Alt-country band Wednesday’s new crunchy, cathartic and beautifully mundane album, Bleeds, is out today.
Graham Tolbert/Dead Oceans
hide caption
toggle caption
Graham Tolbert/Dead Oceans
It’s Friday, which unfortunately does not guarantee good tidings these days. Whether the unpredictability leaves you longing for a calm escape or craving a good scream into nothingness, today’s new music has you covered.
If you’re looking for the former, Stephen Thompson and Kyle Meredith from Louisville Public Media dive into Kentucky’s own tranquil and familiar Joan Shelley and her soothing new album, Real Warmth. And if it’s the latter you’re after, they wax praise for alt-country band Wednesday and their crunchy, cathartic and beautifully mundane, Bleeds.
Hear our hosts crack open these two albums, as well as Sarah McLachlan’s nostalgic return and a few more standouts wherever you get your podcasts, and make sure to scroll down for the complete list of today’s best albums.
The Starting Five
Joan Shelley.
Nick Rasmussen/No Quarter
hide caption
toggle caption
Nick Rasmussen/No Quarter
Our hosts share the backstories and best songs from the following albums:
💿 Joan Shelley, Real Warmth
Recommended If You Like: Hurray For The Riff Raff, Jess Williamson
💿 Lola Young, I’m Only F****** Myself
RIYL: Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan
💿 Wednesday, Bleeds
RIYL: The Drive-By Truckers, MJ Lenderman
💿 Sarah McLachlan, Better Broken
RIYL: Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette
💿 Yasmine Hamdan, I remember I forget بنسى وبتذكر
RIYL: Soapkills, Lucrecia Dalt
New Music Friday is a feature of NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast. Hear the discussion on the NPR App, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Lightning Round
Joy Crookes
Sony UK
hide caption
toggle caption
Sony UK
Five more albums we wish we had time to discuss on the podcast:
💿 Kieran Hebden & William Tyler, 41 Longfield Street Late ’80s
💿 Nine Inch Nails, Tron: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
💿 Lawrence Matthews, Between Mortal Reach & Posthumous Grip
💿 Joy Crookes, Juniper
💿 Joanne Robertson, Blurrr
Listen to each album’s best songs on our New Music Friday playlists on Spotify and Apple, or wherever you stream music.
The Long List
Castle Rat
King Volume Records
hide caption
toggle caption
King Volume Records
For those who want to dig even deeper, here are the week’s new albums sorted by genre:
Rock/Alt/Indie
Castle Rat, The BestiaryPavement, Hecklers ChoiceALA.NI, Sunshine MusicGolden Apples, Shooting StarMaura Weaver, Strange DevotionTotal Wife, Come Back DownBad Cop Bad Cop, Lighten UpBiffy Clyro, FutiqueBlack Heart Procession, Hearts & Tanks EPBlack Lips, Season Of The PeachBoo Boos, Young LoveCharlie Pittman, okay.again? EPCuddle Magic, UnderwaterDeaf Club, We Demand A Permanent State Of HappinessEades, Final Sirens CallHayden, Elk-Lake Serenade (20th Anniversary)Jack Schneider, Streets Of SeptemberKadhja Bonet, Battlewear EPKamelo, Eternity (30th Anniversary Edition) [2025 Remaster]KennyHoopla, conditions of an orphan// EPLawn, God Made The HighwayLos Straitjackets, Somos Los StraitjacketsMilo Korbenski, Sex AngelMIRADOR, MIRADORMotion City Soundtrack, The Same Old Wasted Wonderful WorldMud Slick, Keep Crawlin In The MudMúm, History of SilenceNation of Language, Dance Called MemoryNative Sun, Concrete LanguageNewDad, AltarNovembers Doom, Major ArcanaOcean Alley, Love BalloonOrua & Reverse Death, Reflectors Vol. 1Paradise Lost, AscensionPhoto Ops, Opening Up To StrangersPompey, I’m Scaredpôt-pot, Warsaw 480kmR-Zac and MC Scallywag, F*** the F****** F****** EPReverse Yr Curse, Where are we going and when will we be thereRipe, Play the GameScarlet Rae, No Heavy GoodbyesSecret World, Tomorrow Is A Mystery To Me EPSoulkeeper, Join Us In Creating Excellence EPSpecies, ChangelingsSummerbruise, Infinity GuiseThe Divine Comedy, Rainy Sunday AfternoonThe Favors, The DreamThe Happy Fit, LovesickThe Oxys, Casting Pearls Before SwineThe Prize, In the RedThe Sirens Of Titan, Lost KingdomThe Third Mind, Right Now!Toro y Moi, Unerthed: Hole Erth UnpluggedWicca Phase Springs Eternal, Mossy Oak ShadowWilder Maker, The Streets Like Beds Still Warmbloom effect, oscilón EPJordan Patterson, The HermitTune-Yards, Tell the Future With Your Body EPMax Winter, Mourning RoutineEvan Honer, Everything I WantedThe Paradox, NSFWFrazey Ford, Indian Ocean (Reissue)maxine funke, Timeless Town
Classical
Christopher Stark, Fire Ecologies
Country/Folk/Americana
Bones Owens, Best WesternBriscoe, Heat of JulyCole Chaney, In The Shadow of the MountainJackson Scribner, Depression KidsJohn Calvin Abney, Transparent TownsJon Nolan, Slow CookerJosh Ross, Later TonightMappe Of, AftergladesMike Miz, Sometimes by SurprisePeter Stampfel, Song ShardsThe Pink Stones, Thank The Lord, It’s the Pink StonesVincent Lima, To Love A Thing That Fades
Electronic/Out There
Muskila, JAH NAMJASS, Eager BuyerBen Bondy, XO Salt Llif3Elninodiablo, The Dawny GrooveHideki Umezawa & Giuseppe Cordaro, Terrarum MurmurMicrocorps, Clear Vortex ChamberPegg, Presque Tout: Variations no. 435-514 “Baseball Season,” Pegg & Van Dyke ParksSammy Virji, Same Day CleaningSemtek, Four More DubsShapednoise, Absurd Matter 2Weathertunes, Umami EPjohnny sais quoi, Love On IceByron Yeates, Pansy Beat
Global
Cécile McLorin Salvant.
Ebru Yildiz/Nonesuch
hide caption
toggle caption
Ebru Yildiz/Nonesuch
Jazz
Cécile McLorin Salvant, Oh SnapJames Danderfer, If Not NowJohn Taylor, Marc Johnson, Joey Baron, TramontoPatrick Shiroishi, Forgetting Is ViolentRabbath Electric Orchestra, Amall
Pop
BAKAR, BEASTIEBenjamin Elgar, Make It Through The NightKitba, Hold the EdgesLeith Ross, I Can See The FutureThe BossHoss, Back to the BootsVenice Qin, MOONLANDINGdjank , POOSHKAMartox, Caracol: Vueltas y VueltasLabrinth, Prelude
R&B/Soul
cktrl, spiritHalima, Sweet ToothJÁNA , OrbitKendra Morris, NextBrent Faiyaz, ICON
Rap/Hip-Hop
Cardi B, AM I THE DRAMA?Atmosphere, Slug & Ant, JesturesKojey Radical, Don’t Look Downpraise, LOST EPV/A, HIM (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)Destroy Lonely, 3Young Thug, UY SCUTIMilo J, La Vida Era Mas Cortaclipping., Dead Channel Sky Plus