The headliners are Bright Eyes, Sunny Day Real Estate, and the aforementioned Cap’n Jazz, and the lineup also includes American Football, Algernon Cadwallader, Mannequin Pussy, Pool Kids, Sweet Pill, Fiddlehead, the Get Up Kids, Braid, Hot Rod Circuit, Rainer Maria, Piebald, Unwound, Karate, Everyone Asked About You, the Anniversary, Momma, Foxing, La Dispute, Drug Church, From Indian Lakes, Vs Self, Home Is Where, and more.

Read more: 10 great emo albums from 2023 you may have missed

Tickets go on sale Thursday (Feb. 29) at 10 AM PST (1 PM ET). Check out the full lineup on the poster below.

This festival announcement follows the release of Sunny Day Real Estate’s first new song in 10 years, which will be included on the band’s upcoming release Diary – Live at London Bridge Studio, due May 3. Watch the video for the new song below.

The Best Albums of 2022

Dirty Hit

The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language

On their 2019 album, the 1975 sang about how "sincerity is scary." On this year's release, frontman/lyricist Matty Healy poured out of his heart every feeling he has about allowing oneself to be sincere, giving yourself over to love, and what masculinity means in this day and age. In the most 1975 way possible, that comes across in playful, snarky witticisms and shameless admissions ("Part of the Band," "The 1975," "When We Are Together"), and damn perfect pop songs ("Happiness," "Oh Caroline," "I'm In Love With You") that capture the effervescent feeling of love in sheeny guitars and synths. With each verse that makes you stop in your tracks to either laugh or tear up, you'll feel a little more sincere, too. —Sadie Bell

Domino Records

Alex G – God Save the Animals

Alex G’s ninth studio album, God Save the Animals, is further proof that he's the Brian Wilson of the millennial generation. The 13-track release finds him once again covering considerable sonic ground, from introspective folk, hyperpop, emo, and ‘90s alt rock that almost feels cinematic in scope. Whether he's modulating and pitch-shifting his voice or stripping his arrangements down to their bare bones, Alex G’s music is as beautiful as it is unsettling. Even when he ventures into strictly instrumental territory with tracks like “S.D.O.S,” he still conveys so much emotion and meaning. God Save the Animals is Alex G at peak form — defying any creative limitations in pursuit of constant exploration. —Alessandro DeCaro 

Dine Alone Records

Alexisonfire – Otherness

It’s rare for a band to come back in style after 13 years and release their best work to date, but Canadian rock veterans Alexisonfire did just that. Otherness is proof that sometimes you need to go back to basics to discover who you really are. The LP contains elements of the band’s classic post-hardcore sound, but with a more raw, organic approach that toes the line between classic rock and atmospheric psych-rock — along with three distinct vocalists — to create a sound that could be their own genre at this point. Upon first listen, it's clear that Alexisonfire are firing on all cylinders, sounding more in sync as collaborators and more confident than ever before. —AD 

Polyvinyl / Transgressive

Alvvays – Blue Rev

Canada's Alvvays tend to take quite a few years between records — and that might just be because every time, they cook up nothing less than indie-pop perfection. Named after the Canadian alcoholic beverage Rev, Blue Rev is bubbly and intoxicating, with its shoegaze and power-pop guitars, and varied — at times dreamy and others warped — production. One sip of singer Molly Rankin's poetic musings about heartbreak and growing older and you'll be buzzed on the sheer dreaminess that is Blue Rev. —SB

Epitaph

Architects – the classic symptoms of a broken spirit

Architects have consistently been the precursor for what British heavy metal sounds like; they write a riff, and five years later, it’s the only thing you hear on the radio or live. Their 10th studio album is no different, offering the similar themes of nihilism and existentialism you know of the band, but with an optimistic, lively approach. Experimenting with makeup and fashion in music videos, seamlessly blending technical metal verses with pop choruses, Architects still find their artistic challenges to overcome with this release — and in doing so, help to elevate British heavy metal to a mainstream level. —Yasmine Summan

Domino Records

Arctic Monkeys – The Car

Just when you thought Arctic Monkeys couldn't get more stylish, the English indie titans do the damn thing. On their 2018 record, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, frontman Alex Turner positioned himself and the band as a lounge-pop act rather than one of the biggest rock groups in the world. Here, they keep up the act, but in a way that somehow exudes even more glamor. It sounds pristine, and the sexy, funky moments beg to be heard beneath "a mirrorball." As Turner sings in falsetto about fame, love, and heartbreak over cinematic tracks, they paint a world of panache you can't help but get lost in — much like a vintage romance (perhaps specifically one that plays out in a '70s club that's drenched in velvet). —SB

DTA / Elektra Records

Avril Lavigne – Love Sux

The pop-punk revival has dominated the early 2020s, with comebacks from industry mainstays, paired with exciting new artists bursting through the seams. It could arguably feel impossible for acts to break through all the nostalgic noise — but for the reigning pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne, it’s no sweat. Love Sux is like the cooler older sister to 2007's The Best Damn Thing, touching on similar topics from a matured perspective, with a strong experience in the field, and more to deliver. And yet, it still manages to connect with the younger crowds, offering collaborations with Machine Gun Kelly and YUNGBLUD. Grammy snub or not, Love Sux should be praised in pop-punk history. —YS

RIMAS

Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Tí

Puerto Rico’s gift to the world has bottled summer and its intricacies in a cross-genre affair that spans dream pop, grimy dembow, merengue, house, and trap. This masterclass in Latin alternative features assists from fellow Boricuas the Marías and Buscabulla, and Colombia’s Bomba Estéreo. Bad Bunny’s latest proves the future of popular music (in any language) lies in the alternative approach. —E.R. Pulgar

Sumerian Records

Bad Omens – THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND

For their third studio album, THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND, Bad Omens made a conscious effort to prove that they are so much more than a metalcore band, and it certainly shows. From the opener “CONCRETE JUNGLE,” which blends moody synths pads, dance beats, and R&B-esque vocals in the vein of Post Malone or the Weeknd to the radio-ready rock anthem “Nowhere To Go,” Bad Omens make every track feel like its own entity while still retaining cohesion. Those who love their heavier material will be satiated just fine with “Artificial Suicide” and “IDWT$,” where the band flex their aggression in compelling new ways. Ultimaely, THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND is a record that redefines experimentation in modern metalcore. —AD

4AD

Bartees Strange – Farm To Table

Ever since his debut, Bartees Strange has propped the door open to another galaxy. It’s one that seems to stretch infinitely, with possibility and experimentation reigning supreme. On his sophomore album, Farm To Table, he continues to subvert and challenge how people think about music, from the indie-trap of “Cosigns” to the exuberant dance-pop of “Wretched.” Strange has undergone a momentous year, the type that’s joyful to witness from an artist who continues to evolve and enrapture through sheer curiosity. —Neville Hardman

