New Music This Week: February 28
- BLIGATORY
- Mar 6
- 11 min read
highlighting new music by Cheekface, By Storm, Model/Actriz & MORE
An overwhelming amount of music is released daily, and we're here to help you weed through it all. Every week, we share select releases we are all looking forward to and personalized picks from a few of our editors.
Welcome to our new releases guide featuring the most notable music released the week of February 28.
BLIGATORY Picks
Cheekface - Middle Spoon
Power Pop, Indie Rock
Self-Released
write-up by Dominick Baglivo
When you first hear “America’s local band,” it might not feel like much more than a playful little title, perhaps a bit self-depreciative. And while a playfulness surrounds a lot of Cheekface’s sound, they have positioned themselves as a serious and admirable force in independent music.
With Middle Spoon, the trio of Greg Katz, Amanda Tannen, and Mark Echo Edwards share their fifth independently-released record since 2019’s Therapy Island. The band’s adherence to DIY goes much deeper than the logistics of making a record and prove fruitful once again.
“The fifth fucking Cheekface album,” as the band has frequently referred to it, sees them continue to do what they do best. You have Katz’ talk-singing, absurdly catchy power pop, and deliberate songwriting; humor plays a foundational role in the lyrics, often underscoring painful or perplexing observations, other times seemingly a facade.
The foot-tapping melodies and endless stream of one-liners on Middle Spoon come with a stark self-awareness. Mostly found within pockets of absurdity, existentialism, and mundanity, these songs are stuffed with earnestness and care. And in Cheekface’s own words (via IG), it’s “an album about the ‘growth’ you experience when life forces it, and how much that just sucks ass.”
Middle Spoon points in the direction of unpredictability fairly often, but it also pushes back in proving that Cheekface is here to stay. With record number five, the Los Angeles band make their push into indie legends territory. And of course, to further bolster their ballot, Cheekface have a whopping 45 shows lined up at the moment. They have US/Canada dates almost every night between April 3 and May 29. Resuming their tour on July 11, they’ll also play nine shows in the UK. Find tickets here.
By Storm - "Zig Zag"
Experimental Hip-Hop, Ambient Pop
Self-Released
write-up by Peter Doherty
The melancholically, electronically, and philosophically profound sounds of By Storm—formerly Injury Reserve—find their footing through "Zig Zag." After the loss of a friend—or in general, a loved one—life seems to take on this colourless hue. The weight worsens the longer it is denied; the efforts to ease the loss only make it more unbearable. Side-to-side movements fail to move things forwards.
“Tryna dodge everything coming your way, young brother gotta face it.”
By Storm's debut show takes place on Saturday, March 8 at Palabra in downtown Phoenix. The show will be performed in By Storm's "stockholm" setup. Support comes from Corridos Ketamina.
Model/Actriz - "Cinderella"
Dance-Punk, Industrial Rock
via True Panther / Dirty Hit
write-up by Peter Doherty
Model/Actriz trailblazed their way into pole position of the more noisy, caustic side of rock with their debut album Dogsbody in 2023. The Brooklyn-via-Boston band set their eyes on a 2025 takeover with their latest song, "Cinderella." The offset, sexual energy that Model/Actriz emanate is only becoming more tantalizing on the ears’ taste buds. As the lead single for Pirouette, "Cinderella" makes the band’s upcoming album an enticing, seductive prospect.
Model/Actriz's Instagram reads: “Pirouette was written sporadically over the course of the last couple years while touring Dogsbody, and it is the result of a process we treated with the curiosity to expand our ideas of what we could make together. The album is a collection of the brightest, most danceable and most personal songs we've ever made.”
Astonishing and utterly divine, Model/Actriz's highly anticipated sophomore project Pirouette releases May 2 via True Panther/Dirty Hit.
