Crucial Releases: April 2025

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Lots of good music this month – Bon Iver, Quickly Quickly, Viagra Boys, Momma, Speedway, Casper Skulls, Blu, Ribbon Skirt, Black Country New Road, Florist, Scowl, Bedridden, Julien Baker & TORRES, Superheaven, The Convenience, and Valerie June.

Welcome to Crucial Releases: April edition!

Anyway, I’ve got a few superb releases for you this issue. The first of which is a serious contender for album of the year: viagr aboys by Viagra Boys – their fourth full length album, following Cave World (2022), Welfare Jazz (2021), and Street Worms (2019). I’ve been a fan since the first live video I saw of them on YouTube, probably in the Street Worms era.

Next up is another of my favorite albums of the year, Bon Iver’s SABLE, fABLE (Listen)… Bon Iver is one of those artists that I think can do no wrong. I’ve enjoyed every one of his records and have certainly enjoyed the progression from For Emma, Forever Ago (2007) to 22, a Million (2016), and I, I (2019)…

Finally, a surprise favorite: I Heard That Noise by quickly, quickly (Listen). Written, performed, recored, produced and mixed by Graham Johnson - aka quickly, quickly. Absolutely beautifully arranged lo-fi folk, complete with orchestral elements (horns, strings, keys) and quirky electronic elements. Highly recommended.

As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been building out a cool little side project for the Crucial Tracks community and music fans, in general. Please check out the new Crucial Tracks app, if you haven’t already!

This post, however, gets us back on track with new music… including a lot of honorable mentions to cover!

Honorable Mentions

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A Life’s Refrain by Speedway Speedway are from Stockholm, Sweden and do the later Bold sound very well. Part youth crew, part metal, part melody. Looking Back (Listen) from Bold is one of my favorite hardcore records and this one may be up with it one day. (It’s even on the same record label - Revelation Records)

• 💿 Released: April on Revelation Records
• 🤘 FFO: Bold, youth crew hardcore X metal X melodic hardcore
• 🎧 Your first song: “Passion Play”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Welcome to My Blue Sky by Momma

Momma is pretty much the new Veruca Salt to me – one of my favorite bands from the 90s. It’s not just the band make up either – Momma write serious earworms and shred on the guitar, just like Nina Gordon and Louise Post.

Welcome to My Blue Sky is their fourth album and second for Polyvinyl Records, home to bands like Alvvays, Ian Sweet, The Get Up Kids, Jeff Rosenstock, Squirrel Flower, and others. Their last album Household Name (2022) was on my favorite albums finalist list for that year. It’s well worth checking out too.

• 💿 Released: April on Polyvinyl Records
• 🤘 FFO: 90s alt rock, Veruca Salt
• 🎧 Your first song: “Rodeo”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Kit-Cat by Casper Skulls

The Toronto band’s second album. Led by a husband-wife duo, they harness the 90’s alternative nostalgia to capture 11 high quality songs. A new-to-me band prior to this album… I liked the album so much, they will be a highly recommended new-to-you band as well. 😄

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: 90s alt rock, Pavement, Velocity Girl
• 🎧 Your first song: “Milk & Honey”
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Forty by Blu

One of my favorite indie hip-hop MCs who released classics with DJ/producer Exile: Miles (2020), Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them (2012) and Below the Heavens (2007). Over 20 years of records and this one is a celebration of him turning 40. One of my favorite hip-hop albums of the year so far.

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: alt and indie hip-hop, Slum Village, Oddisee, J Dilla, eLZhi
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Bite Down by Ribbon Skirt

The Hole/Mannequin Pussy influence is obvious, but this album stands above the rest that follow those bands with great, honest songwriting. Worth your time, for sure.

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: Hole, Mannequin Pussy, Sonic Youth, Japanese Breakfast
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Forever Howlong by Black Country, New Road

This band gets all the hype, especially for their sophomore album Ants From Up There (2022)… which took some time for me to understand. Anyway, their lead singer left and the rest of the band made this album… which I actually like a lot more. It’s orchestral indie rock/pop that you’d imagine every band nerd friend group tries to do, but this one succeeds at… in the best way. 😄

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: honestly no idea, it’s that eclectic - folk, chamber pop, twee?
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Jellywish by Florist

Florist’s fifth album and first since 2022. Very sweet, earnest (and some times a little off kilter) indie folk similar to Adrianne Lenker. Well done and highly recommended if you are into the genre.

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: indie folk, Adrianne Lenker, Lomelda, Haley Heynderickx
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Are We All Angels by Scowl

Scowl leveled up in the same way Turnstile did a few years ago, taking their hardcore punk sound to a new level. This band will be huge soon, if not already…

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: GEL, DRAIN, Militarie Gun, SPACED, Turnstile
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Moths Strapped to Each Other’s Backs by Bedridden

The debut album from Bedridden. Heavy, fuzzy shoegaze – but great hooks and melodies. Excited to see where this band goes.

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: Hotline TNT, Swervedriver, Hum
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Send a Prayer My Way by Julien Baker & TORRES

Queer country (or Cuntry as they put it) – it’s everything you’d expect from these two artists making a country/folk album. A little too country for me at times, but it’s a well done album that’s worth your time if you like the genre.

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: Julien Baker, TORRES, country, folk
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

s/t by Superheaven

Heavy shoegaze in the vein of Hum and Deftones. Their first album in 10 years! Worth a listen, if you enjoy the sound.

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: heavy shoegaze, Hum, Deftones, Cloakroom
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Like Cartoon Vampires by The Convenience

The band has evolved from more of a 80s synth pop sound to a more angular, post-punk sound. If you like any of the bands below, you’ll dig this… it’s well done.

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: post-punk, Wire, Franz Ferdinand, Gang of Four, Television
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Owls, Omens, and Oracles by Valerie June

I remember checking out her Pushin’ Against a Stone (2013) but not much in between. Feel like that might have been a mistake – this album is very good. Not many artists do the soul/folk/blues thing as well as her.

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: soul, folk, blues, American roots
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Weirdo by Emma-Jean Thackray

Super into this… it’s weird, off-beat funky soul and R&B, with a side of jazz and bedroom pop. Thackray seems like an interesting person: multi-instrumentalist, DJ, producer, beat maker, radio host. Love hearing people who you’d never expect playing a genre, doing it well and in their own way.

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: off-beat soul, jazz, funk, R&B, indie/bedroom pop
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Bloodless by Samia

Another great album for this week. One that would be a feature most weeks. Bloodless is her third full-length album and each one is improving on the last. Samia is really becoming an elite singer/songwriter – great voice, melodies, and lyrics – and I’m here for it.

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: Indigo De Souza, Squirrel Flower, Soccer Mommy, Gracie Abrams, Angel Olsen
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Tunnel Vision by Beach Bunny

Beach Bunny is great and one of my kids’ first concerts. We saw them in Cleveland on the Honeymoon tour back in 2021. Pop-punk influenced indie pop, with great melodies and lyrics. This is another great album from them…

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: Ratboys, The Beths, Charly Bliss, Diet Cig
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen

Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman by Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics A new Wu-Tang album in 2025. Originally released a couple weeks ago as a super limited edition 2-LP vinyl set, the album hit streaming this week. It’s classic Wu-Tang, though not as good as their old stuff. The record does feature Griselda, which has definitely tried to fill the Wu-Tang hole in the rap universe the last ten years.

• 💿 Released: April on
• 🤘 FFO: uh it’s Wu-Tang. They are for the children, remember.
• 🎧 Your first song:
• 💰 Support: Bandcamp | Listen