GoneTrending

Kenia Os is very much a pop star of the times. In the past few years, the former influencer parlayed her massive social media following into a music career and a Latin Grammy nomination. Like a true pop princess, Os has also undergone several evolutions in both image and sound with each new album. Now, the Mexican superstar is ushering in her edgiest era yet with her new single “Belladona.”

“I feel like a completely different Kenia,” Os says. “This is the era that I’ve most liked of my whole career. I’ve had the most fun working on the music videos and outfits that you’ll see soon. Throughout the years, I’ve been creating this persona that reflects who I am as a woman today.”

Os was born Kenia Guadalupe Flores Osuna in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Over a decade ago, she first started to amass a following from posting vlogs on YouTube. With her social media savvy, Os then grew her online presence through platforms like Instagram and TikTok. At the same time, she was cultivating a music career that took off with 2022’s Cambios De Luna. A year later, Os scored her first global smash with the flirty “Malas Decisiones.” Since her breakout, she has toured across Mexico and the US. This past year, Os also found love with her boyfriend, fellow Mexican singer Peso Pluma.

Os is now pushing Latin pop into the future with the defiant “Belladona.” Following the vibrant 2024 album Pink Aura, she is now embracing a darker and more fierce aesthetic for her upcoming LP K De Karma. Os is also plotting a new tour for the album, which will be released on March 19. Over Zoom, she caught up with Uproxx about her artistic growth, what to expect from her “Belladona” era, and if there’s a chance for another duet with Peso Pluma.

How would you describe the process of making the jump from influencer to pop star?

It’s been a very natural progression. Even though I’ve put a lot of work into this, everything in my career has happened very naturally. I started out playing around and recording songs during the pandemic with my team. We had a lot of fun, and suddenly, creating content, recording music, making music videos, and all of that became my career. I’ve been very happy about the growth I’ve gone through these past few years. I’m still a content creator because I love to record TikTok videos and my GRWM (Get Ready With Me) videos. It’s been a beautiful process where I’m now connecting with my fans in so many ways.

That’s cool to see you continuing to bridge those worlds of music and content creation.

That’s what makes what I’m doing different from other artists. I believe it’s because of that reason that I have a very large fandom. They connect with my music because they got to know me on a personal level. My fans know my day-to-day routine, who I am, what I like, and the way I am.

Now that you’ve been recording music for over seven years, what have you learned about yourself during that time?

I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned that I have many skills. Some skills I have are better than other ones [laughs]. I’ve learned that if I can develop my skills and work on them, I can transform myself and evolve. It feels like being on a roller coaster that never ends.

Where does the inspiration for your new single “Belladona” come from?

From the first day that I proposed this new album, I wanted to embrace a femme fatale aura. It’s that kind of energy of an empowered woman who dresses in red latex with red lipstick and smoky eyes. At first, I didn’t know how to musically develop that concept. I had to listen to songs that gave that inspiration. When I listened to those songs, I felt like that woman. Suddenly, I started to work on that with my producers, and I created a moodboard. That’s what inspired me to feel like a femme fatale, and from there, I started to create this story.

What does being a “Belladona” mean to you?

Even though I feel very connected to her, I would describe her as an alter ego. We have a lot in common. In this upcoming album, “Belladona” is a woman who is very beautiful and loves a lot, but at the same time, if you hurt her, she can be lethal. Throughout this album, I’m going to talk about a lot of the things that she goes through. You’ll hear about when she’s hurting, when she’s crying, and when she’s being spiteful and having fun to the max.

Why did you decide to name your new album K De Karma?

For me, K De Karma is that woman that I’ve told you about. She’s sweet, beautiful, and more, but if you cross her, she can be lethal. With karma, she’s not looking for revenge or anything like that. I see karma more as a way of her getting her justice. The K also stands for Kenia. This is who I’ve become now, and no one can take that away from me.

At the end of the “Belladona” music video, is that a preview of the next single?

Exactly! There’s a hint of what’s to come. I believe my fans are going to love it because they’ve been asking me for more poignant lyrics. The next single is coming soon. It will be like a type of performance video. It’s simpler than “Belladona,” but at the same time, it will be more about the lyrics that make the song so special.

What can you tell us about your upcoming tour?

I’m a few weeks away from preparing for the tour. We’re getting closer to announcing the dates and the places that I’m performing in. What we’re going to announce will be the first chapter of the tour. It makes me so happy because I’ve been missing doing shows and being with my fans. For me, the countdown has begun.

How would you describe your relationship with Peso Pluma?

