Songs of the Week is our recurring column that spotlights the best new tracks from the last seven days. On this edition, we’re shouting out new tunes from Snail Mail, White Reaper, Lava La Rue, Baby Keem, and more.
Alemeda — “Broken Record”
After the November release of her critically-acclaimed EP But What the Hell Do I Know, Alemeda has returned with “Broken Record,” the Top Dawg Entertainment signee’s first new music of 2026. Reveling in fuzzed-out garage-punk sonics, the track sees Alemeda deconstructing love and hollow romance. As electrifying guitar drives the song forward, Alemeda makes her disappointment in her partner sound like a celebration — but a request for accountability remains squarely in the picture. “Why do you only love me when I leave?/ Wait ’til I disappear to say things I want to hear,” she croons inquisitively over a rousing soundscape. — Kiana Fitzgerald
Alan Sparhawk — “JCMF”
“JCMF” is an exorcism of frustration. One of two new solo singles from Low’s Alan Sparhawk, the tune is slow-moving and features overdriven tones, clattering drums, and little more than a poignant, exasperated line: “When Jesus comes back, all you motherfuckers are going to pay.” Though different in form and intention, the experience of listening to the track is somewhat similar to that of Shellac’s “Prayer to God,” as the conciseness and power of the rage lead to a sublime, well-deserved catharsis. — Jonah Krueger
Baby Keem — “Good Flirts”
Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar, arguably the most famous cousins in contemporary hip-hop, have joined forces once again on “Good Flirts,” the low-key standout from Keem’s new album Ca$ino. In addition to reuniting the family members, the track also features Momo Boyd, social media muse and member of the soft-rock family band Infinity Song. Together, Keem, Boyd, and Lamar trade verses and choruses about love lost and found, and every action in between. “To be honest, n****s love love, too/ Shit, I gossip with my bitch like I’m Young Thug, too,” Lamar spits in his own verse, harking back to the Young Thug jail call leaks that threw the hip-hop world into a tailspin in late 2025. — K. Fitzgerald
The Bug Club — “Watching the Omnibus”
Welsh indie rockers The Bug Club have returned with the announcement of their new album, Every Single Muscle, which is set to drop on May 29th via Sub Pop. The raucous, high-energy “Watching the Omnibus” arrives as the first single — and it rocks hard. Only 79 seconds in length, the tune wastes no time launching into its distorted guitar chords, saturated vocal lines, and titular, chanted hook. It kicks off, kicks ass, then kicks rocks — a perfect little offering of indie punk. — J. Krueger
Cola — “Hedgesitting”
Have you ever heard a guitar tone so cool and evocative that you just want to live inside the instrument? Such is the case for “Hedgesitting,” the latest cut from indie rockers Cola. The guitars — and in a way, Tim Darcy’s vocals — certainly recall bands like The Cure and Cocteau Twins, splitting the difference between knotty post-punk and spaced-out dream pop and shoegaze. The song itself is vibrant and moving, the kind of track that rewards repeated listens and provides an almost strange kind of satisfaction. — Paolo Ragusa
Lava La Rue — “Scratches”
Former CoSign Lava La Rue has proven that no genre is off limits to them, and new song “Scratches” finds them nailing a more straightforward indie rock style. The song’s central riff is an earworm by itself, but La Rue ups the ante by adding a bit of post-punk drama to her vocal delivery and keeping a hazy layer of distance swimming around the mix. Then they come flying in for the final chorus with a cards-on-the-table guitar solo and one final anthemic refrain. It’s a great return from an artist who has no problem reinventing themselves. — P. Ragusa
