American Football

LP3 (Polyvinyl / Big Scary Monsters)

Sure, it was cool to have new music from American Football in the form of their 2016 LP. But that (in hindsight, probably overpraised) effort pales in comparison to the frequently gorgeous and sometimes downright haunting compositions on LP3. With the band seeming to be back in peak, emotionally resonant form, dare I say there's a future for this group, a prospect that seemed incredibly unlikely just a few years ago?

Boobs of DOOM

(17): Skeleton Jazz Wizard (Independent)

This super-prolific Scottish electro/doom/whatever group has released an album every month in 2019. The June release, unsurprisingly, features a bit of everything, from industrial electronic to comparative chilled out ambient music and lounge grooves, much of it presented with brain-liquefying levels of distortion and noise. Weird stuff this, but agreeably so.

La Dispute

Panorama (Epitaph)

La Dispute builds upon 2014's outstanding Rooms of the House with another work that demonstrates their ability to weave positively compelling, evocative stories all the while displaying a masterful integration of music and words. I gotta give credit to any band that produces an album this devastating in terms of imagery and themes and somehow makes it not only tolerable but maybe even enjoyable, with the overwhelming somber mood offset by well-placed moments of beauty and cautious hope.

Otoboke Beaver

Itekoma Hits (Damnably)

From jerky and furious punk rock assaults to catchy singalongs and bits of irresistible bubblegum pop, this compilation album by and large succeeds at the seemingly impossible task of capturing Otoboke Beaver's raw energy. Don't let the foreign language lyrics scare you away: this album, and the band in general, is simply fun to listen to.

夢遊病者 (Sleepwalker)

Ѫ (Yus) (Sentient Ruin Laboratories)

I once read musician (and Charles Manson follower/convicted murderer) Bobby Beausoleil's soundtrack to Kenneth Anger's Lucifer Rising described as being "black with lizard eyes." I think that description would also apply to the output of 夢遊病者. Shadowy vocals and overall murkiness give Ѫ (Yus) the feeling that it's a field recording of a dark ritual, yet the warm harmonics featured in the instrumental parts give it fleeting moments of strange tranquility. For my money, this band is one of psychedelic music's best kept secrets.

- Andy

Spirit Adrift

Divided By Darkness (20 Buck Spin)

Spirit Adrift's rise has been wonderful to behold and Divided by Darkness shows that emotion need not be a mood killer - instead the band take those feelings and punch up the melody in order to create life affirming metal.

Read our review

Starless Domain

EOS (Self-released)

Space is ripe for exploration and Starless Domain use outer limits to inform a debut that is an ode to the cosmos.

Read our review

Mephorash

Shem Ha Mephorash (Shadow Records)

Sweden's Mephorash finally unleash their potential for greatness with a black metal record that is rich in tone with a lyrical prowess that belies the relative youth of the band. It's a fascinating exploration of the esoteric. 

Read Cheryl's review

Sinmara

Hvísl Stjarnanna (Ván Records)

The Icelandic black metal scene is one that has its star firmly in the ascent and Sinmara are one of the leading lights of the scene. Hvísl Stjarnanna is a powerful and oftentimes beautiful work that speaks of being outside the normal stuctures than humanity has built. 

Read Cheryl's review

Idle Hands

Mana (EisenWald)

Goth is alive and well in 2019 and Idle Hands have one of the catchiest records of the year with debut Mana. It's vital and a joy to listen despite the dark subject matter. 

- Cheryl

Bad Religion

Age Of Unreason (Epitaph)

Like Teenage Bottlerocket, Bad Religion is a band that can do no wrong for me. Yeah, not every album is that great, but there’s always a lot to enjoy. This album is no different. I have not had the opportunity to spin it a lot of times, but right now I think Age Of Unreason is one of the better albums after my personal favorite The Process Of Belief.

ESC Life

Born To Be Mild (PDV Records/Last Exit Music/Ill In The Head Records/Bartolini Records)

This Hüsker Dü-influenced band released another great album again. I keep coming back to this album and it is proving itself as a great soundtrack for the summer, no matter how young that summer still is. ESC Life have mastered the art of sounding relaxed and energetic at the same time which is just what I need at the moment.

Read our review

Orphanage Named Earth

Saudade (Sanctus Propaganda/Phobia Records)

Last year's debut album had some teething troubles, but showed plenty potential. Those teething troubles are gone on second album Saudade. This record oozes a longing to a different time, a different mentality. This has touched me more than I thought at the time of writing the review. It has become my go to medicine when I am afraid of losing faith in mankind.

