Jordana, Something to Say to You

Inspired by 2000s indie rock as much as current rap heroes like Lil Uzi Vert, Jordana Nye’s second full-length album, Something to Say to You, is a chameleonic collection of lo-fi bedroom pop. After her early SoundCloud releases caught the ears of New York indie label Grand Jury, Jordana’s sound has leveled up — wavering between layered electronica and acoustic ballads — without ever losing her homespun charm.

Dogleg / Worst Party Ever, Go EP

After indulging in some fake Twitter beef last month, punk up-and-comers Dogleg and Worst Party Ever have made amends the best way they know how: by covering each other’s songs. Go EP is only a mere four tracks, but for fans of either band, it’s a heartwarming reminder of music’s ability to connect us with each other even when live shows are impossible.

Winston C.W., Good Guess

Winston Cook-Wilson is a songwriter, music journalist, and frontman of the Brooklyn rock band Office Culture. On his latest release under the moniker Winston C.W., Good Guess, Cook-Wilson takes a quieter approach, with his jazzy piano and vocals backed by upright bassist Carmen Rothwell and guitarist Ryan Beckley. At once intimate and spacious, Good Guess acts as Cook-Wilson’s reflection on a period of personal turmoil last year in a fitting soundtrack to healing.

Drakeo the Ruler, We Know the Truth

In November, when most of America was awaiting the results of the 2020 presidential election, Darrell Caldwell—the Los Angeles-based rapper known as Drakeo the Ruler — was released from prison following years of institutional corruption at the hands of Los Angeles’ District Attorney, Jackie Lacey.

Less than a month later, Drakeo has released his latest full-length project, We Know the Truth, a collection of gritty West Coast hip-hop that feels like a culmination of the rapper’s emotions while behind bars. He wrote all the lyrics while in prison.

Joan of Arc, Tim Melina Theo Bobby

Joan of Arc were one of the most polarizing bands to emerge from emo’s second wave around the turn of the century. Formed by frontman Tim Kinsella after the dissolution of his short-lived yet highly influential band Cap’n Jazz, Joan of Arc offered a more experimental interpretation of the genre.

Kinsella’s knack for challenging expectations is still prevalent today on the band’s final album, Tim Melina Theo Bobby. Idiosyncratic, evocative, and sprawling, the record helps memorialize the legacy of a band whose impact was often overlooked in its heyday.