Monthly Music Recap: January ‘26
Maybe it’s just me, but January has felt a million years long. Whether it’s thanks to Winter Storm Fern snowing in half the U.S. or the post-holidays slog, it’s hard to believe we’re only 30 days into 2026. But, that just means our staff has had plenty of time to listen to a heaping of fresh music.
While it’s been a slow-moving month, new releases are dropping at high speed. Indie darlings like Snail Mail and Mitski have introduced new albums with stellar singles, festival lineups are dotting feeds and contenders for breakout bands of the year have already started rolling in. Stay ahead of the curve and keep reading to discover some of the best new singles, EPs and albums you might’ve missed this month.
Westside Cowboy Is Already There
Watch the music video for “The Wahs” on YouTube.
After a 2025 spent on the road headlining shows, hitting festival stages and opening for acts like Black Country, New Road and Blondshell, Westside Cowboy is barreling into 2026 with well-deserved confidence. Jangly yet refined and brimming with verve, the Manchester-based indie rock quartet has a knack for harnessing the type of nostalgic sound that can only be reached by making bold new choices. Their second EP, So Much Country ‘Till We Get There, is a testament to Westside Cowboy’s spark, bound to bring a fresh, “Britainicana”-induced fire to the scene.
Tracks like “Strange Taxidermy” and “In The Morning” showcase the delectable blend of Aoife Anson-O’Connell’s Adrianne Lenker-like lilt with Jimmy Bradbury’s dry twang à la Elliott Smith. The former’s droning strings and the latter’s around-the-campfire vibes display Westside Cowboy’s sonic range, even at just one end of the intensity spectrum. Conversely, between the mid-2000s pop-punk main guitar riff and full-on conga breakdown in “Can’t See,” the coming-of-age build and weighty lyrics in “Don’t Throw Rocks” and cathartic chorus in “The Wahs,” the band proves they know how to turn up the energy and make every measure count.
So Much Country ‘Till We Get There sees Westside Cowboy capitalizing on the ambitious foundation of their debut EP, This Better Be Something Great, and taking it to the next, more mature level. If you get to hear these tracks live when they open for Geese on their European tour in March, consider me jealous.
Father John Misty Rewrites the Law in New Single
“In my death mask and my mismatched suit / I pilate-chop you ‘cross the stage,” paints quite the image for a song’s opening lyric, yet I’d expect nothing less from the spiritually-perceptive wordsmith that is Josh Tillman. Since the release of his 2024 LP, Mahashmashana, the artist known as Father John Misty has been performing an unreleased song fans coined “God’s Trash.” Officially on streaming platforms this month and formally titled “The Old Law,” the almost-five-minute track challenges humanity’s place in the universe with riddling tact and mystifying grit.
The single’s chorus, “A man’s life / God’s trash / There’s no law but the old law, baby,” carries a dichotomy with it; the lyric throws the hypocrisy of dogmatic religion in the face of his Evangelical Christian upbringing, while reigning in any man’s ego, regardless of religion. The final question Tillman proposes in the song, “C’mon big man / Won’t you make me?” is simultaneously satirical and existential, depending on how you look at it — and that’s the beauty of his songwriting. Produced by Tillman and Drew Erickson, “The Old Law” also ebbs and flows sonically. Between somewhat atmospheric, less dense verses and choruses come tidal waves of instrumental breakdowns complete with grungy electric guitar solos that make full use of whammy bars and feedback.
Accompanying the release of “The Old Law” are two B-sides, “Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose” and “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All,” though it’s unclear if the tracks signify the final chapter of the Mhashmashana era or the start of a new one.
look at fiona. Embraces the Unknown in New EP
“Vast, celestial, and noisy,” “dream pop from the continental divide” and “dreamlike voicings and cavernous guitar tones” are all ways four-piece look at fiona. have described their sound, but I’d care to add one more word: divine. The Denver-based quartet has steadily gained a following since the release of their self-titled EP in August, their ambient sonic aesthetic attracting the chronic daydreamers who refuse to remain tethered to reality.
Now, with the release of their self-titled sophomore EP, the band is expanding the Fionan universe with five more songs of mystical imagery and shoegaze-y soundscapes, all rooted in the belief of devout human connection. Simultaneously driving and leisurely in its energy, title track “fionafionafiona” has an air of blissful lightness that makes it a pure euphoric listen, indicative of the EP’s overall nature. Though it opens with a quite forceful drumbeat, layered acoustic strumming and droning synths quickly overtake the song’s atmosphere, dampening any potential harshness like two fingers extinguishing a flame. Jeremy Kramer’s almost monotone speak-singing and Kennady Macdonald’s siren-like cadence at times work in tandem, trading melodies and harmonizing to set a picturesque scene. But it’s at the track’s end, when the pair’s voices are layered atop each other and sound as if they’re strewn in every corner of the soundscape, that the true magic is made. Top it off with peaking synths, guitar and drums, and you get a beautiful cacophony.