It’s very cool because I feel like we experience these songs and album releases at the same time. He just put out a new album, and I was just as nervous as he was. We support each other. We’re very happy. Yesterday, he was telling me, “Today ‘Belladona’ comes out! How are people reacting to it?” We understand each other very well. Above all, we motivate each other so much. We’re also trying to prepare ourselves for how crazy our lives are going to be this year.

After previously collaborating on “Tommy & Pamela,” is there a chance that you two can work on another song together?

It’s something that we’ve talked about. Obviously, we would love to do another song together, but I’ve told him, “How are we going to outdo ‘Tommy & Pamela’?” That was a huge song. He’s been recording a lot of songs and there are many of them where we’ve said, “Could this song be better if we record it together?” There are times when we get excited and say, “We would sound so good on this one together!” But for now, we haven’t found the right song.

As a longtime ally of the LGBTQ+ community, what does the connection that you have with your queer fans mean to you?

I believe my fans who belong to the LGBTQ+ community are my most loyal fans. They’re always there for me. I also believe that without those fans, the pop side of my project wouldn’t exist. I’m very happy, thankful, and blessed to have this very big community that has followed my career and supports me. Sometimes they’re the ones who scold me the most, but I take that as a way to learn from my mistakes and grow.

What’s the status of your highly anticipated collaboration with Belinda and Danna?

I believe the last time we were in the studio together, we made a beautiful and divine song. I love it! I’ve always told them, “This is a hit!” Suddenly, our agendas became very crazy, and we couldn’t meet up. Beli is in Spain, and I wish her the best of luck. I know that she’s filming a series. I also know that Danna is very focused on her new album. Right now, it’s a project that we have put on pause. We’ve said that this is something that’s very big, and we need to find the time to be fully committed to it. I have a lot of faith that if everything goes well this year, we’ll get back to it and put out this collaboration that everyone is waiting for. We’re so excited for it.

What do you want to hope to accomplish next?

I would love to sing in places I’ve never performed before. I would love to grow my career in other countries while staying connected to Mexico. I know there are more places to travel to in the US, Europe, Central America, and South America. There are many places where people aren’t familiar with Kenia Os. I would love to reach those places and keep growing as an artist.

K De Karma is out 3/19 via Sony Music Entertainment México. Find more information here.

It’s only been a few weeks since we’ve had a new Fred Again.. song, but given his ceaseless release schedule in the latter half of 2025, that feels like a long time. Fred unloaded a batch of USB002 songs to round out the year, but now he’s back with his first new song of 2026.

The track is “Scared” and the collaborator this time around is Young Thug. Like is often the case with Fred songs, the vocal was pre-existing. Here, Thug’s vocals are pulled from an unreleased song that fans have referred to as “Lucky.”

In a recent post, Fred reflected on his busy 2025, writing:

“im thinking about the past year, watching back a whole bunch of stuff and im realising its sort of a debilitating level of gratitude I feel about it all.

like i have to kind of be able to numb it in a way at moments, because if i felt this way all the whole time i dont think id be able to move or get anything done. Id just be sitting here constantly like wow wtf is happening.

but yes in moments like now, where im able to feel it for a second, its just sort of hard to explain how much of it there is.

And im really glad we have these documents of each year so i can watch it back on my front porch when im 87 and a half.”

Listen to “Scared” above.

Fred Again..’s 2026 Tour Dates

01/23 — New York, NY @ East End Studios
01/24 — New York, NY @ East End Studios
01/30 — New York, NY @ East End Studios
01/31 — New York, NY @ East End Studios
02/12 — London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
02/13 — London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
02/26 — London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
02/27 — London, UK @ Alexandra Palace

Chalk Teeth have been busy. The trio of Karolina Wallace (vocals and guitar), Adam Wallace (guitar), and Jason Miller (bass, synths, drums, production, engineering) spent much of 2025 performing across Los Angeles and New York. Now, they’re preparing a new album, their first, set for early 2026. One of the songs that’s been a setlist staple (here’s a live clip from 2024) is “Struck,” so Chalk Teeth are finally releasing it as their debut single today (January 23).

The near-six-minute track falls right in line with how the band describes themselves: “Shoegaze-tinged, motorik dark wave. Black glass synths, washed in noise-rock guitar, with Polish vocals, propelled by relentless drum machine pulses.” The band aims to “create a flickering hypnotic dance rite, a live experience that cleanses your bone marrow with volume and frequency.” They say the song is “a brooding minimal wave dance floor ballad of obsessive love,” and they’re right about that, too, as the track is an entrancing ride with enough aesthetic variety and twists to maintain your attention and keep you moving.

The song arrives alongside a video by filmmaker Thomas Revington, a moody, black-and-white visual shot at an “airplane-hangar-turned-wrestling-gym.”

