Every time I sit down to write one of those intros, I’m tempted to address the state of the world in some shape or form. A world full of war and injustice, where the rich get richer at the expense of the poor, the environment, and any morals. Getting this list together may mean nothing in the grand scheme of things, but for me personally, music is a beacon of hope for the good in humankind, so I’m gonna champion that for as long as I feel like it, maybe naively so. Call it escapism, but whatever you are going through, if you are anxious about your future or the future of the world, where malicious, harmful people rise to power and war crimes get rationalized, a bit of escapism is not the worst idea. Nevertheless, keep fighting for all things good in this world.
Eastwood – Alle gegen alle
July 1 // Lixiviat Records/Loner Cult Records.
Troy the Band – (des)
July 3 // Independent
Very interesting project from London. Modern doomgaze at its best, this album features different guest singers on every song, ranging from the colorful London underground scene. This makes every song extra interesting, all strung together by the strong foundation provided by Troy the Band.
mary in the junkyard – Role Model Hermit
July 3 // AMF Records
And another London-based band that displays why the scene in the city is one of the most interesting ones in the musical world. mary in the junkyard‘s new album captured me with its direct and quite intimate sound, while throwing me off the loop with bold and confident artistic choices again and again. Role Model Hermit is a very wholesome experience at first glance, but it’s its twists and turns that make it so special in the end.
Coprolith – Putrescence
July 3 // Me Saco Un Ojo Records
Miko – Petals and Marbles
July 3 // Room40
Miko is a very interesting project by Japanese artist Rie Mitsutake. With her first music under the Miko moniker in way over a decade, I happily welcomed her music back and it still just hits. This album is very elegant and playful, and I hope it won’t be the last we hear of Miko.
Infant – Dustlick
July 3 // Kino Disk
Mourir – Nous, le venin
July 10 // Pelagic Records
snag – All The Cages Holding Us Will One Day Turn To Dust
July 10 // Deathwish Inc.
This year gets better and better on the skramz side of things, and snag‘s blistering new album All The Cages Holding Us Will One Day Turn To Dust might be one of the very best. Skramz is bigger than ever, and while I experience some slight fatigue, I’m still on a good track with albums like this one.
Show Me The Body – Alone Together
July 10 // Loma Vista Recordings
Kelela – new avatar
July 10 // Warp Records
Snorlax – Toxic Current
July 10 // Unorthodox Emanations
If you have any love for extreme metal in you (and even if you don’t), it’s very hard not to like Snorlax. First of all, naming your death metal project after the most chill Pokemon is a power move in and of itself, but filling it up with menacing riffs and heavy grooves takes the cake. Hard to believe this is a one-person project.
Trust. – These Scattered Dreams
July 10 // Paper Wings Records
Radura – ACQUE
July 10 // Dog Knights Productions/Shove Records/Persistent Vision and more
Parts & Labor – Set Of All Sets
July 10 // Ernest Jenning Record Co.
With a small break of shy 15 years, noise pop act Parts & Labor are back with a new album, and they sound as unpredictable and wild as they used to be. From krauty space rock to abrasive hyper pop, their sound is all over the place, making catchy, angelic moments all the more impressive.
ECID – Lake Willoughby
July 10 // Fill In The Breaks
An incredible, charming rap gem. I never listened to ECID before, so my first introduction to his stuff is with this wonderfully laid-back album, which probably won’t get the attention it deserves. If you like old-school hip hop with some witty and tongue-in-cheek bars, this is your jam.
Nils Petter Molvær – Be Quiet
July 10 // Edition Records
Nils Petter Molvær has been a household name in the Norwegian jazz scene for 30 years by now, and he adds another interesting chapter to his wonderful career. This collaborative new album invites a myriad of interesting artists and gives every song on Be Quiet a very distinct vibe.
Hew – Your Version
July 10 // Tiny Engines
Hesse Kassel – Morir Saltando
July 15 // Amuleto
There is a pattern with Latin America and the number of amazing art rock bands they are producing. Chilean phenomenon Hesse Kassel earned a spot on my AOTY list last year with their amazing album La Brea. Just over a year later, Morir Saltando is their second full-length, and it surpasses their debut on almost every level.
