Phoenix, here are the 10 albums you should have streamed in January

There are lots of things in the world that the music team at Phoenix New Times loves. But even more than cheap vinyl and PBR tall boys, it's recommending you new music. We'd like to think we're experts at figuring out just what folks want to hear, and so we'll take any opportunity to scream about our favorite records of the last few rolling weeks.

In that very spirit, here is even more new music — specifically, records you may have missed in January or just need a chance to revisit for any number of reasons. Regardless, we hope it's more stuff that you like. And if you don't like anything here, you've only broken our hearts. No big deal whatsoever, truly.

The Maine, ‘Dyed’

Surprise albums are always fun, but this dispatch from local faves The Maine felt even more significant still. Produced by frontman John O’Callaghan, each of the nine tracks started as a demo in another "era" of the band. So, more than just being a great exploration of nostalgia and memory, there's real texture here. From the more ethereal "Two Flowers (Dyed Gold 2008)" to the folk rock heft of "Stray Dogs (Dyed Orange 2013)" and even the pop-leaning "Colored in Blue (Dyed in Yellow 2021)," the band are masters at giving each song new life and energies. It's like we've "dyed" and gone to heaven.

Bad Bunny, ‘DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS’

Across his first five albums, Bad Bunny was really coming into himself. Not just as a rapper, but as someone from Puerto Rico trying to sort out and engage that identity with the larger American audience. And while he's clearly had success, it wasn't until "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" that he felt so undeniably sure of himself. Whether he's exploring the Puerto Rican identity ("Nuevayol"), simply affirming the basic joys of life ("Veldá") or tackling notions of lost love ("Pitorro de Coco"), Bunny is this massively assured figure who stands tall as a mighty representative for ideas both personal and political. Forget photos when the album itself is such a powerful, almost living chronicle.

DOMS, ‘Primitive // Man in the House’

We at Phoenix New Times have been fans of DOMS dating back to some of their singles in 2020 and 2021. For their latest dispatch, however, it feels like the band are really making huge strides forward. "Primitive" is a blend of no-wave and garage rock, this dirty, sweat-stained jam for a teenage dance party at the end of the world. Meanwhile, "Man in the House" is more akin to some blown-out slice of egg punk that also served as the soundtrack to the freakiest horror flick ever. What do these tell us about DOMS in 2025? That they're not to be trusted. But also that the weirder they get, the more big truths they're scratching at creatively.

Lambrini Girls, ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’

Choosing to name your 2025 punk album after what's effectively a musical meme certainly is a bold choice. But the U.K.'s Lambrini Girls do it 1) for the gag and 2) it disarms readers in a really important way. Because once you're having a little chuckle at the dog-themed title, they'll pull out your eyes and teeth with these noisy, deeply effective songs. The whole 11-track effort is a proper riot, but pay extra close attention to the snarling, anthemic "Big Dick Energy" and the massively kinetic "Special Different." Who let the dogs out? No one knows. But if Lambrini Girls catch that person, there will be rock 'n' roll hell to be paid in kind.

Mac Miller, ‘Balloonerism’

As a rule, posthumous albums can either be a touching tribute or a terrible cash grab. In the case of "Balloonerism," the second such release following Mac Miller's 2018 death, it's certainly an important celebration to the late rapper/singer. Because, if nothing else, this LP, which was recorded around the time of 2014's "Faces" mixtape, continues to prove Miller's true depths. Miller can get abstract on "Do You Have a Destination?"; poetic and poignant on "Stone"; and explore nostalgia in new ways with "Excelsior." The more we hear posthumously, the clearer it is that the world lost a true weirdo genius in Miller.

FKA twigs, ‘Eusexua’

FKA twigs hadn't released an album since 2019's "Magdalene." (A mixtape, "Caprisongs," dropped in 2022.) Yet in that time away, the British singer and dancer has found new ways to explore and present her personal truth. As such, the 11-track LP is perhaps her most wonderfully robust and confrontational project to date. "Girl Feels Good" is both a vintage '80s synth-pop ditty and a modern anthem for empowerment. "Keep It, Hold It" channels Kate Bush in the very best way for an ethereal dance ballad. And "Wanderlust" injects folk into the electro mix for something sturdy and compelling. "Eusexua" isn't an easy record, but it's crafted perfectly for maximum effect.

Matt Berry, ‘Heard Noises’

You may best know Matt Berry as lusty vampire Laszlo Cravensworth in the excellent "What We Do in the Shadows" TV series. But did you also know that Berry is something of a retro-pop music auteur, and he's built quite the discography on the side to prove said chops? "Heard Noises" is Berry's latest such musical experiment, and this time around, he's playing  with the very strings of Californian psychedelia. There's a David Bowie-inspired space jam ("Be Alarmed"), a rollicking garage rock banger ("There Are Monsters") and even "Sky High," which can only be described as "sex-funk from Jupiter." The man plays a mean vampire, but his musical prowess bites just as hard.

Mogwai, ‘The Bad Fire’

Mogwai have forged a 30-year career exploring the very depths of post-rock. However, as they demonstrate on their 11th studio album "The Bad Fire," it's not always easy to uncover fresh crevices and other crannies of new music truth. That's not to say that the 10-track, 55-minute LP is bad; rather, it feels like a kind of "best-of" from the Scottish outfit. Songs like the crunchy but anthemic "Hi Chaos" and the stirring "18 Volcanoes" may sound quite familiar, but Mogwai are still creating these layered, massively interesting soundscapes after three packed decades. Turn it on, feel that familiar nostalgia and let your brain wander into the cosmos regardless.

Rose City Band, ‘Sol y Sombra’

You may not have ever heard of Rose City Band before, but you should be gobsmacked regardless. Because the Portland Americana outfit have released five albums since 2019, including last month's "Sol Y Sombra." Some of that's because the band's established a sturdy baseline across each LP: steel guitar-centered, extra earthy folk-country that feels like roots rock by way of the Pacific Northwest. Be sure to spin the breezy "Open Roads," the extra vintage "Radio Song" and the almost funky "Wheels" for a taste of pure RCB. If this is the band just six years in, imagine what another few years will do for their down-home sound?

Benjamin Booker, ‘Lower’

Benjamin Booker has been described as a "cult blues rocker." Kenny Segal, meanwhile, is a DJ and producer out of Los Angeles. When you combine the pair, you get "Lower," Booker's first album in some eight years and a blues/rap fusion like you've never heard before. "POMPEII STATUES" sparks thanks to Booker's evocative turn and Segal's indie rap stylings. "NEW WORLD," meanwhile, is utterly revelatory and hugely personal under all the production crackle. And you'll practically fall in love with Booker on "HEAVY ON MY MIND." It's a record made for fans of both genres and styles, but its larger value is in finding the emotional and cultural points of connectivity.