Atticus' Picks
Sven - Going Somewhere Unknown
Singer-Songwriter, Slacker Rock
Self-Released
Jane Remover - "Dancing with your eyes closed"
Hyperpop, Electropop
via deadAir
Dominick's Picks
Connie Roses - Borders of Identity (August 1947)
Abstract Hip-Hop, Jazz Rap
via Paluxy Records
Pittsburgh’s Connie Roses shares Borders of Identity (August 1947), his first new project since 2022’s There's a Light Inside the Tunnel, Come and Grab My Hand. This five-track EP features airy, soulful production from fellow Pittsburgh artists Yorel Tifsim and Jvggy Hendrix—both of whom offer guest verses as well. Roses is focused on rapping this time around, rattling off verses with urgency on a smooth and concise, sub-14-minute offering.
You can listen to Borders of Identity on Spotify or Apple Music. Several years ago, Connie Roses performed an in-studio at WKDU Philadelphia that you can check out below. Follow Connie on Instagram for future updates.
Tunic - A Harmony of Loss Has Been Sung
Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore
via Midwest Debris
Winnipeg duo Tunic share A Harmony of Loss Has Been Sung. A crushing exercise in catharsis and pain, the album is about a miscarriage that David Schellenberg and his wife, Fiona, experienced in 2023. Due to the tough subject matter, big warning on this one for anyone who may be sensitive to such topics.
Additionally, Tunic will not be touring this record, as David and Fiona are currently expecting their first child. You can read more about the album, its inception, and the decision not to tour the record—in an Instagram post shared by David here.
A Harmony of Loss Has Been Sung is out now via Midwest Debris.
Barbara - "Dark Water Disco"
Indie Rock, Psychedelic Pop
Self-Released
In January, Denver trio Barbara quietly announced their sophomore album, So This Is Living. Officially sparking the album’s rollout this week is the groovy lead single, “Dark Water Disco.” The bassline on this one is absolutely killer, the beat will have you bouncin’, and the grooves are super tight. There is some very interesting synth-work as well—lending the track a bit of a haunted-house feel at first, then becoming more fun and free-flowing as the track progresses.
A self-released project, So This Is Living is out April 4. Barbara play a release show at Hi-Dive in Denver on April 5, with support from The Milk Blossoms and Flutter.
Colin Miller - "Cadillac"
Alt-Country, Folk Rock
via Mtn Laurel Recording Co.
In 2023, Asheville-based multi-instrumentalist Colin Miller shared his debut album Haw Creek. This week, Miller announces his second record alongside the heartfelt lead single “Cadillac.”
On the upcoming Losin’, Miller navigates grief and the death of Gary King, who Miller describes as a father figure to him throughout his adolescence and early adult life. King owned the home Miller rented for 13 years before he passed in 2022, and Miller stayed in the house for two additional years as the songs of Losin’ began to take shape
You may or may not know Colin Miller for his work with MJ Lenderman; the two have collaborated as far back as 2017, and Miller currently plays drums as part of Lenderman’s band, ‘The Wind.’ Losin’ taps into the same collaborative vein, with contributions from friendly and familiar faces; Miller teamed up with Alex Farrar to help produce and record the album, Lenderman offers drums and lead lines, Xandy Chelmis (MJ Lenderman / Wednesday) provides the pedal steel, and Ethan Baechtold (MJ Lenderman / Wednesday) plays bass and keys.
Losin’ is out April 25 via Mtn Laurel Recording Co. MJ Lenderman and the Wind are currently on tour with a steady stream of live shows carrying until September. A select few stops in June will see Colin Miller opening: 6/14 in Indianapolis, 6/15 in St. Louis, 6/16 in Kansas City, and 6/18 in Chicago. Find tickets and more dates here.
cootie catcher - "Dumb lit"
Indie Rock, Slacker Rock
via Cooked Raw
Yeah man, I’ll put it simply, cootie catcher is one of the coolest bands out right now. “Dumb lit” is third single from the Toronto band’s upcoming album Shy at First. It’s the punchiest one yet, and it’s less electronically-inclined than previous singles “Friend of a friend” and “Do forever.”
“The song is about the desire for connection and understanding from someone/ or even yourself, but feeling let down by the lack of alignment,” the band says.
