Don’t Miss New Albums From Joyce Manor, Steve Poltz, Geologist & More

Joyce Manor released a new album, I Used To Go To This Bar, through Epitaph Records. The Torrance, California-based trio — Barry Johnson, Chase Knobbe and Matt Ebert — enlisted Epitaph CEO, Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion, to produce the follow-up to their 2022 album, 40 oz. to Fresno.

“Working with Brett was amazing,” Johnson said. “When it comes to our musical DNA, he’s one of the architects of everything we grew up on. Having him guide our record helped us make something that we could put next to those classic records that shaped us. I really feel like we were behind the wheel, and I’m really proud of it.”

“Joyce Manor are a quintessential South Bay punk band,” Gurewitz stated. “But unlike their peers they’re writing timeless songs for the American Songbook. If Barry was a novelist, he’d be Ernest Hemingway. To me, they’re among the most important bands of the last two decades.”

Steve Poltz released his 14th album, JoyRide, through Red House Records. The singer-songwriter recorded JoyRide at the well-established home studio in East Nashville, 3Sirens. The follow-up to 2022’s Stardust And Satellites was produced, engineered, and mixed by multi-instrumentalist Dex Green. Among the 10 songs on JoyRide are co-writes with Jim Lauderdale and Skip Black, “Fixin’ Up,” and with Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman, “Love A Little Bigger.”

“Capturing me in a studio is like convincing a whirling dervish to stop spinning long enough to sign a bill into law,” Poltz explained. “It’s chaos, caffeine, and accidental poetry — art colliding with microphones and commerce in a glorious mess. That’s how JoyRide happened. No seatbelts, no helmets. Just unsaturated, unadulterated art. Real humans making real noise in real time.”

Animal Collective’s Geologist (Brian Weitz) asks Can I Get A Pack Of Camel Lights? on his newly shared debut solo album. Weitz built the foundation for Can I Get A Pack Of Camel Lights? recording with a hurdy gurdy at home. He took those tracks to Drop Of Sun Studio in Asheville, North Carolina for sessions with Adam McDaniel. The 10-track album includes contributions from drummers Emma Garau, Alianna Kalaba and Ryan Oslance, as well as Shane McCord on clarinets, Mikey Powers on cello and Adam Lion on vibraphone. Animal Collective’s Dave “Avey Tare” Portner played bass on a few songs.

Xavier is the much anticipated debut album from rising rapper Xaviersobased, released today through 1-chance/Surf Gang Records/Atlantic Records. The single “iPhone 16” is among the album’s 20 tracks. Featured guests include OsamaSon, Zaytoven, Rio Da Yung Og and ksuuvi.

Previewed by the singles “ATM” and “Tiramisu,” the new Don Toliver album, Octane, was issued today by the Houston-native rapper. Released via Cactus Jack/Donnway & Co/Atlantic Records, the 18-track album follows Toliver’s 2024 full-length, Hardstone Psycho.

Soulive return with Flowers, the trio’s first full-length studio album since 2011. Soulive — drummer Alan Evans, his brother Neal Evans on keyboards, and Eric Krasno on guitar — recorded the album last year at Floki Studios in Iceland. Alan Evans produced, engineered, mixed and mastered the LP.

New England-native singer Tyler Ballgame steps up to the plate with today’s release of his debut album, For The First Time, Again, through Rough Trade. Ballgame teamed with co-producers Jonathan Rado and Ryan Pollie to record the album in Los Angeles. Ballgame played guitars, keyboards and horns while backed by a rhythm section of drummer Amy Aileen Wood and bassist Wayne Whitaker.

Can Such Delightful Times Go On Forever? is the new album from The Soft Pink Truth, the solo project of Matmos’ Drew Daniel, out today via Thrill Jockey. Daniel recruited over 20 musicians to contribute to the follow-up to the 2022 The Soft Pink Truth album, Is It Going to Get Any Deeper Than This?. Daniel’s husband/Matmos bandmate M.C. Schmidt is among those who appear across the record’s eight tracks.

Sister group Joseph attempts to get Closer To Happy, with the release of their new album. Available now through Nettwerk, Closer To Happy is the group’s first full-length recorded as a duo, following the departure of co-founder Allison Closner. Remaining siblings, Natalie Closner and Meegan Closner, co-produced the new record with Luke Niccoli. The track “I Believe In Myself,” features Becca Mancari.

Back with his first album in six years, Sebastien Tellier released Kiss The Beast today through Because Music. Tellier’s seventh studio album includes production by Victor Le Masne, SebastiAn, Daniel Stricker and Oscar Holter. The record features Nile Rodgers on guitar and Owen Pallett’s string arrangements. Kid Cudi and Slayyyter appear on separate tracks as well.