We're back with a BIG release day. There were so many interesting records to shout out this week, our writers had to leave some goodies out, so please check all of these out (from our customarily eclectic mix of choices) and then keep seeking, as the musical horizons of the day are wide!

Carry on!

Bicep – TAKKUUK Original Soundtrack [Ninja Tune/EarthSonic]

On TAKKUUK (pronounced “tuck-kook”), London-based electronic music duo Bicep shine their star power on the climate crisis and its manifold impact on ways of life among the Inuit and Sámi communities of Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Sweden. On this unique soundtrack to a recently-premiered film made with the support of climate and music non-profit EarthSonic, Bicep collaborate in imaginative ways with seven Indigenous artists, bringing Greenlandic rap (“Taarsitillugu”) and metal (“Alloriaqigit”), Arctic ambient electro (“Alit”), Sámi joik (“Dárbbuo”), Inuit throat-singing (“Takkuuk”), field recordings, and more all under the same surprising umbrella. “We had this one-of-a-kind opportunity to work with the maddest, broadest range of stuff that we could imagine and see if we could make it work," Ferguson explained in a recent in-depth interview. TAKKUUK’s guest artists, each with their own discographies ripe for exploring, are Katarina Barruk, Niilas, Tarrak, Silla, NUIJA, Andachan, and Sebastien Enequist of Sound of the Damned. – Alan Pedder

Bleary Eyed – Easy [Born Losers Records]

There was an indie-rock, pop-leaning sound in the mid-2000s that came and went so quickly, many of us didn’t even notice when bands stopped making music within that sonic palette — until something like Bleary Eyed’s third LP Easy comes along. Blending the catchy charm of early-2010s alt-radio indie with hazy vocals, swirling distortion, and thick, fuzzed-out textures, Easy feels like the culmination of a decade-long evolution for the band. The result is a dreamy, sticky, and often playful take on noise pop, marked by reverb-soaked melodies and immersive walls of sound. – Ricky Adams

Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time [Jagjaguwar]

Breaking up with someone is never easy, but Folk Bitch Trio succeed in coloring such a desaturated, bleak, and unsettling moment with their rich vocals and vivid lyricism. The Australian-based trio finally make their debut today with Now Would Be A Good Time, a collection of short stories about the bitter end of a romance. Lush guitars, gothic and ghostly harmonies, and an alt folk bend to their tracks, the three singers linger in the past. The album's opener "God's A Different Sword" sounds airy and light, yet its lyrics drag the dead weight of an unsatisfying love, feeling almost cursed to carry one's guilt like a heavy cross. "Hotel TV" and "The Actor" channel that same melancholy, contrasting the acidity of a dying relationship expressed in the lyrics with their velvety, cool harmonies and relaxed steel guitars. If you wanted to catch a promising indie band right at the beginning of their carer, then... now would be a good time! – Victoria Borlando

Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist – Alfredo 2 [ALC]

Who doesn't like ramen? Rhetorical question, but which other widely beloved dish could hip hop duo Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist use as the centerpiece for the sequel to their widely acclaimed 2020 record Alfredo other than the lovely noodle dish? Alfredo 2 features more sample-based beats, more dusty production, more loops, more laid-back, yet intricate vocals relaying imaginative story-telling, more more more more! Features include Larry June, Anderson .Paak, and J.I.D. Get an extra egg on that ramen – treat yourself. – Shaye Frenkel

GWAR – The Return of Gor Gor [Pit Records/Z2 Comics]

Legendary full-costume, faux-blood-spraying, theatrical shock rock performers GWAR are back with their new album, The Return of Gor Gor, which is not only a record but also comes with an accompanying comic book. The album includes three new GWAR tracks and four live recordings. The concept centers around a young T-Rex (Gor Gor) and his displacement in a foreign world, along with the bizarre characters and challenges he encounters along the way. Sounds like some classic GWAR-type chaos, and should be a blast to listen to and read along with. – Ricky Adams

Heatmiser – Mic City Sons (30th Anniversary) [Third Man]

