3 new alternative albums from eccentric artists
Musicians tend to release new albums in the early spring then tour the rest of the year to support those albums. (Did you know you can check our catalog for items that have just arrived and those still on order?) There are more than I can keep up both with in terms of albums and shows. But here are three I've really sunk my teeth into lately by artists who have made a name for themselves by honing their unique personalities into a style over the years. These three aren't afraid to include humorous, witty or self-deprecating lyrics into their songs - a quality not always found in the staid alt-rock scene today.
Thundercat - Distracted (CD)
Thundercat a.k.a. Stephen Bruner comes from a family of jazz musicians and has been a bass-for-hire for most of his career. So the six-year gap since his last album is slightly more understandable as he's contributed to Gorillaz, Haim, Silk Sonic and DOMi & JD Beck (as well as playing the Chiefs' 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station). Titling his fifth LP Distracted is an acknowledgement of that lengthy hiatus. But it's also referencing his (and our) scatterbrained attention and culture since his previous album. Tthis group of songs is like taking a walk through the eternally online bassist's mind (one song is ADD Through the Roof). It switches gears often but also reaches new heights of production quality as a cohesive album for Thundercat.
His distinctive electric bass is still the showcase here, often overdubbed to provide the rhythm and the melody. While he's as virtuosic as his jazz fusion influences, it never distracts but rather is in service to the song itself adding texture and mood. He meshes alternate tunings with traditional funk, pop or soul structures to put his own stamp on those genres. That fusion-style bass can add a wobbly, uneasy feeling to songs about uncertainty post-breakup, like I Did This to Myself. Or those unusual chords can lend a rich and euphoric uplift to songs like and Walking on the Moon featuring Beck and Pozole featuring The Lemon Twigs whose love of '70s yacht rock make them an unexpectedly perfect pairing for Thundercat's funk. Distracted shows that while Thundercat's attention may be split amongst many moods and anxieties, when he focuses his talents the work is as rewarding as ever.
They Might Be Giants - The World Is to Dig (CD)
They Might Be Giants are some of the elder statesmen of alternative rock bands. Started in 1982 by the two Johns, Flansburgh and Linnell, they've released 24 albums since then with impressive frequency. They both trade singing and guitar duties with Linnell frequently on keyboard. But since their beginning days of needing a drum machine, their expanded band on recordings usually incorporates a horn section and strings. You may be familiar with them as the creators of the Daily Show theme. Or you might have heard one of their four children's albums on themes like the alphabet, numbers or science.
They have an inventiveness that makes you curious what the next song will be about and anticipate what the rhyme will be before it's delivered. Sometimes labeled geek rock, the duo made their name on a blend of smart topics like history and science, witty lyrics, and the positive uplift of power pop.
The World Is to Dig keeps that same winning formula but slows things down ever so slightly as is allowed of rockers in their 60s. There's a bit more world weariness in these songs like Garbage In with its zombie apocalypse theme and They Might Be Feral about how insulated communities cast a fearful eye to outsiders. The album opener Back in Los Angeles is a surreal ode with made up landmarks and cinematic strings showing how bizarre the town is to these lifelong New Yorkers. But the next track Wu-Tang shouts out fellow NYC legends as having opened the singer's eyes to new possibilities.
The album has highlights that stand among their best like Get Down, which imagines a dance floor boogie as being orders from an invading alien force. Character Flaw turns a person's fundamental failings into the catchiest, harmonized chorus and hook that will get stuck in your head. This LP may not break new ground, but the band hasn't lost a thing. The songs shift styles with ease and with most under 3 minutes it really moves!
If you'd like to see them live, They Might Be Giants is going to be live in concert in Kansas City at The Truman on Tue, Sept 29, 2026.
Courtney Barnett - Creature of Habit (CD | Hoopla)
Courtney Barnett has been reliably crafting indie rock with a singer-songwriter's personal touch for about a decade now. Her breakout hit Pedestrian at Best got some radio play in 2015 on U.S. alt-rock stations with its chorus setting expectations, "Put me on a pedestal and I'll only disappoint you." That first album had a raucous punk energy with Barnett's native Australian accent undisguised. Lyrics more melodically sung in the chorus with a tendency to deliver verses more conversationally. She softened her edge some on subsequent albums, matched by fellow shaggy dog guitarist Kurt Vile on a collaborative album. On Creature of Habit, Barnett's fourth solo LP, she balances an indie rock pulse with quieter introspective qualities of a seasoned singer-songwriter.
As a recent transplant to California, this album's themes weigh the urge to break out of her comfort zone, both in music and in life, with a need for calm and familiarity. On One Thing at a Time she sings, "And oh my God, I'm ready for a change" before conceding, "Soon as you pull one string / that's when everything begins a bigger mess unravelling."
Her greatest strength has always been an easygoing relatability, talking about the mundane aspects of everyday life in a cheeky way. It invites you in as a listener but also reveals her personality. Her guitar mostly stays in a familiar '90s rock tone with just the occasional pedal or subtle synthesizer adding depth but never taking away from the well-crafted, straightforward melodies. Kansas City-resident and fellow female indie artist Waxahatchee shows up on Site Unseen to provide sweet harmonies for the most country-tinged song on the album.
If you'd like to see her live, Courtney Barnett is going to be live in concert in Kansas City at The Truman on Sat, Aug 15, 2026.
