Girl Trouble are the Northwest's garage rock demigods, revered by all from Neko Case and Mudhoney to Soundgarden and Beat Happening. On As Is, their first album in over a decade, vibrato guitar collides rollin' and tumblin' into bedrock beats and black crow vocal calls; it's rock'n'roll done in a backwoods style.
Brighton was rarely described as a scene, despite being home to Nick Cave and Paul McCartney and hothousing a surge of remarkable young talent that's still thriving more than 20 years later.
Natanya tears genres open and rebuilds them in her own image. Her drums swing loose and jazzy over heavy 808s; synths drift dreamily before snapping into gritty guitar riffs. Writing, producing and arranging all her own work, she weaves together neosoul silk, R&B groove, indie edge, and flashes of grunge, all carried by a buttery falsetto that nods to Aaliyah, Amy Winehouse, Janet Jackson and early Destiny's Child.
Pop punk lifers New Found Glory are back with their 12th album, Listen Up!, their first album since guitarist Chad Gilbert began cancer treatment and an album that the band says was shaped by that ongoing experience. "We wanted to make something that really focused on how lucky we are," Chad says. "We've all gone through serious stuff in our lives, and I think the lyrics on this record are more meaningful and purposeful than ever. It's a positive outlet that hopefully keeps people going."
Inner Magic is the duo of former Chromatics guitarist Adam Miller and former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder. They met in 2024 and bonded over their love of '80s UK indie legends Felt, krautrock and the Vinnie Vincent Invasion, and then decided they should make music together.
It's impossible to quantify the emotional landscape of a song-there's no judgment more subjective-but to my ear, "Ceremony" captures the drama of an unforgettable moment that feels like it's going to change your life forever, one where everything that's been is about to meet the future, and you can feel the unnamable tension of possibility swelling until it's about to burst.