Now Hear This! - June 2025

Mixed Emotions is a rich, genre-spanning ride, gritty blues-rock meets tender country-tinged ballads, all delivered with Icelandic soul. It�s both muscular and vulnerable, from the thunder of �Rock N Roller� to the aching beauty of �Lonely Cowboy� and lullaby closer �Sof�u Unga �stin M�n.� Bold, heartfelt, and masterfully crafted.

Joe Jonas
Music For People Who Believe In Love
Republic Records

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Joe Jonas returns solo with Music for People Who Believe in Love, his first album since 2011�s Fastlife. Out October 18, it�s a reflective, post-DNCE exploration of love, loss, and gratitude. With themes shaped by fatherhood a high-profile divorce, the record promises emotional clarity and pop polish.

Mt. Joy
Hope We Have Fun
Neon Gold

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Mt. Joy�s fourth LP captures the highs, lows, and unforgettable moments of life on the road with soaring melodies and soul-stirring lyrics. From the anthemic �Highway Queen� to the introspective �In The Middle,� this record cements the band�s place at the top of indie rock � just as they take their biggest leap yet onto arena stages across the world.

Grouplove
Rock N' Roll You Won't Save Me (Live)
Glassnote Music Label

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Rock N� Roll You Won�t Save Me LP captures the wild, heart-opening energy of Grouplove�s 2024 tour. Pressed on vibrant vinyl and recorded in Chicago (plus one from L.A.), it�s a raucous, emotional ride. With top-tier mixing and deluxe packaging, this is a keepsake meant to be blasted loud.

Red Clay Strays
Live At The Ryman
RCA

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Live at the Ryman captures The Red Clay Strays in raw, riveting form. A rich blend of honky-tonk stompers and tender ballads, the live setting reveals emotional nuance and unfiltered soul. From the aching �Wanna Be Loved� to the electrifying �Ramblin�,� this is a masterclass in country grit and grace.

Anberlin
Nevertake
Equal Vision Records

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Anberlin�s reimagins their 2005 classic Never Take Friendship Personal with new frontman Matty Mullins at the helm. A bold tribute to their roots, it�s both faithful and fresh�packed with subtle updates, sonic tweaks, and Mullins� unmistakable energy. Not just a re-recording, but a celebration of legacy, change, and enduring connection.

Linkin Park
From Zero (Deluxe Edition)
Warner Records

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From Zero (Deluxe Edition) expands the original�s emotional arc with three new tracks and five powerful live cuts captured worldwide. Housed in a deluxe 2CD package, it�s both a thank-you and a testament to the band�s evolution. Songs like �Up From the Bottom� and �Unshatter� pulse with renewed energy and heartfelt connection.

Witch
Sogolo
Partisan Records

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Zamrock pioneers Witch return with a blistering mix of garage rock, Afrobeat, and funky, tight rock 'n roll. Recorded in Berlin, Sogolo showcases their enduring legacy, with Emmanuel "Jagari" Chanda and Patrick Mwondela leading the charge. A revitalized sound, featuring global collaborators, proves the magic continues�stronger than ever.

THOR
Rock The Universe
Cleopatra Records / Deadline Music

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The gods of heavy metal thunder, THOR, clashes with the titans of hard rock on this unapologetically bombastic covers album. With muscle-bound gusto, THOR hammers out thoroughly metal-ified versions of classics by The Kinks, The Doors, The Beatles, The Yardbirds, Montrose and more. A mythic rampage through the ages.

Cynthia Erivo
I Forgive You
Republic

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I Forgive You finds Cynthia Erivo baring her soul in a luminous blend of pop, gospel, folk, and R&B. Vulnerable yet commanding, the Grammy, Emmy, and Tony winner explores humanity with haunting honesty. Each track is a heartfelt plea to be seen�not as a star, but as flesh, bone, and beautifully flawed spirit.

Various Artists
Anarchy On Abbey Road - A Punk Tribute To The Beatles
Cleopatra Records

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From mop tops to mohawks, a group of veteran punk rockers turn the Beatles catalog upside down for this very special tribute album. Hear your favorite tunes turned into punk rock anthems by the likes of Fear, Smash Mouth, The Members, Skids, Eater, D.I. and more!

Hailey Whitters
Corn Queen
Big Loud

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The country songstress has long been recognized as a master craftswoman, but her highly anticipated fourth album solidifies her status as a genuine star, one with the wisdom - and the guts - to trust her instincts as she blazes her own singular trail. It�s a rousing reflection on Whitters' midwestern roots and the joys and struggles of small-town living.

Leftover Salmon
Let's Party About It
Compass Records

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Leftover Salmon reaffirms their status as the most legendary of the bluegrass-rooted jam bands with Let's Party About It. Once again recording at Compass Sound Studio (formerly Glaser Sound Studio, aka "Hillbilly Central" and the birthplace of Outlaw Country), the band is joined by special guests Sam Bush (fiddle, mandolin), Jason Carter (fiddle), Jeff Coffin (saxophone), and more.