As for the album, the title and release date are still TBA. The band wrote, recorded, and mixed the DIY project at their North Hollywood rehearsal space.

Band members Karolina and Adam Wallace are a married couple who have also performed and released music as the duo Radiant Reveries. In a 2022 interview, Karolina discussed her musical origins:

“I was born in Poland (then the communist Polish People’s Republic) and raised in Hamburg, Germany. From an early age, I had an affinity for entertaining, singing, dancing, writing, and acting to amuse my family. At 10 years old, I began modeling for clothing catalogs. At 11, I was signed to Elite Model Management, and at the age of 14, I was approached by a talent manager who encouraged me to take singing lessons and record my first demos, covering songs by Madonna and Paula Abdul.

I didn’t always want to pursue a career in pop music, though. Instead, I chose to continue modeling, working internationally from the age of 15. In 2007, I signed my first lease in New York City and began acting training.

My desire to do more kept fueling me. I always wanted to play instruments, especially the guitar. A few years after moving to New York, I got my wish after discovering a beautiful Guild acoustic on sale at the Lower East Side’s Rivington Guitars. From there, having already been in the practice of writing poetry, songs naturally emerged.”

Miller, meanwhile, is also established outside of the trio, performing with the bands Lumerians and Wet Satin.

Watch the “Struck” video above and check out the group’s upcoming tour dates below.

Chalk Teeth’s 2026 Tour Dates

02/13 — Los Angeles, CA @ Non Plus Ultra
03/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon Café Concert

Harry Styles has kept largely out of the public eye since releasing his 2022 album Harry’s House and touring in support of it. Finally, though, he has started to re-emerge. Last week, he announced Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally., a new album, and now, he has shared the lead single, the slow-burning “Aperture.”

In a SiriusXM interview with John Mayer, Mayer asked about the song’s five-plus-minute length and Styles said:

“I actually think what I really like about the song is that it was really just about being true to the song. I think when we were in the studio, it was like, ‘What is the best version of this song?’ We try not to be aware of that stuff so much in there, and we don’t pick what’s going to go first or anything until when the album’s finished. When you’re making something that’s longer, you know that it’s longer, but to me, it was like each part of the song is important to the reason why it is what it is. There were parts where it was like, ‘Do we take this out?’ And it was just like, ‘No, this is the best version of the song.’”

He also said of the album, “This album was much more open in the process of, like, I was playing demos to friends and I’d be with friends and put it on and be like, ‘What do you think of this?’ And it just became really obvious that it was music that was meant to be played loud. That is when it feels its best. And then, you know, in total contrast to that, I love sitting with it in headphones and having my own experience with it as well. So, I hope that people will road test it in a couple different ways, and see how their own experience shifts.”

The new song arrives shortly after Styles announced a series of seven residencies around the world, the most notable of them being a 30-night stretch at Madison Square Garden. Special guests include Robyn, Shania Twain, Fcukers, Jorja Smith, Jamie xx, Fousheé, and Skye Newman. Ticket sales vary in different markets and more information can be found here. For the New York shows (the only US dates Styles has planned for 2026), the general on-sale starts January 30 for the shows from August 26 through October 9. For the shows from October 10 to 31, that on-sale begins February 7.

Listen to “Aperture” above and find Styles’ tour dates below.

Harry Styles’ Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. Album Cover Artwork

Harry Styles’ 2026 Tour Dates: Together, Together

05/16 — Amsterdam, NL @ Johan Cruijff Arena ^
05/17 — Amsterdam, NL @ Johan Cruijff Arena ^
05/20 — Amsterdam, NL @ Johan Cruijff Arena ^
05/22 — Amsterdam, NL @ Johan Cruijff Arena ^
05/23 — Amsterdam, NL @ Johan Cruijff Arena ^
05/26 — Amsterdam, NL @ Johan Cruijff Arena ^
06/12 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium *
06/13 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium *
06/17 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium *
06/19 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium *
06/20 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium *
06/23 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium *
07/17 — São Paulo, BR @ Estadio MorumBIS ~
07/18 — São Paulo, BR @ Estadio MorumBIS ~
07/31 — Mexico City, MX @ Estadio GNP Seguros #
08/01 — Mexico City, MX @ Estadio GNP Seguros #
08/26 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
08/28 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
08/29 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/02 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/04 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/05 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/09 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/11 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/12 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/16 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/18 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/19 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/23 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/25 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/26 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
09/30 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/02 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/03 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/07 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/09 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/10 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/14 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/16 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/17 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/21 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/23 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/24 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/28 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/30 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/31 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
11/27 — Melbourne, AU @ Marvel Stadium ^^ @
11/28 — Melbourne, AU @ Marvel Stadium ^^ @
12/12 — Sydney, AU @ Accor Stadium ! @
12/13 — Sydney, AU @ Accor Stadium ! @

^ with Robyn
* with Shania Twain
~ with Fcukers
# with Jorja Smith
+ with Jamie xx
^^ with Fousheé
! with Skye Newman
@ with Baby J

Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. is out 3/6 via Columbia. Find more information here.

Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration as mayor of New York City was historic for multiple reasons: He’s the youngest mayor in NYC history and the first Muslim mayor the city has ever had. As Uproxx’s Jeremy Hecht points out, he’s also the first mayor to reference a member of The Lox during his inauguration speech.

Mamdani said:

“And throughout it all, ‘We will’ — in the words of Jason Terrence Phillips, better known as Jadakiss or ‘Ja’ to the mwah’ — ‘be outside.’”

Jeremy notes, “This referenced an iconic moment during Jadakiss’ Verzuz battle where he got on stage and said this: ‘New York, the real New York: I’m outside. I don’t live in Miami, I don’t live in Colorado. Come to my block and see me. This is ‘Kiss, I’m outside.’”

Furthermore, later in 2020, he teamed up with Itsbizkit and DreamDoll on “Outside Wit It” and said on his verse, “My whole life changed, we at the cookouts, we at the dice games / We outside, n****.”

Jeremy concludes, “Jadakiss proves that he still lives by that motto, creating this incredible video of him walking around New York City on New Year’s Eve, letting you know he is still outside. It feels like New York is about to go on a run. But more than anything, I think it’s time for a new Jadakiss album.”

Check out the video above.

Keeping up with music news and resources like Spotify’s giant and regularly updated New Music Friday playlist are great ways to keep your listening habits from getting stale. Sometimes, though, you need a deeper dive. That’s where Uproxx’s Baylee Lefton comes in as she routinely offers quick-hit lists of songs you need to add into your rotation this week.

She just delivered a fresh mix and it pays homage to years of standout women making R&B and soul music.

Beylee had the impossible task of sorting through decades (starting in the 1960s) of music and choosing just a song or two to represent each era: “I’m not going to lie: This was so difficult to only pick like one or two songs from each generation,” she says.

But, she did it and the mix is worth diving into. It starts with Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By,” which music fans know through either its original version or the numerous hip-hop songs that have sampled it. From there, the set includes Aretha Franklin’s “Day Dreaming,” Sade’s “Is It A Crime,” Brownstone’s “Grapevyne,” SWV’s “You’re The One,” Erykah Badu’s “Bag Lady,” Ashanti’s “Baby,” Jazmine Sullivan’s “Excuse Me,” SZA’s “Go Gina,” Cleo Sol’s “Golden Child (Jealous),” and Coco Jones’ “ICU.”

Check out the video above and to listen to the full songs yourself, hit up the link in Lefton’s Instagram bio.

Music is one of the fastest-moving parts of the entertainment landscape. Generative artificial intelligence has introduced new possibilities and concerns essentially overnight. Social media platforms like TikTok can create new stars or revive public consciousness of classic icons. More and more each day, musicians are expanding the scope of their creative endeavors beyond music, turning themselves into multimedia forces.

Through it all, UPROXX remains dedicated to being at the forefront of innovation and what’s next in music and related fields. But, we can’t do it alone. That’s where you come in, and you could win a sweet prize for your efforts: We just launched the UPROXX Audience Survey, and as long as you’re 18 or older and live in the United States, you can participate and enter to win a $25 Apple gift card.

It’s a simple survey, taking a few minutes of your time, and your answers are confidential, reported in aggregate only. As for what to expect from the questions, there are a handful of things we’d like to know. Tell us how you’ve engaged with UPROXX and how your music-listening habits have looked lately, whether you’re blasting the latest Dua Lipa track on Spotify or listening to Zach Bryan on Apple Music. Share your thoughts on those preferred platforms and your gut reaction when your favorite artists drops new music. How does your TV fit into your relationship with music? What are your feelings on the use of AI in music creation?

To answer those questions and more (and to potentially win one of those gift cards), check out the survey here.

Short-lived ’80s band Green River were pioneers, commonly cited as offering some of the earliest examples of grunge. When the group dissolved a few years after its founding, some of the members went on to form Mudhoney, who continued the development of grunge as a genre. Their debut release, the 1988 EP (sometimes called an album) Superfuzz Bigmuff, was a pivotal and formative work in the space.

As Uproxx’s Joypocalypse notes, the project was incredibly influential and even found a fan in Kurt Cobain.

