New Music Friday: 8 new releases for the middle of January (16 Jan 2026)

There isn’t much in the way of notable album release this week (unless you’re a K-pop fan, but you’ll have to go elsewhere for that), but there are a couple. More impressive this New Music Friday is this selection of singles that are setting things up for albums later this year.

Singles

1. Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Slumber Party (ATO)

This five-piece from Chicago is ready to follow up on their debut album, The Future is Our Way Out. Written largely while on tour with acts like Morrissey, Muse, The Last Dinner Party, and Fontaines DC (with a stop at Lollapalooza), the new album, Irreversible, will be out later this year. This track falls somewhere between The Strokes and The Killers with a dash of Smiths. Close your eyes, and you’re listening to something from the UK from 1986.

2. Emm Gryner, Touch the Sky (Independent)

This is the best story of the week. Emm has released this song as a tribute to Canada’s involvement in the Artemis II moon mission. We’ve got Jeremy Hansen as part of the crew. The song, written by Steve MacKinnon (he’s done work with Serena Ryder) and poet Michael Holmes (executive editor at ECW Press) is a literal moon shot. One hundred per cent of the proceeds from streaming will go to the Bluewater Health Foundation.

Have a listen here.

3. Flea, Traffic Lights feat. Thom Yorke (Nonesuch)

There won’t be a Red Hot Chili Peppers album this year–they’ve gone fallow for a bit–so this give Flea a chance to release his first-ever solo album. Honora, named after a special member of his family, will feature Flea on bass (of course) and trumpet (the first instrument he learned to play as a kid). There are six originals on the album, plus “interpretations” of another half-dozens originally done by people such as George Clinton. Nick Cave will show up somewhere–we’ll no doubt hear about that before the record arrives March 27–and Thom Yorke is on this debut single. It’s pretty funky, reminiscent of R&B-style jazz that was big at the end of the 60s and the start of the 70s. Or maybe I’m hearing some 90s acid jazz.

4. Kim Gordon, Not Today (Matador)

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Kim, ex of Sonic Youth, is 72 but bears no resemblance to 72-year-olds of the past. Good. Her third solo album, Play Me, is done and set for release on March 13. Expect a new wave of art-meets-noise to keep things fresh. This single also comes with a short film directed by Kate and Laura Mulleavy, founders of the Rodarte fashion label. The first single is pretty krautrock-y with a very motorik rhythm.

5. Hatchie, Carousel (Secretly)

Whoa. If you’re a fan of the Cocteau Twins, The Sundays, Slowdive, or any other band that dabbles in dream pop, this one is a slow curve ball right over the plate. This is the latest single to be peeled from the Australian’s Liquorice album (her third), which came out back in November. Good headphone music, this.

6. The Sheepdogs, Keep Out (Right on Records)

Now fully independent with their own label, The Sheepdogs are ready with Keep Out the Storm (February 27), which is a couple of weeks ahead of the start of a Canadian headline tour. I know it’s the middle of January, but try to imagine how this song will sound on a warm spring day.

Albums

1. Alice Merton, Visions (Paper Plane)

Alice is British-based by German-Canadian. You may remember her from a breakthrough single called No Roots, which appeared on here debut album, Mint, in 2019. Visions, her third record, was recorded in a number of studio locations, including Iceland. The shoplifting video reflects that.

2. Sleaford Mods, The Demise of Planet X (Rough Trade)

These guys are one of Iggy Pop’s favourites, and it’s easy to see why. Consisting of Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn (est. Nottingham c.2007), Sleaford Mods are up to 13 records, many of which have received a tremendous amount of critical acclaim. And you gotta love how they refuse to lose the accent. And how many songs namecheck Pete Davidson and his tattoos? That’s exactly what happens with this single, featuring their friends Gwendoline Christie and Big Special.

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