INDISPENSABLE NEW MUSIC PICKS
May 2026
by Kristine England
May 31, 2026
Jeff Parker ETA IVtet
Happy Today
Guitarist Jeff Parker and his quartet make mesmerizing jazz through exploration and improvisation. They leave plenty of room for the listener to get into an appropriate headspace to journey through this live set recorded at the Lodge Room in Highland Park, CA. Pitchfork cites the group's "mind-meld rapport and roof-raising intensity" while Line of Best Fit lauds the "joyous, vibrant results."
FEATURED TRACK: "Like Swimwear (Part Two)"
Ed O'Brien
Blue Morpho
On his second solo album, Radiohead guitaristEd O'Brien has created lush, ethereal soundscapes and musical meditations that mark an evolution from his debut. Incorporating elements of electronica, folky fingerpicking, strings, and, of course, the Brazilian influences are still there. IM favorite Shabaka Hutchings lends his flute to a track as well.
FEATURED TRACK: "Blue Morpho"
Gitkin
Where the South Winds Wail
Singer, multi-instrumentalists, and songwriter Brian J Gitkin continues to demonstrate his eclecticism with his latest solo album. In stark contrast to Pimps of Joytime, the funk collective he's fronted since 2007. Twangy, surf guitars and hypnotic vibes are the order of the day once again.
FEATURED TRACK: "Call My Name"
Telehealth
Green World Image
Seattle's Telehealth seeds its tunes with sardonic mockery of modern industry jargon, catchy but slightly unhinged riffs of synth-laden grooves with microtonal overtones. "Cool Job" has the Millennial equivalent of an Office Space attitude, and it's eminently suitable.
FEATURED TRACK: "Cool Job"
Towa Bird
Gentleman
Towa Bird's second album finds her exploring her queer identity while serving up catchy but forceful guitar-based tracks. Flood concludes that Gentleman is "rough, righteous rock-pop with a deep groove that’s hardly gentlemanly at all.
FEATURED TRACK: "Gentleman"