Natalie Bergman/ ‘Mercy’/ Third Man Records

 Natalie Bergman announces the release of Mercy, her debut solo album out May 7 on Third Man Records. Self-produced, performed and mixed in near-solitude, the twelve-song set takes a spellbinding step into Bergman's singular world of sound, spirituality and the search for hope during tragic times. The journey began in October 2019; until then, she had been on tour since the age of 14. She spent the better part of the past decade singing lead alongside her brother Elliot Bergman in their duo Wild Belle, but the night she was about to hit the stage at Radio City Music Hall, her life changed. A coroner called with news that their father and stepmother had been killed by a drunk driver. 

Music and faith have always been at the forefront of the Bergman family, and rather than crawl into a cave of darkness and dread, Natalie decided to spend many days in silence at a monastery in the Chama Valley. It was there she learned she would embark on Mercy, and as she began writing and recording, the collection of songs channeled her cathartic reverence for traditional gospel music - in her words, the true source of rock and roll. 

Shaun Ross/ ‘SHIFT’/ Jex Records/Propeller Recordings

Flirting with disco, R&B, pop, and taking sonic cues from artists as diverse as Björk, Stevie Wonder, and Donny Hathaway, SHIFT is a 10-track odyssey that is both deeply personal yet universally relatable. Previously released singles from SHIFT include “LIVIN,” a track about living fearlessly, the tactile, delicately unfurling electropop of “WX5,” as well as “YOU CARE” - watch Shaun perform the entire song in American Sign Language as a way of celebrating the importance of communication and body language. 

Aly & AJ/ ‘a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out and then into the sun’

Aly & AJ announce the release of their new album ‘a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out and then into the sun’ which they will drop on May 7th, ushering in an era of pristine, organic, and liberating indie alternative that showcases a duo in the prime of their creative journey. 

Bailey Bryan/ ‘Fresh Start’/ 300 Entertainment

Bailey Bryan has announced the official release date for her highly anticipated upcoming project ‘Fresh Start’, dropping May 7th. The forthcoming project serves as a symbol for Bryan’s growth and journey over her past few years of heartbreak & self-reflection. “Every element of this project comes from a place of independence,” said Bryan, “it’s about getting ahold of myself and starting the rebuild, but finding that it never really ends.” Bryan continues to embrace all of the moments and challenges in her past that have led her to who she is today and was able to showcase that in ‘Fresh Start,’ a collection that signals her continued sense of confidence, through her refined sound and new approach to her artistry. 

JJ Wilde/ ‘Wilde’/ Black Box

JJ Wilde is poised to become a household name with the release of her eponymous sophomore album WILDE, available May 14th (Black Box). The six-track offering was born of necessity, allowing Wilde the chance to break free from the everyday and through the songs, taking her to a place where anything is possible. “These are feel good, fun songs”, says JJ of WILDE, which she hopes will give the listener “an escape to turn to and reminisce on good times, or day dream of the brighter days ahead.” 

Dillon Carmichael/ ‘Hot Beer’ EP/ Riser House Records

Dillon Carmichael delivers his distinctive Kentucky-bred deep holler baritone with songs that will take you back to the 90s on his forthcoming ‘Hot Beer’ EP, out Friday May 14th via Riser House Records. The 6-track collection is chock-full of music from standout songwriters including Hardy, Ashley Gorley, Jessi Alexander, David Lee Murphy and others.

Pine Hill Haints/ ‘The Song Companion of a Lonestar Cowboy’/ Singel Lock Records

Old Sea Brigade/ ‘Motivational Speaking’/ Nettwerk Music Group

This new twelve song collection comes on the heels of a breakout run for Old Sea Brigade, who has been taken on the road by songwriting contemporaries like Julien Baker, Hiss Golden Messenger and John Paul White while garnering over 42 million Spotify streams for his original "Love Brought Weight." Most recently, he released a collaborative EP called All The Ways You Sing In The Dark with regular tourmate Luke Sital-Singh over quarantine, while continuing to expand and rework Motivational Speaking with longtime production partner Owen Lewis. 

Rockabye Baby!

Rockabye Baby!/ Lullaby Renditions of Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’

Rockabye Baby will release 'Lullaby Renditions of What's Going On' on May 21st, the 50th anniversary (down to the day) of Marvin Gaye's trailblazing album. 

'What's Going On' is the first ever front-to-back tribute to come from Rockabye Baby, the popular-music-turned-lullaby series which has produced over one hundred albums and earned over one billion streams so far. The album features lullaby versions of all the original nine tracks in order and the cover art pays homage to Gaye.  

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Lula Wiles/ ‘Shame and Sedition’/ Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

On their new release, 'Shame and Sedition,' Lula Wiles addresses our current political and social landscape, naming the tendrils of racial capitalism, misogyny, and colonialism that permeate the media and our lives. Available May 21st from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the band's remarkable and poignant third album showcases songs that capture America’s reckoning around its own narrative, in conjunction with the trio’s new, evolved sound.