�The Love Still Held Me Near was born out of unimaginable loss and the subsequent journey through the grief and heartache that followed. It�s about digging deep down into yourself and attempting to unearth hope and light in the things that can comfort you through those times. For me that has always been writing and recording music, so that�s exactly what I did.� - Dallas Green / City and Colour

The group's ninth album and first for Merge establishes them alongside modern luminaries like Yo La Tengo and Superchunk when it comes to their ability to evolve while still retaining what made them so special in the first place. A dazzling and intriguing collection of songs that are truly built to last, Continue as a Guest finds the band exploring fresh territory and shattering the barriers of their collective comfort zone.

Different Game is something of a misnomer. Rather, it�s the continuation of a fabled legacy and one that has not only stood the test of time but remains vibrant and invigorating all these decades on. Some 60 years after serving in the front lines of the so-called �60s British Invasion, they, like all good zombies, came back from the dead, making some of the best music of their career.

15th anniversary. You could say ObZen is some sort of a best of album of the band�s early works combined with fresh, new songs at that moment in time � but that�s only half the truth. Some parts are still slo-mo groove infernos like the groundbreaking hit �Bleed�, but others, like the opener "Combustion", are high speed-massacres like the band never did before. Pure technical ass-kicking mayhem!

If you want to understand how French producer Alan Braxe ended up making some of the most important house music records of the late 1990s and early 2000s, you need to understand his modus operandi. Everything has to be simple; and everything has to be sincere. This newly reissued version of The Upper Cuts adds seven bonus tracks, including remixes and two completely new tracks.

Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus treat us to a full-length record and it�s everything a debut album should be: exploratory, explosive and full of heart. Each of the album�s tracks comes as somewhat of a surprise, from the opening a capella composition to tender (anti)lovesongs, to heavy, nonchalant bangers. There's an uncontainable energy that seems inevitable when three wildly talented songwriters assemble.

Stowaway isn�t just a matter of satisfying the expectations of patient fans who would�ve accepted pretty much anything passable from Samiam at this point; this is a genuinely brilliant record even with all context removed � proof of one of the best and perhaps most underrated punk bands of their era and beyond. It should be more than enough to convince anyone new to the band to dig into their rich and ludicrously consistent discography.

The Hold Steady�s 9th full-length comes as the band turns 20 years old. It is their third record with producer Josh Kaufman, and most expansive record yet, while also being unmistakably a THS record. Singer Craig Finn says �These are some of the most cinematic songs in our catalog. I feel like we went somewhere we haven�t before, which is a very exciting thing for a band that is two decades in.�

Consisting of members from R.E.M., The Minus 5, and The Baseball Project, the bi-continental collaborators share their third album, paying tribute to the artists that populate their turntables. Through their upbeat 60s-style indie sound infused with psychedelic flourishes, The No Ones honor Nick Lowe, Pamela Polland, George Harrison, Jenny Lewis, and Phil Ochs, among others.

There is a romantic nature within the sonic landscape of The Art of Forgetting. Tape effects and loops emulate the feeling of aging (recent memories turning to old ones, then ultimately being forgotten) while the juxtaposition of modern acoustic-electronic textures, like lo-fi tape next to hi-fi granular synths result in some of Rose�s most mature and honest work to date.

There�s an extraordinary elasticity across Good Luck�s masterful production. From industrial, claustrophobic gloom to sweeter and more spacious compositions, Friday moves seamlessly through these deftly-engineered soundscapes. There�s always something new to hone in on and further draw you into this immensely multi-faceted body of work that testifies to the liberating potential of making a racket..

Depeche Mode's first album as a two-piece of Dave Gahan and Martin Gore, following co-founder Andrew �Fletch� Fletcher�s tragic passing in 2022. A vast expanse of moods and textures, from its ominous opening to its closing resolve�running the gamut from paranoia and obsession to catharsis and joy, and hitting myriad points between. For a record preoccupied by death, its big heart bursts with life.

Flemons has built a reputation on presenting 100 years of American roots music, but now, with Traveling Wildfire, his own songwriting prowess comes into the spotlight. Carefully selected from his personal repertoire, these original songs reveal his love of country, western, blues, Americana, bluegrass and folk music as they tell of true love, family legacy, survival, time travel, and the juxtaposition between light and dark.

