New Music Friday Indie Highlights
New Music Friday is here with new records from James Blake, Kim Gordon, and Sturgill Simpson (as a country-funk alter ego) [https://npr.org/2026/03/13/nx-s1-5745084/new-music-friday-best-albums-march-13-2026]. NPR's critics are calling them top picks, especially Simpson's reinvention. What does Sturgill Simpson's country-funk alter ego sound like?
James Blake's new album, "Trying Times," marks his independence after leaving Republic Records in 2024 and signing with Good Boy Records. Blake has been critical of the music industry, particularly streaming platforms like Spotify, for not adequately supporting artists. "Trying Times" is his seventh album and said to be his most honest work yet. Kim Gordon's "Play Me" is her third solo album and continues her collaboration with producer Justin Raisen. The album leans into hip-hop and trap influences, with glitchy beats and abrasive sounds. Gordon's lyrics address themes such as the billionaire class, the demolition of democracy, and the AI-fueled flattening of culture. Sturgill Simpson, as Johnny Blue Skies, is releasing "Mutiny After Midnight" exclusively in physical formats. Simpson describes the album as a "dance record" inspired by fusion-funk and Marvin Gaye. This album marks Simpson's return to Atlantic Records and is intended as a "protest against oppression and suppression" through "disco-hedonism".
