Every Friday, On Vinyl features 88Nine music director Erin Wolf and Lilliput Records co-owner Tanner Musgrove delivering their top picks and a list of this week’s other releases, so the can’t-miss new albums don’t pass you by.
Remi Wolf, Mud
Wolf’s third studio album is what she’s calling her “healer” of a record. The indie-pop artist with the big pipes indeed healingly expresses and breathes out some big, big feelings across the full store of new songs and encapsulated those vibes in an Instagram post about the project.
“[It’s] my favorite, my healer, my family, my precious, my blood, sweat and tears. No more secrets!! I love this music more than anything. I wanna scream and cry!!! Okay, let’s breathe …”
After Wolf toured nonstop alongside artists like Lorde and Olivia Rodrigo, there was an inherent need for an energy shift, so she went on a retreat with friends and musicians. If it sounds like these songs are more grounded as a result, that’s because they are. Lead songs “Twiggy” and “Bottle” have been dubbed as “warmer and more spacious,” rooted in live instrumentation and storytelling. Get ready to go inward and experience the beauty of the calm after the storm with these songs.
Death Valley Girls, Welcome to Earth
The SoCal psych-rock band’s latest for Suicide Squeeze Records is a classic sound — exuberant, melodic, curious and gloriously open-hearted. As always with their projects, girl-group harmonies drift through hazy psychedelia, voices gather into communal chants, and choruses burst forth as a collective singalong.
Death Valley Girls have long been led by the inspiring Bonnie Bloomgarden on keys and vocals. When her home was destroyed in the Altadena wildfire, all that was lost (including beloved dog Tommy) left her tapping into some heavy realizations and looking for ways to transcend. Across the new songs, the band’s communal arms outstretch to include plants, animals and humanity in a giant bear hug of connection.
BODEGA, All Inside Aquarium
An NYC-based band called BODEGA? That checks out.
If you’re not familiar, don’t discount them because of their playful surface. Yes, they’re a seriously fun rock ‘n’ roll band. But if you love punk attitudes and the ingrained indie rockness of bands like The Breeders and Wishy, you’ll love the sounds of BODEGA’s new album for Chrysalis Records.
The follow-up to 2024's Our Brand Could Be Your Life marks a step away from their core post-punk sound and features a little crunch, a little waver to the guitars and lots of swagger (but plenty of room for fun). Guitarist and vocalist Ben Hozie described the new material as aiming for "this late '80s/early '90s Stone Roses-meets-Jane's Addiction thing, with more riffing and guitar solos.” Yep, that checks out, too.
Lilliput pick: Imperial Teen, All Over You
SanFran, ’90s-born indie rockers Imperial Teen return with their first new album since 2019 and their seventh of all time, ready to dish out more of their tightly wound, witty songs with undertones of bubblegum via boy/girl vocals. Fans of The B-52s, The Raveonettes and even The Sex Pistols will find something to love from the group led by Roddy Bottum (formerly of Faith No More). In fact, there’s an actual nod to the Pistols in lead single “Overdrive.”
According to guitarist Will Schwartz, All Over You spans desire, disconnection and the realities of making art under capitalism, while never losing the band’s core mission. “We want to make people dance and think and feel at the same time,” he shared. Look for the new album on Merge and find Imperial Teen on the road this fall in select cities.
More of our picks
- BALTHVS, Manifest
- Cameron Winter, Live at Carnegie Hall
- Dawn Richard, Creole Culture
- Girl Ultra, RRRomeo
- HAAi, DIGITiSE
- Jess Williamson, A Mile South of Heaven
- Matt Pond PA, Permanent Change Part 1
- Teenage Fanclub, Do Not Dare to Dream
- The Tallest Man On Earth, Just Beyond Endless Mountain
- Twin Temple, Doomed Lovers
