This is how I find new music
approved lurking and a lot of curious clicking
I live to anticipate so naturally the first episode of Bandsplain in 2026 involves me and my brilliant guest Shaad D’Souza of the wonderful Shaad Magazine anticipating new albums that will come out this year. I forgot a few because (Hoobastank voice) I’m not a perfect person, like for the example the alleged new Strokes album that is allegedly coming out this summer, allegedly produced by Rick Rubin. Can’t say anticipation is the right word for that record for me personally (it’s giving mortgage payments remain due, allegedly) but I will endeavor to keep my heart open.
Aside from all the anticipating, I’ve also been spending more time spelunking through the digital world in pursuit of new and interesting music to listen to, beyond the bubble of my own nostalgia, laziness, and most crucially, algorithm (inspired majorly by Hanif Abdurraqib, as always). In my recent interview with Kevin Lee Kharas of Real Lies, he spoke about really surrendering to doom scrolling to the point that it almost transcends into something else entirely, maybe something spiritual? I’ve yet to try that (too mentally fragile) but sometimes when I’m in hour three of engaging in my music discovery practices I can sort of understand what he means. Chris Ryan and I spoke a bit about how to do this but I’ll expand some here, in case some of you, like me, would like to be delighted and thrilled again by off-roading the internet in search of music that lights you up in 2026. What lies beyond anticipation?
I’ll weave in a round-up of music I’ve found through these various methodologies in the past month or so for funsies.
Real quick though: I recently appeared on an episode of Huw Stephens’ Roundtable show on 6 Music (the BBC!!! I got to see the newsroom and everything) which was extremely major for me. I don’t think they will post it (is it because I cheerily spoke about wishing I still did ecstasy live on the radio? We will never know) but I wanted to mention the few artists I discovered through appearing on the show: first my co-guest Etienne Quartey-Papafio’s band Whitelands, which is a lovely shoegazey dream-pop type outfit, as well as Joshua Burnside, a Northern Irish singer-songwriter whose latest single “Something Else” just ruined me, and lastly British singer Ellur, whose voice is very fucking cool and whose newest single “Dream of Mine” has been looping in my head for a full week.
Anyway here’s how I find new music: