New Music Friday: 17 Songs You Need to Hear Today

So many artists, so many songs, so little time. Each week we review a handful of new albums (of all genres), round up even more new music that we’d call “indie,” and talk about what metal is coming out . We post music news, track premieres, and more all day. We update a playlist weekly of some of our current favorite tracks. Here’s a daily roundup with a bunch of interesting, newly released songs in one place.

JOHANNA SAMUELS – “BLUE VS. PINKERTON”

Johanna Samuels uses the eternal Weezer debate as a metaphor for matters of the heart. Her new album Sorry, Kid is out August 14.

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NAVY BLUE – “SIR RENDER”

New York underground rapper Navy Blue recently released new album Sir Render and he’s just shared the video for the title track.

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NICOLE ATKINS – “WHEN THE NIGHT FALLS”

Singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins has announced Drama , her first album in over six years which will be out September 18 via Sun Records / Wicked Game Records. It was produced by Wilco’s Pat Sansone and features contributions from Chris Isaak, and Dr Dog’s Eric Slick. This is the first single and video.

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WILLOW – “SHE’S MY RELIGION”

Willow has shared a new single from her upcoming album The Thread. “The Divine Mother archetype has roots in nearly every culture on Earth, dating back to ancient times. This song is for her,” says WILLOW of “She’s My Religion.” The Thread is out July 24.

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156/SILENCE – “PROXY IDOLS”

Pittsburgh metalcore band 156/Silence have shared a new single from their upcoming album From a Distance . “Celebrity worship is more prevalent than ever,” the band say. “They come and go as they do, being forced into our faces until then the next batch comes through. People’s obsessive compulsion to follow other people’s lives that they’ll never once meet. It’s almost as sad as it is maddening.” From a Distance is out September 4 and you can preorder our exclusive vinyl variant .

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SAM SMITH – “MY GUY”

Sam Smith will release new album Hazel Eyes on August 21. “This album is an incredibly special record to me,” says Sam. “I have been writing it for over three years with a very small group of beautiful, dear friends of mine. This album is very personal, and I feel I have deepened myself as an artist through the making of it, through being a producer on the record, to walking alongside this record from the start to the finish and pushing myself at every single turn. This record and this music is incredibly romantic. I’ve learned so many life lessons through making this album, and I’ve documented it all through the music.” Contributors include Feist and Shahzad Ismaily and this is the first single.

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HAAi – “DIGITiSE”

Australian electronic artist HAAi has announced new album DIGITiSE which will be out October 9 via Mute. It’s a sequel to HUMANiSE and this is the bangin’ title track.

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LE REN – “GOLD IN CALIFORNIA”

Montreal singer-songwriter Le Ren will release new album Don’t Be Funny Without Me and this is the second single. “‘Gold in California’ was born out of a haunted place. At the time it was written, I was living alone in a bed bug sublet, heartbroken, and recovering from round three of COVID. Spirits were low! My saving grace was a writing session I had set up with Olivia Kaplan, an old friend and one of my favourite songwriters. We were throwing ideas around when she sang me this line: ‘feet up on the leather dash, you don’t even have to ask / we can just be quiet, at least for the next few miles.’ Though it was my first time hearing it, it felt like one of those songs you’ve always known.”

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UH HUH HER – “SHOOK”

Uh Huh Her are releasing a 15th anniversary edition of their album Nocturnes and it includes the never-before-heard original mixes by Tchad Blake, plus a previously unreleased cover of Sonic Youth’s “Kool Thing” and a brand new song, “Shook,” which is their first new music in 12 years. Listen to that now.

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GROWING PAINS – “DRIVE”

Eugene, OR’s Growing Pains have announced new album Daniel Loves Mandy Forever which is out October 9. The record was produced by Strange Ranger’s Nathan Tucker and “Drive” is the very ’90s-ish first single.

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IAN SWEET – “SILVER SCREEN”

We’re exactly a month out from the new Ian Sweet album which is as good an occasion as any to check out a new song from it. “’Silver Screen’ is about restless ambition and striving for things that always seem just out of reach,” says Jilian Medford who is Ian Sweet for all intents and purposes. “I’ve spent a lot of time imagining some future version of myself where everything finally clicks and falls into place. I’m always looking ahead but somehow miss what’s right in front of me.” Shiverstruck is out July 24 via Polyvinyl.

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PJ HARVEY – “VOYAGER”

When can you listen to PJ Harvey’s new song “Voyager”? Now.

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BEABADOOBEE – “SUN HAS SET”

It’s the first single from beabadoobee’s guest-filled fifth album .

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EVERYTHING IS RECORDED FT PETER GABRIEL & IDK – “BEYOND THE BRILLIANT HAZE”

Everything is Recorded, the studio project of XL Records’ Richard Russell, loves to bring together artists who might ever collaborate otherwise. Case in point new single “ Beyond the Brilliant Haze ” which features pop and prog legend Peter Gabriel and Maryland rapper IDK.

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BENNY THE BUTCHER – “CAN’T BE MUCH”

Here’s the first video from Benny the Butcher’s new EP The Plugs I Met 2.5 .

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STOREFRONT CHURCH – “TENDENCY FOR VIOLENCE”

Fans of Alex Cameron and Lawrence Rothman will probably dig this single from Storefront Church’s upcoming album .

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THE JAYHAWKS – “KEEPING OUR HEADS ABOVE WATER”

Americana greats The Jayhawks have announced Sanctuary Park , their 12th album, which will be out August 28 via Thirty Tigers. It was produced by Bob Ezrin (Lou Reed, Alice Cooper) who worked on their 2000 album Smile.

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BLACK BANANAS – “TURKEY BURGERS”

Black Bananas, the group led by Jennifer Herrema of Royal Trux, will release their first album in 12 years in September and this is the jazzy, musically adept first single.

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RUSSIAN CIRCLES – “EMPATH”

Here’s the first taste of Russian Circles’ ninth album .

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@ (AT) – “AUTOSMILE”

Philly duo with hard-to-search name, @, have announced their first album for 4AD and shared its lead single.

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Looking for even more new songs? Browse the New Songs archive

_Originally reported by [Brooklyn Vegan](https://www.brooklynvegan.com/17-new-songs-out-today-63/)._