New Music Friday: 9 new releases for a July weekend (03 July 2026)

New Music Friday comes a couple of days after an awkwardly falling Canada Day and on the eve of America’s 250th birthday. How did the calendar have an effect on this week’s release schedule? Oh, and Madonna is sucking up a lot of oxygen this week with her first album since 2019. Let’s see how all this shook out.

Singles

1. A Perfect Circle, Starless (Frontside)

Tool may work at a geological pace, but Maynard James Keenan keeps busy in the meantime. Between tending to his Arizona vineyard, he’s also always working with his band Puscifer. And now, he and Billy Howerdell are back with a new A Perfect Circle project. They say that this is a “new dawn for the band.” What could that mean? I guess we’ll find out when a new album arrives, whenever that is.

2. Airbourne, Kid in a Candy Store (Spinefarm)

Anyone who knows the Australian music scene knows about Airbourne, one of the closest spiritual successor you’ll find anyway. Their sixth album, a self-titled record, will be out on August 26. And you gotta love the description: “Keeping the beating heart of hard rock’s glorious good-time legacy alive and loud, one foot slammed on the pedal, the other on AI’s throat with a big Aussie grin!”

3. Ballyhoo!, Bad Summer (Right Coast)

Summer’s supposed to be awesome, right? Well, not always. Bad Summer is a “beach rock” (their term) from Maryland who have been a going concern for the last twenty years, playing everything parties to the Vans Warped Tour. Their tenth album–self-titled-was produced by John Feldman of Goldfinger, who has also worked with Blink-182 and Avril Lavigne. Is that a little Rainbow in the riff?

4. Dinosaur Jr., Several Got Away (Jagjaguwar)

J Mascis is still making records with the same fervor he did back in the 80s and early 90s. There have to be two or three generations of Dino Jr. fans by now. A new album, There Near will be here on August 28. Nice home movie video, too.

5. Thea May, Twenty Seven (Ishkodé Records/Universal Music Canada)

A reference to the “27 Club,” that group of musicians who died when they were twenty-seven years old. Sort of. Thea’s best friend Digby passes away and this song is about the time when went out for a drive and she dropped Digby off at home for the last time. A final car ride song, then.

6. Yard Act, New Beginnings (Republic Records)

Coming from Leeds, Yard Act is a four-piece who are about ready with their third album, You’re Gonna Need a Little Music, which is due on July 17. If you ask me, this single sounds a little Canadian. Can’t you image Sam Roberts or Sloan doing something like this?

Albums

1. The All-American Rejects, Sandbox (Slick Shoes)

Hang on. Has it been 14 years since the last All-American Rejects album? It has? There was no break-up, no hiatus, no hideous accident that prevented anyone from recording. They just didn’t get around to recording because they were so busy touring. Nice to have them back. The video is…suggestive odd ways.

2. Deep Purple, SPLAT! (earMusic)

Yes, THAT Deep Purple, est. 1968. And despite their years, Ian Paice (an original member), Roger Glover, and Ian Gillian–all members of the glory years back in the 70s–are still with the group. Are they ever going to retire? Everyone in the band says, “NO! Absolutely not.” This is their 24th album.

3. Mary in the Junkyard, Role Model Hermit (AMF Records)

I adore bands that dare to be adventurous vocals. London trio Mary in the Junkyard showed me that they’re among that group within 30 seconds of the single, New Muscles. If you like what Wet Leg has been selling, you’ll find something to love here.