Hard to believe but we’ve arrived at another Friday, and this one packs another bounty of new albums from XPN favorites. Recent World Café guests (and upcoming XPNFest barnstormers) Low Cut Connie embrace the taboo for a set of dramatic anthems on Art Dealers. Another imminent XPNFest guest, Allison Russell expands her sound on The Returner, blending her signature folk style with new wave edge. As one-third of The xx, Romy’s voice has already been at the center of over a decade’s worth of inventive dance music; her solo debut, Mid Air, is a joyous and personal collection.
Producer extraordinaire Jonathan Wilson combines richly layered instrumentation with detailed, abstract lyrics on his fifth album, Eat the Worm. Built around heavily processed vocals and warped, percussive guitar, Anjimile’s The King is a bold move for the North Carolina musician’s second LP. For decades, The Handsome Family have been favorites of folks like Jeff Tweedy and Phoebe Bridgers; the duo’s 11th album, Hollow, cements their place as titans of surreal Americana. The legacy and versatility of singer-songwriter Leon Russell is honored by Orville Peck, Margo Price, and more on the eclectic tribute A Song for Leon.
PRESS PLAY on these new releases below. Listen for spotlights on new records like these (and more) every Friday on the XPN Morning Show and Indie Rock Hit Parade.