Parkwood Entertainment

Beyoncé – Renaissance

The disco reverbs, electronic funk breakdowns, and vogue beats are turned to 100 on Beyoncé’s latest knockout. Renaissance is a study of nightlife’s queer fringe, featuring samples from legends like Donna Summer and Robin S., production by Chicago house icon Honey Dijon, and appearances from Grace Jones and Big Freedia. Virgo’s groove indeed. —ERP 

Dirty Hit

beabadoobee – Beatopia

While beabadoobee's 2020 debut Fake It Flowers was rife with grunge and the teen angst of a coming-of-age soundtrack, Bea Kristi's sound became more expansive in this year's follow-up Beatopia. Less concerned with genre, the Filipina-British singer toys with fizzy guitar-pop and string-flanked ballads with less of a focus on wooing fans with catchy hooks. Instead, Beatopia finds Kristi more confident in experimentation and less worried about fitting into a nostalgic box. —Ilana Kaplan

Bertelsmann Music Group

Black Thought and Danger Mouse – Cheat Codes

Since his days swapping bars with Malik B. in the Roots, Black Thought has been a consistently great rapper. With Cheat Codes, the collaborative album between the visionary MC and producer Danger Mouse, his indelible command is being put in a new light. The album’s 12 tracks are a satisfying display of their combined powers that rattle in your chest, from the nocturnal pleasure of “Saltwater” to the radiant funk of “The Darkest Part.” —NH

Run For Cover Records

Camp Cope – Running with the Hurricane

There is still so much to be angry about, but on their third record, Camp Cope choose to replace the fury of their past with tender vulnerability. Folk-rock and fresh pop-country melodies accompany the feeling that the Australian trio have assembled newfound self-acceptance. Singer Georgia Maq treats emotions gently and never takes herself too seriously. She swallows her pride to double text a crush or forgives someone before they’ve even apologized. Running with the Hurricane reminds us that there is always room for reinvention. As Maq declares on the title track, “The only way out is up.” —Natalia Barr

Atlantic Records

Charli XCX – CRASH

Throughout the promo of CRASH, hyperpop princess Charli XCX joked that it was her "major label sell-out record" and that she was ready to sell her soul to the industry. It was all very cheeky, coming from the alt-pop experimenter — and it ended up feeding into the record in fascinating ways. CRASH as a whole sounds like a love letter from one of pop's brightest and most attentive students, infusing her future-minded production with '80s disco and Y2K bubblegum elements. But that's just Charli, baby: an innovator who's always been a main pop girl at heart, and thank goodness for that. —SB

Island Records

Demi Lovato – HOLY FVCK

After years of releasing R&B-tinged power ballads and pop records, Demi Lovato returned to her rock roots with HOLY FVCK. Her eighth studio album was flanked by hard-rock choruses and pop-punk anthems, brimming with religious imagery and sex. But the anchor of the record has been the song "29," a defiant rock ballad that grapples with consent. For Lovato and her fans, HOLY FVCK is a new beginning and a return to form. —IK

Loma Vista Recordings

Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future

Denzel Curry would rather stay silent than put out the same album twice. The animated MC thrives on unpredictability and pushing boundaries, and with his fifth studio album, he succeeds. On Melt My Eyez See Your Future, Curry’s love of jazz, anime, and poetry coalesce, resulting in an eccentric brew. Surprises are abundant, from a Thundercat collab that draws from To Pimp A Butterfly material (“The Smell of Death”) to a Mac Miller shoutout (“X-Wing”). Through it all, Curry’s ambition rivals that of Jiraiya going up against the Six Paths of Pain. —NH

Hopeless Records

DE’WAYNE – My Favorite Blue Jeans

DE’WAYNE’s sophomore album, My Favorite Blue Jeans, is a reflective, coming-of-age narrative that chronicles the charismatic singer-songwriter’s journey to stardom thus far after moving to the City of Angels to pursue his dreams. Sonically, the album is loaded with earworm choruses, infectious vocal melodies, and a host of high-profile features (Good Charlotte, grandson, POORSTACY) that makes the entire experience feel like one big party. DE’WAYNE wears his influences proudly, whether that’s with the classic Ramones-tinged ripper “GOOD MOOD” or the suave indie-rock stylings of “SIMPLE.” And though DE’WAYNE created an album that feels like an eclectic playlist, it still remains entirely cohesive. —AD

Pure Noise Records

Drug Church – Hygiene

On Drug Church’s fourth studio album, Hygiene, the hardcore quintet are further expanding their foray into more accessible and anthemic territory. It's not unlike their genre counterparts Turnstile — and with a record this strong, it wouldn't be surprising to see the band reach similar crossover success. Vocalist Patrick Kindlon, who's as charismatic as he is enigmatic, uses his voice to lean on melody, which suits his direct and brutally honest lyrical approach brilliantly. Tracks such as “Super Saturated” and “Million Miles of Fun” are timely anthems that tackle the anxieties of life in an overstimulated society, while songs like “Detective Lieutenant” and “Athlete On Bench" take time for personal introspection. —AD

Tan Cressida

Earl Sweatshirt – Sick!

While 2019’s Feet of Clay had listeners trodding through inscrutable metaphors and soupy jazz loopings in order to hear his testaments, Earl Sweatshirt’s Sick! is not only his most accessible music in years — it’s lyrically some of his sharpest. Sweatshirt sounds poised as he ruminates on COVID-19 and newfound fatherhood, providing an album full of intellectual musings so crystal clear, it reaffirms his place as one of rap’s most compelling lyricists. —Mackenzie Cummings-Grady

Daughters of Cain

Ethel Cain – Preacher’s Daughter

Preacher’s Daughter conjures images of endless Midwestern plains, Gunne Sax, sweet tea, scorned housewives, and empty Southern church pews, save for one woman looking for salvation. With the record, singer-songwriter Ethel Cain created a gorgeous, tragic world that both looks lovingly, but also with disdain, at Americana. At times, she goes pop ("American Teenager"), and others, she taps into her goth and rock influences ("Family Tree," "Gibson Girl"), and even hymns ("Sun Bleached Flies"), all to tell the story of the character Ethel Cain's journey on the road, only to die at the hands of a cannibalistic killer. Throughout it all, she's as vulnerable as she was on the second floor of that "house in Nebraska." It's an album that's sure to go down as a modern classic in American gothic. —SB

Young/Atlantic

FKA twigs – CAPRISONGS

Capricorns are arguably one of the most overlooked signs of the zodiac, as they're often unfairly judged for being too independent and hardworking. Cap suns like FKA twigs know just how special it can be to have the seagoat rule your chart — so much so that the R&B innovator dropped a mixtape inspired by it in the midst of Capricorn season. Where much of her work features sparse, heartbreaking stunners, CAPRISONGS is an arty pop record pulled together with dancehall rhythms and beats and full of thrilling features. Even as it's making you cry "tears in the club," this is a record for someone who both trusts that the planets will align perfectly for them and is very much in control of their own destiny. —SB

