COURTNEY BARNETT – CREATURE OF HABIT
Courtney Barnett has built her career on observational slice-of-life, and Creature of Habit continues that tradition with warmth and wit. The songs are unmistakably Barnett: understated grooves, dry humor, and lyrics that find meaning in the everyday rhythms of life. Nothing here feels rushed or overworked. Instead, it sounds like Barnett settling into herself as a songwriter, letting songs breathe and trusting her instincts. RIYL and are missing Sheryl Crow in the 90s.
Stream • Mom + Pop • Connect: @courtneybarnettmusic
BON IVER – VOLUMES: ONE
Taking after Bob Dylan‘s Bootleg Series or Neil Young‘s Archives. Bon Iver is helping his fans who are collectors, set up that collection in a curated way with, Volumes: One. Like Bowie vacuum sealing his best outfits to preserve them for the future, Justin Vernon (the mind behind Bon Iver) meticulously went through all of his live recordings to pull out the pieces that felt the most “Bon Iver” to him. Without the studio and the perfection that in tales, it’s a band reflecting on the past and deciding in this moment what defines them and drawing a line in the sand.
Stream • Jagjaguwar • Connect: @boniverwi
DINOSAUR JR. – HAND IT OVER (EXPANDED REISSUE)
By the time Hand It Over rolled around in the late ’90s, Dinosaur Jr. were tightening up without losing any of their signature fuzzed‑out soul. J Mascis dialing back the noise just enough to let melody shine through. With his vocal front and center but still drenched in distortion. Mascis always sounds like he’s gotten off four months on the road with no sleep and is tired of your s**t. The remaster songs (on the freshly pressed purple vinyl) are road worn and comfortable, but still rattle your ribcage when you turn it up.
Stream • Cherry Red • Connect: @dinosaurjr
SUZI QUATRO – FREEDOM
Suzi Quatro got her big break when a label wanted a “new Janis Joplin” shortly after Joplin’s death. That free-wheeling and hard rocking energy definitely exists, but Suzi’s spirit has always been her own thing. With her new album, Freedom, she’s here to prove she still can “Kick out the Jams.” She went back to her roots and recorded the album in her hometown at Detroit’s Rustbelt Studios. Maybe it’s the comfort of home, but she sounds relaxed while belting out how free she feels. It’s a confident rocker from someone who’s been in the scene since forming her first band at fourteen and still knows how to unapologetically rock.
Stream • Chrysalis • Connect: @Suziquatroactual