Brian Ennals & Blockhead – Boatshoes
July 17 // Phantom Limb
After Brian Ennals‘ phenomenal (best hip hop album of 2025!) collab with Infinity Knives on A City Drowned in God’s Black Tears, I was following his stuff more closely. His team-up with Blockhead resulted in a very interesting album, which only fortifies Brian Ennals as a noteworthy figure in hip hop.
Plume Girl & Home Baker – Every Day I Weave on the Great Loom
July 17 // sound as language
Syd – Beard
July 17 // Warner Music
Loathe – A Stranger To You
July 17 // SharpTone Records
Comparing the anticipation for this album to the actual buzz it created after it dropped, you can probably talk about a bit of a letdown – something I kinda felt when I got my hands on it a couple weeks before it dropped. It’s not heavy enough for the djenty groove kids, not poppy enough for those who enjoy this side of Loathe‘s sound, and not as Deftones-y as they used to be. A Stranger To You shows a maturing band that seems very confident in their sound and the choices they needed to take to fulfill their vision, and I’m here for it.
Namu – Wretched Spawns of Iniquitous Orders
July 18 // Independent
Chenayder – Outdated
July 23 // Alamo
New Forms – Nothing’s Sacred Anymore
July 24 // Iodine Recordings
The worst thing about this is that it’s very fucking short. Everything else is a skramz lover’s wet dream. This is angry and urgent, New Forms know no breaks, this is pumping out energy like it’s nothing. 7 minutes in heaven.
Cady – Limitations Of The Human Form
July 24 // Mimizu Izuru
Yeah, it’s skramz again. Sue me. I try my best to bring balance to the force, and the aforementioned fatigue for skramz is already showing its ugly face, but damn if Cady‘s new album Limitations of the Human Form isn’t delicious.
Nu Jazz – Un Jazz
July 24 // Orange Milk Records
I was unaware of that project until that album dropped, and with each listen, Un Jazz grew on me. This is jazz fusion with a punky, abrasive vibe to it, and it feels very different from a lot of jazz which is popular right now. But exactly that abrasive edge makes this album so incredibly interesting.
Nick Hakim – I Can See
July 24 // Independent
Mould – Hoping as a Coping Mechanism
July 24 // 5dB Records
Probably one of the best post-punk albums I’ve heard in a while. Avid readers will know that I’m not the biggest fan of the genre, especially not of the modern and sometimes very formulaic iteration of it, but Mould add so many cool vibes and interesting ideas to their sound on Hoping as a Coping Mechanism that my hopes for the genre will rely partly on them for the foreseeable future.
Lockstep – I Know What I Saw
July 24 // Profound Lore Records
I really appreciate how much Profound Lore is branching out to new genres in recent years. And while the cover might suggest a sunny disposition on Lockstep‘s new album, I Know What I Saw, this is a very moody and dark affair. But when doom and shoegaze meet and are well-crafted, you are in for a good time.
Lorraine – HEALING & EASY LISTENING
July 24 // Vamonos Records
This is overwhelmingly sassy stuff, thrown together seemingly at random, just assaulting you with noise and ideas. While I usually search for some form of sophistication in the music I enjoy, I can also appreciate unhinged chaos, especially if it’s as fun as Lorraine on their new album.
Altarage – Cogwheel
July 31 // Sentient Ruin
BEDTIMEMAGIC – Lie Down with Dogs
July 31 // The Ghost Is Clear Records
Shearling – Don’t Look at Me the Way a Dog Might Look at Your Leg
July 31 // Mishap
When noise rock band Sprain disbanded after dropping The Lamb as Effigy (one of the best records of 2023), something was definitely missing. I was relieved when frontman Alex Kent returned two years later with his new project, Shearling, just two years later with its debut album, and now with this EP. Carrying on the spirit of Sprain, we are good. This is good.
Opus Kink – The Sweet Goodbye
July 31 // SO
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