Cloud Cult and Fontaines D.C. are each back with new music from upcoming albums, and Spoon give us another track from their forthcoming release. Meanwhile, discover New Yorkers Renata Zeiguer and Raveena, and Londoners Ibibio Sound Machine.

Renata Zeiguer, “Sunset Boulevard”

Brooklyn-based artist Renata Zeiguer will release her sophomore album, Picnic In The Dark, on April 8. If lead single "Sunset Boulevard" is any indication, it will be a beautiful and slightly sinister trip. This could easily be a soundtrack for David Lynch's next film.

Cloud Cult, “One Way Out Of A Hole”

Just the other day, someone emailed me saying they missed hearing new music from Cloud Cult. The Minnesota band must have felt that pull, because they just announced their first new album in six years, Metamorphosis. With the announcement, they released "One Way Out Of A Hole"; the song was written pre-pandemic, but the band played it during a quarantine livestream, and their idea of trying to reach out and not feel so alone resonated.

Raveena, “Rush”

Raveena is a Venn diagram of opposing forces: Bollywood and '90s R&B; Brooklyn and South Asia; queer and Sikh. This might bring out a crash of loud, jarring tones, but for Raveena there is always a gentleness, an airy lightness where everything comes together. A recent conversation with Billboard might explain this push towards a delicate touch: "As women, we’re often told that our softness, our vulnerability and the things that are really beautiful about being feminine are weaknesses.”

Spoon, “Wild”

The raw denim rock on the soon-to-be-released Spoon album, Lucifer On The Sofa, wears well. "Wild" is a thumping heartbeat to center a road trip on — one of those songs to start over again as soon as it finishes.

Ibibio Sound Machine, “All That You Want”

"All That You Want" kicks off with an LCD Soundsystem bass beat and a powerful desperation in the vocals saying, "All that I needed" … and suddenly you need more. The afro-funk band from London teamed up with Hot Chip to produce their new record, Electricity, which is out March 25.

Fontaines D.C., “Jackie Down The Line”

The Irish post-punk band, Fontaines D.C., is more melodic with deeper instrumentation on their latest album, Skinty Fia. Take one part pandemic, one part thrift-store accordion, '90s alt, and some Irish ennui and you might land on the band’s sound for their third album.

Playlist