ANTI-

Girlpool – Forgiveness

Don't remind certain fans that Avery Tucker and Harmony Tividad are putting their indie project Girlpool to rest after nine years; for some, the news was gutting. Thankfully, the duo ended on a high note with the sonically bold and utterly heart-wrenching Forgiveness. A record for midnight brooding or when you lay awake pining, it explores brutal thoughts about devotion, infatuation, and giving into toxic behaviors time and time again over romantic and harsh synths. The dance between Tucker and Tividad's voices has never been so captivating, so it's sad to see their partnership come to an end. At least fans are left with gorgeous tracks like "Faultline" that help to bring out unbridled emotions like only a Girlpool song can. —SB

Columbia Records

Harry Styles – Harry’s House

The world of Harry Styles is teeming with glitter, retro jumpsuits, and glorious dancing. On Harry's House, it all comes together in a spellbinding amalgamation of sticky synth-pop, funk, R&B, and tender ballads. Whether he's singing about sex (“Keep Driving”) or a child who needs to leave their home behind ("Matilda"), Styles is open-hearted, and the result is perhaps his most confessional album yet. —IK

pgLang

Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Released 1,855 days after his last album DAMN., Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers argued there was an important reason for K. Dot’s absence: He was working on himself. With a stocky, 78-minute double album, Kung Fu Kenny turns the critical eye away from the political stratosphere and looks deep within, using the project’s expansive, jazz-infused backdrops to explore his most uncomfortable tendencies. —MCG

Fantasy Records

L.S. Dunes – Past Lives

It’s almost unbelievable that we get to witness musical history with a band like L.S. Dunes. The group — made up of prominent scene legends Anthony Green (Circa Survive, Saosin), Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), and Travis Stever (Coheed and Cambria), along with rhythm section Tucker Rule and Tim Payne (Thursday) — melded their collective strengths as songwriters and players to craft Past Lives, a product of friendship and camaraderie during the darkest times imaginable. From the vulnerable, hypnotic opening track “2022” to the frenetic “Permanent Rebellion” and the subtle doo-wop elements of the tender closer “Sleep Cult,” L.S. Dunes blast through 11 tracks of compelling rhythms, dueling guitars, and electrifying vocals, where every member performs as if their lives are depending on it. —AD

Epitaph

The Linda Lindas – Growing Up

About a year after going viral for a performance of their song "Racist, Sexist Boy," teenage punks the Linda Lindas returned in 2022 with their debut full-length. The fierceness and forward-thinking energy of that video that instantly made fans fall for them didn't subside on Growing Up — in fact, it's amplified. Singing of the challenges of growing up, as well as wanting to enjoy their youths and believe in a more perfect world, and several cat references, for good measure, it's a wholesome, punk-as-hell, pop-fused effort from the foursome. How lucky the teens and tweens of today are to grow up along with them! —SB

BMG

Louis Tomlinson – Faith In The Future

Louis Tomlinson's highly anticipated sophomore album, Faith In The Future, was a chance for the former One Directioner to get out of his comfort zone. While his debut Walls played it safer with tender rock numbers, Faith In The Future leaned into stadium-sized anthems, indie sleaze homages, and soaring choruses. If anything, Faith In The Future fully laid the groundwork for Tomlinson's evolution beyond his pop roots. —IK

300 Entertainment

Megan Thee Stallion – Traumazine

While Megan Thee Stallion has previously hidden behind her numerous alter egos (Hot Girl Meg, Tina Snow, etc.), her rise these past few years, from buzzing Houston talent to cultural icon, has been polluted with harassment, mourning and misogynistic scrutiny. On Traumazine, Stallion sheds these fabricated skins in favor of her own, as she offers a poised yet frustrated look at the heartache she’s endured, and at a racist and sexist culture that seems intent on dismissing her. —MCG

Dead Oceans

Mitski – Laurel Hell

Following the exhausting virality of Be the Cowboy, Mitski stepped back from music and touring in 2019. In the opening lines of her sixth album, she cautiously picks up where she left off: “Let’s step carefully into the dark. Once we’re in, I’ll remember my way around.” With her bearings in place, Mitski offers glimpses of her seclusion: the minimal synth work of “Everyone,” the jazz keyboard of “Heat Lightning,” and the irresistible ‘80s pop centerpieces “The Only Heartbreaker” and “Love Me More.” Internally, she’s exploring power dynamics: within relationships, the music industry, and the artist herself. —NB

Polyvinyl Record Co.

Momma – Household Name

Brooklyn-based indie-rock band Momma's latest is a cheeky play on the Gen Xer-sounding sentiment that these days, rock bands just don't get as big as they used — played out in massive-sounding guitars, songs like "Rockstar," and down to the title. They sure sound like fucking rock stars, though! Household Name is a blast and includes everything that makes a great rock record: driving songs ("Speeding 72," "Motorbike"), huge hooks over lustful lyrics ("Medicine," "Callin Me"), and an attitude that says they're going for it. Get this group in stadiums ASAP. —SB

Roadrunner Records

Motionless In White – Scoring the End of the World

With a title like Scoring the End of the World, Motionless In White certainly delivered in terms of writing dystopian-minded anthems that possess an exciting, new, cyberpunk-esque dimension. Tracks like the opener “Meltdown” and lead single “Cyberhex” find the band fusing djent metal with industrial electronics and theatrical effects that feel straight out of a blockbuster film or triple-A video game soundtrack. Additionally, there's a host of features — Knocked Loose’s Bryan Garris (“Slaughterhouse”), Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo (“Red, White & Boom"), and famed Doom composer Mick Gordon (“Scoring the End of the World”) — that make the record feel like a celebration, even when the world is seemingly falling apart. —AD

Saddest Factory/Dead Oceans

MUNA – MUNA

MUNA have become experts at making space for art that is unapologetically queer. Their self-titled release is no different, yet oscillates between psychedelic country ballads and blistering synth-pop anthems. And they're clearly having fun while doing it — take their viral Phoebe Bridgers-assisted hit "Silk Chiffon," for instance. MUNA's first record without RCA and under Bridgers' imprint Saddest Factory Records proves that the band aren't done evolving just yet. —IK

ATO Records

Nilüfer Yanya – PAINLESS

Nilüfer Yanya’s PAINLESS is an album for loners and introverts. Her whispery, cooly controlled delivery (one that she used to try sounding bigger but ditched when the words came out “forced and ugly”) guides listeners through a record rife with introspection and heartsick melancholy. Behind all of her rhythmic and subdued songs, however, is a woman acting on the wrong impulses — wrestling with obsession (“belong with you”), writhing in loneliness (“try”), pulling all-nighters (“stabilise”) — that results in a heady swirl. —NH

