Welcome to another installment of our monthly local music feature, New Music NC!
Each month highlights some of our particular favorites, followed by several categories to sift through. Think of it as your virtual record store, except all the music is new and local!
[Pst! Get included in a future issue!]
Top Selections
Emerson Bruno — Sounds for the Restless Mind [Raleigh alt rock]
Summer road trips, escaping the heat, pushing your car across the Appalachian mountains — let Emerson Bruno‘s music fuel your journey. This isn’t just another country/Americana album; it delivers depth and emotion that transcends easy categorization through unexpected twists, genre-bending arrangements, and soul-deep performances.
The album opens with “Fade to Gray”, in which paper-thin snare hits, reminiscent of a softer “Ballroom Blitz” intro, draw you in before Cole Jackson’s star-bright guitar notes drip with beauty alongside Bruno’s gorgeous vocals. The ending’s precision elicits an involuntary “holy shit” from even jaded listeners. That soft, driving rhythm continues seamlessly into “A Vacancy”, where Connor Parker’s trumpet and Matt Laird’s strings add incredibly subtle yet impactful textures. By two songs in, you’re completely hooked.
The musicianship throughout is exceptional. Nick Moshinski’s drumming shines particularly on “Toledo”, with ride cymbal work and perfectly tuned tom fills that come straight from the soul. Dorian Lineberger tears through “Light of Day” on Hammond B-3, while Jared Morino’s watery bass line makes “Ten Minutes Till Transmission” feel like swimming through dreams. Bruno himself proves he can kill it on both vocals and guitar, with reverb-drenched picking and fretboard work hitting every note perfectly. The late-album tracks “In Frames” and “Welcome to the Modern Age” drop the super-clean sounds for raucous, carnival-like darkness that provides an amazing finish.
Sounds for a Restless Mind moves beyond simple road trip fuel (though it excels there too). Everything about this album says get wild, make a mess, and enjoy the ride.
Top Tracks: “Fade to Gray”, “A Vacancy”, “Toledo”
T. Gold — Life is a Wonder and it’s Cruel [Carrboro folk/electronic/jangle rock]
Sometimes you hear an album and just know it’s going to be one that defines the entire year. That’s what this second LP from T. Gold is. Six years after the band’s debut, they return with a cohesive package of songs bigger and better than anything they’d done before. A large part of that is the amazing roster of community collaborators, but these are all incredible songs in their own right.
Check out my full review for more elaboration, but yeah, it’s a really damn good record.
Top Tracks: “Jewel”, “Assholes Only Take”, “New Land”, “Gone All Night”, “Love is a Dice Roll”
Monthly Round-up
Rock, alternative, and punk
Bee Million – Lost on Me [Durham rock & roll]
A warm, fuzzy rock record buoyed by fantastic riffs and bright, boyish vocals.
Monster Wave – Return of Monster Wave [Asheville surf rock]
If you didn’t know you needed some horror-themed surf rock in your life, well, now you do.
Negative Feedback – Hungry [Raleigh alt rock/shoegaze]
Dreamy vocals give way to a torrent of distortion, like a heavier Garbage.
saturn is changing – SOME HAVE LEFT THE PASTURE [Winston-Salem alt rock/shoegaze]
What an evolution from Dan of SCOBY, who has put together an experimental concept record to remember with Daniel Nesbit (aka Bundt Cakes). Hard not to pick up mewithoutYou vibes on “The Cows” or Origami Angel on “Bruderhof”.
Slut Hair – It’s Over [Durham blues rock]
Feels like a basement rock show in the best ways.
Strictly Liquid – Music to Drink [Asheville alternative/jam band]
Noodley guitarwork and jazzy percussions a la Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, but with sultry vocals like Joey Secchiaroli from The Reign of Kindo meets Phish’s Trey Anastasio.
The Lousy Hitchhikers – Ambiguous Meanderings [Winston Salem punk rock]
Don’t miss a single track from this high-tempo punk-meets-power pop band in this compilation full of their first two years of music (and some bonus tracks).
Tommy Flanagan – Lost in Transition [Charlotte indie rock]
Just really solid rock on this one. Reminds me a bit of Bad Moves in its jangly, slightly punky vibes.
Tuesday 1964 – Wish You Here Her(e) [Charlotte pop-punk/easycore]
If you’re looking for music that can take you back to the mid-2000s (with long song titles to boot), this is the debut EP for you.
Hip-hop/rap, soul, jazz, and funk
BigBabyGucci – Serotonin [Charlotte hip-hop/rap]
A swing into a more synth-heavy direction on the Charlotte trap artist’s latest LP.
Lord Fess – North State Blues [Durham hip-hop/rap]
Lord Fess brings such braggadocious swagger over smooth production, you can’t turn your ear away.
Madison Jay x Mr. Milly – Still No Matter What [Raleigh hip-hop/rap]
Madison’s smooth flows over Mr. Milly’s instrumental backdrops is a match made in heaven.
Real Thought – Prelude ‘26 [Raleigh soul/rap/R&B]
2026 is teeing up to be a year to remember for the soulful Real Thought, if this teaser of new music is any indication.
Sonny Miles – Early Sonny [Greensboro R&B/soul]
The ever-evolving genre-blender gathers his first few years of solo work in this fresh compilation.
TR SUPERSTAR – DOING BETTER [Winston-Salem hip-hop/rap]
All killer and no filler on this project, from vocals to production. Each song stands out with potent lyricism on growth and preservation.
Metal and hardcore
3/8 – The Blue Wolf Diner [Fayetteville hardcore punk]
Such a great blend of bands like The Chariot, Every Time I Die, and Turnstile. Add in production from SpiceHouse and what’s not to love?
BACKWASH! – PAY TO WORK [Charlotte hardcore punk]
Looking for some protest music that isn’t fucking boring? Blast this anti-capitalist hardcore and eat the rich.
BRICK – BRICK [Raleigh beatdown hardcore]
An aural assault of hardcore punk, dripping in so much distortion that you could probably smash bricks with it.
DEATH DEALER – WINTER PROMO 26’ [Winston-Salem blackened hardcore]
A brash introduction to an exciting new entry in the Triad hardcore scene.
Falling Behind – Waste of Spit [Asheville powerviolence]
Even more sharp hardcore that will blow right past you and leave you in its dust.
Electronic, ambient, experimental, and more
Chase Evers – Dove City Soundtrack [Portsmouth, VA synth pop]
Chiptune-laden synthy vibes, like MGMT or Passion Pit put through a DIY bedroom pop filter.
Sauter – Grimoires Demo (2025) [Asheville house/electronic]
A genuinely hypnotizing batch of songs that you could get lost in.
Setscet – Waxing Gibbous [Durham electronic/jazz]
A great blend of jazzy, occasionally funky, instrumentals.
Tsukkomi – Escapism [Charlotte synthwave]
Legitimately feels like a cyberpunk soundtrack for everyday life.
Folk, Americana, and country
First Anniversary – Home For You [Asheville country/bluegrass]
A lively batch of tracks that teleports you from a sunny day on the river to a quiet bar in the mountains.
Lindsey Helms – Bird Talk [Carrboro acoustic/folk]
A trio of incredibly delicate acoustic singer-songwriter tracks to make your world slow down.
Ready to get featured in our monthly roundup for new music from NC artists? Fill out this short form and we’ll include your latest release in a future issue!
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