A moody and tangled debut from mary in the junkyard, a supremely talented trio, gives us this week's A Song For Friday. Also: Akusmi and Play Time. anearful.substack.com/p/a-song-for...

Here for it. CS Cleaners album release show at TV Eye - with a killer undercard: Badger Hunt, Jean Mignon, and Pippy. The latter is Kaley Honeycutt’s latest project - her album Coasting hit my Top 25 in 2020! #livemusic @wharfcatrecords.bsky.social

Here's a track that should stop you in yours! Glitch, melody, and rhythm assembled and set on STUN. @keeavil.bsky.social - delay (visualiser) Album, Vapor, coming October 9th from NNA Tapes. youtu.be/y5fGKGyiZNw?...

With July and the mid-year Top 25 on the horizon, here’s a look back at 115 reviews from April to June. Plus: Leah Senior, Boogarins, The Get Alongs, Pippy, CS Cleaners, Ryan Rickenbach, John McLaughlin, Natalia Catalan, Slayyyter, and Brennan/Courvoisier. anearful.substack.com/p/2026-secon...

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced (Reprise, 1967/74) How could this be a debut album? Hendrix was already the full package, and he’s been expanding my mind since I was a child, especially since my teenage years. He never ceases to thrill me! #5debutalbumssf1

The second single from Emily A. Sprague's Cyano is out now, and it's a sublime conjunction of her songwriting and her ambient explorations. Listen to Sing To now, and set aside time for the album on October 2nd. @rvngintl.bsky.social youtu.be/2Dyf36E-YYU?...

On Guest List (@hausumountain.bsky.social), M. Geddes Gengras welcomes a host of collaborators and gives us this week’s A Song For Friday. Also: Chanel Beads, Dominique And The Diamonds, Spacemoth, Alden Hellmuth, Josh Mason, and Robert Honstein. anearful.substack.com/p/a-song-for...

The Beatles - Live! At The Star Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 (Lingasong, 1977) Happy #globalbeatlesday, everyone!

Alright, I cut the 100 albums of @richards7370.bsky.social's #5DebutAlbumsSF1 down to 40 selections. Perhaps that will be helpful for others with good taste! 😉😂😎https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6mgbt6KINU0L6rt3AdhHoQ?si=aa2a18d032ca4385

Here for it. Maisy Owen at Music Inn performing songs from her tremendous @tompkinssquare.bsky.social debut, Dark On A Sunny Day. Excited to hear these songs in concert! #livemusic

A throat-grabbing debut EP from Philadelphia duo Cold Court delivers this week’s A Song For Friday. Also: Fruit Bats, Ruth Garbus, Me At The Zoo, Tara Clerkin Trio, Jo Mango, Michael F. Hunt, The Crossing/Aaron Helgeson, and Seabuckthorn. anearful.substack.com/p/a-song-for...

Never has something so sharp gone down so easy...slide into Clutter's new song, "Grease Baby" now! Debut album "Sugar Rush" out October 2, 2026, via @pnkslm.bsky.social. youtu.be/IkasWXJeJpU?...

Welcome back! Sounds so good, and that “whoo!” before the guitar solo was just what I needed. Julia Jacklin - Get Away From Me (I Think I'll Love You Soon) - Visualiser. New album, The Gem, coming 9/25 from @4ad.com. Not so far off! youtu.be/AJKKDreIXfo?... via @YouTube

This will have to do while I wait for these Outtanationalists to schedule a New York date! Pigeon - Miami | Later... with Jools Holland youtu.be/hLAvDlliaaA?... via @YouTube

Nnux’s marvelous new album, Metamorfosis, gives us this week’s A Song For Friday. Also: Billie Eilish, Alex Amen, Diles Que No Me Maten, Debit, Carlos Ferreira, and Wesely/Cocks/Ángeles/St. Louis/Costa. anearful.substack.com/p/a-song-for... #newmusicfriday

Breaking: Meg Duffy, AKA Hand Habits, 🔥torches🔥 their guitar on this new M. Geddes Gengras track, Seven Dials. More like 11 dials! Great stuff from Guest List, coming 6/26 from @hausumountain.bsky.social. youtu.be/NQo9pdvafRk?...