Heatmiser, the alt-rock band best known as the domain for Elliott Smith before his fame exploded, have unveiled a re-release of their final album, 1996’s Mic City Sons. This new edition features a treasure trove of unreleased tracks and follows the group's expansive 2023 reissue of their debut EP, 1992’s The Music of Heatmiser. You can thank Third Man Records and Neil Gust, Smith’s songwriting partner in the band, for both campaigns. – Tyler Roland

Nick Drake – The Making of Five Leaves Left [Island UK]

Nick Drake and Elliott Smith are not just late, sad white guys with guitars; both of them have reissues of their work out this week. In Drake’s case, it’s the Making of Five Leaves Left set, compiling three LPs of rough drafts leading towards his 1969 debut album. Pink Moon, from 1972, may be the definitive Drake for many, but the lush orchestration and songwriting on tracks like “Saturday Sun” make this a wonderful introduction to Drake and his all-too-brief discography. – Tyler Roland

Patty Griffin – Crown of Roses [Thirty Tigers]

That’s Patty Griffin’s late mother on the cover of Crown of Roses, the Austin-based singer/songwriter’s first album in 7 years, and much of the album is inspired by their relationship and the healing space they ultimately came to before she passed away earlier this year. Griffin has never been one to shy away from tackling thorny issues, often from surprising angles, and so it continues on Crown of Roses – eight moody, atmospheric songs of deep rumination, hard-won compassion, and lyrics that take flight. “If I try to hit things on the nose, they don’t feel authentic to me,” she says of the poetry within. “If I can emotionally dance around things, it feels like I can be more honest singing it.” Griffin's ex Robert Plant makes a backing vocal cameo on “Long Time”. – Alan Pedder

PSYCHO-FRAME – SALVATION LAUGHS IN THE FACE OF A GRIEVING MOTHER [SHARPTONE]

PSYCHO-FRAME's debut LP is an unholy amalgam of lightning fast technical death metal and stomping hardcore, with a hint of nu-metal grooves sprinkled throughout. In their short existence, they've cemented themselves as one of the deathcore scene's brightest stars, and on SALVATION LAUGHS IN THE FACE OF A GRIEVING MOTHER, they've more than earned their status. Earth-shattering bass drops, disgusting vocals, breakdown after breakdown after breakdown, this one isn't for the faint of heart. – Shaye Frenkel

Quadeca – Vanisher, Horizon Scraper [X8]

Today, YouTube rapper turned art pop cult favorite Quadeca released his highly anticipated fourth studio album Vanisher, Horizon Scraper. The hour-long visual album takes place entirely in the ocean, a symbol that is equally as present in the record lyrically and sonically. For more thoughts and info on the visual album, read our review. – Leah Weinstein

Scalp – Not Worthy of Human Compassion [Closed Casket Activities]

The third album from California's Scalp, Not Worthy of Human Compassion, is bitter and nihilistic, though that's to be expected; they are a deathgrind band often tastefully compared to Nails and Full of Hell, after all. But while those acts have veered away from the genre's lean and mean roots, Scalp adhere to them. Not Worth of Human Compassion is only 20 minutes long, leaving no room for anything other than riffs, breakdowns, and feedback. – Colin Dempsey

Stars of the Lid – Music for Nitrous Oxide (30th Anniversary Reissue) [Artificial Pinearch Manufacturing]

Famed drone pioneers Stars of the Lid have not released an official album of new material since 2007's seminal And Their Refinement of the Decline, but their influence continues to ripple outward in modern ambient and neo-classical music. While that record and its predecessor The Tired Sounds Of... are likely their most revered releases, their debut album – Music for Nitrous Oxide – turns 30 this year, and longtime label Kranky has reissued it for the occasion, seeing its first-ever vinyl release. Originally out on Sedimental Records, the duo (comprised of Adam Wiltzie and the late, great Brian McBride) spun nine songs across 76 minutes of dark, l0-fi, eerie, crackling, fuzzy, and utterly transporting ambient music. Their absence is felt, but they're never too far behind, and now we have a lovingly remastered (by original sound engineer Francesco Donadello) reminder of where they started. “In the wake of losing Brian almost two years ago,” Wiltzie says of the reisuse, “I felt it was time to revisit and acknowledge this long-forgotten archive on the beginning of Stars of the Lid.” – Jeremy J. Fisette