limitless potential. OBSERVATIONS FROM A CROWDED ROOM is 15 poetic and dramatic folk-rock songs that fully display Oladokun’s refreshing perspective, showcasing the many angles light can take when a crystal is placed in front of it. “GOOD ENOUGH” has the artist sympathizing with the struggles of someone feeling less than over twinkling acoustics that glisten under the emotional vocal performance.
Jerry Cantrell – “Off The Rails”
I Want Blood
The spirit of the 90’s grunge scene lives on as Alice In Chain’s Jerry Cantrell returns with his first solo material in three years. I Want Blood shows us that Cantrell can still reach those low registers while creating dark, heady rock arrangements that play like storm clouds rolling in over the horizon. “Off The Rails” has Cantrell returning to form as dense distortion drives the arrangement, providing a safe place for the warping vocals to roam from deep gurgles to passionate screeches.
American Football & Blondshell – “The Summer Ends”
American Football (Covers)
The 25th-anniversary party for American Football’s legendary 1999 LP receives a covers album featuring some of the indie world’s brightest stars. American Football (Covers) features the likes of Ethel Cain, Iron & Wine, and Yvette Young, who cover some of the album’s most recognizable cuts and add their flair while they’re at it. Blondshell’s version of “The Summer Ends” gives the song a little edge as the band adds scorching guitar solos juxtaposed with the gentle vocals.
Kelly Finnigan – “Chosen Few”
A Lover Was Born
Monophonics’s Kelly Finnigan returns to the solo realm with a funk-lined outing bursting with colorful horns and raspy balladry. A Lover Was Born is a joyous journey through the middle ground between classic American soul and the modern scene as Finnigan brings explosive tropes to modern times. “Chosen Few” is a carnival of funky stops, jagged melodies, and powerful vocals as Finnigan’s passionate performance cuts through the stadium-sized southern soul of the instrumentation.
WARA – “S.Martyr”
Squeeze First – EP
After proving his range with 2022’s melodic Influenza, Atlanta’s WARA releases eight head-spinning displays of his Hip-hop prowess on Squeeze First. The new EP has the artist delivering complex wordplay and moving storytelling over a colorful array of instrumentals filtered through WARA’s pure artistic vision. “S.Martyr” features an unforgettable booming hook that bridges his venomous verses together as off-kilter drums sway under the artist’s cyclops-size presence.
Hemlock Ernst & Icky Reels – “Hold the Wires on Ellis” (Feat. Egyptian Lover)
Studying Absence
The day has finally arrived for Samuel T. Herring to return to his Hip-hop alter ego as he puts on Hemlock Ernst mask and teams up with experimental electronic producer Icky Reels for Studying Abscene. The artsy eight-song LP allows Herring to showcase his nuanced flows and songwriting over minimalistic yet neon-tinged electro-rap instrumentals. “Hold the Wires on Ellis” allows each artist to shine as Reels’s uniquely complex synth work drives the instrumental while Herring gets the anger off his chest with a throat-scratching performance.
Jean Dawson – “Bubba”
Glimmer of God
No one does pop music quite like Jean Dawson, and the multi-hyphenate artist’s new album stretches the gap between Dawson and his peers ever wider. Glimmer of God is here to shake up your “Best Albums of the Year” list as Dawson crafts a heaven-sent album that shows a softer side to the artist’s ceilingless approach. “Bubba” is some of the best music Dawson has ever written. A potent poem welcomes you to the glistening stand-out that transitions from acoustic ballad to synth-pop excellence.
Danny Brown – “Keep It to Me”
Quaranta (Deluxe)
After finishing his character arc with the haunting Quaranta LP, Detroit’s Danny Brown gives the album the deluxe treatment. The new version adds six tracks to the already incredible album, including a select few instrumentals from the project, along with two bonus tracks with “Cheaters” and “Keep It to Me.” The latter explores similar themes to the original album as Brown struggles with his addiction, holding nothing back over slurring drums and droning keys.
Ducks Ltd. – “Grim Symmetry”
Single
After proving themselves as a mainstay in modern indie rock with a stellar 2024 LP, Ducks Ltd. drops off a loose single before their tour. “Grim Symmetry” is a bouncy surf-rock-inspired outing with distant vocals surgically cutting their way through neck-breaking tempos and thudding drums. The band will hit the road with Ratboys starting in early November.
Cymande – “Chasing An Empty Dream”
Renascence
For the first time since 1974, there is new Cymande music to be discussed. The iconic funk fusion band makes a surprising and triumphant return with a new single and news of a full LP right around the corner. Renascence is set to be released on January 31, 2025, and “Chasing An Empty Dream” is the song that breaks the decades-long silence. The new single picks up right where Cymande left off as they craft a lush world with punchy horns that playfully interact with the silky vocals.
Panda Bear & Cindy Lee – “Defense”
Sinister Grift
Pop powerhouse Panda Bear is back with his first solo album since 2019, and the new single is everything you could ask for. Sinister Grift is set to be released on February 28, 2025, and follows up Bear’s Sonic Boom-produced 2022 LP. “Defense” is our first look into the album, with Bear adding a bit of longing in his voice to emphasize the expansive guitar work.
