It’s almost February, which means the horrors of winter are nearly halfway over. While you’ve been floundering and lamenting the lack of sunlight in your day, a flurry of new sounds has been occurring just outside your black-out curtain-covered window. We don’t blame you for missing it. Everyone knows you aren’t particularly renowned for your observational skills.
That being said, we can’t in good conscience leave you in the literal dark like this for even a second longer. Our esteemed staff of music experts has taken on the Herculean task of googling ‘new music’ for you. Here are six of the best results we could find.
Sunny Day Real Estate “Novum Vetus”
2024 is shaping up to be a phenomenal year for emo veterans Sunny Day Real Estate, who are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut album ‘Diary.’ In addition to announcing a US tour in celebration of the milestone, the band also announced a live recording of the full album due out in May. Part of this announcement included a surprise release of the unreleased track ‘Novum Vetus,’ marking their first new music in a decade. Let’s hope their next disappearance is more short-lived than previous break-ups.
Katy Kirby “Fences”
Recently, singer-songwriter Katy Kirby took to her Instagram to review her newest album while under the influence of a Blue Raz Four Loko. While we can’t remember what inebriated score was given, a sober listen yielded a 10/10 for us. ‘Blue Raspberry’ picks up right where Kirby’s debut ‘Cool Dry Place’ left off before gradually morphing into a stunning and more vibrantly produced effort, equipped with Kirby’s inimitable voice and writing chops. Album highlight ‘Fences’ splits the difference as it pulls the listener into the heavier themes that permeate the record.
Alkaline Trio “Bad Time”
As pop-punk and emo-adjacent music once again soars in popularity, it has become clear that some elder statesmen are not going to quietly let their legacies fizzle out. Alkaline Trio are no exception with the release of their excellent new record ‘Blood, Hair and Eyeballs.’ The final lead single from this effort, ‘Bad Time,’ features some of their most inspired riffage in years, harkening back to their rough and tumble days without sacrificing the need to evolve. While many are excited about Tom DeLonge rejoining Blink 182, not enough are focusing on how refreshingly invigorated it has made Alkaline Trio sound.
Genital Shame “Schooled In Every Grace”
Pittsburgh’s Erin Dawson – the sole producer and performer of Genital Shame – is single-handedly changing the landscape of black metal. Her output thus far has paid homage to the genre’s chaotic roots while fusing it with a unique and daring pop sensibility. This makes for a disorienting push and pull as the confines and boundaries of black metal are stretched as close to the limits as possible without breaking entirely. Her latest single ‘Schooled In Every Grace’ – from the forthcoming debut LP ‘Chronic Illness Wish’ – is no exception to the rule with its combination of kick-the-fucking-door down riffs and earworm vocalizations.
Donny Benét “American Dream”
A few months ago, we featured ol’ Donny and his smooth-ass bass and synth wizardry in this very column. We were promised eggs, but they never arrived. While we listen to the hypnotic and excellent sounds of his latest single ‘American Dream,’ we will have our own dreams about someday tasting a sweet breakfast from our hero. Some have tried to tell us that he was never going to send us those eggs in the first place, but we know Donny wouldn’t do us that dirty. Perhaps they were just lost in the mail. Some postal worker smelled what was cooking and had at it, maybe. Either way. Don man, old friend. If you’re reading this, we’d love a replacement ASAP. You have 12 hours.
Saintseneca “Soft Axe”
Ohio indie-folk legends Saintseneca are at it again with the release of their epic new venture ‘Soft Axe.’ Over the course of six and a half minutes, lead singer and founder of the cult-favorite-outfit, Zac Little, croons atop an ever expanding sonic landscape that in key moments sounds as if it is about to break out of the speakers to join the terrestrial world. Announcing the song as a ‘post-holiday jam,’ Little expressed a desire to write ‘seasonal, yet evergreen songs.’ With compositions as enduring as this one, we think he can mark that aspiration as accomplished with aplomb.
Now that we’ve told you some new things to listen to, you should be ready to face the world with a fresh new attitude and a sense of relevancy you haven’t felt in years. To double down and make sure the message sticks, however, we’ve compiled all these tracks and more into an ever-growing playlist. Click here to like, listen, and do even less work.