Building on the warm, elemental soundscape of 2021's Antidotes EPs and the moody, elegant timbre of her cello, Chua has self-produced and engineered a deeply introspective and fully realized vessel of creative expression. Yian emerges as less an album than a worldview, a commitment to learning and uncovering one's own selfhood honed over Chua's lifelong reconciliation with her own personal history and identity.

Last year Babymetal were �sealed� from the world after a successful 10-year journey. The Other One restoration project began to recover the Babymetal we never knew existed within a virtual world called the �Metalverse�. 10 songs have been discovered within the project, each representing a theme of the 10 parallel worlds that exist. Strap yourself in, and put those kitsunes up.

Exul personifies Ne Obliviscaris' distinctive, boundary-pushing ethos. The band's trademark blend of emotion and beauty is as towering as ever, if not even more compelling, particularly how the haunting violin lines carefully weave their way around the riffs. The duality of clean vocals and growls remains the narrative anchor, elevating songs that emanate sophistication and are a masterclass in composition.

Lana Del Rey�s ninth album is heavy and disarmingly truthful, yet expands its close lens thanks to her wide-ranging, alluring aesthetic looseness. It might deal with some major existential questions, but there�s still plenty of fun to be had as it cements Del Rey�s status as one of modern music�s most intriguing songwriters. Featuring Father John Misty, Tommy Genesis, Jon Batiste, Bleachers and more.

Drawing on traditional folk songs, Lankum put their own dark, distinctive mark onto each, leaning into heavy drones and sonic distortion that imparts new intensity and beauty. This record sees the band cement their breakout from the folk genre, creating bold, contemporary music that may be fashioned from traditional elements but is firmly new, sitting comfortably alongside labelmates black midi and Gilla Band.

Celebrants marks a highly anticipated return for the beloved trio and explores the inherent dynamics of human connection. Across the 18 tracks, the trio addresses love, friendship and time with lyrics both poetic and plain-spoken, as they see bridges built, crossed, burned and rebuilt. Produced by longtime collaborator Eric Valentine (Queens of the Stone Age, Grace Potter, Weezer).

For over three decades the New Jersey punk legends have been one of the most reliably joyful bands in punk rock, fostering an incredibly close kinship with their loyal listeners. Now on Ten Stories High, The Bouncing Souls have taken this connection even further, creating an album of 10 songs inspired by the stories of their fans through direct, one-on-one conversations. .

Newest release from Alabama metalcore warriors Gideon. Beards. Boots. Breakdowns. And a 10-gallon hat. It's a Southern-fried beatdown destined to ignite mosh pits from coast to coast, thanks to the thunderously chunky breakdowns with extra grit and girth. A pummeling blast of vicious, metal-tinged hardcore, all acerbic guitars and chugging riffs.

While Heavner doesn�t deviate from the foundation laid by previous releases, Invent Animate focuses on what they�re good at and expand. From the beautiful and infectious melodies of the choruses to the ferociously intense grooves of the breakdowns and riffs, Heavener is an exceptional display of their talent for balancing the melodic and the aggressive.

Riding on its own wave in the symphonic metal space, The Awakening benefits from every inch of the dark and glorious landscape it lovingly paints. It�s a broadside blast of ultragoth that feels simultaneously uniquely Kamelot and yet the most accessible work they�ve released to date. It�s simply huge in both performance and effort and, power metal affection depending, is well worth getting lost in.

With Fantasy, the Platinum-selling, GRAMMY-nominated artist returns with his most personal album to date. Featuring long-time collaborator Justin Meldal-Johnsen and Joe Berry, M83�s touring keyboardist and sax player, the album was born out of extended jam sessions that lasted nearly a year. The result is an exuberant, live-sounding record where trademark M83 goosebump moments abound.

12 songs full of sleek grooves and bold melodies that the Boston quintet put together to help ride out tough times, an anthem for better days ahead. �The wildest thing for me is that the record simultaneously sounds like it has the scars of everything we�ve been through and also that it doesn�t � it�s joyful music, which is very exciting given that it was made in the middle of getting hit in the stomach,� says singer Robbie Wulfsohn.

Extreme metal stalwarts Suicide Silence channel the spirit of their classic albums to deliver a modern deathcore masterpiece. Remember� taps into the rawness and energy of the band�s DNA to thunderous result. Album singles are proof positive that Suicide Silence are far from mellowing with time. With this record, they�re going deeper and darker, meditating on death and finality.