She says:

“From one great band to another: After Green River dissolved, we got Mudhoney, and then Mudhoney gave us the amazing album Superfuzz Bigmuff. An album highly regarded by Kurt Cobain, understandably so. The blown-out fuzz and gritty sounds in this album played a role in influencing the sound of grunge. Mudhoney’s loud, loose, and often fuzzed-out sound is awe-inspiring. And while Superfuzz Bigmuff is a fantastic album and a great place to start, I would recommend other Mudhoney albums like Every Good Boy [Deserves Fudge], Piece Of Cake, and Since We’ve Become Translucent, and also their self-titled Mudhoney.”

She concludes, “I think if you enjoy a lot of the earlier albums by the ‘Big Four’ of grunge, then Mudhoney is totally up your alley.”

Check out the video above.

This column is about the best indie albums of 2006. By which I mean, my favorite indie albums of 2006. The personal preference is implied, perhaps, but there are biases that have influenced the creation of the following list that must be disclosed before you read another word. I state the following in the spirit of fair play and transparency, so that the reader is equipped with the necessary information to properly assess my assessments. So that when a person reads this and says, “Whoever wrote this is an idiot,” they will do so with the assurance of having all the facts at their disposal.

PRE-LIST ENTERTAINMENT: A STATEMENT OF PERSONAL BIASES (POLITICAL, PERSONAL, AUTOMOTIVE, ETC.)

1. My memory of 2006, from a sociopolitical perspective, is mostly negative. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the decline of public faith in the federal government after the disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina, the foreboding (in retrospect) signs that the US housing market was untenable, the widening gaps in income and political unity — they all point to this being a dark, depressing period. (This is my political bias.)

2. My memory of 2006, from a personal perspective, is overwhelmingly positive. I met my wife in January that year, we were dating by March, and we were living together by October. I also started a new job that fall, and it signaled (in retrospect) the single most important and overall greatest pivot point in my writing career. It was also, for a time, an incredibly easy gig, with loads of down time. More than once, I snuck off to the parking lot at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday with a co-worker to smoke weed out of a bong made from an apple. (This is my personal bias.)

3. My most recent experience listening to many of these albums is last week, when I drove a total of 10 hours across the frigid tundra of western, central, eastern, and southern Wisconsin. I loaded my car with circa-2006 CDs and listened to them at full volume. This improved my opinion of virtually all of these albums, though some more than others. (This is my automotive bias.)

20. Girl Talk — Night Ripper

The most 2006 album of 2006. Night Ripper isn’t the record most responsible for mainstreaming mash-ups — in America — that was Danger Mouse’s “Jay-Z meets The Beatles” experiment The Grey Album from three years earlier. But Girl Talk does represent the height of the form. The cultural trajectory of a semi-clever DJ taking one popular song and combining it with another popular song began (in the popular consciousness) with Danger Mouse, peaked with Girl Talk, and then achieved simultaneous popular acceptance/aesthetic death with 2012’s Pitch Perfect. After that, it was damned to be a signifier of dated culture from the second George W. Bush administration.

But I can still feel traces of the same “a-ha!” rush I experienced upon hearing Night Ripper for the first time, the same way a war veteran can sense a missing limb lost in battle. It really was kind of mind-blowing to hear some dude with a laptop superimpose The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” with the Ying Yang Twins’ “Wait (The Whisper Song)” for about 20 or so seconds. Along with being a go-to party album, Night Ripper functioned in its time as a form of music criticism, an audio-thinkpiece that dismantled the barriers between rockism and poptimism, a vision of a utopian world where Boston’s “Long Time” gets down with D4L’s “Laffy Taffy.” It was also, essentially, a gimmick, and one that starts to lose its novelty even before the album ends.

19. The Walkmen — “Pussy Cats” Starring The Walkmen

The basic premise of Night Ripper — “let’s combine rock songs with pop numbers in surprising and harmonious ways, no matter their contextual differences” — points to larger conversations happening at the time in the indie world about whether guitar bands of questionable popularity were getting too much attention. The long tail of the post-Strokes “rock is back!” boosterism happening in the media was coming to an end, along with expectations that making that kind of music could result (at least) in something resembling a “middle-class” musician’s life.

This album, deliberately or not, was one of the more fascinating responses to all that. As a band from New York City, The Walkmen benefited from the public’s brief fixation on NYC guitar combos, and they even scored an indie hit in the middle part of the decade with the immortal “The Rat.” But by ’06, they weren’t exactly trying to capitalize on that success. That year they put out two albums — the Dylanesque A Hundred Miles Off and this bizarre tribute to Harry Nilsson’s famously drunken (and professionally ruinous) 1974 John Lennon collaboration. Composed largely of covers, Pussy Cats derailed Nilsson’s own career, and The Walkmen seemed to be courting a similar fate by doing an album-length cover of his self-destructive gambit. The Walkmen ultimately carried on and put out some of their best work after “Pussy Cats,” but the chaotic recklessness of this record still communicates a certain truth of that era to me.

