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Joanna Sternberg: I've Got Me
New album: Another retrieved treasure from earlier this year, released in June, of gentle, witty, melancholy intimate self-deprecatory folk numbers by the New York singer-songwriter who exudes a old-school charm
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Haiku Hands: Pleasure Beast
New album: A gloriously anarchic, energetic fusion of hip-hop, post-punk, vogue pop, electronica, bouncy 90s dance music and interwoven skits by the vibrant Australian trio of sisters Claire and Mie Nakazawa and Beatrice Lewis
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Marnie Stern: The Comeback Kid
New album: A joyously noisy return of proclamatory, zingy, explosively proggy indie-rock with the first album in 10 years since by the New York guitarist and singer, since 2013’s The Chronicles of Marnia
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Sen Morimoto: Diagnosis
New album: The Chicago-based Japanese singer, rapper and jazz multi-instrumentalist’s new LP comprises a richly eclectic, dynamic selection of songs with an overriding theme of seeking the right direction in life
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Anjimile: The King
New album: A breathtaking, beautiful, powerful, intimate fifth album by the American experimental folk singer Anjimile Chithambo whose rich, rangey, deep and high voice has an alluring androgyny, somewhere between Nina Simone and Sufjan Stevens
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David Holmes: Blind On A Galloping Horse (featuring Raven Violet)
New album: After many collaborative projects, a brilliant first full solo album by the Belfast producer and musician since 2008’s The Holy Pictures, here featuring the vocals of Raven Violet throughout, this passionate, powerful, often political noir-synth pop release charts the unravelling of British society over the past decade
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Problem Patterns’ debut album: Blouse Club
New album: Belfast’s answer to Amyl & the Sniffers pull no punches and leave no prisoners with their angry, shouty, catchy, feminist, caustically sharp and witty debut LP, their fast furious songs of social critique, from the energetic Riot Grrrl punk quartet of Beverley Boal, Bethany Crooks, Ciara King and Alanah Smith
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King Creosote: I DES
New album: Fife’s Kenny Anderson returns with his first solo LP for seven years, a glorious, delicate warm, eccentric release of indie-folk, vibraphones, accordions, e-bows, samplers, ungulates, scratched records and wine glass-drones
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Lol Tolhurst x Budgie x Jacknife Lee: Los Angeles
New album: The ex-Cure drummer and the acclaimed percussionist of Siouxsie, Creatures and other bands team up with the Irish producer for a wonderfully rhythmic, sharply witty, krautrock-style/synth pop-punk fusion with guest vocalists including LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy
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FIZZ: The Secret To Life
New album: Joyously playful, colourful, flamboyant, humorous, dynamic, grandiose but also tender pop-rock by the supergroup of solo artists, Orla Gartland, dodie, Greta Isaac and Martin Luke Brown, whose vocal harmonies exude emotion, but also unsinkable joie-de-vivre
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Viji: So Vanilla
New album: Fresh, vibrant, clever, punchy indie rock and and breathily seductive shoegaze by the London-based Austrian-Brazilian artist Vanilla Jenner in this strong debut, another from talent via brilliant producer Dan Carey and on the Speedy Wunderground label
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Pip Blom: Bobbie
New album: This third album by Amsterdam sister-and-brother-based band brings more catchy and engaging indie, but with move from guitar-written songs towards synth pop, using producer Dave McCracken in a co-writer role
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Balming Tiger: January Never Dies
New album: Hugely enjoyable debut LP by the South Korean K-pop and hip-hop collective, who bring a heady mix of slick delivery and experiment with funk, pop, indie rock and playfully inventive changes of pace
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Vanishing Twin: Afternoon X
New album: Mesmeric, meditative, mercurial – an experimental, dream-like release by the London trio of singer and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas, drummer Valentina Magaletti and bassist Susumu Mukai with folky electronica, minimalism, cosmic post-punk and psychedelic pop
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Blonde Redhead: Sit Down For Dinner
New album: The New York trio of Kazu Makino and twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace return with their 10th but first album together for nine years, one about the inescapable struggles of adulthood: communication breakdown in enduring relationships and trying to hold onto your dreams
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Stornoway: Dig The Mountain!
New album: After splitting in 2016 the Oxfordshire indie folk band of Brian Briggs and co return with a very fine fourth LP of clear-voiced, catchy, vivid songs themed on the fragile relationship between humans and the environment
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Wilco: Cousin
New album: A 13th LP by Jeff Tweedy and co of the veteran Chicago band, this time with the innovative Welsh artist Cate Le Bon as producer, bringing a more experimental sound than last year’s alt-country double LP Cruel Country, and something more reminiscent of 2001’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
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Jenny Owen Youngs: Avalanche
New album: After various adventures in music for film and TV and a series of EPs, the American singer-songwriter returns with her first solo LP in a decade, a beautifully delicate collection of indie-folk-pop about of self-reflection, love, loss, redemption and bittersweet honesty
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A second album of 2023 by The National
New album: A surprise release, the 10th overall and second LP of 2023 after First Two Pages of Frankenstein by Matt Berninger, the Dessner brothers and co, minimalist, darkly existential, vivid, poetic and engagingly nihilistic
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CHAI’s self-titled fourth album
New album: Cheeky, squeaky, funky, refreshingly fun, but also full of clever irony and a feminist flavour , the Japanese girl pop quartet return their fourth, and self-titled LP, a follow-up to last 2021’s WINK, with a retro synth-pop style
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