Songs of Surrender features 16 new acoustic and reimagined recordings from the U2 catalog, produced and compiled by The Edge, including �One,� �I Still Haven�t Found What I�m Looking For,� and �Pride (In The Name Of Love).� Available on Limited Edition Indie Exclusive Opaque White 2 LP. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl with 4-page insert featuring liner notes from The Edge.

A stunning companion piece to the acclaimed View With A Room. Featuring the trio of bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King with the addition of guitar icon Bill Frisell. Intimate and gorgeous, The Layers is a welcome additional offering from this meeting of two of modern jazz's most distinctive voices with one of the music's most skilled and inventive rhythm sections.

Recorded in the Tuareg guitarist�s home country over the past five years, these live and alternate takes offer the chance to hear his music in the cultural context in which he forged it. As the Niger EP demonstrate, a field recorder pointed in the general direction of a band in the middle of a wild party can capture a lot of life.

Though no strangers to the dancefloor, the minimal yet immersive beats and grooves of UK Grims's tracks � which include collaborations with Dry Cleaning�s Florence Shaw and Jane�s Addiction�s Perry Farrell among them � add a new, physical dimension to Sleaford Mods� sound that makes their words more vital than ever. Music for body AND mind.

The Big Bottle of Joy is about celebration - hard-won, overflowing, exuberant celebration. Over a dozen songs infused with raw blues-rock, rollicking Americana, thoughtful folk, and ecstatic gospel, Andersen testifies to something we could all do well to remember: the time we have together is special, so let's spend it the right way.

After recording over 20 songs, including some that dabbled in electro-pop and stripped-down country, the band settled on the final 14 songs containing the best elements of �70s-driven blues rock. Sonically, the album is reminiscent of Sticky Fingers-era Stones, but the lyrics are mini-vignettes that embody the spirit of what The Nude Party are going for � and their growth as a band.

Uchis� most immersive project yet�a bottomless plunge into the waters of love and loss. The fluid groove of �Blue� feels like a Sade B-side, while �Love Between� weaves doo-wop nostalgia into crystalline romantic reverie. Often, it�s her smoldering voice that holds all the dreaminess together. It�s never maximalist, always utilitarian, molded to fit revenge and desire in equal measure.

Technical Death Metal is a notoriously crowded arena which is why it�s exciting to see a band like Entheos ascend by becoming a wholly more progressive and experimental entity. No longer needing to compromise their vision, the increased diversity in almost every facet has only seen this band grow exponentially into an exciting and creative force. The more tantalizing aspect is that they can go even further.

Four master collaborators at the peak of their craft with near-telepathic cohesion. Silver Saturdays features 10 new songs that pay homage to a 25-year journey. All four members lend their distinctive vocals. Their concise, meticulously crafted songwriting is interwoven with Lebo�s soaring acoustic-electric guitar. Gill�s tasty keyboard comping and Adams� bass groove married to Lipp�s rhythmic flourishes.

The third solo album from the Seattle native, rapper and songwriter best known as one-half of duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Includes "Chant (featuring Tones And I), "Faithful" (featuring NLE Choppa), "Heroes" (featuring DJ Premier � considered one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time), and "Maniac" (featuring Windsor). *Available on Indie Exclusive vinyl with alternate cover*

The 36-song mega collection brings together Wallen�s many musical influences including country, alternative and hip-hop, and features with country bigwigs Eric Church, Hardy and Ernest. Of the hefty length, Wallen says, �there are 36 songs on this album because we just kept exploring with fresh lyrics, music and production ideas and these are the songs that felt right to me.�

Over the course of the record traversing between oddball dance-punk and noise pop, Gallo shares detailed anecdotes and takes on male entitlement, the age of anxiety, apathy vs. action, narcissism, retail therapy, xenophobia, the dread of future generations, right wing extremists in giant pickup trucks, capitalism, and climate change. it�s the opposite of background music - unavoidable, urgent, in your face.

Alabama native Drayton Farley has as honest a voice as you're likely to hear in this burgeoning scene of country, folk, roots, and Americana music we're all wrapped up in. He sings as deeply about the love he holds as the love he's lost and there's something so broken-in and comfortable about that Southern inflection that every song feels like coming home.

Drummer and composer Kendrick Scott returns with his first compositional treatment of trio context: saxophone, bass, and drums. Corridors unveils an exposed rumination from the Houston-born artist and his acclaimed collaborators: saxophonist Walter Smith III and bassist Reuben Rogers. Born during the pandemic lockdown, the record focuses on posing outward questions instead of inward contemplation.