Read our review

Teenage Bottlerocket

Stay Rad! (Fat Wreck Chords)

This band can do no wrong for me. I love every single album they have released so far and Stay Rad! is no exception. Eight songs into their career Teenage Bottlerocket sounds as youthful as they did on their 2003 debut album. You may consider that a bit silly, if you want, but I hope they will stay this way for a bit longer, ‘cause it gives us awesome songs over and over again!

We Never Learned To Live

The Sleepwalk Transmissions (Holy Roar Records)

Some bands grow by getting better at what they have done all along. We Never Learned To Live is one of those bands. The Sleepwalk Transmissions is not too different from their previous releases, in fact, it is very recognizable. The band has refined its sound on this album and I love it, as I loved the previous releases (this seems to be the theme of this list for me…). This is a fine post-hardcore album.

Read our review

- Dennis

Cherry Glazerr

Stuffed & Ready (Secretly Canadian) 

Cherry Glazerr’s latest album still remains my #1 release so far in 2019—the vocals haunt me in the best way, the guitars are dreamy enough to take me away, and the combo together is everything I want in an album and more. I’m obsessed, and you should be too.

Read our review

Ramona

Deals, Deals, Deals! (Red Scare Industries)

Ramona has been around for a few years now, but aside from local notoriety, haven’t gained much momentum. That is until now—Ramona has managed to produce a fresh take on punk with their new record and I can’t stop listening to it. It’s catchy, the production quality is top-notch without trying too hard, and the music is just damn good.

The National

I Am Easy to Find (4AD)

Over the years I’ve found a real appreciation for The National’s music, with their new album being no exception. The moody lyrics and deep vocals mixed with the beautiful almost-melancholy music don’t necessarily make this record stand out amongst past ones, but it’s also not a sound I ever get tired of.

Joey Cape

Let Me Know When You Give Up (Fat Wreck Chords)

I’ve always thought Joey Cape’s solo music has been underrated—Lagwagon’s music remains untouchable, but I never knew the depth of Cape’s vocals until his solo work. If you’ve never listened to Joey Cape’s softer side, now is your chance. 

Teenage Bottlerocket

Stay Rad (Fat Wreck Chords)

Teenage Bottlerocket always highlights everything I love about punk—their music is fun, fast, and loud. Despite all the ups and downs with the band, I’m loving that they are sticking to their roots and still producing the same fun-loving tracks.

- Kristen Swanson

Pandemix

In Condemnation (Dirt Cult Records)

This is some kitchen sink punk that takes strong influence from a wide swath of classics but makes it their own, somewhat in a peace punk vibe. Serious attitude and serious anger. Oh yeah.

Read our review

Dead Bars

Regular (A-F Records)

The first I heard Dead Bars, I loved it but I couldn’t imagine them doing long-players. Boy was I wrong. This stuff just keeps getting better. Cynical and insightful songs about aging rockers.

Read our review

The Coathangers

The Devil You Know (Suicide Squeeze Records)

On this album the band coalesced a little bit, pulling their different songwriting styles together. It’s a little more accessible in a way, a little blunt and political at times, and as great as everything else they’ve put out.

Read our review

BlackDots

Everything Has Gotta Change (Snappy Little Numbers/La Escalera)

A new discovery with some familiar faces holding the instruments. This is peppy with a lot of vocal tradeoffs that make it bounce. The positive vibes on the surface, though, mask some serious scars.

Read our review

Evening Standards

World’s End (Let’s Pretend Records)

A band I discovered simply by doing Scene Point Blank. Evening Standards play heartfelt DIY punk with Midwestern sensibilities, and ear for melody, and lots of harmonizing that pulls it all together.

Read our review

- Loren

Baroness

Gold & Grey

The progressive sludge scene of the '00s produced a stunning array of acts, but few experimented with their core sound as heavily as Baroness. Their latest (double) record Gold & Grey is the apex of a transformative process, seeing the band from Georgia enhancing its lyricism, diving deeper into its psychedelic essence, revisiting their punk-ish heritage, but without ever forgetting their point of origin. 

Sunn O)))

Life Metal

Sunn O))) set a high bar for themselves in 2009 with the release of the seminal Monoliths & Dimensions, and even though they only slightly missed it with Kannon, they return better than ever with Life Metal. The record marks a new era for the band, as this work displays a return to their minimalistic beginnings emphasized under a different light through Steve Albini's organic engineering.

Read our review

Waste of Space Orchestra

Syntheosis

Syntheosis marks the unification of two of Finland's finest extreme metal acts, psychedelic masters Oranssi Pazuzu and ritualistic occultists Dark Buddha Rising. Even though the notion of two bands composing and performing together is anything but novel, few seem to have worked so hard or managed to find such a fine artistic balance as with Waste of Space Orchestra. The result is an ambitious work, creating an overarching entity that showcases the best that today's extreme metal has to offer.

