LENNY KAYE – “GOIN’ LOCAL”
Stepping out of the shadow of an icon can be intimidating. It’s possibly why Lenny Kaye is finally putting out his first proper solo album after decades shaping rock history behind the scenes playing with Patti Smith and putting together the required listening compilation, Nuggets. A deeply autobiographical and introspective record, Goin’ Local, feels exactly like a lifetime of stories being told all at once. It comes complete with contributions from longtime collaborators like Patti Smith, who co‑wrote the track “Solstice.”
Stream • Yep Roc • Connect:@lenny_kaye
MUSE – “HEXAGONS”
Muse has been leaning in on their TRON soundtrack persona for a while now, but the new song, “Hexagons,” a sprawling, synth-heavy epic that feels full video game emersion. The track opens with an extended instrumental stretch before exploding into the kind of theatrical, high-stakes rock they’ve built a career on. The album, The Wow! Signal (out June 26th), leans hard into sci‑fi themes: cosmic signals, existential questions, the possibility of something bigger out there. Muse is not a band to play coy, this is as bold and aggressively “Muse” as they have ever been.
ED O’BRIEN – BLUE MORPHO
If you’ve spent several decades creating the ambient, slow burn world of Radiohead alongside Thom Yorke like Ed O’Brien has, it would make sense to continue that journey for your solo music. For his second foray on his own, Blue Morpho, Ed O’Brien steps into something deeply personal. The record was shaped during a difficult period in O’Brien’s life (he fell into depression and felt like Radiohead was over), and you can feel that weight as the dark immersion wraps around you. “Incantations,” the album’s opening track, stretches out over nearly eight minutes, unfolding slowly with layered guitars, subtle electronics, and a steady emotional build.
Stream • Transgressive • Connect: @eobbandofficial
THE STROKES – “FALLING OUT OF LOVE”
Stream • RCA/Sony • Connect: @thestrokes
