Juliana Hatfield’s Bedroom Recording vs. Die Krupps’ Political Statement
Two Artists Processing 2025—Quietly and Loudly
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New Releases
Juliana Hatfield - Lightning Might Strike
Juliana Hatfield—Blake Babies co-founder who’s been cranking out albums since the late ‘80s—just dropped her 21st solo record, essentially playing everything herself: guitars, keyboards, percussion, harmonies. The surprise? She recorded Lightning Might Strike after moving to the countryside and processing a brutal stretch of loss, turning emotional unraveling into her trademark self-aware indie pop.
Critics are loving how she balances darkness with melody, with Glide Magazine noting “Fall Apart” exemplifies her “strongly self-aware, wryly written” songwriting about emotional breakdown set to “steady, subtle pop-rock.” The Old Grey Cat praises how she “articulates things we feel in our (albeit aching) bones,” particularly “Popsicle” as “a sharply funny bummer tale about getting what you deserve.” However, No More Workhorse finds the album playing it safe, observing that while “twelve songs won’t upset anyone,” they also “won’t change anyone’s world either,” noting it “sounds slick overall, with the songs blending into each other” and wishing “you would love to see Juliana Hatfield go for a really raw sound.”
Bis x Art Brut - Sorry About That EP
Art Brut—the London sprechgesang crew behind “Formed a Band”—teamed up with Scottish electro-punks bis for what might be the year’s most unexpectedly delightful collaboration. The title’s literal: it took over a year to coordinate, with every conversation ending in “sorry about that” emails. The real kicker? They’re covering Paula Abdul’s “Opposites Attract” as the lead single, complete with Sci-Fi Steven channeling MC Skat Kat.
Louder Than War calls it “this electro-punk banger aimed squarely at the indie dancefloor,” praising how bis “imprint their signature sound on a cover of Art Brut’s My Little Brother with Manda Rin’s iconic sing/shout making it sound very much like a bis original.” However, the novelty factor cuts both ways—while the collaboration captures both bands’ playful spirits, some might find the concept more charming than the execution, especially if you’re not already invested in either band’s particular brand of indie quirkiness.
Die Krupps - Will nicht - MUSS! / On Collision Course EP
Die Krupps—Düsseldorf industrial architects since 1980—just dropped their most politically charged statement in years. These aren’t the guys who quietly retreated in ‘97; this is a band watching the world shift and deciding they had something urgent to say about it.
Here’s what nobody saw coming: an EP that doubles as direct political confrontation, with Trump’s silhouette on the cover and a title translating to “Don’t want to—must!” The Fritz Lang-inspired music video and limited liquid-filled vinyl feel engineered for maximum impact. Evolr Radio notes the tracks “feel engineered for impact—march-ready electronics, rigid structure, and an undercurrent of resistance that refuses to yield.” Industrial Complexx emphasizes how the band “remains a vibrant and evolving project, capable of linking its historical legacy with the contemporary industrial scene.” However, Side-Line points out that while the confrontational approach fits the current moment, the overtly political Trump imagery might feel heavy-handed for what’s essentially a tour EP.
NOFX - A-H
NOFX—Berkeley punk legends who spent four decades perfecting melodic chaos—officially called it quits in 2024. But instead of just fading away, Fat Mike and crew cracked open the vault for A-H, the first installment of a planned A-Z trilogy excavating every demo and rarity. The real hook? “Barcelona,” their actual final recording, conceived 12 years ago but only completed after their last show.
We Are Moshly praises how the demo versions let fans “imagine an alternate universe where NOFX is once again a scruffy, unknown punk band recording its first demo in a garage—just pure, unfiltered adrenaline.” Spill Magazine highlighted the “career-spanning storytelling that makes longtime fans feel like ‘this is for life.’” However, Reddit fans aren’t all buying in—one disappointed listener on r/nofx complained that tracks like “Cigarette Girl doesn’t even sound finished,” while others on Album of the Year noted it feels more like “a collection of demos and a few new songs” than a cohesive album experience.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Live God
Nick Cave—the Australian gothic rock icon who’s been soundtracking existential crises since the ‘80s—just dropped a live album that actually captures the transcendent chaos of his recent arena shows. Live God documents his Wild God tour, featuring a seven-piece lineup including Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood on bass and four backing singers who transform Cave’s gothic hymns into something approaching gospel.
The Quietus calls it “an unchecked rolling freight train of humane music from an older time,” praising how “the big stuff is phenomenal, with rare anthemic heft and non-lyrical melodic chanting shared with the audience.” Clash Magazine notes tracks like “Tupelo” stretch to nearly eight minutes of “ferocious, angsty” power, with Cave’s vocals “still more than capable of carrying its rawness.” However, The Quietus also points out the album’s weakness: “the quietest moments work least well,” with Cave’s “overwrought melodrama” sometimes feeling more like “the narrator of an off-West-End show” when stripped of the backing chaos.
Depeche Mode - Memento Mori: Mexico City
Depeche Mode—electronic pioneers since the early ‘80s—return with their first live album since losing founding member Andy Fletcher. Stripped down to the core duo of Dave Gahan and Martin Gore (supported by longtime live musicians), Memento Mori: Mexico City captures the 2023 tour with subtle new arrangements and four unreleased studio tracks from the album sessions.
Critics praised its emotional weight—Bourbon and Vinyl called it “a great live document of a great band and a late career gem.”[13] The Quietus noted “it’s the deep cuts and alternative versions that stand out,” capturing the band “at a time of transition.” However, fans on Reddit raised mixing concerns, with one noting “the live drums are at the forefront of the mix for some reason” and questioning whether certain songs sound less layered than expected.
Guns N’ Roses - Nothin’
Guns N’ Roses—who once defined rock rebellion—dropped “Nothin’,” their first music since 2023. After decades of lineup chaos and Chinese Democracy delays, you’d think they’d write something fresh. Instead, it’s another excavated Chinese Democracy relic, now retrofitted with Slash guitar work and Duff’s bass.
Here’s the surprise: it’s actually a pretty decent power ballad. Opens with soulful electric piano setting a more intimate tone, and when Slash’s understated solo kicks in, it’s genuinely beautiful—the kind of melodic restraint that reminds you why he’s a legend. Fans on Reddit called it “some of [Slash’s] best guitar work,” praising how “the music and themselves have aged” naturally. However, Bourbon and Vinyl dismissed it as “two more relics exhumed from a 2002 session, slapped with new Slash and Duff parts while still shackled to 2002-era Axl vocals,” calling it the kind of track you leave on the cutting room floor.
Brilliant roundup that doesnt just catalog releases but actually captures how artists process the world around them. The contrast between Hatfield retreating to the countryside to channel loss into self-aware melodicism versus Die Krupps straight-up putting Trump on the cover feels like 2 valid responses to the same chaos. Back when I was trying to finish a project during peak uncertainty, I kinda bounced between both modes myself.