Funk & Soul

Dusted || The Best New Cover Songs Of July 2026

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop, Psych, Punk / Leave a Comment

Not all new music is really new, as many artists cover songs. Sometimes these are songs by their favorite artists, e.g. as a tribute to such a musical hero for a special reason, or they simply feel that a song deserves to be dusted and polished to reacquaint fans with great songs from the past. Other times, bands cover songs as a parody. Regardless of intent, some of those cover versions are so good or so much fun, we’d like to put a spotlight on them. Chosen from a wide range (only if supported by the artist, so no live videos filmed by the audience or anything like that), here are—in a kind of random order—a bunch of successful covers from last month.

I Fought The Law (The Crickets) by Park+Riot — digital track

Police On My Back (The Equals) by Parker Woodland — from Police On My Back: Singles Collection Vol. 1 EP (Flak Records)

Le Premier Bonheur du Jour (Françoise Hardy) by Fabienne Delsol — from Indigo Red LP (Damaged Goods Records)

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New album: Bywater Call || Broken Souvenirs

Heartfelt storytelling wrapped in powerful performances

By / / Blues & Roots, Funk & Soul / Leave a Comment

More than anything, Broken Souvenirs confirms that Bywater Call are at our service to make emotion feel tangible. The Toronto seven-piece capture their signature mix of Southern soul, blues, and roots rock into eleven warm, richly arranged songs where soaring horns, empathetic guitars, and Meghan Parnell’s commanding voice carry every note and word with conviction.

The band never loses sight of the human stories at its core; dedicated to two cherished lives lost, the album quietly reflects on grief, resilience and memory without becoming weighed down by them. Between the significance of heartbreak and the pull of hope lies the real magic: music performed with such honesty that it becomes both a refuge and a release.



Broken Souvenirs releases July 29 on CD and vinyl LP through Bywater Call Records / Continental Record Services.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Bywater Call || Discogs

New album: Jason Joshua || Terapia

Warm melodies and timeless grooves for matters of the heart

By / / Funk & Soul / Leave a Comment

Back on the blog after a much-needed break, I notice that Niek has been trying to scare you off with quite a bit of noise over the past three weeks (thanks bro!), so you’ll understand that I try to restore the balance somewhat with more smooth tunes. Also to hold onto my summery road trip feeling, Latin soul genius Jason Joshua is the perfect protagonist. Following 2023’s La Voz De Oro, the Miami-based singer-songwriter returns with Terapia, his third and most emotionally revealing record yet (hence the album title).

Rooted in real-life experiences, the eight songs trace the full arc of love (from infatuation and devotion to jealousy, heartbreak, and the hope of beginning again), presenting vulnerability as both the wound and the cure. That sensitive honesty is matched by the warm blend of soul, funk, and pop, with vibrant horn arrangements and those characteristic golden voice. Central masterpiece is Dedication Hour, written after the passing of Art Laboe, to bring back the spirit of radio to the people and the streets.



Terapia—written, produced, and mixed by Jason Joshua— is out digitally and on vinyl LP through Mango Hill Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Dusted || The Best New Cover Songs Of June 2026

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Power Pop, Psych, Punk / Leave a Comment

Not all new music is really new, as many artists cover songs. Sometimes these are songs by their favorite artists, e.g. as a tribute to such a musical hero for a special reason, or they simply feel that a song deserves to be dusted and polished to reacquaint fans with great songs from the past. Other times, bands cover songs as a parody. Regardless of intent, some of those cover versions are so good or so much fun, we’d like to put a spotlight on them. Chosen from a wide range (only if supported by the artist, so no live videos filmed by the audience or anything like that), here are—in a kind of random order—a bunch of successful covers from last month.

50 Ft (PJ Harvey) by The Bobby Lees — from New Self LP (Epitaph)

Foggy Notion (The Velvet Underground) by Bob Bert — from Beach Bongo Bloodbath (Bar/None Records)

Hotel California (Eagles) by Bandit Voyage — from Daddy Core EP

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New album: Ryan Pollie || Rolling In My Grave

Lo-fi textures, dub rhythms, and psychedelic detours prove unexpectedly addictive

By / / Funk & Soul, Indie Pop / Leave a Comment

Every now and then, a song slips through the cracks of your usual tastes and refuses to leave. For me, that song was Nights I Cried Alone, whose addictive charm deserves to be shared. It is one of the eight short tunes from Rolling In My Grave, the new album by Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Ryan Pollie, an artist constantly evolving, falling from one experiment into another. Via folky bedroom pop, he has now entered more adventurous waters, stitching together indie rock intensity, echoing dub, ambient textures, tape-warped production, and flashes of reggae into something that feels loose, soulful, and pleasantly strange.

The whole thing lasts less than nineteen minutes, yet we drift through dreamlike landscapes where fragile melodies and familiar sounds gently transform into something distinctive. You hear an unmistakable knack for warmth and atmosphere, but it is filtered through a more abstract lens, curious, intimate, and subtly psychedelic. The tracks may not trade in carefree summer clichés (just take a look at the album title), but few soundtracks feel more destined to accompany the season, at least for me.



Rolling In My Grave, mixed and mastered with Prince Fatty, is out digitally via New Jersey Wildlife.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Jeb Loy Nichols || You Know Where I Live

Thoughtful, beautifully crafted songs from a singular voice

By / / Country & Folk, Funk & Soul / Leave a Comment

On You Know Where I Live, US-raised/UK-based singer-songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols delivers one of the finest albums of his extensive career. Written from the perspective of life on his remote Welsh smallholding, these ten new country soul songs are intimate, reflective and deeply rooted in place, finding elegance in cold rain, records that he used to dance to, wooded hills, and everyday relationships.

