The Music’s Friday Finds: The Week’s Best New Music – 17 July

Tkay Maidza(Credit: Adrian Yu)

Queens Of The Stone Age

Every Friday, thousands of artists from across the globe release new music. It’s a lot to follow, week by week.

New Music Friday can be overwhelming, especially if you just want to hear a couple of singles here and there, and even more so if you’re trying to find new Australian music. That’s where The Music comes in.

With our weekly updated playlist, Friday Finds: This Week’s Best New Music, The Music’s team sifts through streaming services, social media, our inboxes, and elsewhere to find the best new homegrown music – as well as some banging international tracks – to present you with ten fresh new songs you need to hear.

This week, we have new music from Queens of the Stone Age, Tkay Maidza, Steve Lacy, Gracie Abrams, and more. Before you listen to each track, though, here’s a bit more info on each one:

Queens of the Stone Age – Easy Street

Easy Street, Queens of the Stone Age’s first new music in three years, is imperfect and raw, balancing acoustic guitar with psychedelic synths, while lead vocalist Josh Homme shares the spotlight with Nikki Lane.

“It’s kind of a funny song. It’s like hitting your funny bone, where it’s funny because it hurts and it hurts because it’s funny. You’re serious, but it’s funny,” Homme explained. “We made it the way you’d make a demo. No click track, mistakes left in.”

Tkay Maidza – Romanticize ft. Jenevieve

Visionary genre-defying artist Tkay Maidza has joined forces with Jenevieve to explore soul and disco territory on Romanticize.

“Romanticize is about reaching a plateau in a relationship or also life in general,” Tkay said. “I felt everything around this period of my life was reaching a complete halt going back and forth, and I found myself listening to old music trying to tap into creative ideas in ways I haven’t in a long time.”

Steve Lacy – doom

With his third album, Oh yeah?, Steve Lacy continues to push himself – nowhere is that clearer than on the slacker rock tune, doom, where he ruminates about doomsday, backed by heavy bass and slow yet commanding drums.

HEADSEND – Free

Aussie rockers HEADSEND have returned with another fiery single, Free. Recorded in Byron Bay with Nick DiDia, the track features urgent guitar riffs and intense production. And free is just the beginning – there’s plenty more on the way, which fans will hear live across Australia, North America, the UK and Europe.

The Buoys – Welcome to My Brain

The latest single from Australian band The Buoys is introspective – like their best songs – and packs a punch instrumentally. Welcome to My Brain follows the recently released singles Bitch and Kill You Back and leads the group’s newly announced album, Concrete Cowboy.

Nia Archives – There Goes Ma Head

There Goes Ma Head is the latest single from English record producer, DJ, singer and songwriter Nia Archives. Pulled from her just-released album, Emotional Junglist, the groovy track is one of many about love – and not just the positive experiences.

Gracie Abrams – Good Reason

Gracie Abrams has returned with a new album, Daughter From Hell, and unveiled another single: Good Reason. In the tender, acoustic-led track, she pulls at fans’ heartstrings when she sings “If only you didn’t adore me,” singing from her higher range in the stunning chorus.

Stand Atlantic – LUCID

Australian alt-rock outfit Stand Atlantic sound fired up on the energetic, pop-punk-inspired LUCID. The group explore themes of self-sabotage effortlessly, showcasing commanding drums, propelling rhythms, and Bonnie Fraser’s signature raw vocals.

Logic1000 – All In For You (feat. KUČKA)

Sydney-born, Berlin-based producer, DJ and curator Logic1000 is preparing to release her highly anticipated second album, Confirmation!, and today unveiled the first single, All In For You, featuring longtime collaborator KUČKA.

Logic explained, “This track is the perfect introduction to the album. It’s a song that truly expresses this new direction without being too far removed from what I feel Logic is known for.”

beabadoobee – Switchblade

UK singer-songwriter beabadoobee continues the rollout of her forthcoming album, Pylon, with the impressive new track, Switchblade. The rocking new track finds the singer pondering whether “self-defence is to be brave/Do you start the fight/Or take the flight?” But there’s no clear answer.

Check out this week’s edition of Friday Finds on Spotify and Apple Music.