INDISPENSABLE NEW MUSIC PICKS
March 2025
by Kristine England
March 31, 2025 at 4:00:00 PM
Anoushka Shankar
Chapter III: We Return To Light
The third of sitar player Anoushka Shankar’s mini albums, “Three chapters. Three geographies. Three different producers,” Chapter III, “represents the clearest expression yet of Shankar’s vision for contemporary Indian music.” (Pitchfork)
FEATURED TRACK:"We Burn So Brightly"
Niis
Niis World
On its debut album, Niis (prononced “nice”) bring a melodic punk sound that harkens back to the days artists made music for themselves and not for passive consumption on streaming services. New Noise Magazine raves, “The album is jam packed with various tempo, tone, and dynamic subtleties that, to put it frankly, make you go “damn!”
FEATURED TRACK: “BYD”
SPELLLING
Portrait of My Heart
Chrystia "Tia" Cabral, aka SPELLLING, is an experimental pop artist based in Oakland, CA. A critical darling since her debut album was released in 2017, her latest is also garnering stellar reviews. Certainly not afraid to take chances with her art, it pays off, with NME praising her as a singer, “who has spent her nearly decade-long career building her own universe, not relishing comfort but raging against its vast expanse.”
FEATURED TRACK: “Portrait of My Heart”
Mess Esque
Jay Marie, Comfort Me
Formed during the Covid days of 2021, Helen Franzmann and Mick Turner teamed up to create a sound that defies easy categorization. Not quite rock, not quite pop, but experimenting with different forms, the duo’s third album takes the listener on a fascinating journey.
FEATURED TRACK: "Take Me to Your Infinite Garden"
Envy of None
Stygian Wavz
Former Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson formed the “supergroup” Envy of None with singer Maiah Wynne, guitarist and keyboardist Alfio Annibalini and bassist Andy Curran, and it’s quite unlike anything you’d expect from Lifeson. Lush vocals blend with atmospheric soundscapes on the group’s third outing.
FEATURED TRACK: “The Story”