10 new albums streaming right now for Phoenix music fans (Feb. 7, 2025)

Last week we launched a simple but important new music feature. Every week, in the face of dozens of new albums hitting selves (or the digital equivalent), we'd handpick just 10 must-hear selections (from both Phoenix artists and elsewhere). Our hope was to give you even more new music to fall in love with (or, at the very least, maybe fill up your Friday morning commute). Here, then, is another installment, with records ranging from jagged post-punk and breezy jazz to thoughtful indie pop and mid-2000s throwback rock. Once more, it's time to get listening, pronto.

Dream Theater, ‘Parasomnia’

As if releasing 16 albums wasn't special enough, the latest from Dream Theater has another very important wrinkle. The eight-track LP is the first to feature original drummer Mike Portnoy since 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings." How exactly does that inform where Dream Theater are at sonically in 2025? Well, turns out that's somewhere massively compelling as a unit. "Night Terror," for instance, is 10 minutes of genre-leaping metal goodness that always uplifts. "A Broken Man," meanwhile, shows what happens when the band enter a kind of fugue state and really rock out. Lastly, if you want something truly epic, "Midnight Messiah" is up there among Dream Theater's grand catalog. Not that all of you needed to hear this, but the band are on a level far and above their metal compatriots.

Sharon Van Etten, ‘Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment’

Sometimes, a name can mean everything. In the case of "Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory," there's a musical world separating this latest project from Van Etten's often mournful indie rock. "Afterlife," for instance, is this sweeping electro-folk anthem, with Van Etten reaching a midway between Annie Lennox and Kate Bush. Meanwhile, "Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)" is just as grand and sweeping, but we get to see a little more grit and sleaze from the singer-songwriter. In all, the 10-track LP is a solid departure for Van Etten, and it's amazing to see what happens when she stretches her wings and soars toward new ideas and sentiments. Just call us clearly attached, ya dig?

FACS, ‘Wish Defense’

There's a lot going on regarding FACS' sixth studio album. For one, it sees the return of original member Jonathan Van Herik, who replaces bassist Alianna Kalaba. It's also a record about the "duality of man," and the band explore a tradition spanning "the writings of the Bible to Descartes, all the way up to filmmakers like David Lynch, David Cronenberg and John Carpenter." How does all of that translate musically? Something like the title track, which finds the band operating in the same realm of jagged post-punk albeit with a fresh edge and perspective to make it all feel newly thought-provoking (and as mesmerizing as ever). Point blank, "Wish Defense" is just more weird rock that we all need in our lives.

Guided By Voices, ‘Universe Room’

How's this for brain-melting factoids: "Universe Room" is not only Guided By Voices' 41st album, but their 18th such record in the last decade alone. Once you pick your jaw up off the floor, you may have questions. Namely, can the band still deliver quality indie rock even with that maddeningly prolific pace? In the case of this latest 17-track LP, the answer is, "Heck yes, dude." Whether it's the dramatic, almost operatic "The Great Man," the simple but evocative "Dawn Believes" or the powerful-but-not-overwhelming "Fly Religion," Guided By Voices maintain their core ideas and values even as they continue to explore fresh terrain. If anything, the band prove to be as hungry, curious and unpredictable as ever before.

Chaz Martineau Trio, ‘Mornings’

While he now resides in Brooklyn, saxophonist Chaz Martineau recently dropped this new seven-track project ahead of his return to Phoenix and tonight's free show at The Nash. Even if you're not the biggest jazz fan, the trio make a damn fine case as to why you might want to reconsider that decision. "Enough Already" has both intriguing textures and a curious approach that makes it feel novel enough. "A Song," meanwhile, has a slow, deliberate pace and overall build that demands you follow along. Even "Cruel and Cunning" feels oddly accessible, like some mutated pop ditty. Wherever he rests his head these days, Martineau remains a mighty player in Phoenix's rich legacy of great jazz music.

Squid, ‘Cowards’

We last heard from England's Squid with the release of 2023's "O Monolith," an album that saw the band step up via this form of magical genre-bending. With "Cowards," their third LP overall, the band look to build on that dynamic with dizzying results. "Crispy Skin" splits the difference between janky rock and shimmery synth-pop. From there, "Building 650" tries to balance more of their trademark uneven rock with threads of Middle Eastern music. And "Cro-Magnon Man" is just a wonderful but wholly indecipherable medley of influences and energies. Few bands approach genre with this much love and disdain, and Squid are masters at remixing and reorganizing to create songs that are both unnerving and undeniable.

Caroline Rose, ‘year of the slug’

If you don't know the L.A.-based Caroline Rose, just be aware that their record label has called them an "impish indie rebel," and some who is readily "championing independent music and creative reinvention." That pretty much describes the 11-track "year of the slug" to a tee. Recorded entirely in Garageband, the record works to effectively distill Rose in their "rawest form," or "straight to the listener, no middleman." Case in point: the album's lead single, "conversation with shiv (liquid k song)," a mostly simple, unassuming indie folk anthem that packs a punch from an emotional standpoint. Get to know Rose while you can before they decide to shapeshift once again.

Töfragröf, ‘Realm Of The Vampyre’

Don't let Töfragröf fool you one bit. Sure, the name sounds like a terrifying Norwegian demi-god; the album art to "Realm Of The Vampyre" has the actual Necronomicon on it; and there's song titles like "Walking Amongst The Dead." Because despite all that ghoulish imagery, the album (which debuted on Feb. 5) is oddly peaceful. Sure, "In Thee Hall Of Thee Vampyre" makes it seem like you're being stalked by Nosferatu across some ancient Scottish castle, but there's this profound sense of ambiance that takes the tune in an interesting direction. Same for the simplistic "What Hell Have I Seen" and the earnest "Survived The Night To Tell The Tale": Töfragröf may be spooky as heck, but that doesn't mean there's not gobs of nuance to discover. Maybe just bring a flashlight along or something.

Biig Piig, ‘11:11’

Biig Piig is the generally great moniker of Irish singer and rapper Jessica Smyth. Known for an understated but playful singing style, Smyth has built up quite a bit of buzz in the U.K. and Europe leading up to her debut album. "11:11," as Smyth explained in a statement, "...captures various points in my journey, symbolising synchronicity — the idea that things happen for a reason, exactly as they should. Through the highs and lows, this process has been exactly what it needed to be." And based on songs like the uber catchy "Favourite Girl," it seems like now really could be Smyth's time to strike it big. Same with the moody "4AM" if that's more your speed — you can't deny the depth and power of Biig Piig.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, ‘Perfect Right Now: A Slumberland Collection 2008​-​2010’

OK, this isn't technically new music. Still, if you never caught the band in the mid-2000s, then you need to hear this "artifact" posthaste. These 10 tracks are comprised of B-sides from various 7-inch releases following their 2009 self-titled debut as well as the "Higher Than The Stars" EP, a couple tracks from random split singles and the excellent "Say No To Love." This is no mere cash grab, though; this whole collection defines how TPOBPAH infused mid-2000s indie with new levels of romanticism and intrigue. Plus, even if you are already a long-time fan, listening to these tracks again should see all those feelings come rushing back in no time. Ain't indie rock romance just grand?