Did you manage to find everything on your Record Store Day wish list? Congratulations — or condolences, depending on how it went. Either way, that was yesterday. Today it’s time to look ahead to all the essential new releases on the way. Here are your plays of the week:
Peter Holsapple
The Face of 68
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Peter Holsapple has recorded an extraordinary new solo album he’s calling The Face of 68. It reflects on age, humor and hurt, with his usual high-quality wordplay and legendary gifts for melody and harmony. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, Peter’s record is an enduring testament to his striking abilities as musician and songwriter. “I’d like to think” says Peter, “that, were my parents still alive, they’d say I’d finally realized my potential.” Don Dixon (R.E.M., Smithereens) produced it in Peter’s hometown of Durham N.C,, and the rhythm section was Rob Ladd (Connells, Don Henley) on drums and Robert Sledge (Ben Folds Five) on electric bass. Grammy-nominated engineer Jason Richmond was at the console for the four-day session, with Dixon mixing at his home studio in Canton, Ohio. And there are guest turns from Marti Jones, who was the first artist to cover Peter’s songs on her debut album (1985’s Unsophisticated Time) and from Mark Simonsen, who co-produced Peter’s single Don’t Mention the War in 2017.”
Little Barrie & Malcolm Catto
Electric War
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Electric War marks an electrifying collaboration between British power trio Little Barrie and acclaimed producer / drummer Malcolm Catto, fusing unique talents into a mesmerizing exploration of raw, experimental sound. And they are also the band behind the opening theme to Better Call Saul. Electric War delivers a blend of sharp guitar lines, thunderous drums, and swirling textures that evoke a post-apocalyptic soundscape teetering between chaos and harmony. Tracks range from pulsating, fuzz-heavy anthems to moody, groove-centric pieces and are underscored by each musician’s seamless interplay. Channeling their shared love for analog warmth and raw, unfiltered sound, the album creates a visceral experience that invites listeners into a world where rock, funk, and psychedelia collide. For fans of boundary-pushing, instrumental-driven music, Electric War is a potent testament to the power of collaboration.”
Melvins 1983
Thunderball
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The raw and unfiltered incarnation of the legendary band led by Buzz Osborne and original Melvins drummer Mike Dillard return with Thunderball — their first album in four years. “Thunderball is the third Melvins 1983 album we’ve done together, and I wanted it to be bombastic – and I think we’ve achieved that,” says Osborne. “I’ve also wanted to do something with electronic artists Void Manes and Ni Maîtres for a long time. Both are extraordinary talents. Their unconventional use of electronics pushed Thunderball beyond my expectations… I’m already planning a fourth one that will be even more uncompromising. A real shit show.”
Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill
Long After The Fire
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill have been married for 22 years and playing music together for… maybe two. Vicki is a founding member of the 1980s group The Bangles, one of the most successful bands of that decade with over six million gold and platinum albums sold. John began working in clubs, singing and playing drums with his brothers when he was seven years old. The band grew to include their mother and little sister and The Cowsills became a sensation in the late 1960’s, enjoying several Top 20 hits. Vicki and John’s first LP, Long After The Fire, is a loving tribute featuring songs written by two of John’s brothers, Bill and Barry Cowsill. Vicki &andn are already gaining attention and turning heads.”
Strange Neighbors
People Pleasers Pleasing People
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Strange Neighbors are a power pop outfit from New York City. Their music combines influences from all corners of pop music, crafting hook-filled songs that are bound to get stuck in your head. The band draw inspiration from a diverse range of artists, and have been described as a queer mix of My Chemical Romance, The Beatles and IRS-era R.E.M. Founded in Brooklyn by lead singer Aidan Strange in 2018, the band’s current lineup is a sleek four-piece with traditional rock instrumentation. Aidan channels a pop-punk passion by way of a teenage career in musical theatre. Drummer Beau Valentine contributes a similarly theatrical edge from behind the kit. Bassist Dana Bennewitz brings her jazz background to the band’s intricate underpinnings, and guitarist Zach Schweikert adds a jangly touch with his nearly exclusive use of a 12-string guitar. People Pleasers Pleasing People harnesses a theme that weaves itself throughout which is along the lines of “laugh now, cry later.”
Superheaven
Superheaven
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Superheaven not only rely, but also thrive on the interplay of its four members — Jake Clarke (lead vocals, guitar), Taylor Madison (lead vocals, guitar), Joe Kane (bass) and Zack Robbins (drums). The music unfolds like an unspoken conversation between the respective players (and old friends), revolving around post-hardcore grit, full-bodied and fuzzed-out distortion, and hazy alternative melodies. Muscular riffs make indentations in a perpetually droning soundscape, fissuring into fits of catchy catharsis and hypnotic jamming without rival. Following a series of independent releases, the Pennsylvania group unveiled Jar during 2013. At the time, it slowly but surely built a foundation for the band. The musicians leveled up with 2015’s Ours Is Chrome. After a pair of quietly influential albums, hundreds of millions of streams, and countless shows, a longstanding sonic and spiritual union underscores the band’s third full-length offering, the self-titled Superheaven.”
Various Artists
Brown Acid: The Twentieth Trip
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Here you are in 2025, about to take the Twentieth Trip! The 10 vintage early local hard rock eruptions here will swarm around you like fear and loathing bats, zapping you from unexpected angles, beyond-a-reasonable-doubt proof that the inevitable collapse of the American psychedelic ’60s Utopian Dream into hard-guitar lowball self-absorbed human nature endures. These killer tracks may be a half century in the rear-view mirror now BUT… since we can’t work it out, we gotta mess it up! A vibe that resonates timelessly, real life ripped out of the haze by real people, fresh and unfiltered right out of the gate. Getting it while they can. These are no mere historic sound recordings, they are life itself! If you’re looking for trouble, you just found it!”
Neil Young
Coastal: The Soundtrack
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Take a journey with maverick musician Neil Young in this personal, behind-the-scenes doc as he cruises the coast on his recent solo tour. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker and Young’s wife, Daryl Hannah, Coastal offers a glimpse behind the curtain of this unguarded iconoclast, as he navigates a return to the stage post-Covid — from his everyday observations on the bus to his candid, wry banter with his audience. The illuminating film also features songs rarely, if ever played live, performed in breathtakingly beautiful theaters. Coastal: The Soundtrack features 11 songs selected from Young’s 60-year career, recorded live on his 2023 tour, ranging from I Am A Child to Vampire Blues, and featuring Young on guitars, piano and harmonica. It is as intimate a live album as he has ever recorded, created at a time when the world was coming out of hibernation from Covid.”