Marshall Records

Nova Twins – Supernova

English rock duo Nova Twins finally got the attention they deserve in 2022, collaborating with their idols Oli Sykes and Jason Aalon Butler and releasing their second studio album, Supernova. Coming from a duo that were still relatively unknown to the world only two years ago, it's easy to discuss what so incredibly stands out on the record: the production quality, the vicious punk guitars edging you with every lick, and singer/guitarist Amy Love’s vocals piercing through the veil. But the overarching win for this album is how it resonates with Gen Z. Through their inclusive messaging and stance against inequality within the rock scene, they’ve cultivated and empowered an audience of young people, and that’s something to be praised. —YS

Warner Records

Omar Apollo – Ivory

The prince of Latin alt-pop comes into his own with his genre-hopping debut record, Ivory. Veering between traditional Mexican corridos, fuzzy garage guitar, and funked-out synth pop, Omar Apollo has given himself space to experiment. His voice is the main sell here: his honey-tinged falsetto stretched to its logical extreme teeming with heartbreak and future romance. —ERP

Triple Crown Records

Oso Oso – sore thumb

sore thumb wasn't supposed to exist as it does. But when Jade Lilitri, the brainchild behind the beloved Long Island emo project Oso Oso, lost his cousin/guitarist/creative partner Tavish Maloney, who had been helping him record new tracks in 2021, he felt compelled to put them out — no changes necessary. It diverges from the band's power pop to be a bit more subtle and strange, but the hooks still arrive, and do so exuberantly. Ultimately, it rages with Lilitri's sweet, bro-y motto that Oso Oso's become known for: that nothing will ever be better for the soul than hanging out with your friends. Kick back, pour one (a gatorade, obviously!) out, and let the inside jokes (and maybe a few tears) roll. —SB

Hopeless Records

Pinkshift – Love Me Forever

With honest lyrics, fast punk beats, and shredding guitars, Love Me Forever is an impeccable debut for Baltimore punks Pinkshift. Vocalist Ashrita Kumar is a fiery and versatile presence, unafraid of calling out anyone who's done them wrong (“GET OUT”) while also remaining vulnerable enough to display their deepest insecurities (“i’m not crying you’re crying”). However, the most remarkable part of the record is the band’s unique arrangement skills that pair classic punk with glam-rock guitar solos, and ‘90s-inspired post-grunge and nü-metal-esque vocal stylings (“Trust Fall”). With such a range, their sound should feel accessible and relevant to a wide array of listeners. —AD 

Rise Records

Polyphia – Remember That You Will Die

On Remember That You Will Die, Polyphia offer exceptional musicianship in the form of virtuosic guitar lines, mathematical time signatures, and world-class arrangements that marry organic instrumentation and modern production. The record sounds luxurious, as if it was made to be played while driving in a foreign sports car. For the ambitious release, the band enlisted a series of powerful collaborators, including Sophia Black, who has a breakout performance on the energized track “ABC,” as well as some of their biggest influences, like famed guitarist Steve Vai (“Ego Death”) and Chino Moreno of Deftones (“Bloodbath”). With a healthy dose of indulgence and swagger, Polyphia have accomplished the seemingly impossible task of making guitar virtuoso music cool again. —AD

Columbia Records

Rosalía – Motomami

The Spanish experimentalist takes a sonic tour of the Caribbean while still proclaiming herself a flamenco cantaora. Whatever eyebrows this raises aesthetically, one cannot doubt she has done something groundbreaking. Rosalía’s voice soars, expands, and contracts into new sonic terrain, molding jazz breaks, underground electronic, bachata, dembow, and flamenco into startling new forms. —ERP

Because Music

Shygirl – Nymph

Nowadays, being in one's "slut era" can not only be hot but also extremely empowering, thanks to the term being reclaimed by many. That energy is all over British singer-rapper Shygirl's debut album, with songs like "Coochie (a bedtime story)," “Shlut," and more. With stylish production that ranges from hyperpop sounds, like on the Arca-produced "Come for Me," to more muted, dreamy tracks, and sexy, forward lyrics delivered in Shygirl's signature soft voice, it's an intimate fantasy of a record. —SB

UNFD

Silverstein – Misery Made Me

For their 11th studio album, Misery Made Me, Canadian post-hardcore mainstays Silverstein made their most musically diverse record yet. The record's 11 songs contain their heaviest material to date, as well as their most accessible and delicate. Whether it’s the experimental and abrasive two-part track “The Altar/Mary” or the straightforward hardcore on “Die Alone,” Misery Made Me celebrates their most grandiose musical ambitions. Other standout tracks include “Ultraviolet,” a song that's tailor-made for active rock radio, or the somber ballads “Cold Blood” and “Misery,” which prove Silverstein can still pull on our heartstrings after a two-decade-plus career. —AD

XL

The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention

Pessimists know that Radiohead are as good as over, but the Smile — featuring Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner (Sons of Kemet) — are a whole new beast. On their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention, Yorke and Greenwood seem to have found reprieve from their other bands' asphyxiating hype. Longtime producer Nigel Godrich sits at the controls, blanketing each song with a supernatural intensity. Best of all is Skinner, who can slither between skittering drums or a motorik beat to emphasize Yorke’s ghostly pleas and raucous sneers. —NH

Loma Vista Recordings

Soccer Mommy – Sometimes, Forever

Soccer Mommy’s Sophie Allison spent years hinting at darkness beneath bubbly grunge melodies. Sometimes, Forever unfurls the emotions that have grown out of proportion. “I don’t know how to feel things small, it’s a tidal wave or nothing at all,” she sings on the album closer "Still." Growing up can feel like a tsunami, but Allison treads through the absurdity. With production by Oneohtrix Point Never’s Daniel Lopatin, Soccer Mommy explores sounds of industrious grit and psychedelic shoegaze. She navigates her mind’s darkest corners to uncover demons, blood, and ghost stories. For the first time, she offers us a blood-curdling scream. Finally, relief. —NB

Domino Records

Sorry – Anywhere But Here

No matter how busy cities are, sometimes they can feel downright isolating — like after a difficult breakup, for instance. It's what North London indie-rock band Sorry explore on Anywhere But Here, from how haunting it can be that your ex might be in somebody else's bed on the other side of town to the tragedy of seeing other lonely people passing by. The band, led by longtime friends Asha Lorenz and Louis O’Bryen, have always been known for their moodiness, and their sophomore album is all mood in the best way possible, as it explores the whole gamut of emotions that comes with heartbreak and translates that with arresting guitars and production. —SB

Static Dress

Static Dress – Rouge Carpet Disaster

With their highly anticpated debut LP, Rouge Carpet Disaster, British experimental, post-hardcore newcomers Static Dress bottled up the distinct sonic world and aesthetic they'd been developing in the years prior into one concise, compelling body of work. Led by vocalist and creative director Olli Appleyard, Static Dress take listeners on a journey through a series of panic chords, stuttering electronics, ASMR elements and unforgettable vocal melodies that blend aggression and palpable despair seamlessly. Rouge Carpet Disaster is a release that sounds like nothing you've ever heard before while also inserting a shot of eerily placed nostalgia. —AD