Recorded with longtime collaborator Clovis Phillips, the record glows with a warm, unhurried sound inspired by early 1970s folk rock. Yet this is a unique release, thanks to that familiar, soothing voice—always reassuring and gratifying, even when the lyrics are limited to “Oh-la-la-la” as in the title track—which comes into its own particularly well over the thoughtful, soulful, and beautifully crafted arrangements.

It makes for the perfect soundtrack for a lazy summer day, but I bet it works just as well in the autumn.




You Know Where I Live—produced by Clovis Phillips—is out digitally and on vinyl LP. Featuring Jeb Loy Nichols (vocals, flute, guitar) and Clovis Phillips (guitars, bass, double bass, piano, keyboards, backing vocals, drums), with James Welch (organ) and Jack Gonsalez (piano) on select tracks.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: American Cream Band || Twin

Opposing forces meet in exhilarating harmony

By / / Funk & Soul, Psych / Leave a Comment

Saint Paul, Minnesota’s American Cream Band surprises with an inimitable mix of punk funk, art rock, mutant disco, new wave, kraut, noise, and psych. Their new album Twin thrives on tension and release, turning the idea of ​​duality into its guiding principle. Across an A-side built for movement and a more reflective B-side, contrasting female-male chants spark against a backdrop of repetition, groove, and invention.

The ten songs shift in tempo, between dancefloor momentum and hypnotic dreams, but always with an imaginative saxophone to keep listeners on their toes. Richly layered throughout, it turns friction and instability into something unexpectedly beautiful and exciting. It’s is an expansive vision that turns diversity into connection with heart, depth, and purpose.



Twin is out digitally and on vinyl LP through Quindi Records. Featuring Liz Buhmann (vocals, percussion, drum machine), Nathan Nelson (vocals,synths), Alex Meffert (sax), Andy Rockwood (guitars), Jesse Kwakenat (bass), Birdy (keys), Alex Achen (percussion, vocals), Mat Heinrich (drums), Adam Patterson (percussion, piano), Joe Berns (synths), Ivy W.W. (harmonies), Becca Andersen (harmonies), and Marissa Galan (harmonies).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Zuffalo || Flock of the Town

Psychedelic grooves for wandering hearts

By / / Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Psych / Leave a Comment

Flock of the Town, the third full-length album by Toronto eight-piece Zuffalo, comes across as a vibrant live show full of magical spirit and playful fun. Its eleven original songs are bursting with funky basslines, soulful keys, warm harmonies, and exploratory guitar work, drawing from psychedelic rock, retro soul, and rootsy jam-band traditions—a unique combination, grooving and colorful.

Tight songwriting explores the tension between modern anxieties and the desire to break free from them, whether through self-discovery, human connection, or simply stepping outside the daily grind. Nevertheless, an optimistic thread of growth prevails, reminding us that even in uncertain times we can embrace life’s strange beauty: “You’re either stuck in a bird cage or you’re flying// Into the morning light.”

Even more striking are the sun-drenched melodies, commanding vocals, and spacious production that lift the whole record into an effortlessly good mood. It’s on the two longest cuts, Tension (06:47) and Bloom (07:21), that this amazing band really stretches out and shows the full depth of what they are capable of.



Flock of the Town—produced by Mackenzie Jordan and Zuffalo—is out digitally, on CD and vinyl LP (self-released). Featuring Kim Manning )piano, rhodes, organ, vocals), Mikey Vukovich (bass, guitar, vocals), Mackenzie Jordan (guitar, backing vocals), Sean Steele (guitar, vocals), David Celia (guitar), Daniel Honsberger (guitar), Steve Lavery (synth, organ), and Eric Vanier (drums).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Dusted || The Best New Cover Songs Of May 2026

By / / Alternative Rock, Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop, Psych, Punk, Surf / Leave a Comment

Not all new music is really new, as many artists cover songs. Sometimes these are songs by their favorite artists, e.g. as a tribute to such a musical hero for a special reason, or they simply feel that a song deserves to be dusted and polished to reacquaint fans with great songs from the past. Other times, bands cover songs as a parody. Regardless of intent, some of those cover versions are so good or so much fun, we’d like to put a spotlight on them. Chosen from a wide range, here are—in a kind of random order—a bunch of successful covers from last month—links to pages where you can add them to your wantlist included.

The compilation Where The Willow And The Dogwood Grow – Words And Music By Tom Waits And Kathleen Brennan was probably the biggest cover release of this period, but we are leaving it out of this overview due to its longer-existing inclusions—there is more than enough brand-new material to choose from.

I’m A Man (The Spencer Davis Group) by Datura4 — from I’m A Man 7″ (Rogue Records)

Song 2 (Blur) by Monk — from No Gods EP (Dine Alone Records)

I’m Waiting For The Man (The Velvet Underground) by The Routes — from Play 10″ [Chaputa! Records / Ghost Highway Recordings]

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The Loose Ends || May 2026

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Power Pop, Psych, Punk, Surf / Leave a Comment

There are more wantlist-worthy releases than time to cover them all. Starting this year, Loose Ends is our monthly fix for the great records that slipped through the cracks. Expect a key track and quick take on each release (40+ this month!), and a link to add it to your shelves.

Above Me || Soften The Blows
Debut LP on Dandy Boy Records from this non average dream pop project by Rick Altieri (Blue Ocean, Aluminum).

Big Nothing || Big Nothing
The third album from this indie punk/alt country/guitar pop/classic rock a-bit-of-everything band from Philadelphia just dropped their third album (with a new lineup) on Dead Broke Records. It is another fine slice of warmblooded, bighearted basement pop.

Blitzer || The New Conspiracy
Ten fierce blasts of post-punk on this exciting debut LP from Berlin trio Blitzer. Urgent, tense, and full of forward momentum. Out now through Mangel Records.


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