From the evidence presented here, Boston’s Eddie Japan has never met a pop melody they didn’t like.

Drawing on influences from the likes of Blondie and The Ramones, Green Day and The Dollyrots, this tight-knit family unit uses humor and the power of music to push back on all the crap going on in the world. Bad Mary holds up a warped mirror to the current culture and reminds us that having fun is the best way to give yourself an escape from the craziness.

Not only has he just put out his memoir Easily Slip Into Another World, but he’s released his latest piece of music The Other One.

It’s as if Michael is sampling bits and pieces of the genre, a Whitman’s Sampler of rock ‘n’ roll, and Rocking Into Midnight succeeds wonderfully as a loving tribute in its own charmingly honest way.

Saturday’s Child is the latest release from Scott Zosel, a Minneapolis songwriter who works hard to exemplify the style and swagger of creative, edgy TC artists like Paul Westerberg, Prince, Dave Pirner, Gary Louris, Adam Levy, and others, who have successfully garnered national attention.

Ben Noble is a Minneapolis-based artist and producer. Noble’s serene, innocent melodies drift lithely along sonic textures that range from sleepy-time folk to intrusive, experimental hyper-synth scapes. Through any aural difference, the heart is the same: Noble wants to embody his truth and experiences in his music. His third album, Bitter Work is out today.

She Sees is as adventurous and exciting as any album the iconoclastic musician and composer has made.

Backed by guitarist Guilherme Monteiro, violinist Skye Steele, cellist Christopher Hoffman, bassist Michael Bates, and percussionists Mauro Refosco and Rogerio Boccato, Blake traverses all over the musical map here, incorporating bop, Brazil, tango, folk, and other influences into a distinctive blend all his own.

Brennan reaches into her personal experiences to pull out a general theme of hope throughout the five songs that manages to stay uplifting and optimistic without once becoming dangerously cloying.

Based in the New Jersey town of Secaucus, Clay Joule is a singer-songwriter who makes buoyant and uplifting soft rock music. Characterised by his poignant messaging and powerful, he crafts music which is genre-hopping and adventurous yet infectious and accessible.

The keyboardist from Johannesburg’s Mabuta, Bokani Dyer has more to say than can be confined to one outlet.

As the 101st release on his own Orenda label, Polarity serves to both sum up and advance his career thus far.

To celebrate their tenth anniversary as a unit, pianist/composer Omer Klein, bassist Haggai Cohen-Milo, and drummer Amir Bresler threw themselves a birthday party, entitling it Life & Fire.

The threesome’s third LP together, Our Daily Bread keeps faith with the band’s prior explorations of spiritual and free jazz Lovano compositions.

As might be discerned from the title, faith, family, and the enduring relevance of art are on Wilson’s mind.

When it came to making In What Direction Are You Headed?, Farnsworth called on peers and younger players for a session that’s both traditionalist and postmodern.

Lit is a fantastic album that bridges genres and styles effortlessly, and it will easily appeal to both nitpicky blues heads and punk purists alike.

After a decade of nifty singles, Bay Area quartet the Ironsides finally gets around to making a full-length album.

Saxophonist and NEA jazz master George Coleman has played with more luminaries than most of us have had hot dinners.

Caroline Rose delivers a masterclass in The Art of Forgetting at the Fillmore.

Set to be released later this year, The Beach EP doesn’t rock the boat too much or aim to challenge the status quo, but in his own brilliantly hummable way, Harris offers a folksy, optimistic point of view that is desperately needed right now.

Without being flashy whatsoever, Rocky Roberts stands out as an important voice in classic country, and Pieces of Time has a beautifully timeless feeling.

Their names are Phil Pigeon, Jimmy Pigeon and Tommy Pigeon. They are English and the concept of their first album, Bird Brain Gang, is that they all wear pigeon masks. Musically, it flies higher than with the aforementioned birds: one thinks of the beautiful experimental England of the 70s, of no wave à la James Chance and even of kraut à la CAN period Damo Suzuki.

*Dilly Dally Alley *was formed with the intent of eternally seeking out the perfect groove, as well as repairing and re-embodying communal spaces that dissolved from the pandemic. The tunes from their debut album Make You Whole are meant to be interacted with live. Crowd games and raucous nonsense are all integral to the celebration of this music.

Singer/bassist Scott Allen has released his debut album, and after a along and entertaining run as a local musician and Twin Cities front of house sound engineer. Mixing sound for much of the last three decades, Scott’s had a front row seat/backstage pass to many thousands of great shows, cool bands and talented artists to draw inspiration from.

For Eventually, Jacob Young decided to record in a format that, amazingly, he’s never tried before: the guitar trio.