RCA Records

Steve Lacy – Gemini Rights

Inspired by a bad breakup, Steve Lacy’s second record is confident and grandiose, full of rich fusions of funk, jazz and R&B. Ditching the GarageBand solo ventures of his debut, Gemini Rights’ collaborative fanfare makes heartbreak sound enticing. The viral, chart-topping earworm “Bad Habit” is a perfect example. Its optimistic guitar rifts contrast Lacy’s beseeching vocals as he pines for someone toxic. Filled with equal parts empathy and desperation, Gemini Rights is a too-relatable, all-consuming cocktail. —MCG

Stones Throw Records

Sudan Archives – Natural Brown Prom Queen

Sudan Archives conjures magic with a flick of her violin bow. From the jump, her spectacular sophomore album, Natural Brown Prom Queen, puts you under a spell, offering an excursion through many of the things that Archives succeeds at so well — boundless creativity, maximalism, and love and precision for her craft. Through the record’s 18 tracks, Archives exudes confidence and charisma at every turn as she sings of home, sexuality, and Blackness. It’s the ultimate hallucinogenic soundtrack for the prom you might’ve missed out on. —NH

Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA Records

SZA – SOS

SZA still gets it. On her debut, the singer intimately described insecurities without any hint of shame or secrecy. Her new album, SOS, reminds us that those intrusive anxieties never truly disappear, but maturity makes them easier to swallow. Across 23 tracks, there is no limit to the shapes SZA’s voice can take. She soars on the pop-punk-driven “F2F,” creeps alongside Phoebe Bridgers on “Ghost in the Machine,” and destroys and conquers on the opening track. “And all the petty shit aside/All the funny shit aside/I just want what’s mine,” she asserts. SZA, it’s all yours. —NB

Republic Records

Taylor Swift – Midnights

Taylor Swift is a master of reinvention, crafting eras, personas, and expertly curating genres throughout her oeuvre. You could say, she's somewhat of a mastermind. On her 10th studio album, Midnights, she proves that, setting an atmosphere of late nights drenched in regret, drinks, and self-loathing. Throughout the album's 13 songs (and eight bonus tracks), Swift uses synth-pop teeming with reverb, delicate balladry, and catchy pop hooks to deliver some of her most soul-baring lines, with a smile and a wink. —IK

XO/Republic Records

The Weeknd – Dawn FM

Leave it to forever sad boy the Weeknd to make a concept album that plays out like the radio show you hear en route to the afterlife — and also make it an absolute banger. While the concept might sound bleak, it's the R&B hitmaker at his most playful, reuniting with frequent collaborator Daniel Lopatin of Oneohtrix Point Never for many tracks to create a glittery, retro-pop universe. If the '80s-inspired dance-pop synths on "Take My Breath" are what purgatory sounds like, dancing until you're dead doesn't sound bad at all. —SB

Domino Records

Wet Leg – Wet Leg

Your mid-to-late 20s can be a weird time; when some friends are getting married, you might still feel like you were 21 just yesterday, and can't fathom what's next. So bless Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers of the Isle of Wight-based indie group Wet Leg for uniting two years ago to write about all of those feelings — and doing it in the most lively, post-punk way. From parties where the vibes feel off to being in love to rejecting less than what they deserve and craving something more, Wet Leg dives into it all, with a delightful helping of arty arrangements, hooks, and silly one-liners. You can tell they're having fun, and it's a reminder at how fruitful life can be when you feel it all and take it as it comes. —SB

Sub Pop

Weyes Blood – And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow

Natalie Mering, who performs as Weyes Blood, has called her latest album And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow a thematic follow-up to 2019's Titanic Rising — with that album sensing catastrophe was in the air, and AITDHA reporting what it's like in the thick of it. Even as Weyes Blood sings of isolation, societal collapse, and disastrous heartbreak, there's a glimmer of optimism, relayed in her vivid lyricism and atmospheric, chamber-pop melodies. As she sings on "God Turn Me Into a Flower," there's beauty and, more importantly, hope to be found in vulnerability. Those sentiments shine through, and even the softest of moments are stunners. —SB

Msftsmusic/Roc Nation

WILLOW – COPINGMECHANISM

You cannot deny that WILLOW released one of the best rock albums of 2022, which is sure to be looked at as a blueprint to study for years to come. With her fifth studio album, <COPINGMECHANISM>, it seems WILLOW experienced a renewed sense of musical freedom, which includes an embrace of hard-rock and nü-metal elements that allows the vocal powerhouse to shine on every front. Whether it’s heavy arena bangers (“ur a <stranger>”) or upbeat pop rock (“hover like a GODDESS,” “curious/furious”), WILLOW avoids filler and puts heart, soul, and intentionality behind every track. —AD

The Loneliest Place on Earth/Hopeless Records

The Wonder Years – The Hum Goes on Forever

After a series of marriages, births, tragedies, and a pandemic, the Wonder Years had more than enough material for their seventh album, The Hum Goes on Forever. The record is largely a return to their classic sound, albeit with newfound wisdom that's applied brilliantly (“Wyatt’s Song (Your Name),” “Old Friends Like Lost Teeth”). Though the record touches on topics of loss and societal collapse, it comes to a heartfelt conclusion. “You’re The Reason I Don’t Want the World to End” makes peace with madness and serves as a touching reminder that sometimes all we all need to do is lean on our loved ones whenever the world feels like a scary place. —AD

The record, a shoo-in for end-of-the-year rock album lists, brought the Los Angeles-bred band a good bit of praise and recognition. And ultimately, her veteran music journalist dad said it was the right move to go commercial and lay the fuzzy guitars on thick across 12 poppy tracks invoking ’90s staples like Liz Phair, Smashing Pumpkins, Veruca Salt, and Pavement.

Weingarten, 24, who formed Momma with 23-year-old guitarist Etta Friedman in 2015, says her dad had a big influence on her early musical taste, which shines through on the group’s latest release. She specifically cited Nirvana as perhaps the biggest influence on the record, but not on the sound, per se.

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“It was not even that we were necessarily pulling ideas or genuinely being influenced by their music,” Weingarten tells Alternative Press. “I think it was just the lore surrounding Nirvana that was really interesting to us.”

The story of a struggling band in the ’90s colors Household Name, which is essentially a concept album that longtime friends Weingarten and Friedman wrote over a year in the early pandemic days, soon after relocating from LA to Brooklyn. With deadpan vocals, the duo sings clever songs of aimless drives, complete infatuation, getting away on a noisy motorbike, and playing a shitty bar with an unstable band lineup in order to make that month’s rent.

