Top New Tracks
5) Buck Meek – “The Mirror” (2026)
Folk artist from central Texas Buck Meek is most known for his involvement in the widely successful folk rock group Big Thief. Meek has served as the guitarist and backing vocalist for the group since its 2015 inception. Meek studied at Berklee College of Music, a common factor that all members of Big Thief shared. His solo career now consists of four LPs, quickly catching up with Big Thief’s own six. His quiet, intimate, and introspective songwriting style relies on keen observation of his emotional connection to the surrounding environment, making snapshots of emotional states.
This week’s selected track, “Gasoline” is a sensitive and fast-paced indie folk song, utilizing warm guitar tones in a tender ode to devotion.
4) Sébastien Tellier – “Kiss the Beast” (2026)
French singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sébastien Tellier has been producing new wave, pop, and electronica that spans across language barriers. He sings in a variety of languages, including his native French, Spanish, English, Italian, and German. His first release was followed by tours with the French band Air. Tellier’s work has also moved towards the world of film, as he has contributed to soundtracks for multiple motion pictures. He also performed his song “Divine” in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, representing France, though he sang in English.
This week’s highlighted track, “Refresh” leans into the neon excess of the 1980s with the help of a vocoder and energetic synths.
3) The Nude Party – “Look Who’s Back” (2026)
The Nude Party was born out of the Blue Ridge Mountain setting of Appalachian State University, cradled in Boone, North Carolina. Specializing in a multi-faceted 1960s rock ‘n’ roll sound, the core of the band was made up of four childhood friends that reunited on the ASU campus in 2012. After reaching sextet status, the group were a consistent part of the local music scene– gaining their name for their tendency to perform their garage rock in the nude. The success of their eponymous 2018 debut earned them worldwide recognition and a slew of tours, playing in support of Jack White, Arctic Monkeys, King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, and hitting multiple music festivals. “Look Who’s Back” is their fourth album, and leans into a country rock sound with influences from folk rock groups like The Byrds.
This week’s chosen track, “Love Is Electric” is rustic and feel-good with tempo changes, an analog tone, and a touch of slide guitar.
2) Mise En Scene – “Drive-Thru Confessional” (2026)
Winnipeg 1960s-inspired indie rock darlings Mise En Scene have been on the scene since 2012’s “Desire’s Despair”. Drummer Jodi Dunlop and vocalist/guitarist Stefanie Blondal Johnson comprise the core of the group, though they have more recently added bassist Corey Hykawy. The duo finds inspiration in a plethora of artists across a wide range of musical eras, from 70s rock like David Bowie and The Clash to 90s alternative/grunge.
This week’s selected track, “Beige Corolla” is built around an ethereal groovy catchy guitar that dances around Johnson’s expansive vocals.
1) Flying Lotus – “BIG MAMA EP”(2026)
The highly accomplished DJ, record producer, filmmaker, and rapper known as Flying Lotus, Captain Murphy, or FlyLo, has released six albums in his eclectic two-decade career. He began as an intern for Stones Throw Records, the label his first record belonged to. His 2011 release “Cosmogramma” was a career-defining hit, incorporating elements of soul, IDM, and jazz and a star-studded personnel list. He has worked alongside the likes of Thundercat (who contributed on bass to “Cosmogramma”), Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar, and Herbie Hancock among numerous others.
This week’s highlighted track, “Captain Kernel” is an 8-bit infused electronic track with an airy opening and danceable synths.
Top Tracks of the Week
5) Samm Henshaw – “It Could Be Worse” (2026)
Born and raised in South London, Samm Henshaw’s love for music originated with the gospel music that scored his childhood. The son of a reverend, singer- songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Henshaw released his first EP in 2015. His work centers around pop-inspired R&B and soul, his earliest inspirations including Stevie Wonder and D’Angelo. He has supported both Chance the Rapper and Allen Stone on tour and his work has been featured in multiple artistic projects, including the 2022 film Hustle.
This week’s selected track, “Closer” leads in with some breezy bongos, contributing to the song’s carefree atmosphere along with ethereal backing vocals. – mercy mercy me/what’s happening brother
4) Yumi Zouma – “No Love Lost to Kindness” (2026)
Hailing from New Zealand, four-piece alternative pop band Yumi Zouma’s sound has greatly evolved with each new iteration. Their first release, a 2014 EP “EP I” was written entirely using file sharing services, as most members of the group had moved abroad. After adding members to create the current lineup, the group released a second EP the next year and toured across North America and Europe with Jamie xx. Their sound originally moved towards more dream pop and synth pop, however their newest record “No Love Lost to Kindness” experiments with a heavier sound.
This week’s chosen track, “Blister” is pop-oriented alternative rock that opens with an exhilarating guitar hook and filtered vocals.
3) Dirt Buyer – “Dirt Buyer III” (2026)
Dirt Buyer is the solo project of Joe Sutkowski that he started in 2019 to explore more slowcore and emo instrumentation in his home studio. “Dirt Buyer III” is the third installment in the series, each release reaching higher fidelity as his bandwidth for production increased. From lo-fi downtempo rock to emotional acoustic guitarwork, Dirt Buyer has evolved in its 7 years of storytelling. This album focuses on themes of autonomy and coming of age, and features the drummers of indie rock group Momma and Model/Actriz.
This week’s highlighted track, “Get to Choose” is emotionally raw yet upbeat, with an early-2010s hard emo sound.
2) Gorillaz – “The Mountain” (2026)
A mainstay in the alternative/hip-hop scene since their self-titled debut in 2001, Gorillaz consist of four cartoon band members. Behind the scenes, the creators of Gorillaz are none other than Blur frontman Damon Albarn and illustrator and artist Jamie Hewlett. Known for their specialty of scouring far and wide for unique features, this newest release features artists like Sparks, IDLES, Anoushka Shankar, and Black Thought and pulls inspiration from classical Indian instrumentation. On the album we also see two returning artists who were previously collaborators on “Plastic Beach”: Bobby Womack and Paul Simonon.
This week’s selected track, “The God of Lying” features British post-punk group IDLES with a swanky bassline and classic Gorillaz eclectic sampling.
1) Ratboys – “Singin’ to an Empty Chair” (2026)
Indie rock group Ratboys started with lead vocalist Julia Steiner and lead guitarist Dave Sagan in 2012 as students on the University of Notre Dame campus. After the release of their first album “AOID” in 2015, they continued touring across the US, honing their sound and performing with artists like Sorority Noise and Pinegrove. Five albums later, the band’s current lineup now includes bassist Sean Neumann and drummer Marcus Nuccio. Now based in Chicago, their latest release mixes pop-punk energy with indie rock instrumentation.
Our Gem of the Week is “Light Night Mountains All That” features some tasteful lyrical repetition.