NYC-based postpunk duo A Cloud of Ravens have released their Lost Hymns album, just days after kicking off their European tour with Swedish label-mates Then Comes Silence. Mastered by ACTORS’ Jason Corbett at Jacknife Sound studio, this collection of 11 tracks will reach ready ears via Nexilis Records / Schubert Music Europe.

A mere dozen years since their last album, pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, bassist François Moutin, and drummer Ari Hoenig reconvene for YOU Are the Song.

Petty Human Emotions is a remarkably sprawling and diverse work of art for a group’s debut, and points definitively to even grander things on the horizon.

Terrible and Sad is a fantastic EP that leaves you wanting much more, and it’s an audible testament to individuals climbing out of their struggles, raising the listener alongside them.

Alternative post-punk outfit The Bellwether Syndicate’s greatly anticipated Vestige & Vigil album, is out now via Sett Records in North America and elsewhere via Nexilis Records / Schubert Music Europe. It arrives nine years after debuting with The Night Watch EP.

Keturah Allgood was born and raised in the mountains of Western North Carolina. She is a Soulful Americana artist who draws on her myriad of life experiences for inspiration. While traversing the dusty back roads and often forgotten places she taps into the heart and soul of our shared existence. Keturah believes that music has the power to bring all of us together and reminds us that love, kindness and compassion always shine through the darkness of these often trying times.

In partnership with sitarist Josh Feinberg, Rez Abbasi’s co-created Naya Baaz (“new falcon” in Hindu), a cross-cultural exchange that’s all about serving the tunes.

Modern London synthpop icon Rodney Cromwell is back with a 4-track EP of crisp and wondrous sound with The Winter Palace Remixes. In addition to the radio edit of “The Winter Palace” and one original track, this release includes several remixes, featuring the talents of two thrilling electronic acts – Norfolk electro-chanteuse Gemma Cullingford and Brighton-based synthwave act Infra Violet.

On their latest release, Nuremberg duo Nick & June seduce listeners into their own private world.

UK-France duo The Noise Who Runs present their Preteretrospective album, a 14-track offering sprung from the mind of Ian Pickering (of Sneaker Pimps and Front Line Assembly). Featuring songs from their first two EPs – curated and set in a more far-reaching context – along with six new, previously unreleased tracks.

Though not as prolific as, say, Robert Pollard or the late, great Paul K, Thomas Anderson writes more songs than most of us have had hot dinners.

Kevin Bowe is a writer/producer/mixer/musician from Minneapolis. He has written songs on 3 platinum records and 2 Grammy winning albums working with Johnny Lang, The Replacements, Etta James, Joe Cocker, Paul Westerberg, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, 3 Dog Night, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Little Steven Van Zandt, Communist Daughter and John Mayall. His songs have been performed by Lucinda Williams and Bruce Springsteen.

NYC indie rock outfit Gramercy Arms presents “F*cked Up and Beautiful”, the third single from their acclaimed third album Deleted Scenes, released by New Jersey -based *Magic Door Record Label8.

For this record, pianist Renee Rosnes, drummer Allison Miller, bassist Noriko Ueda, and trumpeter Ingrid Jensen welcome saxophonists Nicole Glover and Alexa Tarantino to the fold, though they’re so well integrated it feels like they’ve been there the whole time.

Roman Angelos is the nom de plume of Brooklyn-based producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Rich Bennett, developed as a vehicle to explore his obsession with library recordings of the 60’s and 70s, muzak and exotica. Exotic, dreamy, and wistful, this is the sound of a jazz sextet as channeled through synths and drum machines, creating a spacey feel.

Jennifer Harper’s music evokes a 1970s flower-child spirit with a fresh layer of uplifting pop. With her rich voice and intimate lyrics, it’s easy to fall in love with her contemplative, assured artistry.

New York-based band Nonstop To Cairo release their hook, horn, and riff-filled new album, KAI. This short, sharp and shockingly good seven-song set is fun yet intensely sincere and filled with heart and purpose. The songs feature all the right notes, ska, melody, hip-hop, funk and some harder punk moments.

For _DAY_*, Royston gets more specific, traversing twenty-four hours of quarantined pandemic time.

Sarah Morris’ fifth album of original material begins with an ending and ends with an introduction. In between, the songs eavesdrop on intimate conversations between partners, lovers, friends, and family. Produced by multi-instrumentalist Dave Mehling, and featuring long-time bandmates Thomas Nordlund, Andrew Foreman, and Lars-Erik Larson, Here’s To You sees Morris explore a more lush, celestial flavor as she sheds some of the country swagger she’s known for.

Melbourne-based synthwave artist Suburban Spell presents his new single “Bright Gold Cross”, the first taste of his forthcoming Falling Down EP, named such in direct reference to the long-term consequences of bad choices and giving into guilty pleasures.

Solo bass records have a special place in jazz history.