By: Music Journalism Club

Every week our Music Director, Allison, chooses new releases to add to our music library. Here are some of September’s highlights, presented to you by WSUM’s Music Journalism Club.

9.1.26

Graham Hunt, American Pyramid

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Straight Line to Love”, “Guardian Angel’s Arms”, “Riverboat Blues”, “Waiting for You to Come Home”

GENRE: Indie Rock

RIYL: Wishy, Prize Horse, Disq

American Pyramid is Madison local Graham Hunt’s sixth album, but very different from any of its predecessors. Most of the album was recorded live with a 9-piece band, except for three of the songs, which were home-recorded. Despite the new methods of recording, everything sounds incredibly unique to Hunt. Lyrically, the album touches on many overarching themes of the condition of American life, with both broad observations and specific instances from Hunt’s own experiences. Both are incredibly relatable. Regardless of topic, every lyric is smart and well written. It’s also chock full of beautiful melodies, upbeat riffs, and interesting harmonies. These are exemplified incredibly well in “Waiting for You to Come Home”, with a simple chorus and countless layers within each instrument coalesces into something so incredibly gorgeous, while “Straight Line to Love” begins with organ driving the opening into a beautiful sparkly guitar riff, and carries a steady build to the end.

— Emily Collins

Phoebe Bridgers, Lost Weekend

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS:  “Lost Boys”, “Kill Me”, “Bobby”

GENRE: Indie Folk

RIYL: boygenius, Big Thief, Lizzy McAlpine

Lost Weekend is Phoebe Bridgers’ third studio album and possibly her most emotional, and intimate yet. Taking note that her dad passed away in 2023, it would make sense that this album deals heavily with mortality and what the meaning is, if there is any, of death. She eventually realizes later on in the album that death is inevitable, but that it doesn’t have to be painful. The album also explores Phoebe coming to terms with a world whose people are constantly changing and her ambivalence towards it. Sonically, this album is very well put together and its instrumentation has kept me hooked, which was something that I didn’t expect as someone who doesn’t listen to Phoebe Bridgers or folk in general. Fortunately, this album has definitely made me interested in exploring folk music. Fans of Phoebe Bridgers and folk have had very high expectations for this album and I believe that this album absolutely meets them. A very good album to go into autumn with.

— Gabriel Salgado

9.8.26

Sharp Pins, Mod Mayday 23

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Let Me Be The One”, “Tonight’s the Night”, “Live Without Her Love”

GENRE: Indie, lo-fi, Mod

RIYL: Lifeguard, The Lemon Twigs, This is Lorelei

Sharp Pins is the solo project of Chicago’s Kai Slater, known for their ultra lo-fi indie sound. Mod Mayday 23 is his version of another album, Mods Mayday ‘79, a compilation of various new wave and mod-revival bands. From 39 total songs, Slater records ten of the songs and includes an eleventh as a demo. Slater gives some context to this choice, saying “The soundtrack to my 18th summer riding a Chinese Taotao 50cc scooter around Taqueria Moran and four tracking my Sta-Prest-Dreams. I thought it would be cool to record a bunch of songs that never really got recorded in a semi-more-thought-out-way.” This resulted in a very cohesive album for Sharp Pins, fitting in well with previous releases while reviving something old for a new audience. 

— Emily Collins

9.15.26

Pretty Sick, Anarchy

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Star”, “Anarchy”, “Sunset”

GENRE: Indie Electronic, Shoegaze

RIYL: Frost Children, underscores, Lil Peep

Pretty Sick’s third album is a combination glitchy, trappy shoegaze instrumentals and soft, Hope Sandoval-esque vocals. The New York-based trio, fronted by vocalist/bassist Sabrina Fuentes, starts the album with “Star”, flooding ears with distorted guitars before transitioning into a choppy hip-hop style with an abundance of air horns. “City Kid” embraces a ravey instrumental, while “UrNewImTrue” explodes with experimental sound, Fuentes’ vocals drowning in the background of a Ken Carson-adjacent beat. “Sunset” begins by leaning more into the groups old grungy vibe, but quickly is overshadowed by jersey club sound effects and chops. Characterized by trap drums, heavy electronic production and nonchalantly ethereal vocals, Anarchy departs from Pretty Sick’s previous music as a more contemporary-inspired LP. 

— Taylor Wemer

The 4411, Haven’t Seen You In So Long 

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Sweet July”, “Sunset Calling”

GENRE: Indie Rock

RIYL: Vampire Weekend, Wallows, The Backseat Lovers

Haven’t Seen You In So Long is the newest EP from Texas band The 4411. If you are a fan of the indie rock scene, this album will speak to you in a very unique way. Despite the influences from bands like Vampire Weekend and The Backseat Lovers, the band still manages to have an original sound that is especially clear on tracks like “Sweet July”. Unlike the generally upbeat tracks on Wallow’s discography, “Sweet July” provides a sweet soft sound that has a soft twang that feels more unique to the band’s southern roots. On tracks like “Sunset Calling”, lead singer Cogan McBride and guitarist Alan Holmquist lean into The Backseat Lovers influences, with even similar vocals to Briston Maroney on other tracks. The band will be in Madison on November 6th supporting West 22nd at the Majestic Theatre. For fans of the indie scene, this album is an easy addition to your rotation.

— Maddie Pecak

alexalone, nomoreshoegaze

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “memoryeater”, “nomoreshoegaze”

GENRE: Drone, Post-Rock, Shoegaze, Industrial

RIYL: Low, Slint

alexalone’s new album nomoreshoegaze is a radical departure from their previous work. It features grand sludgy basses that flank guitars singing high-pitched riffs and strange accursed melodies. Alien synths and distance voices creep their way upwards to meet crescendos that radiate articulate, leveled movements. While elements of the shoegaze genre are seen here and there, the last track, the 9 minute industrial noise track nomoreshoegaze, does what it says, conjuring images of industrial machinery being dragged along a factory floor, surrounding beasts born of the industrial rust and oil that scream, as neverending drum machines gnaw and eat at themselves.

— Harrison Arnold

9.29.26

Blondshell, Violins

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Stone Fruit”, “Violins”, “Lucky”

GENRE: Alt-Rock, Indie Rock

RIYL: Julia Jacklin, Bully, Slow Pulp

On “Violins,” Blondshell follows up on their 2025 record with even more of their iconically sarcastic sound.

The driving force behind the band is singer-songwriter Sabrina Teitelbaum, who has been recording music under Blondshell since 2023. Her vocals are irresistibly laidback, but unlike some contemporaries, the drawling malaise is easily shoved aside for undeniably catchy hooks and choruses throughout the record. The instrumentation leans simplistic — aside from a few key guitar solos, the band steps into a cohesive background role, letting Teitelbaum take a stand on her soapbox and deliver dogged elegies to her own young adulthood.

Teitelbaum draws subtle inspiration from the perils of the modern age, taking obfuscated shots at self-centered men, body dysmorphia and doomscrolling — but just when you think you have a handle on the themes, she moves on to the next scene. “Summer afternoon, holiday,” she sings on “New Age Trojan Horse.” “Then it’s 2pm bleeding in the workplace.” The result is a lyrically satisfying, hooky record that’s perfect for stalking across campus in the cooling weather and glaring at people.

— Adriana Mathiason