It seems like there’s been a nonstop deluge of new music for the last couple years—and it doesn’t seem like it’s letting up. This weekend is bringing another drop of more music than anyone can keep track of. But that’s not going to stop us from trying.

Here are some of the most noteworthy releases this week.

All Hallowed – Give Me Mercy

The Dayton dance punks have already been released on our Ohio Bands to Watch and featured in the Tuned Up Showcase at Audiofeed Music Festival—and all without a proper full-length. That all changes this Friday with the release of Give Me Mercy. The thirteen-song record was recorded and mixed by Micah Carli of Hawthorne Heights, with guest features from Nick Thompson of Hit the Lights and Vinnie Caruana of I Am the Avalanche and The Movielife.

First Aid Kit – Palamino

Brothertiger – Brothertiger

Brothertiger has been one of the standard-bearers of the synthwave scene for a while now. But there’s something significant about releasing a sefl-titled record twelve years into a career. Brothertiger collects a number of singles released through the Covid era, plus some never-before-heard tracks. The only obvious shortcoming is that it’s coming out a few months too late to be the obvious jam of the summer.

Dayseeker – Dark Sun

SoCal quartet Dayseeker offers up their fifth record this weekend, featuring their unique blend of influences. You’ll find djenty prog metal riffs, smooth R&B melodies, pop hooks, and synthwave billows of atmospherics. It might sound reductive, but you might get close by imagining Bruno Mars writing a metal record—except that sounds like it might suck.

First Aid Kit – PAlomino

The Swedish sister folk duo have been offering up silky smooth 70s-inspired folk pop for over a decade now—which is a surprise to the throngs of snobby hipsters who expected them to be a flash in the pan who only got attention for covering a Fleet Foxes song. On Palomino, they’re done trying to prove themselves to those haters, returning to the glittering glamour of their earlier material.

Joji – Smithereens

Joji might be one of the most surprising smash hits in the last several years. Piano ballads might not sound that thrilling on paper, but once you actually listen to them, it makes sense why music journalists won’t shut up about him. Lead single “Glimpse of Us” has already topped the charts in Australia and New Zealand, and if the rest of the album lives up to it, SMITHEREENS should wind up on a number of year-end lists.

The Lone Bellow – Love Songs For Losers

The Brooklyn trio has been offering up infectious alt-country for the better part of a decade. Their fifth album, Love Songs for Losers, expands on their sonic palette by injecting their trademark Americana sound with mellow synths and glassy guitars set to bandleader Zach Williams’ hook-laden songwriting. Think of Dire Straits Brothers in Arms or the softer tracks on Springsteen’s Born in the USA. The album was also recorded in the supposedly haunted former home of Roy Orbison, which might explain the hauntingly beautiful quality of the singles.

Ploho – Когда душа спит

Siberia has long had a reputation as one of the bleakest spots on Earth. Russian post punk outfit Ploho has been giving it a suitably bleak soundtrack since 2013. Their fifth album, Когда душа спит (When the Soul Sleeps), arrives this Friday.

Phoenix – Alpha Zulu

It’s hard to believe that Phoenix is seven albums deep in their career. The French indie pop maestros have kept churning out collections of synth-billowed dance pop with rock and roll bite like they’re still young and hungry. Alpha Zulu promises to be as fresh as anything they’ve ever released—which is a mighty task.

Spoon – Lucifer on the Moon

Spoon has always had more bubbling beneath the surface than meets the eye. Their hip indie sheen has long covered an encyclopedic knowledge of rock and roll’s most obscure histories. Among the most obscure conventions in that history is the dub reggae remix album. Ever since King Tubby and Lee “Scratch” Perry reworked abandoned tapes in the studio, throngs of producers have done the same—even with non-reggae sources. Lucifer on the Moon sees dub icon Adrian Sherwood giving Lucifer on the Sofa a complete dub rework.

Switchfoot – this is our Christmas album

November is here, which means it’s officially Christmas season—at least as far as the music industry is concerned. And it’s honestly a surprise that Switchfoot hasn’t released a Christmas album in their 26 year history. This record finds the group offering their interpretations of classics ranging from traditional carols to standards from Vince Guaraldi and Nat King Cole.

Turnover – Myself in the Way

Turnover are no strangers to reinvention. After starting as a straightforward emo/pop punk act, they transitioned to shoegaze with 2015’s Peripheral Vision. Their voice saw another shift in 2019 with Altogether, a glitzy bit of disco influenced indie pop that sounded nothing like anything they’d done before. Anyone hoping that record was an unfortunate detour will be disappointed to find them doubling down on the synths and pop hooks with Myself in the Way. But judging by the singles, it might be hard to be disappointed when listening to this smooth, dreamlike synthpop.

Obviously, there’s a lot we missed. What are you excited for? Let us know what we skipped in the comments.