New Music This Week: June 27

recapping the last week of music, with new releases from Mac DeMarco, Alex G, Bleary Eyed, Greg Freeman, MAVI, Powerplant, SPRINTS, Taurus Judge, & MORE

Mac DeMarco

An overwhelming amount of music is released daily, and we're here to help you weed through it all. Every week, we share select releases we recommend and personalized picks from a few of our editors.

Welcome to our new releases guide featuring the most notable music released the week of June 27.

BLIGATORY Picks

galen tipton & Shmu - dewCLAWS

Glitch Pop, Deconstructed Club

via Orange Milk

Taurus Judge - A Thing Rolled Up

Noise Rock, Post-Punk, Indie Rock

Self-Released

write-up by Peter Doherty

The wibbly-wobbly-wonders of Philly's Taurus Judge set sail on seas of cheese with the band’s debut project. A Thing Rolled Up is clunkily performed, but not from incompetence. Taurus Judge know exactly what they're doing, I think. They pull off tricks that can't be mistakes, or can they? The only thing I'm certain of is that I'm uncertain. It all feels like a serendipitous slap of oddly shaped, fuzzy sonics, albeit a very welcome slap. Like a ragged wheel hurtling down a lumpy hill, predicting the outcome is futile. Sit back and watch the carnage unfold.

Intention is important. How you frame it sets the stage. You can stumble into greatness, as long as you're failing forward. Retreat, and you lose the lingo. Purposefully poised as a quirky, eccentric piece of indie-slacker goodness, A Thing Rolled Up will have you re-energised for guitar-based music once more.

Taurus Judge's A Thing Rolled Up is out now!

Alex G - "June Guitar"

Singer-Songwriter, Americana, Indie Folk

via RCA Records

write-up by Dominick Baglivo

Last month, Philly’s golden child Alex G announced his 10th studio album and shared “Afterlife.” Now, he’s sharing a second preview from the upcoming Headlights with “June Guitar.” More stripped back than the lead single, “June Guitar” spices up G’s usual acoustic stylings with some gentle bongos and a healthy dose of accordion.

“June Guitar” also comes about a week after Alex G played at the Delco Summer Social as a surprise guest, alongside a bill that featured three other Philly-based acts in Puddled, Fib, and Snoozer. That performance featured the live debut of “Afterlife,” with Alex G accompanied by his longtime partner Molly Germer on violin. You can watch the full set here.

Needless to say, these two singles and being able to witness that special performance has me (Dominick) and the whole BLIGATORY team very excited for Headlights, which is out July 18 on RCA Records. Later in the year, catch Alex G and the full band on tour across the US—plus two stops in Toronto—starting in Boston on September 10. In November, Alex G will play some shows overseas as well, making stops in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Find all of Alex G’s tour dates here.

Bleary Eyed - "Easy"

Noise Pop, Shoegaze

via Born Losers Records

write-up by Max Lightcap

It’s no secret that shoegaze has been a giant topic amongst the underground rock scene, and is now making its way to the mainstream airways with shoegaze-adjacent bands like Julie, Wisp, Whirr, etc. With the genre getting more and more popular, you can imagine there’s quite the oversaturation, and it can be difficult to stand out. I’ve never found this issue with Philadelphia-based band, Bleary Eyed. The Philly group just dropped “Easy,” the third and final single from their upcoming album of the same name.

This song does what many shoegaze songs do, creating a dreamy atmosphere that encapsulates you. The difference is in how they do it; not only do they have the classic fuzzy guitar tones, they also have relishing melodies and harmonies presented by both guitarists. This is especially highlighted in the majestic chorus—which, backed by keys—create this full sound that makes you close your eyes, smile, and bob your head from left to right. My favorite thing about this song is the subtle use of flanging guitars that warp right into the hook, and the key stabs in the bridge that sound like something that you would hear deep in REM sleep.

“Easy” invokes feelings of hopefulness and nostalgia all in one. The beauty of what has happened and the anxiety/excitement of what's to come, making you present right along with the song. It makes me stoked for the entire album, and I predict that this may be my album of the summer.

