The November episode of THE NOISE OF is always strange because it’s usually the last one of the year. The December episode drops in early January. It’s also the first episode with a significant slowdown since releases drop back a bit, and everyone gets busy with their AOTY list. Still, every month has good music, and I will die on that hill.
JOTA – Cold Haven
November 3 // Tomb Tree Tapes
Those guys are around my neck of the woods and for whatever reason (maybe because I don’t go out much because I’m an old fart), I only learned about them when Zegema Beach/Tomb Tree put them on my table. It is what it is, and this shit fucking slaps.
Juana Molina – DOGA
November 5 // Sonamos/RGS
Back in 2017, Juana Molina‘s Halo was easily one of my favorite albums of the year. It was an incredibly rich and charmingly daunting piece of music, and I have been a fan of Molina’s ever since. Eight years later, DOGA evokes a similar impression. No matter how much my taste has changed, this album is still absolutely amazing.
lausse the cat – The Mocking Stars
November 6 // Independent
Very colorful, very interesting, full of nuances and little details. lausse the cat always brings awesome album artwork to the table, and when you press play on his music, you never know what to expect. That’s the beauty of his work, it’s expressive, captivating, and always surprising.
SML – How You Been
November 7 // International Anthem
International Anthem jazz, here we meet again, old friend. SML is an amazing quintet from the US, and they piqued my interest because of the involvement of bassist Anna Butterss, who I love dearly. This is some top level jazz, bold and exciting, and y’all should give it a spin.
Town Portal – Grindwork
November 7 // Dream Bureau
I’ve mentioned in some of the previous episodes that I kinda fell out with a math rock a bit, but this year brought me some cool stuff which rekindled my love for the genre. A new Town Portal is always a win in that category, and the more heavy, posty approach of Grindwork, compared to a lot of the more twinkly math rock out there, feels very fresh.
Brian House – Everyday Infrasound in an Uncertain World
November 7 // Independent
This is 24 hours of infrasound, pitched and sped up, and put together as two 12-minute tracks. Wild shit, but mesmerizing all the same.
Bore – Feral
November 7 // Silent Pendulum Records
Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – Mercy
November 7 // Backwoodz Studioz
I’m contractually obligated to praise everything billy woods (I guess), so when his project Armand Hammer (ELUCID is the other part) team up with legendary producer and beat-building-busy bee The Alchemist, you can bet your ass that they are cooking up something nice. With tons of great features, this rose up to the top of 2025 hip hop in no time.
Earth Ball – Outside Over There
November 7 // Upset The Rhythm
Navy Blue – The Sword & The Soaring
November 11 // freedom sounds
VoidCeremony – Abditum
November 14 // 20 Buck Spin
Probably the first real metal album on this list, but damn, VoidCeremony is the perfect entry to extreme metal in November. This disgusting concoction of black, death, and doom metal are masters of their modern take on those genres, with regular nods to old school sensibilities to make your kutte cvlt enough.
The Grasshopper Lies Heavy – HEAVY
November 14 // Learning Curve Records
Those guys have been around since the mid-2000’s, but I never vibed with them that much – they were one of those bands which popped up when this whole Southern rock-flavored hardcore was a thing, similar to Every Time I Die. I wrote them off quickly. Nevertheless, thank god that I checked out their new album, because they still have this flavor, but it’s way more nuanced than I remember it to be, and it makes for a fucking fun album.
It’s a collaboration that just feels right, like everything just feels right. An empowerment for outcasts, in a non-cheesy way. Very dark, noisy, and mysterious, but most surprisingly, I feel a lot of My Bloody Valentine in that album. The parts are great, but the sum is so much greater.
Bastien Keb – Ghouls
November 14 // First World Records
I’ve been a pretty big fan of Bastien Keb‘s work, from his fantastic 2020 album The Killing of Eugene Peeps to his collaboration with Claudia Kane on Grandamme. He’s one of those artists where you can tell that it’s never about fulfilling a certain style of music – it’s always really genuine and authentic, and most of all, really charismatic and unique.
Celeste – Woman Of Faces
November 14 // Polydor Records
I loved Not Your Muse, which is one of my favorite modern soul albums, so I was giggling in excitement about Celeste‘s new album Woman Of Faces, and it’s great progression in her artistry. The big grandeur is toned down a bit, and it makes for a more raw and personal experience altogether.
Tomoko Omura – Run Run Run
November 14 // Independent
Shout out to my friend and colleague, Rob, for hooking me up with this album. This is great, maybe one of the best jazz records I’ve heard this year. Very fresh and full of good fucking energy. This is a constantly tense and moving album, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone who likes modern jazz, which doesn’t need to be super safe all the time.
Ground – Ode au temps volé
November 16 // Independent
An amazing little gem out of France, dabbling with a darker shade of skramz and post hardcore. Being French is always a big plus for skramz (it just sounds so extra desperate, for whatever reason), and it really hits it home on Ode au temps volé!
Reflection – Cleft Stick
November 20 // Geenger Records
Skramz again, this time from Serbia. After six years, Reflection are back with their second album, and it’s a step up both in songwriting and production. This doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a heartfelt skramz effort with fantastic flow.
Hetta – Acetate
November 21 // Lovers & Lollypops/Tomb Tree Tapes
If you are searching for an effective way to wake the fuck up in the morning, you gotta fix yourself up with Hetta‘s explosive new album Acetate. This Portuguese band lives somewhere between noise rock, post hardcore and skramz, and every track on that record is a burst of nervous energy, in the best way imaginable.
Takuro Okada – Konoma
November 21 // Temporal Drift
This is Takuro Okada‘s second full-length this year, and while it doesn’t surpass The Near End, The Dark Night, The County Line, which will end up on my AOTY list, it’s more of an artist in his prime, and I will take that all day every day.
Oneohtrix Point Never – Tranquilizer
November 21 // Warp Records
I’m sure that most people who like modern electronic music know about Oneohtrix Point Never and his always-shifting art, but I’m still always impressed by how natural the pulse goes within his music – I would even go so far as to say that Tranquilizer is one of his best albums to date.
FOSCØ – TRES ESTACAS
November 21 // Independent
This is the last skramz pick on this list I swear! But it’s so fucking good. Also some of you may know that I have an incredibly soft spot for Spanish skramz, so how can I even try to resist.
Phobocosm – Gateway
November 28 // Dark Descent Records
Directly from the depths of hell (cheesy, I know!), but this is demons fighting each other naked. While so many bands only act mean and dark and stuff like that, Phobocosm really sells their hellish riffs with grace and elegance, and they are oh so convincing doing that.
Coco Bryce – Noches Sephardies
November 28 // Myor
A cool mix of atmospheric drum and bass with folky elements. Very danceable, but rich and contemplative at the same time. The deeper you get with this record, the more rewarding it gets — totally my catnip.
No Violet – No Violet
November 28 // Totality
The Ominous Circle – Cloven Tongues of Fire
November 28 // Osmose Productions
Sega Bodega – I Created The Universe So That Life Could Create a Language So Complex, Just To Say How Much I Love You
November 28 // ambient tweets
I first got into Sega Bodega‘s music with his fantastic album Romeo, back in 2021, and I’ve been keeping a close eye on him ever since. His newest album contains influences of ambient pop and progressive electronic, as well as some flavor of psychedelic new age. It’s a warm and comforting album, beautiful and mesmerizing, and I urge everyone who likes the aforementioned vibes to check this out.
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