18. Secret Machines — Ten Silver Drops

Another “end of mainstream-ish middle-class indie-rock bands” era album. With 2004’s No Here Is Nowhere, Secret Machines made heavy-duty space-rock with bitchin’ Bonham-esque drum tracks that was catchy enough to garner space in the “$7.99 CD” rack at Best Buy retailers. Their second album, Ten Silver Drops, wasn’t quite as grabby — it toned down the Zeppelinisms of the debut in favor of a hybrid, sonically, of Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Simple Minds. In a different time, it might have been a stepping stone to a bigger and bolder third album. But as it stands, Ten Silver Drops (in my household, anyway) endures as an indie-rock record that sounds like a major-label release, alternating between moody soundscapes and grippingly dour hooks that re-imagine AOR for the pre-streaming generation.

17. The Decemberists — The Crane Wife

Not technically an “indie” album, since this polarizing Portland band had just signed with Capitol Records before putting out their proggiest and most adventurous album yet. Here, again, was a sign of the times: One of our nation’s most famous and venerated record labels decided to do business with a band who centered their latest record on a nearly 13-minute, three-part medley called “The Island: Come And See / The Landlord’s Daughter / You’ll Not Feel The Drowning.” That was considered a commercial enterprise in the year of our lord 2006!

This was also around the time that a backlash was brewing against The Decemberists, who until then had been regarded (warmly) as a quirkily tuneful folk-rock outfit with literal pretensions or (less warmly) as kind of annoying but mostly harmless. After The Crane Wife, however, they became a signifier for the suffocating preciousness of indie rock in the mid-aughts. (The critic Carl Wilson zeroes in on that aspect of The Decemberists in his 2007 poptimism polemic Let’s Talk About Love, which otherwise is about the Celine Dion album of the same name.) At the time, this struck me as a raw deal, and that’s doubly true now. Without fully disputing their “kind of annoying” side, I do think a band like this garnering a Capitol Records-sized platform seems like an accident of history that should have been celebrated more in the moment.

16. Joanna Newsom — Ys

Of course, it’s not as though an indie artist had to be on a major label to make long, dense orchestral-folk songs. One of 2006’s most uncompromising releases, Ys makes The Crane Wife sound like a Noah Kahan record, with songs that range from seven minutes to 17 minutes. Newsom’s lyrics were as personal as any standard “confessional” folkie — the recent death of a close friend informs the album’s emotional tenor — but her unorthodox music and the epic length of her compositions put Ys far and away on its own wavelength. That is, unless you can think of another harp-centric indie-rock record accented by psych-baroque flourishes from the one and only Van Dyke Parks. If Night Ripper is the most 2006 album of 2006, this is the 2006 album that sounds like it could have come out a century earlier or later. (Or, somehow, earlier and later simultaneously.)

15. TV On The Radio — Return To Cookie Mountain

As the “return of rock!” thing was ending, an artier and quirkier version of NYC indie was on the rise. I understand that words like “artier” and especially “quirkier” come with a lot of baggage, but it didn’t seem that way in 2006. At that time, the arrival of something described like “another harp-centric indie-rock record accented by the psych-baroque flourishes from the one and only Van Dyke Parks” was viewed as fresh and inventive, rather than tiresome or (to use a term not yet in common use) “try-hard.” You could also, for example, call your record Return To Cookie Mountain and still be considered one of the hippest and most admired bands of your era. I liked TV On The Radio then, and I like them now. The only reason this isn’t ranked higher is that TV On The Radio is an A+ live band that makes B+ records. I will want to play the video of “Wolf Like Me” from The Late Show With David Letterman until the day I die. And I will always be slightly disappointed when I listen to the studio version.

14. Arctic Monkeys — Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

Here’s another personal bias I forgot to mention earlier: I turned 29 in 2006. If I had turned 19 that year, this record might be my No. 1. People of my vintage didn’t really come around on Arctic Monkeys until Alex Turner started dressing like the Fonz and making upscale Black Keys songs. But if I were young, drunker, snarkier, and angrier that year, this would still be my preferred Alex Turner overdrive.