Michael Franti & Spearhead
Welcome To The Family
Thirty Tigers/Boo Boo Wax

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Welcome to the Family is a heartfelt reflection on identity, connection, and belonging in turbulent times. Blending personal truth with communal spirit, it channels anxiety into cathartic, resonant songs like �Break Up With Everything.� A deeply human record, it reminds us that love, chosen kin, and shared emotion can still unite us.

Sports Team
Boys These Days
Bright Antenna Entertainment (AWAL)

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Boys These Days is both a critique and a celebration of our attention economy and the overstimulation of our digital world. Lining up and taking down a slew of vacant, 21st-century iconography with raucous yet glossy post-punk, Sports Team prove that this is the age of obsolescence: endless promise of a shiny new life, with the breakdown already built in.

Ken Pomeroy
Cruel Joke
Rounder

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22-year-old Pomeroy crafts a hauntingly tender folk tapestry, weaving ancestral echoes with raw, present-day truths. Brutally honest and proudly Native American, her 12-track journey is both a sanctuary and reckoning�lyrically potent, instrumentally intimate. It�s a cathartic, quietly defiant debut that marks Pomeroy as a voice both timeless and urgent.

Watchhouse
Rituals
Thirty Tigers / TipToe Tiger Music

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With Rituals, Watchhouse boldly push Americana�s boundaries, weaving rich tradition with modern textures. Formerly Mandolin Orange, their evolution reflects fearless artistry that�s sometimes lofty, always sincere. The album explores identity, connection, and change with nuance and depth, equal parts introspective and expansive.

Jesse Daniel
Son of the San Lorenzo
Thirty Tigers / Lightning Rod Records

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Jesse Daniel recounts the brightest and darkest chapters of his life on his autobiographical fifth studio album, Son Of The San Lorenzo. This album goes beyond a collection of instantly iconic country tunes�it�s a testament to resilience, trusting the journey, and the transformative power of maturing and letting go.

Anderson East
Worthy
Rounder

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After a four-year soul search, Anderson East roars back with a slick, sweaty, country-soul revival bursting with raw energy and late-night charm. Ditching Covid-era isolation for live-band chemistry, East channels Sam Cooke smooth, Chicago grit, and gospel fire. It�s a rich, ragged triumph�emotive, electrified, and well worth the wait.

Mary Chapin Carpenter
Personal History
Thirty Tigers / Lambent Light Records

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Rooted in reflection and rich with lived wisdom, Personal History plays like a memoir in melody. Each track�whether honoring songwriting heroes or life�s quiet reckonings�offers intimate vignettes of aging, loss, and grace. It's a soul-baring, beautifully crafted album that invites listeners to find their own story within.

Mattie Schell
Everything Means Nothing
Compass Records

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Mattie Schell�s debut redefines Americana with a soulful blend of raw honesty and powerful roots music. Produced by JD Simo, the album features standout tracks like "Coast to Coast" and "Rivertown Trip," showcasing Schell�s captivating voice and unique storytelling. A stirring, timeless collection with deep emotional resonance.

House of Protection
Outrun You All
Red Bull Records

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A feral, finely-tuned blast from the post-Fever 333 duo fuses industrial grit, electronic chaos, and raw punk emotion into a genre-defying sprint. From eerie opener �524�ł�� to the aching �I Need More Than This,� it�s urgent, volatile, and unflinchingly personal�a bold, vital leap forward for House of Protection.

Kat Hasty
Time of Your Life
Thirty Tigers / Jackie Java

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West Texas native Kat Hasty delivers a dusty, defiant gem with Time of Your Life. Rooted in desert roads and oil town tales, her songwriting brims with heartache, humor, and restless spirit. From lost love to lost lotteries, Hasty�s voice is raw and radiant�proving she was born not just to sing, but to testify.

LISTEN HERE

LISTEN HERE

Kendrick Lamar

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Across six acclaimed albums and numerous mixtapes, 22-time Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar has not only redefined hip-hop, but left an indelible mark on the broader musical landscape. Good Kid, m.A.A.d City (2012) painted a vivid portrait of youth in Compton, while To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) fused jazz, politics, and poetry into a cultural statement. DAMN. (2017) offered raw introspection, and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022) confronted vulnerability and growth. Now, Kendrick revisits To Pimp a Butterfly with a powerful 10th Anniversary Edition, a testament to his enduring vision, urgency, and unmatched voice.

The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) is a national level organization comprised of the best independent record stores in America. CIMS was founded in 1995 with the goal of uniting like minded independent store owners, giving them a more powerful voice in the music industry. The stores that make up CIMS are all very different, but we share the same desires � to be the heart of our communities, to super-serve our customers, to support and develop artists, and to share our love of music.

For more information about CIMS and the stores in our organization, please visit cimsmusic.com or find us through social media with the #cimsmusic hashtag. And please remember to always shop local by supporting your neighborhood record store.

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Now Hear This! - June 2025