Runner and Bobby: A Group to Adore
Chicago-based indie trio Runner and Bobby gained traction with the virality of their 2019 single “Fall for Her” (Nobody Else) and have steadily been releasing new wave-inspired singles since. The band has found their niche in breezy indie rock music that feels like driving into the sunset, and their first full-length album in seven years, Adoring a Friend, is no exception.
But it’s darker tracks that keep you on edge like “Swarn” that stand out and truly show what the three-piece is capable of. Where “Fall for Her (Nobody Else)” is a hopeless romantic’s anthem, “Swarn” embodies a relationship unraveling at its seams: “So it’s not important / Don’t let your life just walk away / No, your eyes so cold / And It all feels like it’s locked away,” vocalist Parker Bailey sings in the chorus. Underneath it all are solid instrumentals; cymbal-heavy drum beats give the song an unfettered feel, while a shredding electric guitar solo drives the energy home in the bridge.
Other tracks on the LP like single “Bite Down” and “Fate You Choose” offer wall-of-sound moments to ring in the new year with fresh zeal. Having been in the game since 2019, you can count on Runner and Bobby to deliver indie perfection, whether it’s feel-good, love-infused melodies or full-steam-ahead bangers.
Staff Picks:
Logan Goettemoeller - “Wall of Sound” by Charli xcx
Tabita Bernardus - “To Love Somebody” by Holly Humberstone
Emily Cheyne - “Opening Night” by Arctic Monkeys
Madelyn Aiken - “Lead It Up” by GENA, Liv.e and Karriem Riggins
Mitchell Stewart - “DANCE…” by Slayyyter
Allie Van Meerten - “Robbery” by A$AP Rocky feat. Doechii
Jane Flautt - “Projecting” by Yot Club
Check out some of out January coverage!
Live Shows:
“The atmosphere carried a sense of relief and gratitude as fans filled the Forum once again, ready to reunite over live music and celebrate the resilience of the alternative community.” - Makenna Cordiano on iHeartRadio’s Alter Ego
“With easy smiles, there was a glimmer of danger in the air, the band pushing the limits of the night, trying to see just how far they can take the audience who was more than happy to indulge their every whim.” - Alex Stefan on Black Pontiac in Toronto
“It was a rare moment of warmth and intimacy in an otherwise frozen night.” - Elena Cabigas on Cate Le Bon in Milwaukee
New Music Reviews:
“The single is quintessentially Mitski, with it showcasing her talents of crafting these beautifully tragic metaphors that encapsulate these grand emotions and plights of existing in the modern-day world.” - Mitchell Stewart on Mitski’s “Where’s My Phone?”
“Throughout this record, Langhorne Slim tears down the walls of the folk house he built and provides a new stretch of sound that is just as sonically jarring as it is emotionally resonant.” - Maria Murphy on Langhorne Slim’s The Dreamin’ Kind
“Death in the Business of Whaling packs a heavier punch, its weight lingering as the record makes no attempt to escape its own intensity, instead learning to live inside of it.” - Olivia Strohecker on Searows’ Death in the Business of Whaling
Interviews:
“Everything we do, just because of who the band members are, like primarily women, all grew up in less than ideal circumstances, I think that we do a pretty good job of creating both a raw image of that, but then also showing people that you can still be glamorous. Even though a lot of my lyrics may be violent and dark, I think more than that, it's just real.” - Payton Marshall of Buckshot Princess in an interview with Roxie Jenkin
“I feel like every band has that story where like, you plan on having your standouts from the albums or your single and then all of a sudden a song that you didn't know was gonna resonate with people as much as it does ends up sticking out. That's “Ghosts” for us, which is awesome, but even before people were listening to it I feel like that song has always been the best medium of the five of our individual musical paths intersecting into the song.” - Zendé Murdock of The Runarounds in an interview with Brooke Shapiro
“I also feel like there’s not enough songs about friendship breakups. That's another thing that I want to dive into eventually. There's just so much more to life than romantic songs. I'm really excited to lean more into that.” - Elizabeth Evans in an interview with Cece Faulkner
Music Extras: