Spring 2026 New Music Playlist

  Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "Don't Think About It" – Teen Daze
2. "Sullen Passage" – M83

3. "The Old Law" – Father John Misty

4. "Ascension" – Nightbus

5. "Out of Phase" – Alexis Taylor, Lola Kirke

6. "Drag" – Yumi Zouma

7. "This City's Tryna Break My Heart" – Hemi Hemingway

8. "Hot Pavement" – Ages and Ages

9. "Luxury Bunkers" – Outerboros, Vacationer

10. "Evie" – Holy Fuck

11. "Lil One" – Joaquin Paster, Patrick Logothetti, James Supercase

12. "Circles" – Large

13. "Even Mountains Erode" – Lala Lala

14. "Looking Backwards" – Poolside

15. "Forge" – Tycho

16. "A.M." – Eluvium

Top 20+ Songs of 2017 with Spotify and YouTube Playlist

So I broke my own rule here – I usually run over the total of twenty songs to represent the year but this time I allowed a double helping of two of my very fave bands Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem. (And keeping the choices down to just two songs was not easy to do!) But beyond songs from my  Top Ten Releases of 2017 heard on repeat, there are some singles on the list that became instant ear worms in a very good way. The upbeat approach of Phoenix's "J-Boy" along with the optimism of Woods' "Love Is Love" and Poolside's "Everything Goes" were just the antidote needed during this calamity of a year under the Trump Administration. Here's to weathering another year ahead with another soundtrack of sanity.

Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist below (except "Wave Is Not the Water" by Wye Oak).

1. "Andromeda" (featuring DRAM) – Gorillaz
2. "Hot Thoughts" – Spoon
3. "Everything Now" – Arcade Fire
4. "Put Your Money on Me" – Arcade Fire
5. "Dreams" – Beck
6. "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness" – The National
7. "call the police" – LCD Soundsystem
8. "american dream" – LCD Soundsystem
9. "Mourning Sound" – Grizzly Bear
10. "Wave Is Not the Water" – Wye Oak
11. "All About Waiting" (featuring Camila Grey) – Dhani Harrison
12. "How It Feels" – Ages and Ages
13. "Everything Goes" (Instrumental) – Poolside
14. "J-Boy" – Phoenix
15. "Hard to Say Goodbye" – Washed Out
16. "Noise Pollution" (featuring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Zoe Manville) – Portugal. The Man.
17. "Love Is Love (Sun On Time)" – Woods
18. "Shine" – Mondo Cozmo
19. "Magnificent (She Says)" – Elbow
20. "Name for You" – The Shins
21. "Call It Dreaming" – Iron & Wine
22. "Carry Me to Safety" – Mew
23. "Leven" – The Octopus Project

Late Fall 2017 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist (except Wye Oak's "Wave Is Not the Water," not found there!)

1. "875 Dollars" – De Lux
2. "Plimsoll Punks" – Alvvays
3. "Wave Is Not the Water" – Wye Oak
4. "Hurts to Liv" – liv
5. "All About Waiting" – Dhani Harrison (featuring Camila Gray)
6. "Los Ageless" – St. Vincent
7. "Soul and Cigarette" – Daniele Luppi & Parquet Courts
8. "Feels Like Heaven" – Ariel Pink
9. "Tic Tac Toe" – Django Django
10. "Deadly Valentine" – Charlotte Gainsburg
11. "Tinseltown Swimming in Blood" – Destroyer
12. "How It Feels" – Ages and Ages
13. "Little Dark Age" – MGMT
14. "Wallowa Lake Monster" – Sufjan Stevens
15. "Sleeping and Falling" – Jonti
16. "North" – Yotto
17. "Redlining" – Dan Deacon

Top 20+ Songs of 2016 With Spotify and YouTube Playlist

It's always a nice exercise to review all the gifts of music encountered over the course of twelve months. This year was especially easy to go over the twenty song allotment for this end of year recap of top tunes. It's such a diverse group of artists but the list contains some of my very favorite voices on the music scene: Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Beck, Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses, Hamilton Leithauser, Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, Fran Healy of Travis, Will Sheff of Okkervil River, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, The Avett Brothers and Santigold. Plus I was so thankful for plenty of soaring melodies to carry me away from the neverending stress of daily news during this election year, for example The Boxer Rebellion, Wye Oak and Ra Ra Riot + Rostam.

Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist below.

1. "Can't Get Enough of Myself" – Santigold
2. "Burn the Witch" – Radiohead
3. "The Industry" – Okkervil River
4. "If You Should See" – Wye Oak
5. "Wow" – Beck
6. "2AM" – Bear Hands
7. "They Want More" – Ages and Ages
8. "Casual Party" – Band of Horses 
9. "Selectallcopy" – Autolux
10. "Magnificent Time" – Travis
11. "In These Fine Times" (featuring De Lux) – Classixx
12. "Hey Lion" – Sofi Tukker
13. "Trouble" – Cage the Elephant
14. "Never Ever" – STRFKR
15. "Summer Was a Day"  – Pete Yorn
16. "Water" – Ra Ra Riot & Rostam
17. "Beneath the Black Sea" – LNZNDRF
18. "Big Ideas" – The Boxer Rebellion
19. "If I Ever Was a Child" – Wilco
20. "The Castle" – The Flaming Lips
21. "No Hard Feelings" – The Avett Brothers
22. "In a Black Out" – Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam
23. "In My Car" – Gold Panda

Late Summer 2016 New Music Playlist

I certainly did not think I’d be posting another playlist so soon. But the surprise album by new band Nice as Fuck and a new collaboration between Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam Batmanglij plus singles galore (Woods, Wilco, Jagwar Ma, Allah-las, The Head and the Heart, Father John Misty, and more) filled my inbox and online radio listening sources, so here we go again!  There are also releases from veterans The Avett Brothers and Fruit Bats to keep the summer soundtrack chill, along with some solid electronica from Mark Pritchard to zone out on a hot day. Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube playlist.

1. “In These Fine Times” – Classixx (featuring De Lux)

Production and DJ duo Michael David and Tyler Blake enlisted fellow L.A. musician Sean Guerin of De Lux to double the vocals for this breezy tune. It is off the band’s second album of electronica since 2008, Faraway Reach.

2. “O B 1” – Jagwar Ma

Australian trio Jagwar Ma are getting ready to release a follow up album since its debut in 2013, Every Now & Then. This stellar psychedelic dance rock single includes drums by Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa.

3. “Could Be You” – Allah-Las

L.A. based surf rock revivalists Allah-Las are back with “Could Be You,” a teaser single for its third album, Calico Review.  The tune is full of signature harmonies and fuzzed out guitar, along with new additional instruments to expand the sound: viola, harpsichord and theremin.

4. “Door” – Nice as Fuck

Jenny Lewis’s latest band with Erika Forster (Savoir Adore) and Tennessee Thomas (The Like) dropped a surprise album of smirk-inducing catchy tunes such as “door.” The self-titled LP comes complete with a theme song for the new group.

5. “All We Ever Knew” – The Head and the Heart

Seattle’s indie folk band The Head and the Heart will soon release its third album since 2009, Signs of Light. “All We Ever Knew” is brimming with the optimistic attitude this six-piece is known for.

6. “They Want More” – Ages and Ages

Portland based sextet Ages and Ages just recorded a third album since 2009 at Ice Cream Party Studio, owned by Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock (he also wielded a guitar on another track). The single “They Want More” confronts commercialism with a infectious melody and trademark sing along chorus.

7. “Know Your Minute” – Woods

“Know Your Minute” is a limited edition, tour-only 7” and digital download single by this Brooklyn folk rock band formed in 2005. Led by laid-back vocals of guitarist Jeremy Earl, Woods continues on its own path of quirky Americana.

8. “If I Ever Was a Child” – Wilco

Chicago’s resident indie juggernaut Wilco has another album ready less than a year since Star Wars. The tenth LP since 1994 is called Schmilco (with a nod to Harry Nilsson’s Nilsson Schmilsson) and this single shows the softer side of the band, led by Jeff Tweedy’s melancholy vocals.

9. “Ain’t No Man” – The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers reunited with mega producer Rick Rubin for the North Carolina band’s ninth album since 2000, True Sadness.  This foot stomping song finds brothers Scott and Seth energetically attacking the music with an infectious beat.

10. “Throw Down Your Guns” ­– Wild Belle

Natalie Bergman’s commanding vocals on “Throw Down Your Guns” leads the charge with her bandmate/brother Elliot for this song off the band’s second full album since 2011, Dreamland.

11. “Real Love Baby” – Father John Misty

L.A.-based singer/songwriter, guitarist and drummer Joshua Michael Tillman released this lush stand alone single after two albums as Father John Misty since 2012. This melodic ode to married life is in a irresistible classic pop tune style.

12. “A 1000 Times” – Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam

“A 1000 Times” is a single by the new collaborative project between Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij and The Walkmen’s Hamilton Leithauser, highlighted by Leithauser’s earthy vocals. Batmanglij provided an assist to Leithauser’s debut solo album and the pair clearly took to the collaborative writing process well.

13. “The Industry” – Okkervil River

Brooklyn-based Will Sheff of Okkervil River has been working on another album with a different band configuration with songs about moving on and finding new beginnings. “The Industry” is the single for the eighth collection since 1998, Away, conveyed by Sheff’s original yearning vocals.

14. “Run Run Blood” – Phantogram

“Run Run Blood” is the single for the synthpop duo Phantogram’s third album since 2007, simply called Three. Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel of Saratoga Springs find a confident vibe for this epic dance tune.

15. “Birthday Drunk”­ – Fruit Bats

Chicago’s folk rock band Fruit Bats released its sixth album since 1997, Absolute Loser.  The sweet acoustic tune “Birthday Drunk” showcases the wry vocals of singer/songwriter Eric D. Johnson.

16. “Division” – Tycho

San Francisco-based ambient musician Scott Hanson, performing under the stage name Tycho, released this fluid single with the intention of another full album in the future, the fifth since 2002.  His music encompasses both lo-fi analog equipment and a futuristic electronica style, completely mesmerizing at the same time.

17. “Khufu”  – Mark Prichard

English electronic musician Mark Prichard is now working out of Australia, testing the musical boundaries with new collaborations and various genres. “Khnufu” is from his fourteenth album since 1992, Under the Sun.

New Song by Ages & Ages, "They Want More" (New Album Due August 19)

Ages & Ages (Photo by Alicia J. Rose)

Portland's folk rock band Ages & Ages got everyone singing with the standout track "Do the Right Thing" off its sophomore album, 2014's Divisionary. (The uplifting tune still circles occasionally in my head, ever since it was picked for my Spring 2014 New Music Playlist.)

The band is back with a new album coming August 19 called Something to Ruin via Partisan Records. A single, "They Want More," contains the same simplicity of songwriting that cuts straight through the clutter of the current music scene. Its theme of anti-materialism also provides an antidote against American commercialism, after a trip to Central America brought a fresh focus. Check out the video as directed by Alicia J. Rose and look for the album next month.

Top 20+ Songs of 2014 With YouTube Playlist

I put together this Top 20 plus songs of 2014 list while putting up holiday decorations -- thinking over the year and culling the songs that meant so much to me (while finding the best order of presentation of course!) If I had to pick a Song of the Year, I'd add my vote to others that chose Future Islands' "Seasons Waiting on You." Along with the breakout performance by frontman Samuel Herring on David Letterman that was so crazy passionate and borderline creepy, the tune encapsulated all three genres listed on their Wikipedia page with gusto:  synthpop, alternative rock and indie pop.  It's simply a great song that doesn't get old with repeated listens.

Yet the song that yielded the most meaning for me this year would have to be Field Report's "Home (Leave the Lights On)."  As I wrote about in a post back in October, hearing this song in a different context gave this sublime tune a personal resonance that cut to my core. It's going to be one of those many songs that will take me back to that time and place in the fall of 2014.

Listen via the YouTube playlist below or on Spotify at the link here. Here's to another fine year of new music!

1. "Inspector Norse" − Todd Terje 
2. "Can't Do With Without You" − Caribou 
3. "Dangerous" − Big Data 
4. "Red Eyes" − The War On Drugs 
5. "Seasons Waiting On You" − Future Islands 
6. "Come a Little Closer" − Cage the Elephant 
7. "Digital Witness" − St. Vincent 
8. "Fall In Love" − Phantogram 
9. "Do You" − Spoon 
10. "Home (Leave the Lights On)" − Field Report 
11. "Step Out" − José  González 
12. "Past Life" − Lost In the Trees 
13. "The Tower" − Wye Oak 
14. "Alexandra"  − Hamilton Leithauser 
15. "Handreds of Ways" − Conor Oberst 
16.  "Blue Moon" − Beck 
17.  "Summer Noon" − Tweedy 
18. "Woke Up To the Light" − Strand of Oaks 
19. "Lonely Press Play" − Damon Albarn 
20. "New York Morning" − Elbow 
21. "Moving To the Left" − Woods 
22. "Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)" − Ages And Ages

YouTube Playlist of Spring 2014 Playlist Songs

The Spring 2014 New Music Playlist solicited mostly official videos from YouTube, from the psychedelic swirls of Thumpers, Cage the Elephant and Phantogram to the travelogue pastiche of Kelis and a dystopian future courtesy of St. Vincent. There's a collage of club life for Polock's song "Everlasting," kids making bad decisions for Ages and Ages' "Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)" and a tongue in cheek dance off via Wye Oak's "The Tower." Mr. Little Jeans brings a grim tale of a trucker for "Bad Mistake" and Courtney Barnett's malaise is made manifest on a clay tennis court. And check out Lost In the Trees' glowing eyes and headlights for "Past Life," along with Sharon Van Etten's enigmatic tarot card reading.

Included here is the much discussed performance of Future Islands on David Letterman with the host gushing afterwards (and rightly so), declaring "That was wonderful!" Samuel T. Herrig's groovy moves and impassioned performance underscores yet again the importance of eye contact when selling a song. There's also the confident SNL appearance by Beck, singing one of his new songs that gave rise to my husband/music biz veteran Paul to exclaim at first listen, "Who broke Beck's heart?" Other live versions provided are a low tech WFUV studio gig by Real Estate and a fan video from a record release party for Maxïmo Park, emblematic of the various conditions faced by musicians.

Link to listen and watch here or click video below.

Spring 2014 New Music Playlist

With spring finally making an appearance, there’s plenty of news songs for another playlist thanks to the constant renewal of the music scene. Bands such as Cage the Elephant, Wye Oak and Real Estate are back with album releases along with Future Islands and Lost in the Trees. Female voices abound on this playlist, from Annie Clark of St. Vincent and Kelis, to Courtney Barnett, Sharon Van Etten and Monica Birkenes of Mr. Little Jeans.  Also check out new music from veteran bands Elbow and Maxïmo Park, along with indie heavyweight Beck. Link to listen here, enjoy!

1. “Unkinder (A Tougher Love)” – Thumpers

This boisterous tune makes a great introduction to this new duo from England, recently formed by childhood friends Marcus Pepperell and John Hamson Jr. “Unkinder (A Tougher Love)” is the standout track of the band’s debut album, Galore.

2. “Come a Little Closer” – Cage the Elephant

Kentucky alt rock band Cage the Elephant is back with its third album, Melophobia.  Matt Shultz's singing bring an appealing boy next door approach to rocking out, sounding familiar without ever boring fans in this single, “Come a Little Closer.”

3. “Seasons Waiting On You” – Future Islands

This synth pop band from Baltimore met while studying art in college and just released a fourth studio album, Singles.  This single, “Seasons Waiting On You,” highlights the unhinged vocals of Samuel T. Herrig to bring emotional weight to the song.

