Every month, I love to share my favorite album releases so that all of you can discover new music and hopefully new artists you’ve never listened to before. Despite living in a time when making music is so accessible and major labels turn them in and turn them out, there’s something to be said about oversaturation with album releases, and especially album reviews. I have no idea how some YouTubers can actually review so many albums, even with album advances.
For me, I need to let an album soak in for quite a few revolutions. Because there are albums I listen to that don’t resonate with me on the first spin, but some end up growing on me as I immerse myself in the songs and listen to them in different settings. Whether it’s while on my run, driving, or cleaning the house, it takes a while to absorb new music.
And while I always strive to keep things independent and underground and/or curate new albums from lesser-known artists, sometimes there will be some major-label bands because the albums are just that damn good. And, to be honest, most of the major-label artists we feature are artists and bands we’ve been writing about for years, well before their mainstream fame.
As part two of my picks for the best albums released in August 2026, here are 13 of my favorite albums released this month.
Getdown Services — Massive Champion
If you like British accents and the sound of early-2000s electro-clash, you’ll love Getdown Services’ new album, Massive Champion. The follow-up to the Bristol-based band’s debut album Crisps (2023), the duo’s sophomore album has the bangers as well as the catchy and funky sing-along ballads. If you dig a scrappy mix of post-punk, indie rock, garage funk, and dance-floor funk ‘n’ grooves — you must press play on Massive Champion. It’s currently my favorite album. I highly recommend taking your swagalicious “Probiotic” before you bang your head on “The Radiator,” and then take a lovely chill with the lo-fi grooves of “What’s On Your Mind.” It’s the best triple threat.
Of Massive Champion, the band says, “We’re really excited to see what people make of this album. It’s different this time round because people are actually paying attention to what we do but we’re proud of how little that came into the making of the album though. It’s a solid bit of work and we’ve done a good job of trying to make something honest. Do us a favour and listen to it in full.”
Label: Breakfast Records
Release Date: Aug. 14, 2026
Alabama Shakes — I Must Be Dreaming
Good lord, this album is ufckng incredible. So much soul, feeling, yet so much shred. Alabama Shakes’ third studio album, I Must Be Dreaming, was absolutely worth the 10-year wait. Produced by Alabama Shakes alongside six-time GRAMMY Award winner Shawn Everett, the eleven tracks are both soothing and groovy, and the album as a whole has so many unique layers of sound and vocals. Brittany Howard is truly one of the most talented and important voices of our time.
RELATED: See Photos of the First Time We Covered Alabama Shakes Live in 2012 at the Hollywood Tower
Whether it’s the passion and unexpected, badass guitar solo in “Time” or the breezy, uplifting grooves of “I Feel Hope Coming” — no fcking skips.
“This younger generation makes me feel hopeful because they can see through all the political lies—that song’s about holding onto that hope, and refusing to give up,” says Brittany Howard on the track [“I Feel Hope Coming”].
The album’s title speaks directly to that duality. “There’s a double meaning to it,” Howard explains. “It could be saying, ‘I must be dreaming, because the world is so fucking crazy right now.’ But it could also mean, ‘I must be dreaming, because the world is so incredibly beautiful.’ Both those things can be true at once.”
Label: Island Records
Release Date: Aug. 28, 2026
Interpol — This Mirror Weighs a Ton
On their eighth studio album, This Mirror Weighs a Ton, and their Partisan Records debut, Interpol reminds us once again why they are one of the best post-punk, alternative rock bands out there. The way this band can stay consistent while creating music that sounds and feels fresh is something to be admired. I may be biased, but I love Interpol and Paul Banks (he can serenade me all day, every day, and I’ll never be bored).
On “Wounded Soldier,” Paul’s voice really shines through, providing comfort and solace. There’s just something about the emotion in his voice as he sings about hopelessness; something so many of us have been feeling about the state of the world, especially over the past decade. It’s beautiful.
The urgency of “Darling Thoughts,” paired with its random blips and blops of space synth and shake-it-like-a-salt-shaker beats and percussion, makes this track a standout. But it’s “Wake Up” that will really get your body moving like a salt shaker! That tropical percussion threw me for a pleasant surprise. Pues, vamos a bailar, Paul.
RELATED: See Photos From The First Time We Covered Interpol Live in 2014
Label: Partisan Records
Release Date: Aug. 28, 2026
Hether — Return of Earslime
Hether, the producer, mixer, engineer, and guitarist also known as Paul Castelluzzo, is seriously one of the most underrated artists. Everything he’s put out, I love. And his new album, Return of Earslime, keeps that sentiment going.
Whether his lo-fi triptastic EP, Sticky Thumb, or his debut album, Holy Water, Hether knows how to make really good music, both catchy and just weird.
On this new album, Return of Earslime — ewww, btw — he takes you on quite the all-instrumental trip. Psychedelic jazz meets beats galore and even a horror film score. The sounds Hether has woven together — made on a four-track with more than four of his “great friends and favorite musicians,” — on Return of Earslime are sick. A delicate explosion of piano, strings, brass, beats, and a whole lot of WTF is that.
“I’m trying to write a bio for this and I’d rather not type a lot and just get to the point,” shares Hether. “I was abducted by an alien and don’t remember making this album at all and I’m not sure what’s going on.”
“Harley’s Dances” is a crypt full of experimental sounds, and “Amor Deus” is a creepy and suspenseful listen. Very cinematic in that the song feels like it’s broken down into three different scenes, each with its own vibe and atmosphere, but consistently keeping the spooky vibes, whether behind the main layers or right from the jump. This number needs to soundtrack the next American Horror Story, or a really cool psychological thriller.