13. Sonic Youth — Rather Ripped

Speaking of turning 29 in 2006: I was exactly the kind of person who was excited about a new Sonic Youth album. Remember when we got a new Sonic Youth album every few years? When we had it, we didn’t appreciate it. And now that it will probably never happen again, it seems like a very precious commodity. Is it fair to classify aughts-era Sonic Youth as “underrated”? It seemed that way at the time, after the poor reviews given to 2000’s (pretty good, actually!) NYC Ghosts & Flowers. After that came a trilogy of records that represent the band’s most consistently tuneful and accessible work. And in the wake of 2002’s Murray Street and 2004’s Sonic Nurse, Rather Ripped just might be the most tuneful and accessible of the bunch. Whereas the two predecessors lean more on extended jams, this album is composed mostly of punchy and melodic rock songs. (Only two tracks approach even seven minutes.) Listening to Sonic Youth in this period, they seemed like a reliable classic-rock band that would just keep on putting out quality albums and playing kick-ass shows forever, like Manhattan’s answer to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

12. Magnolia Electric Co. — Fading Trails

Alas, that didn’t happen. And the sense of loss continues here. Jason Molina died seven years after after this album was released, and another seven or so years after that his influence on current indie singer-songwriters seemed obvious and widespread. But in 2006, Fading Trails had a bad reputation. Molina and his band had been working in various studios with multiple producers on a massive box set of new material that would eventually be released in 2007 as Sojourner. But Molina’s label Secretly Canadian, presumably antsy for more product, took nine songs from those sessions and compiled a snappy 28-minute album, to Molina’s ultimate dissatisfaction. But no matter the backstory, Fading Trails is his most immediate effort, offering an invitingly sad-eyed country-rock gateway to his voluminous catalog.

11. Midlake — The Trials Of Van Occupanther

The kind of record where if you bring it up to a 48-year-old indie-rock fan in 2026, that person will smile and either offer up a fist pump or a back slap. However, if that person is at least 10 years younger or at least 10 years older, they will have no clue what you’re talking about. Midlake was a Texas band who sounded like they were from the English moors of the early 1970s. They made witchy-sounding folk rock that evoked pre-Stevie & Lindsey-era Fleetwood Mac and The Wicker Man. And The Trials Of Van Occupanther was their big moment. It’s a record I can confirm sounds incredible if you are smoking weed out of an apple bong at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday.

10. The Strokes — First Impressions Of Earth

The quintessential “long tail of the post-Strokes ‘rock is back!’ boosterism” album. Naturally, it was made by The Strokes themselves. I listened to this record a lot in 2025 for reasons that will be made clear later this year. So, chalk this up to more personal bias and/or musical Stockholm Syndrome. But First Impressions Of Earth has as many very good-to-great songs as Is This It or Room On Fire. The problem is that it has an additional four to six more songs that aren’t very good-to-great, though the clutter stops being a bug and becomes a feature with repeat listens. But as an historical document — and as an album that captures what it felt like to live in 2006 — First Impressions Of Earth is absolutely essential. I point to the caustic “15 Minutes,” Julian Casablancas’ spin on “My Way” — both the Frank Sinatra and Sid Vicious versions — where he offers his own epitaph: “‘Cause today, they’ll talk about us / And tomorrow, they won’t care.”

9. Phoenix — It’s Never Been Like That

In the annals of Phoenix-dom, this is known as “the one before the big one.” Released three years later, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix represents the band’s popular pinnacle, due to the signature singles “1901” and “Lisztomania.” But I still prefer It’s Never Been Like That. It might not have the hits, but it has lots of should have been hits. Side one, for instance, features a perfect run of songs, from “Napoleon Says” (the best Strokes song of 2006) to “Consolation Prizes” (second best) to “Long Distance Call” (third best) to “One Time Too Many” (my favorite song on the entire record).

8. The Knife — Silent Shout

Confession time: I never heard this album until last week. I was aware of it at the time — it was Pitchfork’s No. 1 album of the year. But I did not buy it, illegally download it, or get a free copy from a publicist. And those were the three ways I heard new music in 2006. This was the window of time between illegal downloads becoming untenable (unless you wanted to shred your laptop with malware) and streaming music being widely available (which didn’t happen until the 2010s). So, this was possibly the last time when you had a good excuse to not hear an album everybody was talking about. In this case, I was missing out, because this album rules! It sounds like Max Martin if he listened exclusive to Bauhaus. And it hits especially hard if you are traversing the frigid tundra of western, central, eastern, and southern Wisconsin in mid-January.

7. My Morning Jacket — Okonokos

This, on the other hand, is one of the two or three albums I played the most in 2006. (Again, it’s the apple bong of it all.)

6. Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins — Rabbit Fur Coat

My No. 1 album of 2006, as determined by me at the end of 2006. At this point, it’s not even my favorite Jenny Lewis record. (That would be On The Line, which I’ll be discussing in 2029 for my “Favorite Albums Of 2019” column.) But it still has a very warm place in my heart, both as a “time and place” record (no other album is more closely associated in my mind with moving to a new town with my wife) and as an impeccable slice of country-soul with some of my favorite Jenny Lewis songs (“The Charging Sky,” “You Are What You Love,” “Rise Up With Fists!!”). This record is also responsible for me liking Jenny Lewis solo albums more than Rilo Kiley, a position that seems more contentious in 2026 than it did in 2006.

