Now Hear This

Rilo Kiley
The Execution of All Things (Frozen Lake Edition)
Saddle Creek

Originally released in 2002, the celebrated and beloved album is where Jenny Lewis truly became a generational songwriter, spinning interior mysteries regarding romance, depression, trauma, hope, and isolation into cathartic revelations. A hallmark of indie rock, hailed by fans and critics alike as essential to any record collection.

Machine Girl
WLFGRL (10 Year Anniversary Edition)
Future Classic

Machine Girl's iconic debut album WLFGRL turned 10 in 2024. The unhinged blend of footwork, jungle, digital hardcore, and rave launched Machine Girl into underground folklore, created a thriving scene for outsider, freaks and weirdos, and building the foundations for a massive fanbase worldwide.

Sleep Token
Even In Arcadia
RCA Records

Sleep Token returns with Even In Arcadia, their fourth offering of mysterious, masked metal and first under RCA Records. This new chapter follows Take Me Back To Eden and continues the unfolding journey where Sleep Token further intertwines the boundaries of sound and emotion, dissolving into something otherworldly.

Lucius
Lucius
Fantasy

Throughout their near two-decade career, Lucius have proved themselves to be equally comfortable with ‘60s girl band sounds, synth pop, spacey funk and country harmonizing. While the focus of the band has remained on dual lead singers, their fifth album restates the collective intent with the hip-hop grooves, soaring choruses, and breezy drivetime rock that sounds like no one else.

Samia
Bloodless
Grand Jury

Bloodless is a grand, warm and rich album, whether in its most stripped-back – vocals and a finger-picked guitar – or thundering eruptions that border on claustrophobic, or morphing from melancholy indie-rock atmospherics to experimental fragments to shuffling Americana. An album like this could easily collapse under its own weight, but the Minneapolis-based artist thrives in the middle of lofty topics and idea-stuffed songs.

Jeff Goldblum
Still Blooming
Verve

Jeff Goldblum returns to the piano along with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, joined by guest vocalists Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Scarlett Johansson and Maiya Sykes. The album showcases reimagined jazz standards alongside original compositions, highlighting Goldblum's enduring passion for jazz.

Matt Andersen
The Hammer & The Rose
Sonic Records LTD

For two decades, Matt Andersen, equipped with an impressive, booming voice, has been delivering pristine modern blues across more than a dozen albums. On his latest though, Andersen tones down the blues and fiery solos, offering a more nuanced and subdued musical soundtrack creating a beautiful detour into intimacy.

Cosmic Cathedral
Deep Water
Inside Out Music

If you are a celebrated progressive rock musician who has produced dozens of albums, how do you make something different? One answer, work with musicians who also have decades of experience and worldwide recognition, plant a few seeds, then stand back and see what happens. This is exactly what Neal Morse did, joining up with Chester Thompson (Genesis), Phil Keaggy (Glass Harp) and Byron House (Robert Plant).

Emma-Jean Thackray
Weirdo
East/West Records

Known for defying musical boundaries, Thackray's latest work is a deeply personal and utterly original exploration of selfhood, grief, and gratitude. Drawing on an eclectic mix of influences - grunge, pop, soul, p-funk, and jazz - Weirdo is a triumphant celebration of survival and individuality.

Uwade
Florilegium
Ehiose Records

On her debut album, Uwade pulls from her Nigerian heritage, scholarly tendencies, background in choirs, the literature that moves her, the melodies of artists like Fela Kuti, Yebba, and Julian Casablancas of the Strokes. Cerebral and curious, each musical moment feels tactile, deliberate, and thoughtful.

Galactic And Irma Thomas
Audience With The Queen
Tchoup-Zilla Records

The Crescent City’s chameleonic funk-rock-pop veterans Galactic reunite with the “Soul Queen of New Orleans” Irma Thomas for an uplifting joint-effort that shines new light on the Grammy-winning singer’s timeless sound. Across 8 high-energy, groove-laced originals and a dazzling revamp of Nancy Wilson’s “How Glad I Am,” Thomas sounds more vibrant than ever.

Cleopatrick
Fake Moon
Nowhere Special Recordings

The post-rock duo’s second outing is a daring leap, a record spanning time, influence, and sound, blending lo-fi intimacy with grand, expansive production. Anchored in refusal of conformity, and captured with what can only be described as the audio equivalent to Playstation 1 graphics – Fake Moon navigates power, vulnerability, and the complexities of individual identity with both rawness and precision.

LISTEN HERE

LISTEN HERE

Ghost
Skeleta
Loma Vista Recordings

After six albums of Beelzebub-bothering, Ghost's melodic metal is more tempting than ever. And while it may not boast the same instant hooks of some earlier albums, Skeleta instead offers something more substantial. Through a rich exploration of genres and a new level of emotional depth, it becomes clear that this was made with a new vision in mind, and comes as the promising start of a new Ghost chapter.

The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) is a national level organization comprised of the best independent record stores in America. CIMS was founded in 1995 with the goal of uniting like minded independent store owners, giving them a more powerful voice in the music industry. The stores that make up CIMS are all very different, but we share the same desires – to be the heart of our communities, to super-serve our customers, to support and develop artists, and to share our love of music.

For more information about CIMS and the stores in our organization, please visit cimsmusic.com or find us through social media with the #cimsmusic hashtag. And please remember to always shop local by supporting your neighborhood record store.