Wait. May is over already? Some parts of the country are still struggling to get above 20C and to dry out from near-continuous rain. Meanwhile, parts of the West are burning down. But that’s just 2025, innit? Here are some New Music Friday recommendations to help you cope.
Singles
1. Born Ruffians, Athena (Wavy Haze Records)
Toronto-based Born Ruffians are about to head out on the road to play festivals across the country. They’ve timed the releases of their new album, Beauty’s Pride, for next Friday. To get things started, we have this single.
2. Lorde, Man of the Year (Republic)
The hype for Lorde’s new album, Virgin (due June 27), has been building for about a month now. And so far so good: A sold-out North American tour starts in September, Europe is also sold out, and there have been millions upon millions of Spotify streams for the first single, What Was That. This is the new single.
3. Rise Against!, I Want It All (Concord)
If there was ever a year we needed a group like Rise Against!, it’s 2025. They’ll be on the road most of the summer playing arena shows and festivals. By the time the new album, Ricochet, arrives on August 15, fans will know all the words. Damn, this is a good one.
4. Royal Wood, Give It Up (Cordova Bay Records)
If you don’t know Royal, he’s a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has been nominated for both JUNOs and Canadian Folk Music awards. His last album, What Tomorrow Brings, was nominated for a Grammy last year. He’ll be touring a lot this summer and will inevitably break out this new single.
5. Wolf Alice, Bloom Baby Bloom (Columbia)
It’s been four years since we last year anything new from Wolf Alice and during that time, they switched up their sound again. This first single gives an idea of where things might land when their new album, The Clearing, is released on August 29.]
6. Yellowcard, Better Days (Better Noise Music – Canada)
Yellowcard? The band from the early aughts? Yep, they’re back, too with an upcoming album, Better Days, produced by Travis Barker of Blink-182 due October 10. (Yes, we’re already talking about records that will come out for Thanksgiving). This will be there first full-length album in about a decade. The video for this first single is fun.
Albums
1. Garbage, Let All That We Imagine Be the Light (BMG Rights Management)
This is Garbage’s eight studio album and it sounds like, well, Garbage. Fun facts: At 58, Shirley Manson is the youngest member of the band. Butch and Steve are in their 60s. Duke Erikson is the oldest at 74. Who says that there’s a time limit on being an alt-rocker? Great production, as always.
2. David Lowery, Fathers, Sons, and Brothers (Cooking Vinyl)
The Camper Van Beethoven/Cracker man has just released a 28-track highly autobiographical album that he says “celebrates his youth, family, friends, and the highs and lows of his lengthy 40-year career. A three-LP/two-CD set also contains three albums that were released only online. This single is about as autobiographical as it gets.
3. The Minus 5, Oar On, Penelope! (Yep Roc)
Here’s some old-school pop rock led by Scott McCaughey, originally of the college rock band Young Fresh Fellows. This latest album features frequent collaborator Peter Buck of REM, Debbi Peterson of The Bangles, Patterson Hood from Drive-By Truckers, and more. The producer is Ed Stasium, the guy behind so many Ramones records.
Oar On, Penelope! by The Minus 5
Swans, Birthing (Mute/Young God)
Yes, this is the experiment band formed in New York City in 1981. Michael Gira is still in charge of the crew (there are more than 50 ex-members) and this is their 17th album. How experimental are they? The first single from this record is 19 minutes long.
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