Hello again! We at TND love highlighting new releases for you all, as there really are just too many to sort through sometimes.

Below, we get into six picks, but we easily could've picked six more. Go delve in and expand your ears!

Ba bam!

Aren’t We Amphibians – Parade! Parade![PNWK Records]

Aren’t We Amphibians, the San Diego-based (Midwest at heart, but actually SoCal) mathy emo trio, have finally released their long-awaited debut LP Parade! Parade! The band is made up of lifelong friends who’ve known each other since the second grade, two of the three being brothers. They’ve grown together through all the awkward stages of adolescence, cringe-worthy pre-teens to stumbling early adulthood, and that history bleeds into the music. Sonically, the album really does feel like a parade. It’s packed with jangly emo guitar licks, King of the Hill samples, and bursts of yelped catharsis, but there’s also a processional, almost communal energy running through it. Call it baroque-emo... if such a thing exists. Lyrically, Parade! Parade! celebrates the small victories of pulling yourself out of repeated fuck-ups, while still acknowledging that life has plenty more shitty hands to deal. It’s a messy, joyous, and painfully relatable soundtrack for growing up and moving forward, even when the parade route gets sketch. – Ricky Adams

BEAT – Neon Heat Disease (Live In Los Angeles) [InsideOutMusic/Sony]

Prog fans, rejoice! All-star ensemble BEAT, dedicated to the '80s output of King Crimson, has a new live album commemorating their Los Angeles performance. BEAT consists of two Crimson alumni, Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, joined by guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and Danny Carey, drummer of Tool. Highlights? How about a 14-minute meditation on "The Sheltering Sky"? This writer saw BEAT live and damn near had an out-of-body experience during that segment of the show. Other standouts include "Waiting Man", '70s instrumental "Red", and Carey ripping through "Indiscipline". – Tyler Roland

Daffo – Where the Earth Bends [Concord]

Today, LA based singer-songwriter Daffo released their debut album, Where the Earth Bends. 21 year old Gabi Gamberg strings together heartfelt, personal stories that present them wise beyond their years. The guitar work is bold and infectious, earning them a co-sign and opening slot with indie rock darlings Wednesday. Produced by Elliott Smith collaborator Rob Schnapf, the record tackles the grief and acceptance that come with entering adulthood as Gamberg ruminates on events that grant them one step closer to finding their place in the world. – Leah Weinstein

Geese – Getting Killed [Partisan Records]

Perhaps one of the rock records that generated the most buzz among critics and fans alike, Geese's Getting Killed is the band's wildest record yet. The third album was introduced with the lead single "Taxes", a relaxed-turned-raucous rock song that gave us a powerful vocal performance by front man Cameron Winter, a flurry of percussion, sunny guitar melodies, and evocative religious imagery to perfectly capture the hellish feeling of paying taxes. The band made headlines soon after with the explosive track "Trinidad", which Winter leaked on Instagram before its official release. (But fans have been screaming "THERE'S A BOMB IN MY CAR!" with the band at live shows for a while now, so it's not like the song was a real secret.) "100 Horses" equally turns up the dial on intensity, offering us a song with a ton of momentum, fantastical lyrics tinged with political critique, and everyone going full-force on the instruments. Now imagine eight more tracks of chaos and jamming out on the percussion and electric guitar: what Geese is promising is certainly intriguing! – Victoria Borlando

Purity Ring - purity ring [the fellowship]

Synth-pop darlings Purity Ring present their self-titled fourth album as a 16-bit concept album inspired by classic RPGs, serving as a soundtrack to an imagined video game world inspired by titles like NieR: Automata and Final Fantasy X. Across 13 tracks driven by breakbeats and shimmering electronics, the Canadian duo explore their true identities as they embark on a fantastical quest to imagine a better world. No longer restrained by a record label, vocalist Megan James and producer Corrin Roddick level up on their first album in five years, with no special items or side quests needed. Time for a speedrun, anyone? – Nic Huber

Young Thug - UY SCUTI [A Young Stoner Life/300 Entertainment/Atlantic]

Young Thug, the influential and often talked-about Atlanta rapper, has dropped his first post-prison album UY SCUTI. Less than a year ago, King Slime reached a plea deal on RICO charges and spent two and a half years behind bars. Notably, the album opens with a sample of the state prosecutor from the trial, describing Thug as a danger. The title comes from the red supergiant star UY Scuti, which Thug claims reflects his status in the industry – a huge creative cosmic force. The album is packed with major guest features, including Ken Carson, Cardi B, T.I., Lil Baby, Sexyy Red, YFN Lucci, 21 Savage, Travis Scott, Lil Gotit, 1300Saint, Future, and Mariah the Scientist. The YFN Lucci feature also marks the end of a long-running feud between the two artists. In a show of respect, Thug pushed back the release of UY SCUTI by a week so it wouldn’t compete with Cardi B’s Am I The Drama? release the week prior. The album art has sparked conversation, showing a digitally altered image of Thug with blue eyes and pale skin, while the opening track “Ninja” features repeated use of the N-word (with the hard-R), which caused some online banter with fans on Reddit saying things like "bro I feel racist LISTENING to that first track." Both the album art and tracklist were released less than 24 hours before the album dropped. Regardless of the chatter, in 2025 we aren’t seeing a ton of massive, superstar-status 20-track hip hop albums like we did a decade ago. With its stacked features and ambitious scope, UY SCUTI is one of the few projects this year to deliver that full-scale, hip-hop superstar energy. – Ricky Adams