The hints of electronica on this track make me want to coin this as “computergaze.” However, I’ll leave that up to y’all to decide. I’m done with all these different names for shoegaze, and calling everything shoegaze. All I know is I love the current sound coming out of Philadelphia, with the mixture of electronica, shoegaze, and various sounds of the Philly scene that are reminiscent of the 90s. I’m antsy to see what else these innovative artists will come up with and blend together, including Bleary Eyed.

Easy is out July 25 via Born Losers Records. In August, Bleary Eyed will kick off their first headlining tour, with stops in Montreal and Toronto before their cross-country takeover of the US. Find the full list of dates here.

Greg Freeman - "Gallic Shrug"

Alt-Country, Country Rock

via Transgressive Records / Canvasback Music

write-up by Peter Doherty

Gallic: of a characteristically French demeanour. Greg Freeman: of an alt-country demeanour, characteristically vulnerable, yet ever-so-cool. "Gallic Shrug" is the third single released in the run-up to Freeman's sophomore album, Burnover, which is out August 22.

Greg Freeman and co. will head to the UK in late August/early September with an in-store performance at Rough Trade East in London on September 3. Other dates include The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds on September 5, and Hare and Hounds in Birmingham on September 11.

Freeman and co. will head further into Europe from mid-to-late September and return with an eight-date tour of the US in October. Find the full list of dates here.

Mac DeMarco - "Home"

Bedroom Pop, Soft Rock

via Mac's Record Label

write-up by Atticus Deeny

Following a vague announcement of an August album and tour via Instagram in April, the ever-so-iconic singer-songwriter Mac DeMarco has officially revealed the details of his first studio album since 2019, Guitar, set to release August 22nd via Mac’s Record Label. With a U.S. tour in September already sold out, it is safe to say that this is one of the most anticipated albums of 2025 so far.

The lead single, “Home,” finds DeMarco in a melancholic mood, reflecting on his state of existence and how his actions have influenced relationships with people and places. The production is clean and guitar-focused, similar to that of Here Comes the Cowboy. In the music video, DeMarco paddles through the ocean, spying many coastal creatures under foggy skies.

Pre-order pages display a 12-song tracklist for the upcoming Guitar, which can now be pre-saved on streaming as well.

MAVI & Smino - "Potluck"

Trap, Cloud Rap

via Noble Music

write-up by Atticus Deeny

North Carolina rapper MAVI seems to be plotting something big this year… “Potluck” is his second star-studded single in a month, with the Earl Sweatshirt-assisted “Landgrab” dropping back on May 27. Smino hops on the new single to deliver a smooth verse while MAVI provides a fast-paced flow through a verse and chorus.

Both singles have been fairly short and compact, sporting black-and-white sketched album art and warehouse-shot music videos that feature the artists in the settings shown on the single covers. All signs point to a project looming in the future, but nothing has been properly announced yet.

Powerplant - "Quiet Heat"

Slacker Rock, Post-Punk

via Arcane Dynamics

write-up by Peter Doherty

Cowpunk-y and clunky, the swampy sounds of London's Powerplant viscously drip towards their upcoming project, the five-track Heat EP. Harnessing a DIY, recorded-in-the-bedroom aesthetic, "Quiet Heat" feels like a sticky, cloaked piece of sleepy gloom.

"Just a quick little ep,” the Heat EP releases July 11 via Arcane Dynamics.

SPRINTS - "Descartes"

Garage Punk, Noise Rock

via City Slang / Sub Pop

write-up by Peter Doherty

With the announcement of a new album usually comes the release of said album’s first single. In SPRINTS’ case, said single is the rambunctious "Descartes," and in this case, All That Is Over is said album.  "Vanity is the curse of culture, cyanide for the soul," opens frontwoman Karla Chubb. Something of a statement on a time which seems to play out omnipresently, infinitely.

Cogito, ergo sum: I think, therefore I am.

SPRINTS’ sophomore album, All That Is Over, is out September 26 via City Slang and Sub Pop.