My Disco

Environment

There are few acts that have changed so much over as My Disco has. Math rock, industrial and post-punk are just some of the diverse areas they have visited, but for their new work the band dives full on in the minimalistic domain. Environment is the deconstruction of My Disco's vision, a record that acts as a negative space, a shadow to the band's original vision. It is a terrifying process that very few would see through and even fewer would pull off. Thankfully, My Disco is among those.

King Midas Sound

Solitude

- Spyros Stasis

Glitterer

1001

The new singles from Glitterer's upcoming album, Looking Through The Shades, feel like a shoegazey lullaby. Ned Russin's velvety melancholic vocals accompany pretty, reverb-coated synths. Mid-tempo distorted guitar progressions recall the later mid-tempo melodic punk and shoegaze we heard from Title Fight. 

Frustration

The Drawback

This latest release from France's Frustration combines darkwave-y intergalactic synths with aggressive bass lines. They recall classic three-chord punk rock with antagonistic vocals, which seem extra bratty on this release. Vocalist Fabrice Gilbert summons Mark E. Smith and Jello Biafra as he barks over creepy high-pitched synths and speedy guitars. 

Vanna Inget

Utpoi

Vanna Inget keeps their tempo up on punkier songs here, but slow down and add more poppy piano. Their broadened sound is led by a very impressive range of powerpop vocals and bittersweet backing vocals, of which I can't understand a damn word, but it all sounds beautiful! While the crunchy guitar still infuses the sound with punk, a range of influences is heard here – from post punk to soul to soft indie rock: the piano-led ballads combine with acoustic guitar, shimmering synths, acid rock guitar solos, and groovy drum breaks.

Read our review

The Dead Cult

Cataclyst

Despite my immature previous write-off of electronic music, this new project features one of my favorite thrashing guitarists, who previously played in Modern Life is War. So I had to check it out. They are a hybrid of punk, hardcore, metal, drum and bass, and hardcore techno, which has its roots in the band’s hometown of Rotterdam. It's doomy, punky, political, and hard-hitting. This entire EP perfectly blends dark punk and metal influences with creepy electronics and amen breaks. Hardcore vocals in fist-pump fashion launch over saturated synths that twist through feedback and murky metal riffs.

Read our review

Nots

3

Nots' bass-heavy post-punk winds through feedback and creepy sci-fi radio waves. Vocalist and guitarist Natalie Hoffman commands the keyboard throughout the album while sticking to her signature sing-scream wail. She provides both effects and haunting lead melodies that complement catchy, bold bass lines.

- Stephanie Thornton

Visigoth

Bells of Awakening (Metal Blade Records)

Heavy metal songs about Dark Souls? There is nothing else to add here except - it is perfect. 

Panopticon

The Crescendo of Dusk (independent)

Two tracks that are odes to the northern lights, one rendered in aggressive black metal and the other in folky sweetness. Both are Panopticon to the core. 

Monarque

Jusqu'à la mort (Sepulchral Productions)

Métal Noir Québécois has its own sound and Monarque are one of the leading lights of this scene. Having been quiet for almost six years, Jusqu'à la mort is a reminder that Monarque are not to be forgotten about. 

Triumvir Foul

Urine of Abomination (Vrasubatlat)

Death metal that doesn't hold back from its ideas and confronts them directly and with minimal grace. In this case you can most definitely judge this by its front cover. Yikes. 

Lvcifyre

Sacrament (Dark Descent Records)

Lvcifyre have been a long time in releasing new music after 2014s Svn Eater and Sacrament is just enough to tide us over until more new music is forthcoming. It's a fantastically written work that creates a dark atmosphere from the outset. 

- Cheryl

Aoratos

Gods Without Name (Debemur Morti Productions)

I am pretty sure this is what nightmares are made of. Aoratos plays black metal that is mixed with dark ambient. The end-result is not an album that grabs you by the throat, but rather one that creeps up on you and slowly drains all oxygen from your surroundings. If you like Akhlys or Nightbringer, you need this in your life. Those two references are no coincidence as they all are the works of one dark mind.

Misþyrming

Algleymi (Norma Evangelium Diaboli)

Algleymi is the second album of this Icelandic black metal band. It is dark and raw, dissonant at times, but somehow very engaging. It is slightly more accessible than their debut, but maintains that dark energy. Great stuff!