“We really treated it as like a job almost — like we were in the studio for probably eight hours, three or four days a week, and that was just to write the record,” Weingarten says of the writing process for the album, which took place at friend, bassist and producer Aron Kobayashi Ritch’s place in Brooklyn. “It was a really creative, collaborative, intense process that was probably formative for all of us involved.”

Among the carefully crafted tunes on Household Name is the one-two punch of “Medicine” and “Rockstar,” the album’s third and fourth tracks. “Medicine,” full of tongue-in-cheek lyrics that liken being in love with being hooked on a drug, came about pretty effortlessly, Friedman says, because it was written at a time when the two were feeling excited in new relationships.

“We were talking about how we had never felt happier in our lives, and that’s a really exciting feeling because when we’ve talked about love or romance or whatever, it’s usually been pretty depressing,” they say. “It’s just easier to harp on the sadder, more emotional things. We were genuinely both feeling happy, so it was a pretty beautiful thing to try to express together.”

“Rockstar” then follows, which has become an unexpected hit for Momma, with the single becoming a fan favorite and getting love on alternative radio. And it’s all because she and Friedman watched Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny, a 2006 comedy about a duo who sets out to be the “greatest band in the world,” at home in LA with her rock journo dad in August 2020.

Right after the movie ended, the two headed up to Weingarten’s bedroom, where “Rockstar,” which tells the story of an aspiring rocker and what surrounds them in ’90s LA, was born. “I know this club called Tuesdays/I can get us backstage/The barback is our singer/The last one quit the band,” Weingarten sings in the second verse. “A real heavy drinker/He karaokes ‘Rocket Man.’”

Weingarten says she picked up her guitar and immediately played those anthemic opening chords. The rest was written in 10 minutes. At the time, they “thought it was stupid,” but after they showed it to Kobayashi Ritch and later played a demo for friends, it was clear the song struck a bigger chord than anticipated.

“It’s definitely not one that we thought was going to be a single or an important song on the record at all,” Weingarten says. “But then it really became like the blueprint for a lot of the themes of the record.”

Of the handful of music videos the band made for this album, “Rockstar” is a clear favorite. It gives Momma the behind-the-music treatment by following the story of the song, with the band finding an ad for a battle of the bands in the newspaper, flyering around town because they “still need a drummer,” and finding their way backstage at a gritty venue. There’s even encouragement from a poster of Kurt Cobain, whose style Friedman emulates in the video.

There are “loud-quiet” moments and solid riffs found all over Household Name, which Weingarten says is true to the sound the band have always been after. “For years I had never really sat down and been like, ‘OK, we need to get these pedals, and we need to get these amps, and we need to really make sure that we have a good tone,’” she says. “Doing this record, we’re like, ‘OK, let’s finally achieve that huge sound that we’ve been looking for.’”

Over the summer, Momma took that huge sound on the road for a lengthy tour that lasted seven straight weeks across the U.S. “We thought seven weeks is normal, that touring musicians did back-to-back-to-back shows,” Friedman says. “Then we realized people have breaks and four-week-long tours.”

Sandwiching those weeks of tour dates were two shows in Momma’s adopted hometown, New York City, where they held a release show in a small room upstairs at the Bushwick venue The Broadway in July, and ended with a sold-out show at the significantly larger Music Hall of Williamsburg in October.

“At the very beginning of the tour — like when we were announcing the tickets — we really didn’t think we’re gonna sell it out or anything,” Friedman says. “The energy was pretty similar to The Broadway show in terms of people having fun, which is the best thing to see onstage. We were really feeling like, ‘Wow, we fucking did it.’ It was really a beautiful moment.”

Now, Momma are managing to squeeze in a month of rest before going back out to play again. The band are also starting to demo new songs and hopes to dedicate adequate time to write the follow-up to Household Name, which was a product of pandemic free time. “Without that free time I don’t know if we would have been able to write the record in the same way,” Weingarten says. “We’re still trying to figure out how we’re going to be able to do it, now that we’re so busy.”

Meanwhile, Momma will soon be opening for Surf Curse, Foals, Alex G and Death Cab for Cutie, with dates spread out now through early April 2023.

Friedman and Weingarten, who work day jobs at home in Brooklyn when they’re not on tour, admitted it’s been challenging to operate in the current financial landscape that’s affecting many artists. Getting over to Europe with Alex G will be much more costly than expected, Friedman explains.“It’s a constant thing I think about: how to support yourself, but also make the work that you want to make and do what you want to be doing,” they say.

Ultimately, the band say it’s been interesting learning how to make money as artists because it means betting on yourself and putting yourself out there. “It means spending money and losing money to then be able to profit in any way,” Friedman says. “It’s really a grueling process. But, I mean, the good thing is that we’re having a good time along the way.”

Even as Momma waiver between feeling like the band they sing about on “Rockstar” and going “mersh,” it’s no doubt been thrilling to see the recent ascension of the Brooklyn-based group.

Emma Ruth Rundle unveils headlining 2023 North American tour

Around this time last year, Emma Ruth Rundle released her fifth solo album Engine of Hell. Now, she’s finally getting an opportunity to perform the songs live. The singer-songwriter has her spring plans mapped out, announcing a nationwide run in support of her latest two works, Engine of Hell and this year’s Orpheus Looking Back EP. The tour will kick off March 24 at Vancouver’s Saint James Hall and wrap up April 9 at New York’s Le Poisson Rouge. Patrick Shiroishi, an experimental saxophonist best known for his free-jazz work, will open. Tickets can be found here. —Anissa Sanchez

Momma will hit the road supporting Alex G in Europe

Fresh off their first-ever headline tour, alt-rock duo Momma have announced their plans to join Alex G on his European tour next year. During the run, they’ll travel across Ireland, Scotland, England and more throughout March and April of 2023. Before they embark, though, the group are also slated to support Surf Curse this year and enter the new year opening for Death Cab For Cutie, where they’ll play their biggest venues to date. Tickets can be purchased here. —Anissa Sanchez

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkLutAAr27o/

Show Me The Body will support Trouble The Water with a 2023 run

Show Me The Body make the type of pummeling music that must be witnessed live. To support their new album, Trouble The Water, the hardcore trio are hitting the road. The band will kick off in Philadelphia Feb. 9, making stops in more than 30 cities before concluding in their hometown of NYC March 24. Scowl, Jesus Piece, Zulu and TRiPPJONES will support the band across the tour. You can grab tickets Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. local time here. —Neville Hardman

Unknown Mortal Orchestra break a four-year spell with their 2023 headline tour

It’s been a long four years since Unknown Mortal Orchestra hit the road. Luckily, that’s set to change next year, with the band embarking on a headline tour across North America and the U.K. Kicking off in March 2023, UMO will hit several cities, including Seattle, Denver and Detroit, among others. Listen to “I Killed Captain Cook,” a tribute to Ruban Nielson’s mother and a preview of their new double album, while you wait to grab tickets Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. local time here. —Neville Hardman

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkI3M_6rIEP/

Dominic Fike to embark on 2022 North American Out Of Order tour 

2022 was certainly a massive year for singer-songwriter and now TV star Dominic Fike, between starring on HBO’s Euphoria and performing at several notable festivals this past summer. As the year comes to a close, Fike will take his victory lap with the 24-date North American Out Of Order tour. The shows kick off on Nov. 6 in Seattle, Washington and will continue throughout major cities across the US and Canada before wrapping up in Tempe, Arizona Dec. 16. Get tickets here. 

