Don’t Miss New Albums From Sharon Van Etten, Michigander, George Porter Jr. & Others

Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory released their self-titled debut album via Jagjaguwar. The album marks the first time acclaimed singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten recorded in full collaboration with her band — drummer Jorge Balbi, bassist Devra Hoff and Teeny Lieberson who adds synth, piano, guitar and vocals. The album was recorded at Eurythmics’ former studio, The Church, where producer Marta Salogni was integral in bringing the LP to fruition.

“For the first time in my life, I asked the band if we could just jam,” Van Etten recalled. “Words that have never come out of my mouth – ever! But I loved all the sounds we were getting. I was curious—what would happen? In an hour, we wrote two songs that ended up becoming ‘I Can’t Imagine’ and ‘Southern Life.’”

Michigander, the project of singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jason Singer, released his self-titled debut album, via Totally Normal Records/Thirty Tigers. Singer recorded the 12-track album in Nashville with producer Jeremy Lutito. The full length follows a series of EPs, the most recent being 2023’s It Will Never Be The Same. In a statement shared by the Kalamazoo, Michigan native, Singer discussed the impact of releasing his first album and its anchoring single, “Emotional”:

“I’ve worked my whole life to create my first album, and this moment truly feels like a special one. With the release of ‘Emotional’ I finally get to share this feeling with my fans and let them know it’s coming. I can’t wait for people to hear it and to play all this music live.

“‘Emotional’ was one of the first songs Jeremy Lutito (who produced the whole record) and I wrote together. He had that synth bass and drum beat idea that sort of goes throughout the entire song. The song is about trying to progress as a human in spite of being human. I think most people are just trying their best, and that’s all we can really do.”

George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners issued a new instrumental album, Porter’s Pocket, via Color Red. To capture the aptly named Porter’s Pocket, the bassist tapped his longtime band Runnin’ Pardners — keyboardist Michael Lemmler, drummer Terrence Houston, and newest member, guitarist Chris Adkins. Porter, the legendary The Meters bassist and New Orleans funk pioneer, recalled a time when the music he and other NOLA artists played had no classification.

“Before there was ‘funk’ as people call it, New Orleans musicians always had a way of using rhythm in a way nobody else was,” he said. “I am just a student of Earl King and George French and that musical school and somewhere along the way, people out there decided it was ‘funk.’”

Johnnyswim — the duo of Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano Ramirez — shared their new album, When The War Is Over, featuring 11 new tracks. Johnnyswim’s fifth studio album saw the duo returning to an “in the room” live recording format. “One thing we were very excited to do on this album, that we haven’t done since our first album, is every instrument has eyeballs. Every instrument is played by a person,” Abner explained. “There’s very few, if any, synthetic instruments – the piano is a person at the piano, the drums are a person at the drums, etc. There’s no samples, there’s no whatever.”

Johnnyswim further detailed When The War Is Over.

“This album means so much to us because it represents a significant chapter in our lives. Both of us have been navigating our own emotional and physical health challenges over the last few years, and it’s a testament to that journey. In many ways, this album reflects our acceptance of the challenges we’ve faced, embracing the honesty we’ve always pursued in our songwriting. It’s for anyone who has faced their own battles—physical or emotional—and is looking for music to walk with them through it.”

Parasomnia is the new album from prog/metal stalwarts Dream Theater. The band’s 16th album, Parasomnia is Dream Theater’s first recorded by the classic lineup of vocalist James LaBrie, guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and drummer Mike Portnoy since 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings. Petrucci produced Parsomnia, which features eight new songs. The band shared the statement below regarding the new release:

“Our new album, Parasomnia, marks a special new chapter for us as bandmates and as brothers. This collection of songs represents not only where we’ve come from but also where we’re heading next.

“We’re so excited for you to experience it.”

Singer-songwriter Caroline Rose took a stripped-down approach to recording her new album, year of the slug, which is available exclusively through Bandcamp. The follow-up to 2023’s The Art Of Forgetting consists of 11 tracks Rose recorded on her phone using the Garageband app.

“Sometimes it’s nice to have a pearl before it’s polished,” Rose stated. “I’m not a McDonald’s hamburger. I’m just trying to make music diverse enough that AI can’t reproduce it.”

Nonesuch Records reissued a comprehensive deluxe edition of Wilco’s Grammy Award-winning album A Ghost Is Born, marking the influential record’s 20th anniversary. The reissue includes the original album, plus 65 previously unreleased tracks including alternates, outtakes, and demos, as well as a complete concert recording from Boston’s Wang Center in 2004 and the band’s experimental “fundamentals” workshop sessions. The album was recorded by Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Leroy Bach, Glenn Kotche and Mikael Jorgensen, with Jim O’Rourke co-producing alongside the band. Following Bach’s departure after the sessions, Pat Sansone and Nels Cline joined the group, establishing Wilco’s current lineup that has remained stable for two decades.

“Making that record, and then finding this lineup, that was the start of something—of having a band that can play anything,” Tweedy states in new liner notes. “That’s why, twenty years later, we’re still here and still going.

“[At the time] I was worried the album was going to feel like something dark and not me anymore. But the album was ahead of me as a person. It was the part of me that I was trying to preserve—enthusiastic and furious about the world, as well as open and loving.”