Devil Master

Satan Spits On Children Of Light (Relapse)

Can you mix black metal and punk? Of course you can. Devil Master proved it on their demo and EP and now on their debut album as well. It is almost comical how many influences are mixed together. There is Japanese hardcore, Discharge, Venom, NWOBHM riffs, you name it, this record has it. What it also has, in heaps, is fun. Highly recommended.

neànder

neànder (Through Love Records)

neànder (no capital letter, indeed) is a German band that plays some kind of instrumental post-metal sludge hybrid. It is heavy as a really heavy thing and dreamy at the same time. This self-titled album only has four songs, but as true post-metallers, four songs is enough to fill an entire album. Want to give this a spin? Be ready to be taken to a different place!

Sacrifizer

La Mort Triomphante (Big Bad Wolf Records)

I am cheating a bit here as this is not an album, but an EP. It is just so good I can not not mention it here. So here we go: do you like speed metal? I mean the satanic kind that is so heavily rooted in the 80’s it might have been from that era. I can tell you you need this in your life. The vocals are over the top (plenty of helium high pitched screams coming along), the production is top notch, and,I like this so much: you can actually hear the bass guitar. From experience I can tell you to go check ‘m out live if you have the opportunity.

- Dennis

Endless Column

S/T (Erste Theke Thontrager)

There are a couple of albums that really deserve my attention, but somehow I missed until now. Endless Column's self titled album is one of those albums. I checked out their debut EP a couple years ago because of the Red Dons connection. I could argue that this band deserves your attention if you like the Red Dons, but what I hope for is that they prove they don’t need any namedropping.

Nucleus

Entity (Unspeakable Axe)

I am a sucker for sci-fi themed bands. Especially if they can translate that theme into music. Enter Nucleus. They’re debut featured death metal with a couple of strange effects that launched me into space immediately. On a split the band experimented with different influences, but remained spacey as hell. I can only hope this album can live up to my high expectations!

Bruce Springsteen

Western Stars (Columbia Records)

When I discovered The Gaslight Anthem I read about Bruce Springsteen influences in about every review I found. After ignoring this man almost my whole life I discovered he has made some awesome music. It took me a couple of years, but I collected his entire discography. Well, his full albums that is. Not every album is a classic, but every album has a at least a couple of songs that I’ve come to love. I know I need to add this album to my collection as well. Perhaps this is also a good time to buy a live album, but where to start?

Belzebubs

Pantheon Of The Nightside Gods (Century Media)

A comic about black metal that is actually really funny. And then you find out that the band in the comic has actually released an album. I have had the time to watch one video and it is right up my alley. Now all I need to do is find the time to check this symphonic black metal album and give it some proper play time. I’d say summer is the perfect time for that, wouldn’t you?

The Rosedales

Stereoghosts (Shallow Grave Records)

As you might or might not know I am a sucker for horrorpunk. There was a time I would buy everything released under that moniker. I am a bit more picky nowadays, but a new album by The Rosedales after all this time is something that I need to invest in!

- Dennis

Lizzo

Cuz I Love You (Nice Life / Atlantic)

Lizzo is the definition of a badass—her music is uncompromising and bold, much like herself. She pours her personality into her music making it charismatic, yet soulful; I mean how many artists out there can play the hell out of the flute and twerk at the same time? Lizzo’s blend of genres not only propels her music out of this world, but it also makes her the top badass of 2019 thus far.

Ariana Grande

thank u, next (Republic)

When I tell people I listen to Ariana Grande they are always so surprised—mostly because she’s a ‘mainstream’ artist—but it’s 2019 and are we really judging music based on how mainstream it is? I used to be a music snob, and now, I’m just a music listener. Grande is killing the game with entire albums (not just singles) and her autobiographical music is more relatable than you might think. Plus, have you heard her voice? One word to describe it: Badass.

Qveen Herby

EP 6 (Checkbook)

This isn’t Qveen Herby’s first time releasing music, but she was determined to reinvent her true self and empower others to do the same. And she’s been killing it ever since like the badass she is. This is her second (yes, second) EP of the year, and with no signs of slowing down, you better get on board or else get out of her way. 

Tierra Whack

Unemployed Single (Interscope)

Do yourself a favor and check out Tierra Whack’s second single of 2019. Actually, do yourself a bigger favor and check out all of her music. This badass from Philly is releasing some of the sickest and smoothest tracks I’ve ever heard. Whether you’re new to contemporary rap music or you want a fresh take on new music; Tierra Whack is where to start.

Sasha Sloan

Dancing With Your Ghost Single (RCA)

Although Sasha Sloan has been writing music for a few years now, she’s only been releasing her own since 2018. But with a heartbreakingly beautiful voice and lyrics to assist, Sloan is only getting started. There’s an elegant, rawness to her music that makes her a badass to watch out for in 2019.

- Kristen Swanson