Death Cab for Cutie expand tour into 2023 with US and European dates 

Death Cab for Cutie have recently released their 10th studio album Asphalt Meadows, and in celebration of this milestone, they are hitting the road harder than ever. Following their previously announced fall headlining tour this year, Death Cab are now expanding their tour dates significantly into 2023 with dates across the southern US during January and February, as well as several major EU/UK cities in March 2023. Slow Pulp will support the band for all of the EU/UK dates alongside rising indie-rock group Momma opening the US dates. Tickets go on sale this Friday here. 

Counterparts are throwing a eulogy across North America this fall 

Canadian progressive-hardcore juggernauts Counterparts will embark on the North American Eulogy tour this fall in celebration of their forthcoming release A Eulogy For Those Still Here due Oct. 7. Joining the band are screamo revivalists SeeYouSpaceCowboy and the emerging metallic-hardcore group Dying Wish. Fans can expect to see new material performed live for the first time as well as fan favorites from Counterpart’s extensive catalog – and of course, the borderline stand-up comedy stage banter from vocalist Brendan Murphy. Get tickets here. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CixscrTOExp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

BLACKSTARKIDS take it back to the 2000s in “SEX APPEAL”

BLACKSTARKIDS have announced their next project, CYBERKISS*. The album is out Sept. 23 via Dirty Hit. In the meantime, they’ve released a music video for a new track called “SEX APPEAL.” In the video, Gabe, Ty and Deiondre dance against a pure white background. The minimalist visual stands in stark contrast to its accompanying track as the trio rap over a collection of sirens and Neptunes-inspired percussive elements.

Timothée Chalamet shows love does more than bite in the Bones and All trailer

Timothée Chalamet stars in a new teaser for the upcoming film Bones and All. In the cannibalistic coming-of-age story love story, Maren (Taylor Russell) falls in love with Lee (Chalamet) and gets dragged into his twisted world. The film is directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by David Kajganich, based on the novel of the same name by Camille DeAngelis. Bones and All comes to theaters Nov. 23. Until then, watch the teaser below.

Jimmy Alexander takes cues from Dr. Suess in his all beneath heaven collection

Jimmy Alexander’s next venture is taking shape with all beneath heaven. The new label was founded with the hope of finding the realization of metaphysical concepts and self-actualization via fashion. So far, the pieces are brilliant and bold. Designs that would look at home in a Dr. Suess book are applied to smart silhouettes, resulting in an aura of levity and playfulness. Check here for more information or to preorder the eye-catching pieces.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChHxDNkLREG/?hl=en

Momma have released their new documentary, Making of Household Name. The 22-minute short film comes just a month after the release of the band’s third album, Household Name. The doc is beautifully quick-and-dirty in a fashion that compounds its authenticity. Rough cuts and shaky, handheld camera shots capture the trio’s moments of respite during the album’s making. With Making of Household Name, the band treat fans with a look into their creative journey from the project’s conceptual stages to the final studio sessions.

Read more: AP&R: 347aidan, Scowl and other rising artists to check out this month

Quinton Griggs

CHECK OUT: “Crazy Devotion”

Quinton Griggs’ “Crazy Devotion” describes just that: someone who’s hopelessly committed to their partner, even if it’s all in vain. Griggs belts, “I don’t think I can let go/Can I find a way back to you?” atop modern pop-punk beats. The Georgia native got his start where many young musicians have started blowing up recently: TikTok. “Crazy Devotion” is current enough to slide into any modern emo kid’s playlist while remaining nostalgic enough to fit into any elder emo’s just as easily.

Momma

CHECK OUT: “Speeding 72”

Every part of Momma’s “Speeding 72” was carefully constructed to transport listeners into the right mood for the track — which is about driving in a car and intended for driving in a car. It begins with the sounds of Aron Kobayashi Ritch getting into his vehicle and turning on the ignition. “We wanted it to be the sort of summertime anthem that you can turn on during a drive to impress your crush,” the band explain in a press release. Allow Momma to take you on the ultimate joyride with their new album, Household Name, out July 1.

Mascara

CHECK OUT: “Half Light Aftermath”

“Half Light Aftermath” is one-half of Mascara’s new EP, HLA-11TF. The French band have cemented themselves as a group that are hard to define and even harder to categorize. Their music falls somewhere in the alternative-metal genre but has plenty of grunge, post-metal and dream-pop influences. “Half Light Aftermath,” in particular, takes listeners through a sonic voyage. The track opens with hypnotic vocals before jumping into heavy riffs, the two balancing and playing off each other through the entirety of the song. You surely don’t want to miss out on the journey Mascara will take you on.

Horse Jumper Of Love

CHECK OUT: “I Poured Sugar In Your Shoes”

Horse Jumper Of Love capture the feeling of staring longingly out a window, rain streaming down the glass, in “I Poured Sugar In Your Shoes.” The track tells a sorrowful, Hansel And Gretel-esque tale of someone who poured sugar in their lover’s shoes to “follow a trail of sweetness.” Dimitri Giannopoulos sings, “What do I do?/I got my spirit hooked on a fishline baited with no reason why.” The sinking melodies combined with the yearnful, almost self-deprecating lyrics produce a bittersweet love song perfect to soothe any aching heart.

Obongjayar

CHECK OUT: “Tinko Tinko (Don’t Play Me For A Fool)”

Obongjayar was born and raised in Nigeria and moved to London as a teenager. His debut album, Some Nights I Dream Of Doors, spans everything from alternative and indie to soul and Afrobeat. The track “Tinko Tinko (Don’t Play Me For A Fool” is packed full of artful layering. The soulful swagger of both the vocals and the production intertwine to create a world of sound that is deceptively upbeat. Obongjayar sings “Don’t be fucking with my head,” as he wonders if he and his partner are truly in love.

Calabasas

CHECK OUT: “The Mend”

Calabasas’ “The Mend” accomplishes many feats in three minutes. To start, the track is refreshingly vulnerable. “I wrote this at a tough time in my relationship for the woman I love,” Watrcup, one-half of the duo, says of the song. “It’s a chance to get vulnerable with our fans and let them know that we are all humans and we make mistakes.” But aside from the vulnerability of the lyrics, “The Mend” is simply a joy to listen to. The track shines with the laid-back, surfy sounds of the Golden State.

