New Music Alert: Ten Songs to Sink Your Teeth Into

Time for some new music. As usual for these posts, the new songs are a mixture of old bands, new bands, bands I’m familiar with, and bands I’ve never heard of. Punk rock, shoegaze, synths, hard electric rock, and melodic acoustic rock are all represented. Let’s get started…

– “Scapa Flow” by Drop Nineteens: Have you heard of these shoegazers from Boston? I hadn’t. They formed about 30 years ago. Their debut album (Delaware) in ’92 contained the MTV single, “Winona,” and on the subsequent tour The Cranberries and Radiohead opened for them. Inactive since the early 90s, they’re back later this year with their third album, Hard Light. This is the first single:

– “Foreign Land” by Teenage Fanclub: One of those bands I read positive things about over the years but never really gave them a chance. Maybe now is finally the time. Their 11th LP, Nothing Lasts Forever, comes out next month. Here’s the jangly acoustic first single:

– “Show Me How” by the Foo Fighters: Released earlier this year, But Here We Are, is the Foos first album since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last year. If you want to hear a new signature rocker, check out “Rescued.” I’m throwing you a curve ball with this dream-pop reverb (say what now?).

– “Kisses” by Slowdive: When Slowdive released their self-titled album in 2017 it had been 22 years since the previous one. So, it’s a relatively quick turnaround for these Brit shoegazers (they are an epitome of the genre) with their Everything is Alive album, due out in September. “Kisses” invites you to join their bliss.

– “Time for You” by Cable Ties: The Aussie punks from Melbourne released their third album in June. This is a new band for me. Here’s a catchy tune off of All Her Plans.

– “Infected” by 2Libras: World’s End, the debut LP from Seattle-based 2Libras, came out in March. Their haunting melodies are propelled by sweeping guitars and synths. “Infected” is a beauty.

“L.A. Hex” by The Kills: The Kills are Alison Mosshart (a member of Dead Weather, along with Jack White) and Jaime Hince. The duo just recently released dual singles, “New York” and “L.A. Hex,” their first new music since 2018. Of course, I picked the L.A. song to share. It’s a slow, quivering seduction with trumpets and electronics.

– “I Am a Wave” by Death Valley Girls: Islands in the Sky is the L.A. band’s 4th album. I had never heard of them. Their pop rock is delivered through a wall of sound in a psychedelic haze. The single here is a fuzzy rocker that ends in a fury.

– “Mild Davis” by Frankie and the Witch Fingers: Another new one for me, this L.A. band by way of Indiana is coming out with their 7th album, Data Doom, in September. They rock hard with grainy guitars, synths, and odd beats. They look and sound rowdy. They’re coming to a nightclub in my neighborhood in November. Could be wild.

“Paper Machete” by Queens of the Stone Age: QOTSA are back with their 8th album, In Times New Roman. Josh Homme underwent cancer treatments last year. Sounds like his unorthodox guitar and falsetto vocals are still in fine form.

Heard some good new music lately? Please let us know.