Boygenius - The Record (Interscope, 2023) While I like material by Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus, I LOVE this album, which plays to all their strengths and manages to perfectly ride the line between indie and pop. Three heads ARE better than one! #5debutalbums2026

Grace Cuell’s sublime second album as Baby Cool provides this week’s A Song For Friday. Also: zzzahara, Zoh Amba, Vince Staples, Lee "Scratch" Perry & Mouse On Mars, Grid Ila, Meadow Argus, Nolan Hildebrand, Joseph Franklin, and Diego Tedesco. anearful.substack.com/p/a-song-for... #newmusicfriday

Summer Like The Season - Hum (Young Heavy Souls, 2022) This is a deeply weird and seriously fun record anchored by Summer Krinsky’s drumming, which is always in the pocket and super creative. Love art, let’s dance! #5debutalbums2026

Book Report: The Age Of Bloomberg Indie. Us v. Them, Ronen Givony's compassionate and eloquent book, expertly encapsulates an era. anearful.substack.com/p/book-repor...

Here for it. Talea Ensemble playing the New York premiere of Felipe Lara’s Mazes And Portals with Conrad Tao, guest pianist, at National Sawdust. Brilliance will be on display! #livemusic

Make your summer #freeconcert season classy with the 2026 Season of the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts. It starts on June 9th with Dinnerstein, Bach, and Glass, and continues on June 23 with The Knights. Check the link for all the details! #livemusic naumburgconcerts.org/upcoming

Exciting news from the Frances Chang cinematic universe: A new album is coming on August 21st! Catch up with the latest single, Is affect real? (those strings, OMG), and get ready for been thinking about confession, to be released by @rvngintl.bsky.social. youtu.be/Kfm3QUzixzQ?...

Aoife Nessa Frances - Land Of No Junction (Basin Rock, 2020) A dream of an album, with Frances’ beguiling songs perfectly realized by her and her main collaborator, Cian Nugent. I also remember her atmospheric livestream, one of the best of that year! #5debutalbums2026

Yaeji - What We Drew (XL, 2020) Juicy beats and sunny melodies assembled with a Notes-app spontaneity put this on my turntable with an alarming frequency when it came out. Still my favorite release from her, but I keep checking! #5debutalbums2026

Welcome back, Mastodon - and RIP Brent Hinds. Your Ghost Again: youtu.be/ESdDBTmvQjs?...

Bonny Light Horseman - s/t (37d03d, 2020) Having seen an early version of BLH at Pioneer Works, I preordered this in 2019. It was even better than I expected, just the most gorgeous folk music, and I leaned on it like a crutch through that COVID year. Still love it! #5debutalbums2026

7ebra - Bird Hour (PNK SLM, 2023) Combining guitar, synth, organ, Mellotron, and drum samples, twin sisters Inez and Ella’ music is as evocative and bittersweet as the cover photo. New single out next week! #5debutalbums2026

Game recognizing game, as the women of Sub*T talk about the women of Plumtree on the latest episode of You, Me & An Album. Awesome discussion, especially for fans of Canada/twee/power-pop! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/y...

Feeble Little Horse gives us today’s A Song For Friday. Also: Emily A. Sprague, Lennie Rayen, Veps, Clutter, My Brother's Keeper, James Wengrow Crypsis Trio, Eli Shane, Nirmali Fenn, Evans-Weiler/Falzone, JACK Quartet, and Carrie Frey & Alex Van Gils. anearful.substack.com/p/a-song-for...

Honey Cutt - Coasting (Kanine , 2020) What a delight to revisit this pandemic-era gem! As I said in my review, “Led by Kaley Honeycutt, this trio sails in as a lighter-than-air confection of indie jangle with a little bit of quirk to add to the fun.” #5debutalbums2026

Trust me, you need more Clutter in your life - and here they are with a brand new song and a cool live video! Clear some room in your living room so you can dance to this one. Clutter in, clutter out! Out today on @pnkslm.bsky.social. youtu.be/pu_7Y-Ta8-A?...

Best Of 2025: Classical. While I can’t promise a broken dam, here at least is the first of my genre-specific lists from last year, featuring 72 fascinating releases, mostly from living composers. In a musical rut? Here’s your escape hatch! anearful.substack.com/p/best-of-20...