“During the time I made Holy Water I also made a 12 track instrumental record called Return of Earslime, explains Hether. “I wanted to originally make a jazz guitar focused instrumental album but it turned into something strange as always and I can’t wait for you to hear it, it’s like holy waters Evil Twin without words. Great musicianship from many of my favorite musicians included here, grateful to put some new music into the world.“
Label: R&R Records
Release Date: Aug. 21, 2026
Gliiico — The Veil
Japanese trio of brothers Gliiico continues to blur the lines between indie rock, psychedelic pop, and electronic experimentation on their new album The Veil. The album is fun and at times feels otherworldly, with textured production and a sense of movement that keeps you guessing where each song is headed. There’s something delightfully weird about Gliiico’s sound — familiar enough to pull you in, but WTF enough to keep things interesting. The Veil is a great listen for anyone who likes music that is experimental, doused in indie pop, and totally unpredictable.
You can bop around to the jangly sounds of “Pea” or get your dose of throwback indie with “Gut” (sounds a lil Strokes-eque at times). But my favorite track has got to be the final song on the album, “Spot.” It’s psychedelic indie pop at its finest.
Label: Self-Released
Release Date: Aug. 14, 2026
Jungle — Sunshine
Jungle has a knack for making music full of insatiable grooves that feels instantly good. Their new album Sunshine is another beautifully polished dose of soul, funk, disco, and electronic pop. But this time around, the London trio lean into their signature grooves while keeping things a little brighter and harmony-forward. There’s a nostalgic quality to the record, as heard on “Carry On.” Lydia Kitto’s vocals are sweet as ever, with Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland’s production giving off those 70s Topanga Canyon folk vibes but with a classic soul sound. It’s a sweet and breezy ditty, not a groovy dancefloor shaker.
Of the album, Jungle said, “For us, Sunshine isn’t about weather or seasons. It’s a feeling. It’s a place you carry around in your mind. Somewhere you imagine when you’re looking towards better days. It represents light, vibration and energy. It doesn’t tell you how to feel, it simply exists. Once we realised that, it naturally became the title of both the song and the album.”
It’s the kind of album that can soundtrack a chill afternoon cleaning your house, just as easily as a late-night afters.
RELATED: See Photos From The First Time We Covered Jungle Live in 2015
Label: AWAL
Release Date: Aug. 14, 2026
Open Mike Eagle with Kenny Segal — Dommed
Open Mike Eagle teams up with Kenny Segal on their new album titled Dommed. Another personal collection of hip-hop tracks with slick production from Segal. Eagle has always had a way of turning everyday anxieties, awkward moments, and observations about life into something that cracks you up, but also makes you think and be all introspective and sh*t.
Dommed continues with that conscious style and delivery. Segal’s production feels like a fever dream, full of funky grooves, slow beats, and dreamlike electronic sounds and synths. Altogether, the album, like much of Eagle’s work, takes me back to the sounds of 90s experimental hip hop, which is my favorite era of hip hop. Tracks like “She Swear I’m Colorblind” feat. billy woods and some velvety flows from Gothic Tropic, really takes it back to that day. They don’t make it like they used to, but Open Mike Eagle has always had that ethos of conscious lyrics, cool samples, and groovy production.
“In recent years, Kenny made it very clear that he wasn’t trying to keep having one or two beats on my projects; he wanted to build something,” Open Mike Eagle explains. “I was able to convince him to let me use a couple beats for Neighborhood Gods Unlimited with the caveat that we would focus on our thing next. Then my relationship fell apart right when we started working, and it was like, ‘Perfect, I have a lot to say about this.’”
Label: Auto Reverse Records
Release Date: Aug. 14, 2026
Sweeping Promises — You Say I Romanticize
Sweeping Promises return with You Say I Romanticize, a sharp, restless new album that finds the duo continuing to make post-punk feel fresh and urgent. The songs are fiery in true punk spirit, driven by punchy bass lines, angular guitars, and Lira’s unmistakable vocals. There’s plenty of tension in these songs, but also a melodic sensibility that makes them immediately addictive. If you love post-punk with a little nostalgia, attitude, and art-school weirdness, this one belongs in your rotation.
“Shooting Shadows” is a banger and takes me back to my high school punk rock days, when we used to have backyard shows when my parents were out of town. And “Does He Want To Be The Weatherman?” has all the 70s pop-punk tones à la Blondie and The Runaways. Truly makes my heart sing. Excellent album.
Label: Feel It Records
Release Date: Aug. 14, 2026
Lucy Frost — Vitamins
There’s an intimate, slightly off-kilter charm running through Lucy Frost’s Vitamins that makes the album feel so natural, almost conversational. With lyrics that tell personal stories like pages out of a diary, Frost blends indie pop with softer, more experimental textures, creating songs that feel personal without becoming overly precious.
Songs like “Morphine” are fittingly addicting, as is the track “Lead Paint,” while more stripped-down ballads such as “Slip” build with beautiful crescendos that hold on to your heart and never let go.
Vitamins is a record with plenty of little details to uncover, the kind that gets better the more time you spend with it. Fans of 90s female-led alt rock and indie pop, you especially need to press play on this album.
Label: Self-Released
Release Date: Aug. 14, 2026
ARTISTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
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Other Albums Released in August We Enjoyed
Erykah Badu and The Alchemist — Before the World Blows
James The Fifth — Science
The Linda Lindas — Gotta Get Out
Mike D — Thank You
No Skips: The Best New Albums You Need to Hear in August (Part 1)
