One of the flexible things about the weekly Five Songs You Must Hear list is that it’s an opportunity to look at anything worth listening to, including songs that are a little (or in some cases) quite old. If the track is new to you, it’s still new, right?
1. Wintersleep, I Got a Feeling
Wishing Moon (Dine Alone)
Recommended If You Like: The end of a long break
After an absence of six years, Wintersleep will soon be back with their eighth album on March 27. Here’s what the band has to say about this first single: “It might have been the last song we demoed for the record. We were packing up at our rehearsal space in Great Village, Nova Scotia, and we, by some miracle, had time to fit in one more. It immediately came together.” It’s amazing how often the last song you write becomes the big one.
2. Castle Rat Perfect
The Beastiary (King Volume)
RIYL: Fantasy doom metal
All music has an element of fantasy, but then there are groups who indulge in FANTASY (cf. KISS, GWAR, Ghost, etc.) That brings me to Castle Rat, a NYC group into fantasy doom metal. If you’re looking for theatrics that include an onstage battle between The Rat Queen and a rat-insipired Grim Reaper, you’re in the right place. Damn, this is good. Watch these people. There’s a lot of talk.
3. Boy Azooga, Loner Boogie
Fleshwork (Heavenly Records)
RIYL: Songs you missed the first time
This is not new but somehow managed to escape my attention until now. Boy Azooga is the project of a Welsh dude named Davey Newington started up in 2017. This 2018(!!!) single—again not new, but new to me—is a killer song in the tradition of something the Black Keys might do. Better late than never, right?
4. Jimmy Eat World, Failure
Something(s) Loud EP (Fuel By Ramen)
RIYL: A chance to get caught up
Jimmy Eat World’s new collection is six songs that combine previous digital-only releases with this new song. Since everyone in the group grew up listening to music on physical media, they have this thing where they don’t consider a song “released” unless it’s out on CD or vinyl, like this EP. Only 1500 copies are available. Best go to the official Jimmy Eat World store to get yours.
5. Reverse Pathogen, Sunday Afternoon
Accidentally Fetishized Covergirl (High and Mighty Ent.)
RIYL: Songs about football
A second album that’s 27 tracks long? Yep. That’s what we have from Reverse Pathogen, a Cleveland group led by a guy named Clayton Thomas, an ex-hip-hop guy who picked up a guitar and has gone all-in on indie rock. This one is all about watching Browns football with his beloved grandfather. The drummer on this song is Josh Freese.
© 2025 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Ad Choices