Every Friday, 88Nine music director Erin Wolf and Lilliput Records co-owner Tanner Musgrove tell you about the new albums you can’t miss on a new episode of On Vinyl. Check out their top picks and a list of this week’s other releases, and listen to their full conversation using the player on this page or on the 88Nine airwaves at 1 p.m. every Friday.
We’re just about a month post-Record Store Day 2026, and although the release frenzy isn’t quite as pumped up this particular Friday, there’s still plenty of stuff to get your hands on and stock up your record shelf. A couple of these have tour dates attached to them as well, so that’s always a bonus if you’re mapping out concert plans.
If either DEVO or The B-52s are your jam, consider smashing them together for an even more amped-up version from Seattle’s Telehealth. Even though their sound is classified as “futuristic pop,” it really does sound like the sweet, wayback classics so many of us still find irresistible.
If you want to go a little more earthy and introspective, Kevin Morby’s got strong Midwestern vibes on his new album that comes on a sweet peachy vinyl. Pick it up today or hang tight until he arrives in Wisconsin for a couple dates this spring and summer.
We’ve also got some fuzzy and sweet Swedish pop from Sylvie’s Head if you’re into that mid-aughts indie zone, and a chance to introduce yourself to a singer-songwriter you’ve sorta already met by way of his famous singer-songwriter parents, Linda and Richard Thompson: the one, the only Teddy Thompson.
Happy New Music Friday!
Best new albums out May 15
Telehealth, Green World Image
The Seattle post-punk band‘s angular and synthesized sound may sound a little vintage, but combine them with lyrical themes 100% inspired by the modern world, and anyone listening will find something to relate to. Green World Image is Telehealth’s first album for Sub Pop, and it’s really great to see that label championing their local grassroots music scene so visibly.
If you want a little sonic slice of Seattle, find the album on a special crystal-clear “loser edition” or on plain black at your favorite local record shop.
Kevin Morby, Little Wide Open
The folk-rocker issuing his eighth studio album is a pretty incredible feat for someone so young. In addition to having music in his blood, there’s a fair amount of Midwest in there, and it provides the common thread of Little Wide Open.
Raised in Kansas City, Morby calls the Midwest his “Badlands” (also the name of the album’s first track). Producer Aaron Dessner of The National really captures that wistful, regional troubadour vibe, which the many guest musicians pick up on. Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath, Justin Vernon, Katie Gavin, Lucinda Williams and Meg Duffy all join Morby in the pages of this story and give it a warm feel.
Little Wide Open is out on opaque peach vinyl and there’s also an “eco-mix” version. Find Morby in the Milwaukee area June 1 at the Argo and playing day one of the Vernon-curated Eaux Claires Festival on July 24.
Sylvie’s Head, Everything Is Free
Formed in 2024, the Swedish indie-rock band’s fuzzy, upbeat songs quickly helped make a name for them in Gothenburg. With their eclectic mix of post-punk and club-oriented beats, they’ve grown in popularity within the Swedish underground scene after releasing their 2025 EP and a cover of one of our favorite songs, Psychic TV’s “Godstar.” You can find their new album on natural-colored vinyl with a printed inner sleeve at a local shop near you.
Teddy Thomspon, Never Be the Same
Known for intimate songwriting that tends to steer in the direction of romance, heartache and longing — NPR described his work as "the musical equivalent of an arrow to the heart" — Thompson is back with his 11th studio album.
Taking after parents Linda and Richard Thompson, Teddy leans into his folky pop-rock roots with this new collection of songs. Produced by David Mansfield, the 10 songs are his first solo work since 2020’s Heartbreaker Please. If you’re looking to pick up Never Be the Same on wax, it’s available on a limited-edition blue vinyl or standard black.
More of our picks
- Dua Saleh, Of Earth & Wires
- Jack Johnson, SURFILMUSIC
- Shakey Graves, Fondness, Etc.
- Tank & The Bangas, The Last Balloon
- Yungblud, Idols II