“Dumb lit” comes alongside a music video that mixes in some live footage of the band with an animation (of what I’ll simply call: lonesome dog) by Andrew Lang. Shy at first is out March 14 via Cooked Raw.
Deradoorian - "Set Me Free"
Art Pop, Progressive Pop, Baroque Pop
via Fire Records
In December, Angel Deradoorian shared “Digital Gravestone,” a smoky, explorative offering that marked her first solo release for Fire Records. In 2023, the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist partnered with Kate NV under the name Decisive Pink for Ticket to Fame.
While “Digital Gravestone” was revealed then to be from a new album, it wasn’t until now that we got details on Ready For Heaven. This week, Deradoorian offers listeners another cosmic experience with the spiritual sounds of “Set Me Free.” The stunning, hymn-like track is accompanied by a beautiful video directed by Fred Joseph.
Deradoorian’s last solo record came nearly five years ago, when in 2020 she shared Find the Sun (via ANTI-). Regarding the upcoming album, Deradoorian says:
“I love the production more than the songwriting. […] In fact, I don’t even feel like a songwriter at times, I feel like someone who is just inspired by so much music. And I want to try it all out! Like Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Mingus, or ESG and Silver Apples, or making weird krautrock and industrial music. I love dub, and Sly and Robbie. I love the productions of those records and the collective energies released by their creators in the studio. It’s just a weird thing to do it by yourself!”
Ready For Heaven is out May 9 via Fire Records.
Dial Up - "The Sugar People On Planet Gold"
Art Punk
Self-Released
There are a plethora of great Canadian bands making eccentric, guitar-based music. Calgary five-piece Dial Up are relative newcomers, having just released their first project—a six-track self-titled EP—a little over a year ago. But starting this week, you can pick up the phone and reserve your spot in line as the band gears up for their first full-length.
“The Sugar People on Planet Gold” is the lead single from Dial Up’s upcoming debut album, said to release sometime this spring. The first offering brings some synth-heavy art punk with a tense, push-and-pull element, before wrapping up with a “beautifully 2005 record scratch solo” from DJ Earlybird.
“This song describes two alien groups on another planet: the Sugar People and the Gold people. & this may not be the last time you are seeing them,” the band wrote in an Instagram post. Don’t hang up—stay on the line (follow them on IG) and their debut album will be with you shortly to assist.
Mathcore, Deathcore
via Equal Vision
After a breakout 2024 that saw them release two EPs—The 3 Faces of Beauty and A Second Chance at Forever—Philly mathcore outfit Kaonashi share their first music of 2025 with two new singles.
We get a murky, disjointed instrumental on “Confusion In A Car Crash.” This filters into a screeching barrage with “Fairmount Park After Dark.” Shifting into a dizzying array of time changes and crushing breakdowns, Piantini Toribio of New York band Newcomer offers guest vocals alongside Kaonashi’s own Peter Rono.
Continuing the ongoing storyline(s) surrounding the fictional Lemon House High, it’s not yet entirely clear where “Fairmount Park After Dark” fits in the grand scheme of Kaonashi lore. However, the song and its accompanying music video, directed by Vic Antonio, point toward a dark shift on whatever Kaonashi has planned for their next project. There’s no official word yet, but these two tracks are clearly part of their larger world-building efforts that we’ll likely see unfurled in the coming months.
Starting this week, Kaonashi hit the road as an opener for Kim Dracula and Hanabie (plus additional support from Crystal Lake on most dates) on their joint tour. Find tickets here.
MORE ALBUMS/EPs:
BAGHED are an egg punk/garage punk band from Reading, PA and they just shared their first full-length with SMEAR CAMPAIGN. (Punk Valley Records)
Fuzzy jangle pop courtesy of London band C Turtle on their new three-song EP 2001. Only two of them are on Spotify, so you’ll have to check it out on Bandcamp for the final track. (Blitzcat Records)
Fiery garage rock from Brooklyn band The Men on their latest album, Buyer Beware. By the band’s count, it is album number 15 for them, and it’s out now via Fuzz Club.
MORE SINGLES:
Ahead of their upcoming EP, Bristol post-punk band Grandmas House share single number three with “From The Gods.” They previously shared “Screw It Up” and “Slaughterhouse,” leaving two tracks yet to be heard from Anything For You. The EP comes out April 11 on Duchess Box Records. Watch the video for “From The Gods” here.
In January, Philly band Nyxy Nyx shared the album A Famous Florist on Bandcamp. The title track hit streaming services last month, and this week the album’s grungy opener, “danny, don’t swing that knife,” does the same.
Montreal psych-rock group Population II share the groovy “Mariano (Jamais je ne t’oublierai).” Following “Le thé est prêt,” it’s the second from their upcoming Maintenant Jamais, which is out March 28 via Bonsound.
As Sharp Pins, Kai Slater’s Radio DDR came out last May. On March 21, K Records and perennial will re-release an expanded edition with three new songs. We’ve already heard “I Can’t Stop” and “Storma Lee,” and this week brings us the final single, “With A Girl Like Mine.” Watch the video here.
Philly’s Snoozer—the duo of brothers Mike and Tom Kelly—shared their first release for Born Losers in September with Mid-Earth. Two new singles from them offer a nice dichotomy; “I Don’t Want To Talk To You” (video here) toes the line of alt-country and punchy, lo-fi indie rock, while “That’s All I Know” is a sentimental slice of ambient/bedroom pop.
While not as punchy as lead single, “Man Made of Meat,” Swedish punks Viagra Boys engage in more absurdity on “Uno II,” the second preview of their upcoming record. Viagra Aboys is out on April 25 via Shrimptech Enterprises. Watch the video for “Uno II” here.
Peter's Picks
Ichiko Aoba - Luminescent Creatures
Chamber Folk, Singer-Songwriter
via hermine / Psychic Hotline
The serene waters of Ichiko Aoba flow forth once more through the effervescent springs of Luminescent Creatures. "Windswept" is a word which comes to mind as Aoba's music drifts on by. Worlds of slow-moving, soothing ambience and oneness. A scenic view with life doing what life does: being so deep in the here and now that life itself disappears and just is.
You don't need to understand the language—although it may help—to understand that this is a beautiful piece of work. Some things transcend understanding and, along with it, life itself.
Luminescent Creatures is out now via Ichiko Aoba's label hermine.
Public Body - "Ridicule"
Post-Punk
Self-Released
Brighton-based collective Public Body release the lead single for their sophomore project and the follow-up to 2023's excellent debut, Big Mess. "Ridicule" harbours that chaotic, mechanically hypnotic, and menacing energy that the band have become known for. A biting wit snaps at the heels of the listener as they spend time with the song. It's the musical equivalent of dancing to gunshots aimed at feet. Dance, boy!
Public Body wrote, recorded, engineered, mixed, mastered, produced, promoted AND released "Ridicule" all by their lonely selves. You could say they're a jack of all trades.
Public Body's second studio album, Finger Food, releases April 11 via Public Body Recordings.
SENTRIES - "Charmed Houses"
Noise Rock, Post-Punk
via Eau Claire Records
SENTRIES, the brainchild of Kim Elliott, made major moves in the early hours of 2024 with the debut album Snow as a Metaphor for Death. Now, 13 months removed, we get a taste of what has been cooking in the world of SENTRIES through lead single "Charmed Houses." A grueling, churning sound palette works its way slowly into a forward moving piece—taking breathers along the way to soak up the sights, the carnage left behind.
SENTRIES’ new album Gem of the West is out May 2 via Eau Claire Records.
Swans - "I Am a Tower"
Post-Rock, Experimental Rock
via Young God Records
The 19-minute monolith of "I Am a Tower" comes courtesy of a band that is no stranger to monolithic material: Swans. The unforgiving ground that the signature Swans sounds traverse are ever-tread. Within that unforgiving grip, etherealities are never too far. The good and the bad are unavoidable, tangled in a Gordian Knot of hope and despair. The end is edging closer. And so is the beginning.
“I am searching for truth in the backbone of your blunder.”
Swans upcoming studio album Birthing releases May 30 via Young God Records.
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