ACAPULCO LIPS

Now

(Killroom Records)

July 14

On their 2016 self-titled debut album, Seattle trio Acapulco Lips nailed the reverb-heavy surf-/garage-rock moves that have fired so many imaginations over the last 60 years. Their special talent is not sounding like tedious museum docents for these vintage styles. That’s down to the songwriting and instrumental chops of bassist/vocalist Maria-Elena Herrell and guitarist Christopher Garland, both consummate pros. Now, AL’s first album in nine years, finds them going for a more straightforward modern rock approach (Jordan T Adams joins on drums and Stefan Rubicz adds keyboards for this release). Everything sounds bigger, brighter, and more danceable, thanks partially to Killroom Records cofounders Ben Jenkins and Troy Nelson’s production (which perfectly captures Acapulco Lips’ manifold charms), and Kurt Bloch’s mastering. Album-opener “Welcome to the Other Side” sets the tone in the form of danceable rock with expertly layered vocal interplay. And it’s been ages since I’ve heard Phil Spector–esque rock that’s as majestic and beautiful as “Fuzzy Sunshine.” The lone instrumental, “Pas d’echappatoire,” is a roaring surf-rock opus that goes way harder than expected. “See You on the Other Side” overflows with optimism... then fades out and—shocker!—a (faux?) tamboura drone enters the frame and heavenly bliss is attained. What a brilliant way to end the album. Over the last 25 years or so, conventional rock has rarely impressed me, but Acapulco Lips’ songwriting is so tight and well-contoured, it would be foolish to resist. DAVE SEGAL

KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH 

Gush 

(Nettwerk Music Group)

Aug. 22

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s new album, GUSH, could simultaneously soundtrack a euphoric night at a dance club and a meditative afternoon at the lake. The album is lush and free-flowing with an undercurrent of tense ballroom beats that bubble beneath the surface. Smith’s expertly layered vocals shimmer and bounce off the electronic bleep-bloops like the sun reflecting on a body of water, or like her glitter-cloaked skin on the cover of her 2017 album, The Kid. While composing GUSH, Smith, who is a longtime yogi and acrobat, expanded her movement practice to voguing and ballroom culture. She told Fest Magazine, “It was really helping me untangle my own identity as a queer, female-bodied person, and feelings about objectification.” While I am somewhat hesitant to compare the album to vogue-inspired pop queen Madonna, there are some undeniable similarities to Madge’s 1994 Bedtime Stories, particularly the Björk-written title track. Madonna and Smith’s approaches are different, but their goal is the same: to make your body move. AUDREY VANN

TULLYCRAFT

Shoot the Point

(Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records)

Aug. 22

The seminal twee band Tullycraft is extremely near and dear to my heart—I discovered them as a high-schooler who pored obsessively over the Three Imaginary Girls blog and instantly fell in love with their sugary, sparkling melodies. So when I listened to Shoot the Point, their first new album in six years, it felt like unwrapping a gift to my inner teen, and I couldn’t stop smiling. This is classic Tullycraft, packed full of cheeky references, rhinestones, sweet “sha-la-la-la” harmonies, evocative storytelling, and, of course, tambourines. The album recalls the band’s 2007 indie-pop vampire concept album, Every Scene Needs a Center—the lyrics conjure a vivid picture of the goth, punk, and New Wave world, with songs like “Jeanie’s Up Again and Blaring Faith by the Cure” (an ode to a morose, born-too-late Robert Smith fangirl) and “Love on the Left Bank” (the story of a tumultuous fling that begins at a Libertines show). The Stranger’s own Art Director and Renaissance man, Corianton Hale, has been a member of the band since 2005, a fact I somehow remained oblivious to until now—he designed the cover and contributed guitar, vocals, tambourine, melodica, ukulele, and accordion! JULIANNE BELL

(BEN) VON WILDENHAUS

Dark Von Universe

(Globos) 

Sept. 2

Tacoma guitarist/vocalist Ben Von Wildenhaus is a debonair director of nocturnal melodic splendor, a patient explorer of deep emotions in song. His music sounds best in the wee morning hours, while you’re alone, contemplating your most regrettable decisions. Sophisticatedly tuneful and lyrically poetic, (Ben) Von Wildenhaus’s releases are kilometers away from the agitated, blue-collar rock of his old group, Federation X. You can call that “maturity,” but it’s not the staid kind; rather, he and his bandmates enjoy going on exploratory jaunts in myriad styles. Having a singer the caliber of Billie Bloom elevates these meticulously crafted songs to sublime levels. Bloom’s perfectly poised, jazz-tinged delivery would melt David Lynch’s heart. Von Wildenhaus’s new album, Dark Von Universe, collects nine tracks from the band’s extended play singles. There are plenty of deviations from the norm. “Mice Helium” is undulating, Middle Eastern–inflected electro-pop with warped vocals that bring to mind the title. The lighthearted, dulcet pop of “Spishal” possesses the buoyant bonhomie of McCartney II’s quirkier selections. The spangly melancholy drift on“Garbage Day” is as poignant as the best Yo La Tengo brooder. The spacey “How to Draw a Galaxy” has the slightly disorienting, valedictory air of a Grandaddy anthem. DAVE SEGAL 