5. The Hold Steady — Boys And Girls In America

A no-brainer No. 1 album of 2006 for me in 2011, 2016, and (probably) 2021. But this record hits different now that I’ve recently pivoted from a “gonna walk around, gonna walk around, gonna walk around and drink” lifestyle. Now, I view this album like that one college friend you can only hang with every year or two. Any further exposure will wreck your liver, your marriage, and your more critical promises.

4. Grizzly Bear — Yellow House

I am living more of a Grizzy Bear-type lifestyle these days. I aspire to the interpersonal equivalent of this album’s perfectly rendered harmonies and carefully composed instrumentation. Though I doubt I will ever have my shit together to a Yellow House-level degree. To be honest, this is my least favorite of Grizzly Bear’s “essential” albums — I prefer Veckatimist and Shields, as those are generally harder hitting “band-sounding” efforts. (I would even take 2008’s fantastic Friend EP in a Grizzly Bear draft.) But we are talking about one of the finest American bands of the late aughts, and any preference I might have for later work should not be confused for criticism of an otherwise excellent record.

3. Cat Power — The Greatest

For the longest time, I mentally docked this album a few points in deference to Cat Power loyalists who viewed it as a “too easy” stab at mainstream acceptance. These gorgeous slabs of Memphis soul set against Chan Marshall’s smoky, mesmerizing voice couldn’t approach the emotional catharsis of Moon Pix, I was told. But as much as I like Moon Pix, this record arrived at first listen like it had already been in your collection for 30 years. Which felt improbable when I was 29 but now seems like the hallmark of an instant classic that immediately creates a sweetly pained melancholy whenever I put it on.

2. Destroyer — Destroyer’s Rubies

The most “middle-aged indie dude” thing about me is that for many years from the past quarter-century, I can make an impassioned case that Dan Bejar made one of that year’s best albums. He’s the indie-rock mainstay who keeps rising in my personal power rankings, which I think is true for three reasons: 1) He makes good-ass music; 2) His albums don’t always make sense the year they were released, and they often don’t even seem all that likeable at first; 3) The second reason reminds me of all my favorite artists derived from the ’60s and ’70s. Destroyer’s Rubies is the Bejar album that most invites comparisons to the off-brand Bob Dylan and Van Morrison albums to which salt-and-pepper-bearded fellows like myself gravitate. It has the sound of Street-Legal and the soul of Common One. And if that means something to you, you’re probably confused as to why this isn’t at No. 1.

1. Band Of Horses — Everything All The Time

If you can drive across Wisconsin in January and not come out raving about how well this goddamn album holds up you are made of sterner stuff that I am. (Did I say “hell yeah” to an empty passenger seat when “Weed Party” came on? Do I have two ears and a heart?) Though I can’t just chalk this up to automotive bias. I think about Everything All The Time like cinephiles regard Midnight Run. The sort of well-made, sturdy, incredibly likeable, accessible, and endlessly entertaining work of popular art they just don’t make anymore. What Midnight Run is to studio action comedies, Everything All The Time is to beard-y, brawny, big guitars, big emotions, big-ticket indie. You can listen to it a million times and it doesn’t lose its charm. Or at least that’s my assumption. I’m currently on listen 981,123. I’ll let you know when I get through the remaining 18,877 spins.

Gale had a massive 2025. She released a new album, Lo Que Puede Pasar, which she previously described as “a very honest album about daring to live every experience with your heart without overthinking what might happen.” She also co-wrote the CA7RIEL and Paco Amoroso collaboration “#Tetas,” winning her first Latin Grammy Award (Best Alternative Song) for her work on the hit.

The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s 2026 is already going well so far, as she recently released “Me Tiene,” her first new song of the year. The single is playful and immediately full of electro energy. In a statement, Gale says of the track:

“‘Me Tiene’ is a sexy, fun song that celebrates that moment when you realize how good it feels to be with someone who truly loves you, takes care of you, and gives you your place. From the very beginning, I knew I wanted it to feel intense and high‑energy. Musically, it lives in the world of synth pop and electro pop: it has a unique, urgent energy that just makes you dance. And yes, it’s also a direct message to that toxic ex, making it clear they’re part of the past.”

Gale also celebrated the song’s release by performing it for The Sonic Route, an exclusive team-up between UPROXX and Toyota.

Listen to the song above and check out the performance below.