Following what felt like a monumental year of new music in 2022, the pressure to keep the pace of impactful releases at full-throttle feels nearly impossible. After every week feeling like a moment of impact in the year prior, 2023 starts things off with not quite a punch, but still a solid set of new material to kick off the year.
The Godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop, is back with a brand new solo record and the early hype is strong for the living legend. Always a defining figure and true punk icon, Iggy is still leading the charge and making an early showing for a strong start to the year.
Doom metal titans Earth are the subject of a new documentary, Even Hell Has Its Heroes, that centers around the band’s inimitable frontman and the band’s journey to becoming a defining figure of underground metal. Along with it comes a soundtrack of the same name that features selections from the band’s history.
At the end of last year, EXUM, a former NFL defensive running back, released a new album called 27 Planets that features more of his evocative R&B jams worthy of attention. There’s also a new, largely instrumental hip-hop, record from Jeff Markey that features the likes of billy woods and Fatboi Sharif among others.
To close out a truly prolific year, Glenn Donaldson shared yet another EP as The Reds, Pinks and Purples which contains more of his signature melancholic demeanor. Remarkably, he says more is still on the way.
Following his return as The Microphones, Phil Elverum has once again taken on the moniker of Mount Eerie for his latest song, the fervent “Huge Fire.” Frankie Rose also announced a new song, their first in quite some time, as well as a new album that’ll be due later this year. The lead single, “Anything” is a glimmering synth-pop banger full of ‘80s sheen.
White Reaper have already shared a couple of singles from their new album and this week we got one more. “Pink Slip” is another steady rocker full of great grooves and good times. The beloved The Hold Steady announced a new album was on the horizon for this year as well and shared the expectedly rocking song “Sideways Skulls” which sounds like their vintage work and one that begs to be yelled in a room full of people.
Black Belt Eagle Scout dropped the third single from her upcoming record, the raw and rocking “Nobody,” which offers up delicate vocals, steady rhythms, and wooly guitar tones that shift to dreamy, blown-out bliss with sonic perfection. Death metal veterans Obituary roared back with a third single of their own this week from their upcoming record and the almighty “My Will to Live” is classic, extreme metal poised to be a solid addition to their live show.
Albums:
Iggy Pop | Every Loser
Fireworks | Higher Lonely Power
Anti-Flag | Lies They Tell Our Children
Earth | Even Hell Has Its Heroes [Soundtrack]
RuPaul | Black Butta
MIKE | Beware of the Monkey*
EXUM | 27 Planets*
Jeff Markey | Sports & Leisure*
The Reds, Pinks and Purples | Dust in the Path of Love*
Songs:
Mount Eerie | “Huge Fire”
Frankie Rose | “Anything”
Asian Glow | “Dorothee Thines”
White Reaper | “Pink Slip”
Black Belt Eagle Scout | “Nobody”
Ice Spice | “In Ha Mood”
The Hold Steady | “Sideways Skull”
Popcaan | “We Caa Done” (ft Drake)
Obituary | “My Will to Live”
Kamaiyah | “Thru the Week”
Unknown Mortal Orchestra | “SB-10”*
*Late 2022 release
If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs here!