New Music Friday: 3/6/26

As always, Jefitoblog's New Music Friday posts are partly powered by the impressively comprehensive weekly release lists published by Pause & Play.

"Srs Ice," waterbaby
This song's gentle, childlike vocal melody and delivery jibe well with the repeated clusters of piano notes that run throughout the arrangement — and contrast nicely with the sad strings and funereal, slightly New Orleans-flavored brass. An intriguing glimpse of waterbaby's new Memory Be a Blade LP.

"Get By," the Brook & the Bluff
I'm not sure what I was expecting from the latest single-type thing to surface from the Brook & the Bluff's new Werewolf LP, but I can absolutely say I wasn't expecting them to break out the cowbell for a classic rock jam. While I'm not a hardcore fan of the band, my eldest is, and I've heard enough of their stuff to know this is a bit of a curveball. This isn't a complaint at all — I think it's an encouraging sign when a cool, young band starts letting you know they've been listening to lots of AC/DC and Doobie Brothers records — but I do wonder how their fans will take it.

"Love, Love, Love," Stephen Sanchez
Gliding into the room hot on the heels of Julia Cummings' "My Life," the latest from Stephen Sanchez suggests we might be on the verge of a modern renaissance for unapologetically lush, swooning, Bacharachian balladry. This is not something I would have predicted for 2026, but hey, we've been getting soft at Jefitoblog lately; perhaps in my middle-aged angst, I've stumbled into the zeitgeist. Either way, this is a lovely little number.

"It's Been Too Long," Ringo Starr
The best Ringo songs are brief, catchy, and wise enough to lean heavily on his unassuming charm. Coming in under three minutes, this catchy mid-tempo stroller checks all those boxes with confidence — and I say that as someone who recognizes Starr's Beatles contributions and will defend his work against uninformed detractors, but has still never had much use for his solo work. "It's Been Too Long" probably isn't destined to make many "best of 2026" lists, but it's a low-key charmer nonetheless.

"To Myself," Alicia Creti
No matter how much times and trends might change, there's always room for a good old-fashioned lamentation of regrettably misplaced affections. Alicia Creti's "To Myself" has everything you're looking for in one of these, including heart-on-sleeve lyrics and the raw power of a vocalist who can communicate uncontrollable urges without ever losing command of the song. Looking forward to hearing more from this artist.

"New Self," the Bobby Lees
"New Self" comes on like something that might have been grown in a petri dish by a mad scientist who sneaked a cheek swab from the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage," which is fitting — musically speaking, the song ultimately aims for a (far) less irritating flavor of late '90s nu-metal, but lyrically, it's humorous and self-aware, just like a lot of the stuff the Beasties got up to after Licensed to Ill. The verses run down a litany of past sins, while the chorus all comes down to the refrain "I'm older now, I've gotten help / I wish you could meet my new self." Who can't identify with those sentiments?

"Freak Out," Ripe
Over the weekend, the 18-year-old and spent a little time talking about how smoothness can be a liability for certain acts. The main focus of the conversation was the various acts in the Vulfosphere — groups whose lethally tight command of the funk is consistently undercut by a frustrating unwillingness or inability to retain enough of the grit you really want when you're listening to that style of music. We also talked a little about Ripe being generally guilty of the same thing, which is part of why it pleases me to report that with "Freak Out," these very talented but frequently too mannered musicians opted to keep it loose. Toss in some grinding guitar, a hot blast of brass, and a delightfully strange spoken-word interlude, and you've got one of my favorite rock songs of 2026 (so far).

"Put the Message in the Box," Mary Chapin Carpenter and the Mountain Goats
Every time I read it, I'm shattered all over again by the Rilke passage that says "Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final." I don't know if there are really more reasons to be afraid of the world these days, but it definitely feels like it's easier to fear it — which is what makes this the perfect time for Mary Chapin Carpenter and the Mountain Goats to team up for an unexpected but thoroughly lovely cover of the World Party song "Put the Message in the Box," with its gentle reminder that no matter how unforgivably dark and cold it might seem, the world is still waiting to know you in all your perfect, unique glory.

"The Boxer," Kids That Fly
"The Boxer" has that angular, gulpy New Wave thing going on, but the melody swoops and slides in a dizzy elliptical motion befitting a song that equates infatuation with having one's ass kicked in the boxing ring. Like the chorus says: "Float, butterfly, sting me like a bee / In the corner all over me / Got me on the ropes, makin' a dope out of me / Knock me back down to my knees / She's dancin' circles around me." Been there!

"Lawns," Walter Smith III
It takes a special kind of record to help a person forgive a title as silly as Twio, so let's give Walter Smith III double points for extra chutzpah: His new record is titled Twio Vol. 2, proving that he's either stubborn as hell or he understands that a key element of humor is repetition. Either way, this is solid stuff; jazz heads may recognize that Mr. Smith is covering a Carla Bley composition here, while the rest of us can just luxuriate in the silky smooth stylings of his tenor sax and the subtle support provided by his combo.

"Real Deal," Endearments
Tucked in toward the end is this gently surging pop anthem, which reminds me of what might have happened if a corner of the Smashing Pumpkins' "1979" had been torn off and grown up to develop an interest in getting on the radio with songs that make people happy in a semi-stirring and vaguely uplifting sort of way. I realize this isn't the strongest of endorsements, but it's still a fair sight better than the review offered by the 18-year-old, who said it sounds like the Script. Fuckin' rude, man.

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