4. “Avant Gardener” – Courtney Barnett

Australian Courtney Barnett is a songwriter and guitarist, using a wry delivery in her stream of conscious lyrics for “Avant Gardener.” This young musician combined two past EPs to create A Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, where “Avant Gardner” is found.

5. “Digital Witness” – St. Vincent

Annie Clark is the mastermind behind St. Vincent, creating songs with a dense musicality, complex instrumentation and multiple meanings.  Hailing from Oklahoma and Texas before touring with The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens, Clark has just released a self-titled fourth album with this searing tune about the internet age.

6. “Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)” – Ages and Ages

Ages and Ages is an eight-member group of multi-instrumentalists from Portland, offering up sing along songs such as “Divisionary (Do the Right Thing).”  This heartfelt composition that builds with every chorus is off of the band’s second album, also titled Divisionary.

7. “The Tower” – Wye Oak

Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack formed Wye Oak in Baltimore but composed this song for their fourth studio album, Shriek, across the country from each other. “The Tower” brings an expanded music palette to the group’s indie folk sound, as Wasner admits to being newly inspired by learning bass.

8. “Everlasting” – Polock

The quintet Polock returns with a sophomore album, Rising Up, with an indie pop sound that conjures up comparisons as a Spanish Phoenix. The song “Everlasting” sets a festive mood with dance beats galore and crooning vocals by Papu Sebastián.

9. “Drinking Martinis” – Maxïmo Park

This British alt rock quintet was formed in 2000 with a pop sensibility for songwriting as transmitted by singer Paul Smith. “Drinking Martinis” is a wistful rock song about parties of the past from the band’s fifth album, Too Much Information.

10. “Jerk Ribs” – Kelis

“Jerk Ribs is a single from Food, the sixth album from Kelis since 1999.  Raised in Harlem, this singer-songwriter weaves together a 1990s vibe of electro dance, soul, and Afrobeat for a contemporary mix as produced by Dave Sitek of TV On The Radio.

11. “Fall In Love” – Phantogram

This synth pop duo, Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel, write and record in a remote barn in upstate New York. “Fall In Love” is a confident new song with psychedelic musical swirls from the group’s second album, Voices.

12. “Had To Hear” – Real Estate

Brooklyn via New Jersey indie band Real Estate recently released its third album since 2009, Atlas.  As the lead track, “Had To Hear” ushers in the signature laid back, low fi sound awash in hazy vocals and guitar lines.

13. “Past Life” – Lost in the Trees

Lost in the Trees (from Chapel Hill, North Carolina) went from being a sextet to a quartet and discovered a leaner sound for its fourth album, Past Life.  This title track combines a soaring melody over a pulsing percussive foundation that develops with each chorus, until a guitar solo bursts things wide open.

14.  “Taking Chances” – Sharon Van Etten

Sharon Van Etten is another Brooklyn artist by way of suburban New Jersey, crafting songs to allow her earthy voice to soar. She just released her fourth album since 2009, Are We There, with this scorcher of a slow-sizzle single, “Taking Chances.”

15. “Good Mistake” – Mr. Little Jeans

Norwegian dance-pop singer/songwriter Monica Birkenes has released a debut full-length album as Mr. Little Jeans called Pocketknife. “Good Mistake” kicks things off with fun synth beats and squiggles, before her cooing vocals take command of the song.

16. “Blue Moon” – Beck

L.A. native Beck returned to the band aesthetic for his twelfth studio album since 1993, Morning Phase, which serves as a sonic bookend to Sea Change (2002).  “Blue Moon” is just one of the lush, contemplative tunes found on this new compilation.

17. “New York Morning” – Elbow

The U.K. band Elbow is back with its sixth studio album since 1997, The Take Off and Landing of Everything. “New York Morning” uses lyrics from a diary written by singer Guy Garvey during a trip to New York City, with his passionate voice expressing the singular view of a wide-eyed visitor.