SPRINTS head out on a UK/IE tour beginning in Belfast on November 2 and ending in Dublin on November 20. The band has also announced a nine-date EU tour in March of 2026. Find the full list of dates here.

Atticus' Picks

Pi'erre Bourne - Made In Paris

Trap, Pop Rap

via Interscope Records

Blood Orange - "The Field" (ft. The Durutti Column, Tariq Al-Sabir, Caroline Polachek, & Daniel Caesar)

Liquid Drum and Bass, Art Pop

via RCA Records / Domino Recording Co.

Cam's Picks

Kevin Abstract - Blush

Pop Rap, Bedroom Pop, Neo-Soul

via June / X8 Music

Lorde - Virgin

Alt-Pop, Electronic

via Universal New Zealand

underscores - "Music"

Electropop, Hyperpop

via Corporate Rockmusic / Mom+Pop

Dominick's Picks

Jean Mignon - Mignon 7"

Garage Punk, Garage Rock

via Wild Wax

POWER PANTS - PP10

Egg Punk

Self-Released

The Gobs - obsgay uleray

Garage Punk, Egg Punk, Synth Punk

Self-Released

Virginia Creeper - GOBLN7

Indie Rock, Shoegaze, Slowcore, Alt-Country

Self-Released

Ada Lea - "something in the wind"

Indie Folk, Folk Pop

via Saddle Creek

Last month, Montreal-based musician Ada Lea—real name Alexandra Levy—announced her new album, when I paint my masterpiece, alongside the folky and semi-twangy “baby blue frigidaire mini fridge.” Sharing a second single this week, she turns the tempo up a bit with “something in the wind.”

About the single and its writing process, Levy explains:

“I had a dream about this song and remember nothing. There is a constant in everyone’s life, which is the dream. When we recorded the song, Luke, who produced it, suggested we slow it down so Tasy could improvise a busy drum solo. Then, Jonas, engineer, sped the song up to its regular speed. Like a slowed down wink to Leonard Cohen himself.”

“something in the wind” comes with a music video—directed by Brittney Canda—inspired by Nathan Fielder’s “miracle over the Mojave” in The Rehearsal. For the video, which you can watch below, Levy spent six months learning how to ice skate.

when i paint my masterpiece is out August 8 on Saddle Creek. This week, Ada Lea also announced her first UK headline tour in almost 6 years. That’ll happen in August, followed by US/Canada dates from September to November. Find the full list of shows here.

Golden Apples - "Noonday Demon"

Noise Pop, Slacker Rock

via Lame-O Records

Led by singer and songwriter Russell Edling, Philly’s Golden Apples are gearing up for album number four. Announced this week alongside “Noonday Demon,” Shooting Star follows the band’s 2023 release, Bananasugarfire.

The jangly and shimmery foundation of “Noonday Demon” lends a nice sonic contrast to the anxiety-stricken songwriting that’s immediately apparent, with an opening line of “I lost my grip on my life again.” Relatable.

As Edling explains, “’Noonday Demon’ addresses the way anxiety and paranoia can make you sort of lose track of yourself and your identity - turning your world upside down and alienating you from the people around you at the same time.”

Shooting Star is out September 19 on the Philly-based Lame-O Records. Golden Apples plays at Bazooka! Fest in New York on August 3, followed by two hometown shows: PhilaMOCA on August 8 (with Finom) and October 17 at Philly Music Fest.

Jobber - "Nightmare"

Power Pop, Indie Rock

via Exploding In Sound Records

Making their return to the ring, Brooklyn’s premier wrestling-themed rockers Jobber share “Nightmare” and announce their debut album, Jobber To The Stars. Heavy and crunchy power pop that hits like an adrenaline spike, “Nightmare” is a convincing argument to hand Jobber their rightful slot on alternative rock’s metaphorical main card.