FAN CLUB

Stimulation EP

(Feel It Records)

Sept. 5

I happened to catch Fan Club for the second time at Linda’s Fest while I was taking a break from editing the newspaper you’re reading right now. I was on a walk and heard the racket from two full blocks away. Fan Club (formerly known as Lysol) shows are notoriously incendiary and punk as fuck, so I had to stop in. Each band member—guitarist Chad Ringo Bucklew, bassist Ken Maddy, drummer Anthony Gaviria, and singer Noah Earl Fowler—is a total ripper with the chops to play fast and loud while exuding maximum charisma and flair; Fowler is especially compelling, strutting and stalking the stage, climbing the speakers, whipping the mic around before nearly swallowing it. Their Stimulation EP (the first under this band name) keeps it very real with five blistering hardcore songs, the entire thing clocking in at under six minutes. Right on. EMILY NOKES

NEKO CASE 

Neon Grey Midnight Green 

(ANTI-)

Sept. 26

Good things come to those who wait, and for me, that good thing is Neko Case’s first album in seven years, Neon Grey Midnight Green. She has only released two singles from the album so far, but, between the breezy, Virginia Astley–esque “Winchester Mansion of Sound,” which is an ode to her dearly departed friend/collaborator Dexter Romweber, and the cinematic love song “Wreck,” it’s already in the running to be my favorite album of the year. Before I had even heard the singles, I was immediately drawn to the album’s cover, which features Case swathed in green fur beside a fallen chandelier with a puff of smoke in her hand, evoking the 20th-century surrealist artists Leonor Fini and Leonora Carrington. The album was recorded at her home studio in Vermont, Carnassial Sound, and is her first produced by her alone. Case, who identifies as gender fluid, writes: “People don’t think of us as an option. I’m proud to say I produced this record. It is my vision. It is my veto power. It is my taste.” AUDREY VANN

ALBUMEN

Albumen

(Eiderdown Records) 

Oct. 3

Trumpeter Greg Kelley spent much of the 2010s weirding up Seattle’s underground-music scene with his extreme techniques and improvisational wit. His discography’s loaded with collabs featuring giants in the field such as Chris Corsano, Kim Gordon bandmate Bill Nace, Lori Goldston, and the late Wally Shoup. Albumen—a long-distance summit meeting with ex-Minutemen bassist Mike Watt, violist Noel Kennon, and Seattle avant-fusion trio Hound Dog Taylor’s Hand—stands as one of Kelley’s most exciting releases. On the gorgeous chamber-jazz reverie “Rose of Shannon,” Kennon channels Velvets-era John Cale as the track gradually builds to an agitated climax that recalls Seattle psychonauts Hovercraft. “No Wine Before Its Time” sloshes in subterranean mystique as Kelley’s ring-modulated trumpet sounds like a wounded wildebeest moaning in a cave and Jeffery Taylor’s guitar squeals in tongues. The hit single, nightmarish rocker “Be That as It May,” menacingly stalks a blasted wasteland, marked by Taylor’s ferocious wah-wah guitar and anchored by Watt’s mesmerizingly cyclical bass line. Although most of the parts on Albumen were recorded remotely, there’s a combustible chemistry here that makes me want to witness these musicians do their high-strung, inspirational thing live. DAVE SEGAL

EMI POP

No Te Voy a Extrañar

(Fink City Records)

Fall 2025

Local pop-punk artist Emi Pop grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the birthplace of Latin-influenced underground punk. She cut her teeth playing in Puerto Rican bands like Mely y Los Poppers as well as Seattle acts like On the Make, Famous Lizards, and 38 Coffin. Her debut album, No Te Voy a Extrañar, which is entirely in Spanish, goes down like a cold, crisp cherry cola, full of hard-hitting drums, crunchy guitars, and addictive hooks. “Amor de Verano” and “Lo Sé” capture the wistful, bittersweet sentiments of a short-lived summer romance, while “Psicópata” shows off her dark side. “Quiero bailar rock ’n’ roll,” Emi sings on the bouncy track of the same name, and you’ll definitely find yourself wanting to do the same. JULIANNE BELL

EVEN MORE ALBUMS TO LOOK OUT FOR! 

July 17: Gabriella Assante Marie, Joan of Arc Page-Fort 7-inch (Hex Enduction)

Aug. 26: Faerie Born, Morally Grey (self-released)

Sept. 5: Scott Yoder, Lover, Let Me In (self-released) 

Sept. 7: Low Hums, Sub Mission / Sugarcube 7-inch (Baby Lemonade)

Sept. 26: Smokey Brights, Dashboard Heat (Share It Music)

Oct. 10: Glass Egg, visions & ecstasies (Den Tapes)

Oct. 18: Leandrul, Choose (self-released)

Oct. 4: Stargazr, Unheard Stories (self-released) 

Fall 2025: Trash Panda Go Kart, RACCOON GODS (self-released) 

NOV. 7: *Pansy, Skin Graft EP (Earth Libraries) 

*Everyone who works at The Stranger is a multifaceted diamond glittering with talent, which means we often have rich artistic lives outside of our roles at the paper. Vivian McCall, our News Editor, is also a musician, and this is her project! Like Tullycraft, we would not include it if we didn’t genuinely recommend it.