Exit Dream

CHECK OUT: “kaleidoscope”

“kaleidoscope” may take listeners by surprise. The Exit Dream track begins with a shimmering piano melody. Then, all of a sudden, it bursts into a heavy guitar riff. Listeners can hear the fairy-tale-like melody break through the guitar riffs at points, like the sun shining through the clouds, as the two sounds swirl together in perfect harmony. The name “kaleidoscope” is fitting, as fans can discover something new with each listen, just as one might when looking through the optical device.

Witch Fever

CHECK OUT: “Blessed Be Thy”

Witch Fever bassist Alex Thompson perfectly describes “Blessed Be Thy” in four words: “It just goes heavy.” And we can’t argue with that. The track opens with vocalist Amy Walpole declaring, “Blessed be thy shame/It’s time to let it go/Resentment makes me yours, baby/And I’m afraid it makes you glow.” Walpole uses cadence and language to tailor a traditional hymn and make it their own. That, in addition to fuzzy guitar riffs and the aggressive thumping of the drums, flips the religious symbolism heavily embedded in the track on its head.

This story first appeared in issue 406, available here.

In return, we want to hear your favorite. Let us know which new songs you’ll be spinning for the rest of the weekend in the comments!

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1. Rezz – “Someone Else” feat. Grabbitz

For fans of: Kayzo, San Holo and INZO

Canadian DJ and producer Rezz teamed up with EDM artist and singer Grabbitz to deliver a haunting electronic single titled “Someone Else.” The track is the first single the DJ shared on RCA Records, which uniquely combines chill-inducing vocals, booming basslines and funky electro-rock beats. Though Rezz won’t be at any EDM festivals this summer due to concert cancellations, listeners can still explore her most recent electronic-dance music offerings such as “Into The Abyss” featuring Zeds Dead, “Hell On Earth” with YULTRON and “Falling” featuring Aaron Gillespie of Underoath. 

2. Crash Overcast – “Five Revolutions”

For fans of: Hot Mulligan, Belmont and Assuming We Survive 

SoCal punks Crash Overcast recently shared their riff-filled single and music video for “Five Revolutions.” The visual is jokingly labeled as #Brunchcore as the quartet smash mimosas, bacon, toast, sriracha and all the other mid-morning meal essentials outside on a sunny day. The band recorded their debut album with Paul Miner (New Found Glory, Thrice, Atreyu) due out May 8. 

3. mxmtoon – “lessons”

For fans of: dodie, Cavetown and Declan McKenna

mxmtoon released her new single “lessons” featuring light and airy vocals, prompting listeners to take time to learn from your anxiety. “‘lessons” serves as a reminder to be kind to yourself, to trust your instincts and live life with purpose,” she says. “It’s not easy to remember this at all points in life, but my hope is that this song can leave this sentiment echoing in your brain, at least for a little while.” This calming tune chock full of good advice will appear on her forthcoming seven-track EP, dawn, due out April 22. Preorders can be placed here. 

4. TEETH – “Deathrace” 

For fans of: Every Time I Die, Hundred Suns and Norma Jean

TEETH, a metal supergroup comprising Hundred Suns members Ryan “Legs” Leger (ex-Norma Jean, Every Time I Die) and Chris LeMasters (ex-Dead and Divine) as well as Blake Louis Prince (Straight Reads The Line), are using this time of self-isolation to write and record. The band shared this track about quarantine itself. “Deathrace” touches on mental health issues being faced all over the world and raises the question “Are we the plague?” through crunchy riffs, demanding vocals and blast beats.

5. Momma – “Biohazard”

For fans of: Slow Pulp, Vundabar and Goth Babe

L.A. indie outfit Momma shared their flowy undercurrent single “Biohazard,” riddled with catchy guitar hooks, experimental synth sounds and metaphorical lyrics. The narrative centers around a man with dissociative identity disorder. “The song presents the duality within his brain and the evil and remorse that co-exist within him,” the band say. The track follows up their first single “Double Dare” from their forthcoming album, Two Of Me, due out June 5. Preorders are available here. 

6. Pure Protein – “Happy Birthday”

For fans of: Dent May, Tennis and TV Girl

Pure Protein is the solo music project from Mississippi native M.W. Powell who recently relocated to Los Angeles to perfect his sound. His most recent release “Happy Birthday” is the follow-up to his debut single “Julia,” both of which experiment with ambient vocals and garage-rock guitar melodies. The two tracks will be available on his forthcoming debut EP, Winner Goes Home, due out May 8. 

7. DVDDY – “Self Love / Self Harm” feat. Andrew Wells

For fans of: Dance Gavin Dance, Eidola and A Day To Remember

DVDDY is the quintessential solo artist to add to your Spotify queue if you want to hear EDM–“emo dad music” that is. Created by a father from Utah, DVDDY teamed up with Andrew Wells of Dance Gavin Dance and Eidola to deliver “Self Love / Self Harm.” The track one-ups typical pop-punk tracks with heavy bass and guitar lines and added electronic synth sounds on top of it. “ I hope this song brings comfort in knowing that while we may not have the answers to the pain, we do have others that understand it and the horrible emptiness we carry,” he says of the track. 

8. Grasmere – “Invincible”

For fans of: Angels & Airwaves, Thirty Seconds To Mars and 888

Columbus-based alt-rock quintet Grasmere offer hope to everyone stuck inside during these unprecedented times in their new track “Invincible.” The band channel astral rock giants such as Angels & Airwaves in the single by using catchy hooks and hypnotic gang vocals. “The song is an anthem for those whose voices go unheard,” vocalist/guitarist Tyler Cox says. “Nobody has to fight alone, and together, we can accomplish anything. We are invincible.”

9. Blues Pills – “Low Road”

For fans of: Halestorm, All Them Witches and Valley Of The Sun

Heavy-rock quartet Blues Pills pack a punch in both their riffs and vocals such as classic rock stars Joan Jett and Janis Joplin. The band hail from all parts of the world, including Sweden, France and the U.S. Their diverse backgrounds allowed them to combine multiple influences, ultimately creating a project reminiscent of both classic and modern rock such as Halestorm, full of face-melting vocals and guitar solos. Listeners can hear more on their forthcoming record, Holy Moly!, due out June 19. 

10. Stay Over – “Happy” 

For fans of: Arrested Youth, Circa Waves and MISSIO

Stay Over combines several elements into his new track “Happy,” including rap beats, experimental synth sounds and even slam poetry verses, which makes sense given that he’s influenced by the likes of Kid Cudi, Death Cab For Cutie and Shakespeare. In his track shared via Grammy-nominated producer Cisco Adler‘s Bananabeat Records, the singer hopes to spread the idea that many people are unhappy in life, and the sad aren’t alone. “It’s about growing up,” he says. “It’s about me trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. Trying to figure out why I’m not as happy as I used to be.”