The best new albums out May 2
It’s Friday, and you need to pass the time until catching the latest (and apparently good!) Marvel movie. How about counterbalancing those monoculture tendencies with some great independent rock albums?
Julie Bee, host of Amplified on Marfa Public Radio joins NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson to talk through Car Seat Headrest’s return, the newest albums from Samantha Crain, PUP, Jenny Hval and more on our latest New Music Friday episode.
New Music Friday is a feature of NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast. Hear the discussion on the NPR App, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Starting Five
Our hosts share the backstories and best songs from the following albums:
- Car Seat Headrest, The Scholars (Stream)
- Samantha Crain, Gumshoe (Stream)
- PUP, Who Will Look After The Dogs? (Stream)
- Jenny Hval, Iris Silver Mist (Stream)
- Jolie Laide, Creatures (Stream)
The Lightning Round
Five more albums we wish we had time to discuss on the podcast:
- Lucius, Lucius
- Milkweed, Remscéla
- Model/Actriz, Pirouette
- Souleance, Kebab Discothèque
- Clem Snide, Oh, Smokey
Listen to each album’s best songs on our New Music Friday playlists on Spotify and Apple.
The Long List
For those who want to dig even deeper, here are the week’s new albums sorted by genre:
Classical
- Yuja Wang, Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos | Solo Works
- Black Violin, Full Circle
- Chloe Flower, I Love Me More
- Seong-Jin Cho, Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Works and Concertos
Country/Folk/Americana
- Esther Rose, Want
- Eric Church, Evangeline vs. The Machine
- Hardy, Country!
- Maddie & Tae, Love & Light
- Peggy Seeger, Teleology
- Rebecca Lynn Howard, I’m Not Who You Think I Am
Electronic/Out There
- Eli Keszler, Eli Keszler
- Loscil, Lake Fire
- Surgeon, Shell~Wave
- Alex Marsh, Trellis
- Anthony Naples, Scanners
- Anthony Pateras, Reise der Schatten
- Anysia Kym & Loraine James, Clandestine EP
- Asterisk, No School
- Charlotte Plank, ClubLiminal
- Colombian Drone Mafia + Gibrana Cervantes, Memoria
- Gryofield, Akin/Mother EP
- Imryll, Obscure Blood & Love
- James Krivchenia, Performing Belief
- Messenger Girls Trio, Genius Loop Duos
- Omid Geadizadeh, Like The Sea Knows Blue (مثل دریا که آبی را می شناسد)
- Peverelist, Pulse Decay EP
- Schiela, Who We Are EP
- Shine Grooves, Sequences For Fluttering
- The Balloonist, Dreamland
- Torn Hawk, Watching Heat on Mute
- Flume & JPEGMAFIA, We Live In A Society EP
Global
- Ding Dong, From Ding Dong to World Ding
- Fuerza Regida, 111XPANTIA
- Meiko Kaji, Yadokari + Shura No Hana
- Sami Galbi, Ylh Bye Bye
Jazz
- Enji, Sonor
- Angel Bat Dawid and Naima Nefertari, Journey to Nabta Playa
- Arve Henriksen, Trygve Seim, Anders Jormin, Markku Ounaskari, Arcanum
- Deborah Silver with the Count Basie Orchestra, Basie Rocks!
- Julia Úlehla and Dálava, Understories
- Kurt Rosenwinkel & Jean-Paul Brodbeck, The Brahms Project
Pop
- Aly & AJ, Silver Deliverer
- Briston Maroney, Jimmy
- Låpsley, I’M A HURRICANE I’M A WOMAN IN LOVE
R&B/Soul
- Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Naturally (20th Anniversary Edition)
- Xavier Omär, HunnyMoon Mountain
Rap/Hip-Hop
- Wretch, 32 Home?
- Youngs Teflon, Keep The Change
- Benny The Butcher, Excelsior
- Boldy James & Real Bad Man, Conversational Pieces
- Diuragga, 77th
- Key Glock, Glockaveli
- Yung Lean, Jonatan
- Teether and Kuya Neil, YEARN IV
Rock/Alt/Indie
- Blondshell, If You Asked For A Picture
- Monnone Alone, Here Comes the Afternoon
- Eli Winter, A Trick of the Light
- Press Club, To All The Ones That I Love
- Propagandhi, At Peace
- Suzanne Vega, Flying With Angels
- Kassi Valazza, From Newman Street
- Bleed, Bleed
- Carriers, Every Time I Feel Afraid
- Club Night, Joy Coming Down
- Dope Lemon, Golden Wolf
- Ember Knight, Embers Sings the Dr Bronner Soap Label EP
- Gringo Star, Sweethearts
- KiNG MALA, And You Who Drowned In The Grief Of A Golden Thing
- Lael Neale, Altogether Stranger
- Laura Hickli, dark secrets
- Litronix, One A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
- Louis Philippe and The Night Mail, The Road To The Sea
- NewDad, Safe EP
- Paco Cathcart, Down on Them
- Panik Flowers, rearview EP
- Pet Symmetry, Big Symmetry
- Pink Floyd, Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII
- Punchbag, I’m Not Your Punchbag EP
- Pyramids, Pythagoras
- Rainy Miller, Joseph, What Have You Done?
- Sally Potter, Anatomy
- SENTRIES, Gem of the West
- Sextile, Yes, Please
- Thanya Iyer, Tide/Tied
- The Supernaturals, Show Tunes
Credits
- Host: Stephen Thompson
- Guest: Julie Bee, Marfa Public Radio
- Producer: Simon Rentner
- Editors: Otis Hart and Elle Mannion
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Vice President, Music and Visuals: Keith Jenkins
Trump tried to shutter Radio Free Europe. The EU threw it a lifeline
EU officials say the broadcaster for years has played an important role providing news to areas where the press can't operate freely
Here’s what’s in the GOP megabill that’s headed for a vote in the House
At the center of the sweeping bill is trillions in tax cuts, which Republicans aim to partially offset through changes to safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
Alabama Power threatened with lawsuit for contaminating groundwater with coal ash
Nine years after the Gadsden Steam Plant stopped burning coal, its unlined coal ash pond is still polluting Alabama groundwater, records show.
Southwest Airlines will require passengers to keep chargers visible due to fire risk
This year, there have been at least 22 incidents involving lithium batteries in air travel, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Trump administration officially accepts jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One
The plane is a gift that Trump said he would be "stupid" to turn down. Experts say the plane would take years to rework to meet the current standards for Air Force One.
A Jan 6 rioter convicted of assaulting police scored a visit to the White House
Two pardoned Jan. 6 rioters posted photos and videos of themselves visiting the White House. One of them was convicted of assaulting police and texted after the riot, "I have murder in my heart."