The fecundity of our recent musical era is reflected in the 150 albums in my #5debutalbums2026 playlist. And the volume of music released means I haven't listened to some of these since the year they came out. Looking forward to revisiting those! open.spotify.com/playlist/3VP...

Bob Dylan At 85: The Fire Still Burns. Celebrating the master’s 85th birthday with a playlist of Ten Great 21st Century Dylan Covers. Let me know your favorites! anearful.substack.com/p/bob-dylan-...

Here for it. Mike D. 5D & Very Nice Person at Xanadu Roller Arts. Ready for the Switch Up! #livemusic

A great rock debut from Beck Zegans gives us this week’s A Song For Friday. Also: The Devil Said Jump, @halfvivid.bsky.social, Levitation Room, Ekmeles, Futterman/Parker, Arthur King, Joshua Mastel & Alec Goldfarb, Tegh & Adel Poursamadi, Visible Cloaks anearful.substack.com/p/a-song-for...

This super-cool new track from M. Geddes Gengras is a flashing turn signal to follow him around the bend to his new album, Guest List, coming out on 6/26 from @HausuMountain. Start up Motore now and get ready for the ride! youtu.be/GuS535B_Bms?... #electronicmusic

Kostars - Klassics With A “K” (Grand Royal, 1996) In which Luscious Jackson’s Viv Trimble (RIP😢) & Jill Cunniff lean away from their band’s urban mashup into a sun-drenched, 60s-infused place of breezy strumming and bittersweet melodies. Pure charm! #5debutalbums9599

Here for it. At Roulette to celebrate the release of Matt Evans’ Daydream Observatory, out today on AKP! Psyched to hear some of these tracks live, especially as performed by Evans with Gushes, Laura Cocks, Ben Seretan, and Chris Ryan Williams - the Aquatic House band. A supergroup!

A transporting track from Daydream Observatory, Matt Evans’ latest masterpiece, is this week’s A Song For Friday. Also: David Bird, Caroline Shaw & Andrew Yee, Lea Bertucci, Phillip Golub, Danz CM, whait, and Emma Swift. anearful.substack.com/p/a-song-for... #newmusicfriday

Live Log 2026: Pecknold Sings Sill. One great American songwriter interprets another during a special evening at The 92nd Street Y. Also, some meditations on songwriting and THAT list from The New York Times. anearful.substack.com/p/live-log-2...

It's only taken me, um, over a DECADE to hear the "cosmic folk" of Eva Louise Goodman and her project Nighttime. One listen to the new song, and I was on board! Roll the dice and listen to Snake Eyes. Looking Glass, the new album, is out on July 10th. youtu.be/NNhvIPQV0XY?...

Cibo Matto - Viva! La Woman (Warner Bros., 1996) A smart, danceable delight and probably the hippest thing Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake were ever involved in. But it’s really the Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda show, and what a show it is. Viva! #5debutalbums9599

Money Mark - Mark’s Keyboard Repair (Mo Wax, 1995) Scrappy, low-fi fun for Beastie friends and anyone who likes a good little groove. He’s got 30 of’em on here. Well, 29 if you don’t count the fake ad that ends the album! #5debutalbums9599

Cast - All Change (Polydor, 1995) From the stasis of The La’s and the ashes of Shack came the mighty (for one album, anyway) Cast. If only all Britpop had sounded as good as their glammy Beatlemania. No wonder it was the fastest selling debut in Polydor history! #5debutalbums9599

Switch Up, a friend/legend's jam-packed banger of a debut single, is this week's A Song For Friday. Also: Loraine James, Black Milk, General Chaos, The Sleeves, Abby Fisher, and Maiani da Silva. anearful.substack.com/p/a-song-for... #newmusicfriday

Here for it. Hiss Golden Messenger I’m People record release event at Skinny Dennis. Apparently I’m not the only “people who need people” tonight! #livemusic

Black Grape - It’s Great When You’re Straight…Yeah (Radioactive, 1996) Before asking how these reprobates made one of the funkiest albums of all time, ask: who the heck is Danny Saber?? Guitar, bass, keyboards, programming, he can do it all!#5debutalbums9599

Ben Lee - Grandpaw Would (Grand Royal, 1995) Give me the child at 17 and I’ll give you the man? Not quite, as the charms of this album led not to the next Paul Westerberg (as I had hoped), but something far more anodyne. No matter - this is a joy. #5debutalbums9599