King Gizzard “Petrodragonic Apocalypse”
King Gizz is one of those bands that keeps you so well-fed that if they release another album your stomach might rupture and ruin Family Dinner Night for the fifth consecutive week. ‘Petrodragonic Apocalypse’ isn’t a meat-and-potatoes record, though. It’s the surprise Baked Alaska that you didn’t order and it’s here to light your entire asshole on fire. This album somehow manages to keep a distinctly Gizz flavor while u-turning from progressive jazzy shit right to fucking speed metal. It’s as if early Judas Priest and White Zombie had a baby, and that baby grew up to form a Motörhead cover band. Expect killer riffs, shockingly mathy compositions, and some esoteric throat singing kooky stuff all draped against the backdrop of a concept album. – CN
Marnie Stern “The Comeback Kid”
On her first record in 10 years, math rock’s most whimsical wizard Marnie Stern picks up right where she left off, creating a deceptively complex suite of absolute bangers. Rather than falling into the math rock trap of making every track a guitar-shredding recital, Stern builds songs out of intricately layered and incredibly dense polyrhythms, producing a wall of sound as pummeling as it is joyous. Every track on ‘The Comeback Kid’ provides Stern with an opportunity to squeeze out another jaw-dropping riff without ever straying too far from the mission of just giving the listener something to bang their head to. It’s difficult creating an album that can inspire the listener to both create a YouTube series dissecting every musical detail and bash a hole in their drywall because they were solo moshing in their living room too hard. ‘The Comeback Kid’ walks that tightrope perfectly. – Peter Woods – Contributor
Ratboys “The Window”
Produced by Chris Walla and featuring the first batch of songs collaboratively written by the whole band, Ratboys’ latest marks a fresher and sleeker sound for the indie rockers. On “The Window”, the beloved Chicago quartet have perfected their raison d’être: pristine indie rock, crafted to perfection, with each and every song – particularly ‘Morning Zoo’ – leaving you wanting just a little bit more, but still content to bask in what is offered. Every single instrument is perfectly placed – with no small help from producer Chris Walla, of course – the songwriting is sublime, and Julia Steiner’s voice is a thing of beauty. – Yuusuf Aidid
100 Gecs “10,000 Gecs”
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: 100 Gecs are as brilliant as they are divisive. ‘10,000 Gecs’ took their signature abrasive hyperpop and morphed it into a tour de force across genres that under no circumstances should work, but absolutely does. They did pop-punk and they did nu-metal. They even did SKA, for fuck’s sake. It all somehow still retains the irony-poisoned-yet-utterly-masterful aura that Laura Les and Dylan Brady have spent the last several years creating. Music should be fun, contrary to popular belief, and if you’re not convinced, get a minute into ‘Dumbest Girl Alive’ and come back at me when you’re moshing in your living room to ‘Hollywood Baby.’ – CN
Petey “USA”
Social media is a strange thing these days. Performers can go from absolute nobodies to major label signees in a matter of a few short months if the algorithm deems them worthy enough for success. While some of these newly emerged superstars are hardly worth their weight in gold, occasionally an exception to the rule sneaks through and breaks the mold. This is the case for Petey, whose comedic TikToks spread faster than a global plague this year and landed him a fresh deal with Capitol Records. His major label debut ‘U.S.A’ manages to combine his penchant for comedy with the surreal and vulnerable lyricism that has had me simultaneously crying and laughing more than I usually do, which is actually an alarming amount. -CM
Blink-182 “One More Time”
It’s nearly 2024, and Tom DeLonge is once again in Blink-182. Sadly, nothing else in this world has returned to normal, but we have to take our wins – however slight they may be – and run with them. ‘One More Time’ might not be the greatest album I’ve ever heard. Hell, it’s not even close to the greatest album Blink has ever released. Still, I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t listen to it at least ten times when it came out, and I’d definitely be convicted of perjury if I said the Zane Lowe interview didn’t make me cry, like, every thirty seconds. ‘One More Time’ is proof that no matter how deep a relationship wound is, there is always a way to mend it and make a mid-to-okay album in the process. – CM
Blood Command “World Domination”
Oh shiiiiiiit. Blood Command came the fuck back this year, and apparently with a fucking vengeance. Their latest album ‘World Domination’ rips through twenty blazing death-pop tracks in just over a half an hour, making for a disorienting, chaotic, incredibly satisfying ride. Even though I nearly vomit from excitement every time, the short and sweet nature of this record means I’ve managed to listen to this album on nearly a daily basis since it dropped in September. – CM
MSPAINT “Post-American”
If you would’ve told me two years ago that the futuristic synths, digital punk rhythm section, and anthemic vocals of MSPAINT would eventually come out of Mississippi, I would’ve laughed in your face. Sure, I might be engaging in some narrow-minded stereotyping of the Deep South, but I assume people play football down there and not digitally enhanced experimental punk. But, if I’m to believe what I’ve read on the internet, the band has successfully delivered one of the finest albums to ever call the Magnolia State home. – NB
PLRLS “Curses”
The Baltimore music scene is flush with good underground shit, even if the members are in 15 bands each. PLRLS (veterans of Ottobar) have been around for a minute, releasing kooky little albums here and there, but “Curses” actually sounds like them finding their sound for real this time. It’s as if Kate Pierson and Cindy Williams from the late-seventies era of B-52s got cut loose from Fred Schneider’s sex dungeon (google it), time-traveled to 2003, and formed a garage band. It’s Hot Hot Heat on estrogen. It’s quick, dirty, upbeat, and just new wave enough that your weird cousin who is super into DEVO will find it relatable. Give it a listen if you’ve got a half hour and can’t afford coffee this week. – CN