10 New Albums to Stream Today
Images via Alice Baxley/Domino, Anna Groth-Shive, Pooneh Ghana Music Lists New Albums
Another Friday, another crop of new music. As a listener, it can sometimes feel like an arduous task to parse through the mountain of releases that pile up this time of the week—we only do it in the hope that one of the albums we stumble upon will be something amazing. Luckily, that could be any number of the new albums out this week, and we’ve already done all the heavy lifting for you and provided you with the highlight reel of this new music Friday. Here are 10 essential new albums to stream today.
1. Amanda Palmer, There Will Be No Intermission
There Will Be No Intermission is Amanda Palmer’s first real solo project in seven years, and it’s a big one. Clocking in at just under 80 minutes, the album brings Palmer’s lyrical talents to the forefront and tackles everything from climate change and #MeToo to intense passion and grief. Palmer will perform in the Paste Studio this afternoon, starting at 2:30 p.m. ET—you can catch her set via the embed below.
2. Foals, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1
The Oxford rock crew that brought us hits like “My Number,” “Mountain at My Gates” and “Spanish Sahara” are back with their first new album since 2015. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 is an ambitious, quirky set of songs that deals in post-apocalyptic imagery and proggy, meandering melodies.
3. Helado Negro, This Is How You Smile
The musician born Roberto Carlos Lange has released his latest album asHelado Negro, This Is How You Smile. It follows last year’s Island Universe Story Four, and it’s just as comforting, dreamy and eloquent, if not more so.
4. Justus Proffit, L.A.’s Got Me Down
The Los Angeles sunshine has turned cold for Justus Proffit, the indie newcomer who put out a collaborative EP with Jay Som called Nothing’s Changed last year. L.A.’s Got Me Down features some of the songwriter’s best material yet, including the timeless, breezy single “Painted In The Sound,” as well as the emotional “Shadow of the Cross,” which premiered here at Paste.
5. Maren Morris, Girl
Country singer Maren Morris makes a promising case for next-big-thing status on her debut Girl, which picks up where Kacey Musgraves left off with Golden Hour by laughing in the face of the Nashville patriarchy. Check out Paste’s full review of Girl here.
6. Meat Puppets, Dusty Notes
The massively influential proto-punk band Meat Puppets are back with their first release in eight years, Dusty Notes. The Kirkwood brothers and their band have always had a trace of Deadhead in them, and Dusty Notes really lets that impulse run free. The Meat Puppets on wax here are a lot different than the ones who made a guest appearance on Nirvana’s MTV: Unplugged back in the day, but they’re no less ragged, weird and completely captivating.
7. Nick Waterhouse, Nick Waterhouse
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and guitarist Nick Waterhouse has returned with his fourth album of wide-eyed retro soul and early rock ‘n’ roll tunes. His self-titled album is his best yet and hides discerning, world-weary lyrics in an exuberant package of ‘50s nostalgia.
8. SASAMI, SASAMI
L.A.-based songwriter Sasami Ashworth has finally put out her debut album SASAMI after spending years circling the rock world as a touring and studio musician for artists like Cherry Glazerr, Wild Nothing and Vagabon. SASAMI is a mysterious and utterly captivating record, full of witty lyricism and knotty, infectious hooks.
9. Stella Donnelly, Beware of the Dogs
Perth songwriter Stella Donnelly’s debut album Beware of the Dogs, one of our most-anticipated releases of the month, is a fearless takedown of all the things that make the world difficult right now, set to the sounds of your favorite contemporary indie artist. “Oh, are you scared of me old man / Or are you scared of what I’ll do / You grabbed me with an open hand / The world is grabbing back at you,” she sings on opener “Old Man.”
10. Townes Van Zandt, Sky Blue
The surviving family of legendary singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt have put together a posthumous collection of demos and unreleased material to commemorate what would have been his 75th birthday. Sky Blue’s 11 tracks include two songs that have never been heard before, along with a cover of the Tom Paxton classic “The Last Thing on My Mind.”