What Will the New Year Bring?
What new or reissued music releases and concert tours are you looking forward to in 2026?
Happy New Year! š
I hope your holidays were filled with good company and even better soundtracks. Hopefully, youāve finally surfaced from the 'Best of 2025' rabbit hole with some new favorites in tow. But as much as I love a year-end retrospective, thereās nothing like the clean slate of January. The holiday dĆ©cor is packed away, making room for the real excitement: the first wave of 2026 release dates, the leaked festival lineups that keep us dreaming of summer, and that inevitable itch to upgrade the HiFi setup.
But firstā¦ I closed out my 2025 concert calendar at The Press Room with a double bill that felt like a gift. Chris Forsyth took the stage first, offering a preview of his forthcoming album with BASIC, which also features Douglas McCombs (Fender Bass VI) and Mikel Patrick Avery (percussion, drum machine, electronics). Steve Gunn closed the night with a beautifully intimate set. The standout for me was a sprawling, gorgeous cover of Nicoās āIāll Be Your Mirror.ā I ended the night the only way a music nerd should: picking up a fresh copy of his latest album at the merch table and sharing a quick word with him about the set.
Fresh Finds & New Releases
The first week of 2026 has been a busy one for my speakers. Here is whatās landed in my collection and what should be on your radar.
š§ In My Collection
Hereās the music I acquired this week at local record shops or online.
Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours: This album is considered one of the first concept albums. It has a general theme of loneliness and heartbreak, and, in my opinion, it's the one album you should own if you only own one album by Frank Sinatra. I found a used copy on CD at BullMoose Music this weekend. Initially released in 1955 on Capitol Records, it has been remastered and reissued multiple times.
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker: Iāve heard this album on streaming services, and I absolutely love it. I saw it used copy available at Bullmoose Music, so it was a no-brainer. Itās dark, at times eerie, and gives me chills when the first track begins. To me, itās one of Cohenās best as far as lyrics and vocal style. I love his deep, raspy, almost Tom Waits-style haunting vocals. Cohen was a brilliant poet. Released on October 21, 2016, on Columbia Records. He passed away only 18 days later, at the age of 82.
Jimmy Reed - Iām Jimmy Reed: Reed is at the top of the list of Chicago blues greats. He wasn't flashy, and his relaxed vocals and signature harmonica style created a sound that felt honest and familiar. First released in 1958 on Vee-Jay Records, the Bluesville Series from Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds is reissued on 180-gram vinyl, and it sounds great.
On the Radar
New or recent releases available on streaming.
Bill Callahan - My Days of 58: Callahanās new album will be released at the end of February, but you can hear two new songs now and preorder it from Drag City Records. Iām really digging āLonely City,ā and Iām looking forward to hearing the entire album, which seems like a ā90s throwback to the days of āWild Loveā when he recorded as Smog. The new album features guitarist Matt Kinsey, saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi, and drummer Jim White.
Asher Gamedze - A Semblance: Of Return: South African drummer and composer Asher Gamedze has a new project. Heās teamed up with a close group of musician friends to explore how making music can be a form of freedom. Gamedze is a huge part of Cape Town's independent scene, and his new album arrives at the end of February. You can listen to one track right now, called āFollowing Up.ā Itās available for preorder from Northern Spy Records.
The Playlist
Iāve curated a selection of ten new tracks to soundtrack your week. This weekās theme is a nice, gentle re-entry into the first full workweek of the new year, featuring new music coming soon.
I created this playlist for both Apple Music and QoBuz users. I hope you enjoy!
Damascus (feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey) - Gorillaz
Talking Drum (feat. John Medeski) - Julian Lage
Smoke Rings - Chris Cheek
The Good Life - Sleaford Mods
Hit My Head All Day - Dry Cleaning
Cold Waves - Crooked Fingers
No Getting Over You - The Lone Bellow
In the Willows - Tyler Ramsey
Weightless - Pullman
Platero y yo, Op. 190 (Solo Guitar): III. Return - Niklas Johansen (Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco)
In Conclusionā¦
Thanks for tuning into this first edition of 2026! It feels good to be back in the swing of things, and I truly hope you found a track or a story here that resonates with you. As we kick off this new chapter, Iām wishing you a great year ahead. One filled with health, happiness, and, of course, an incredible soundtrack. Hereās to 2026 being a standout year for music, art, and for all of us. ā¤ļø
Join the Conversation: Which of these releases are you excited about? Let me know in the comments! If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing it with a fellow music lover. See you next week, JB
That Cohen/Waits vocal comparison is spot on. Both had that gravelly thing but Cohen's delivery felt more deliberate, almost liturgical, which made You Want It Darker so intense. The timing on that album release is haunting tbh. I grabbed a first pressing of In the Wee Small Hours last year and its wild how the sequencing on that album still influences how people structure breakup records today, way before anyone used the term "concept album." Curious about that Bill Callahan track, the Matt Kinsey collab sounds promising since hes been doing interesting textural stuff lately.
Wee Small Hours is an all-timer! I have a 1956 mono repress thatās well-loved but plays great. I also have parts 1 and 2 of the 7ā version, which is kind of cool. Glad to hear Basic is still going strong I I saw them open for Etran de LāAir a couple of years ago and it was a cool set.
As for 2026, Dry Cleaningās third album comes out on Friday and throws down quite the gauntlet for the year!