MOST ADDED

Alex G - "Afterlife"

This month’s most added track marks the return of Alex G, with the first single off his upcoming album Headlights - his RCA debut and first since signing to a major. The song is a wild trick: it sounds like a major label hit, like it could go #1 on alt radio or spark a stadium singalong, yet it still holds onto the off-kilter, folky weirdness that made his early records so beloved. Somehow, it feels both like a callback and a breakthrough.

BEL - "Fresh Start"

"Fresh Start" was the first of two new singles in May from BEL, the LA-based singer-songwriter. Tastemakers picked up on both but "Fresh Start" was the leader; it’s a breezy track with a joyful but jagged post-chorus that feels like a sonic signal of the titular fresh start, something BEL describes as "painful but beautiful." With matching artwork across the singles and a spring tour announced alongside the release, it feels like an EP or album might be on the horizon.

No Joy - "Bugland"

This track sounds like someone tossed the mid-’90s into a blender: post-MBV shoegaze, Portishead-style trip-hop, maybe even a Chili Peppers bassline (?) buried in the mix, plus a hefty dose of Republica’s “Ready to Go.” The result is a fresh-but-familiar new direction for No Joy, the Canadian project led by Jasamine White-Gluz. It’s the first single and title track from her upcoming album, and it’ll be fascinating to see what other sounds she manages to fold into something this instantly listenable.

Matt Sterling - "Leave It In The Dust"

Matt Sterling, a songwriter and producer from Chicago, makes indie pop that sounds like 2018 in the best possible way. “Leave It In The Dust” is impeccable songwriting wrapped in a garage-made, DIY aesthetic that recalls someone like Still Woozy. Are we due for a late '10s nostalgia cycle yet? We are ready for it. Sterling’s new album Sun Shade is out now, and it’s well worth a listen - or ten.