Baroness – “Eula”

The two tracks previously released from sludge-metal maestros Baroness’ Yellow & Green (due July 17th, via Reprise Records) caused some stir, for either being too soft or finding a new depth in its alt-rock tenor, depending on your viewpoint. That controversy isn’t going to end anytime soon thanks to “Eula”, which opens on acoustic guitar and works up to a heavily effects pedaled, Tom Morello-esque guitar solo. The power ballad works to a feedback moan at the song’s conclusion, an epic alt rock finale that will win over plenty of listeners (even if they’re not those that lived on The Red Album).

Childish Gambino – “One Up”

Photography by Heather Kaplan

So Donald Glover’s continuing his busy summer as Childish Gambino, but with new track “One Up”, we’ve finally learned the name and release date of his upcoming mixtape (Royalty, due July 4th). With each new track, Glover seems to further mix his eccentric references into staunch, aggressive rap rather than having them live at the forefront. The video game reference in the title (“he got that extra life/ one up”) may be on the nerdy side, but the spare, dark beat and Glover’s flow are anything but. After declaring himself royalty, Glover perfectly sidesteps attack rap with the line “all I do is win/ so who the hell is losing?”, putting himself so above the game that he doesn’t even know who else is playing.

Childish Gambino – “One Up”

Corin Tucker Band – “Groundhog Day”

While former Sleater-Kinney vocalist/guitarist Corin Tucker hit some high notes on her 2010 sorta-solo debut (Corin Tucker Band’s 1,000 Years), the sound on “Groundhog Day” (from Kill My Blues, due September 18th from Kill Rock Stars) will be far more familiar to acolytes of her hopefully-maybe-one-day-they’ll-reunite band. The formula includes the multiple guitar attack, swirling female backing vocals, an angular chorus, and plenty of energy, all trademarks of Tucker’s older work.

Corin Tucker Band – “Groundhog Day”

Divine Fits – “Would That Not Be Nice”

With the second track lifted from their debut as Divine Fits (after the strong “My Love is Real”), former Wolf Parader/Handsome Fur Dan Boeckner and Spoon’s Brit Daniels (with New Bomb Turks drummer Sam Brown) sound more and more confident together. While the last one focused on Boeckner’s wild-eyed emotionalism, this track features Daniels at the vocal helm, the thick, choppy guitars and pummeling rhythm lending a swagger to his already strong vocals. If A Thing Called the Divine Fits (due August 28th) captures both frontmen at their peaks like these two tracks, we may be in for a Best Of nominee.

DJ Khaled feat. Kanye West and Rick Ross – “I Wish You Would”

On the new DJ Khaled track “I Wish You Would”, Kanye West handles the vocals on the hook, punctuated by Ross’ recently ubiquitous grunt. Khaled’s epic production sets a grand stage for the team-up, and the Maybach Music honcho’s verse has the exact amount of bravado you’d expect (“in the streets out here/I’m hotter than the fucking devil”). The chiming tones, build and release of tension, and insistent synths sound ready-made for some intense rides through the city.

James Iha – “To Who Knows Where”

James Iha’s work after his time in the Smashing Pumpkins has been a bit all over the map (the acoustic-tinged solo disc Let It Come Down, work with A Perfect Circle, super-group Tinted Windows with one of the Hanson kids), but now, 14 years after that first solo album, he’s back in a recognizable form with “To Who Knows Where”. The first single from Look To the Sky (September 18th, EMI), the track has some connections to swathes of classic Pumpkins material, the sweet pop melody paired with swirling, distorted guitars makes for what Iha himself calls a “moody rock track,” which sounds awfully familiar. The solo disc is said to be a varied effort, but here’s hoping there’s more like this.

Joanna Newsom – “The Diver’s Wife”

It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since a new Joanna Newsom album (but I guess when you put out a triple-disc album, that’ll keep our attention a little longer). But she’s debuted a new song live (in concert with Philip Glass in San Fransisco), and “The Diver’s Wife” sounds just as hauntingly beautiful as anything off of Have One on Me, perhaps even digging as far in its solo harp melodiousness to 2006′s Ys. “How do you choose your name?/ How do you choose your life?” she questions, the plinking of the harp accompanying her expressive, evocative lyrics (describing the love as one “who takes one breath above/for every hour below the sea” is a memorable image, to be sure). Here’s to hoping that this one gets recorded soon. You can now hear a recording of said song at New Wave Women.

Thee Oh Sees – “Lupine Dominus”

The San Fransisco psych/garage world doesn’t want to quit, seemingly propelling a big name to the forefront with a major album release each week. Now that Ty Segall’s taking a week off, we’ve got “Lupine Dominus”, a taste of Thee Oh Sees’ Sept. 11th Putrifiers II (via In the Red). The sprawling, distorted guitar squalls, simple, concussive drum beat, and yipping vocals make for a high-octane head rush that demands to be nodded along to. This is some old school sounding psych-rock, the lo-fi recording capturing Brigid Dawson’s haunted vocals in the perfect shroud of mystery.

Thee Oh Sees – “Lupine Dominus”

The Vaccines – “No Hope”

London’s The Vaccines are hoping to re-capture the attention they grabbed last year with the September 4th release of the follow-up The Vaccines Come of Age. The jangly indie rock and barely sung lyrics on lead single “No Hope” illustrate that album title pretty perfectly, Justin Young’s Dylan-esque note that “I don’t really care about/ anybody else when I haven’t got my own life figured out” capturing a widespread uncertainty for the mid-20s set. The freewheeling guitar, loping rhythm, and swinging demeanor should win over the crowds when the band opens for The Stone Roses and The Chili Peppers on different dates this summer.

Why? – “Sod in the Seed”

Yoni Wolf’s a unique voice in the indie hip hop world, and it’s been three years since he’s put together a new album. But that void will be filled with a fall LP and the August 14th Sod in the Seed EP. The title track from the latter is the first trippy taste of what’s to come. The upbeat, indie pop beat fits the crooned, self-aware hook (“I’ll never shirk this first world curse/ a steady hurt and a sturdy purse”), Wolf letting fly lines about how crazy it is that it’s difficult to be successful. Never one to lose the irony (or miss an opportunity for a wordy joke with an edge), the track is vintage Why? and a solid promise for more excellent tunes.