About the album’s lead single, guitarist/vocalist Kate Meizner says:

“I wrote this song back in 2021 when I wanted to quit my day job, but felt really, really stuck. Companies were doing mass layoffs, cutting benefits, and the job market was garbage, so it felt like a risk to make a move and leave. I wanted to capture that feeling of paralysis: when you know you need to let go of something terrible for you (and the world!), but the decision involves so much risk that fear keeps you rooted in place. It’s like a nightmare where you’re trying to escape from a monster that’s trying to destroy you, but your legs are cement – you just 'can’t seem to run.' Sonically, I was really going for a power pop feel, with the Moog, sugary melody, and groove. I think I was listening to 'Waiting' by the Rentals on repeat at the time. Mike Falcone (drummer), Justin Pizzoferrato (engineer), and we had a fun time capturing that sound and playing with different flourishes like claps, 'woo-hoos' or hard panned guitar textures."

“Nightmare” follows the band’s 2022 debut EP, Hell In A Cell, as well as the killer “Summerslam,” a single they shared in 2023 that will also appear on their first full-length.

In wrestling, a jobber is defined as “one who routinely loses in order to build the credibility of other wrestlers.” But don’t expect very many losses on Jobber To the Stars; it seems a lot more likely they’ll deliver a series of tough blows, soaring guitars, and show-stopping hooks.

Jobber To The Stars is out August 22 via Exploding In Sound Records. The four-piece of Meizner, drummer/vocalist Michael Falcone, guitarist/keyboardist Michael Julius, and bassist Miles Toth have also announced two shows in August, with more set to be announced. Catch them August 15 at Night Club 101 in NYC, or August 23 at God’s Auto Body in Philly.

Safe Mind - "Hold on to That"

Synthpop, New Jack Swing

via Nude Club

Last September, Augustus Muller—one half of Boy Harsher—and Cooper B. Handy (aka LUCY) debuted a new project named Safe Mind. The bouncy and playful “6’ Pole” marked the first song from the duo, and last month’s “Standing on Air” came alongside the incredibly exciting news of Safe Mind’s debut album, Cutting the Stone.

This week, Muller and Handy deliver a new single that absolutely swings, literally. A real callback to 80s’ pop—and new jack swing, particularly—the sugary sounds of “Hold on to That” are quite different than both of Safe Mind’s previous singles. The old-school production is delectably smooth, with retro sources of inspiration made clear, but never heavy-handedly.

Safe Mind’s debut album, Cutting The Stone, is out July 25 on the Boy Harsher-owned Nude Club. On the same night, they’ll embark on a US tour, including some dates opening for Nation of Language. Find the full list of dates here.

The Beths - "No Joy"

Power Pop, Indie Rock

via ANTI- Records

The Beths—the New Zealand-based four-piece of vocalist Elizabeth Stokes, guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck—have a new record on the way. Following the success of their 2022 release, Expert In A Dying Field (released via Carpark)—which earned them their first #1 on the North American College & Community (NACC) Radio Chart—they have found a new label home in ANTI- Records for their fourth album, Straight Line Was A Lie.

“No Joy” initiates the album rollout with a memorable (and unfortunately, very relatable) hook, some of the most pleasing snare hits I’ve heard in recent memory, and general power pop excellence. “It's about anhedonia, which, paradoxically, was there both in the worst parts of depression, and then also when I was feeling pretty numb on my SSRI,” Stokes explains. “It wasn't that I was sad, I was feeling pretty good. It was just that I didn't like the things that I liked. I wasn't getting joy from them. It's very literal.”

Straight Line Was A Lie is out August 29 on ANTI- Records. After its release, The Beths’ touring schedule is pretty packed; from mid-September to mid-October, The Beths will take on the UK and Europe, hitting Dublin, London, Paris, Stockholm, Berlin, Barcelona, and much more. They’ll resume touring on October 30, with US and Canada dates carrying them through December 10. Several shows have already sold out and seen second nights added, including Dublin, San Francisco, Toronto, Boston, and Philly. Find the full list of dates here.

The Lazarus Plot - "This Glass Is Half Empty"

Emo, Post-Rock

via The Numero Group

The Lazarus Plot was a short-lived emo band from Indiana, active from 1997 to 1999. Last year, the archival label Numero Group reissued the band’s only release (and brought it to streaming services), a self-titled record originally put out in 1996. This week, The Lazarus Plot’s archives are opened again, and we’re met with the raw desperation of “This Glass Is Half Empty.”

Earlier this year, we got two other unreleased singles in “Eviction Notice” and “The End.” Somewhat of a tease, Numero Group writes (via Instagram), “What might be the final unearthed track from The Lazarus Plot archives is out today. Can't help but notice this one is not in the Sequoia 2x7" and maybe not on any existing release. Makes you wonder.”

Indeed, it does make me wonder. Only time will tell if this truly is the last of the band’s archives or if another project is being pieced together behind the scenes.

And for the sake of brevity, four more singles in a condensed fashion:

In February, Child Star shared their debut EP, 9. This week, the duo of Olivia O. and Sean Henry follow that up with the woozy, downtrodden trip-hop of “Badluck.”

Belfast’s DIY feminist punks Problem Patterns share “I’m Fine and I’m Doing Great,” the first single from their new EP. Out on September 12 (via Alcopop!), Boring Songs for Boring People follows their 2023 debut, Blouse Club, and last year’s remixed version, Blouse Clubland.

Two months ago, Pedazo De Carne Con Ojo shared his first new music of 2025 with “Mismo” / “Center.” This week, the Philly experimental electronic artist returns with another double single, “Tiralo” / “Sirens.” Blink and you might miss ‘em, these fusions of glitch pop and Latin music sputter, bounce, and float all the same, despite their sub-two-minute runtimes.

An anti-creep anthem from Minneapolis punks VIAL with their new single, “Creep Smoothie.”

Max's Picks

Learner - Excuses (EP)

Slowcore, Shoegaze, Alt-Country

via Tea Farm

Smut - Tomorrow Comes Crashing

Indie Rock, Alternative Rock

via Bayonet Records

Animal Collective - "Love On the Big Screen"

Neo-Psychedelia, Indietronica, Psychedelic Pop

via Domino Recording Company

Big Fat Head - "Kicking my Own Ass"

Garage Rock, Indie Rock, Power Pop

via Clean Demon Records

Golomb - "Staring"

Noise Pop, Alt. Rock

via No Quarter Records

McKay - "Luna"

Alt-Country, Indie Rock

via East Iris Records / Universal Music Group

Peter's Picks

Bugman - "Sparrow"

Indie Rock

via Dog Leap Records

North F'n Shields' Bugman has released a splendid single, which revolves around the love and lament for all things aviation. “Sparrow” is today's anthem, today's marshmallow. The life-affirming mix of pain and glory that Bugman whips up paints pictures of colourful sorrow. The grit in Bugman's voice bolsters a tangible anguish.

“Sparrow” is accompanied by an excellent music video. Bugman performs the track in all its agonising splendour while being plastered by projected images of skulls and, you guessed it, sparrows. The odd hit of the vape is used to artistic effect, or to keep the anxiety at bay.

Speaking on “Sparrow,” Bugman had this to say:

“'Sparrow' is about my love of flying and and all things aviation and about the build up of excitement for a an impending European jaunt. But while one side of the song is jubilant, the other side laments the anxiety induced by other travelers and the dickheads you bump into along the way. There’s joy but sadness all rolled into one, but ultimately, I finish happy.”

Sam Fender has the track “on repeat today like,” and so should you! “Sparrow” is out now via Dog Leap Records.

"I'M A SPARROOOOOWWWWW."

For Nina - "Swallow"

Indie Rock

via Ambulance Records

Dublin-based three-piece For Nina release their latest single “Swallow.” Light-as-a-feather with a certain grit, "Swallow" bolsters an effervescent bite. Reminiscent guitars sweep the reflective state of frontwoman Holly Owens forward. There seems to be a continuing narrative in the band’s 2025 artwork for “Low,” “Hounds,” and now “Swallow.”

Speaking on the track, For Nina had this to say:

“’Swallow’ generally spins around ideas of self-sabotage and biting your tongue. In some ways, it’s about lots of different things all at once and different people have attached their own meaning to it - which we find really lovely to hear.” “Got a taste in my mouth for making it right.”

“Swallow” is out now via Ambulance Records.