Happy New Music Friday!
This week, NMF falls on the last day of July, which inspires thoughts of summer hitting its peak before shuffling out of the way for fall.
Before that, however, some great artists are dropping a few songs that are sure to continue enhancing what we have left of these warm, sunny days. Check em out!
“World Alone” by Tony Iommi
Heavy metal godfather Tony Iommi has been hard at work on a new solo record, From The Dark. This week, we get our first taste of the project in the form of “World Alone”, the first single.
The song is magnificently heavy, with a satisfyingly head-banging riff. I also can’t forget to shout out Norwegian rock singer Jørn Lande (Ark, Masterplan), who holds down the vocals with some real power.
Iommi is out here proving that he is still the f**king king.
“Date Night” By Tom Morello
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has announced his first-ever solo rock record, Everyone Gets Everything They Want. To herald it, the iconic axeman has released a new single, “Date Night”.
The track is a fast-tempo prog-rock tune that somehow feels like a fresh direction and also quintessentially Morello. It’s evolutionary, with Morello’s musical DNA running throughout.
“Made For You” by Scarlet House
Shoegaze virtuoso Scarlet House has a brand new album on the way, and this week he dropped the new single, “Made For You”.
The track starts as a slow, stripped-down dream-pop ballad. Eventually it builds from an ethereal serenade into a sense-engulfing full band crescendo; loud and full of desperation.
Scarlet House literally never misses. Look for the new album, Angels, out everywhere Aug. 28, 2026.
“Home” by The Skints
Longtime regge-punkers The Skints are back this week with a new tune, “Home”.
The English alt-rock band has crafted something spectacularly theatrical with this one. It’s playful, but heavy, with a driving guitar riff and killer finale. The vibe is immaculate.
The Skints will release their new album, Sour Tooth, in October 2026.
“Backroads” by RYMAN
Closing out the list this week is RYMAN, a young singer-songwriter from Nashville.
For years, RYMAN has been making a name for himself in Music City and beyond. This week, he released his debut album, Growing Pains. The whole project is an alt-folk tour de force that feels inspired by the best of the Beatles and The Decemberists. Along with the new record, he’s also dropped a clip for the song “Backroads”, which you can see above.
The whole record, though, is full of an honesty and self-awareness that Nashville’s core country music industry abandoned long ago. All that to say, this is a sincere and refreshing expression of Americana art from a 20-something artist who I firmly believe we haven’t yet seen the best of.
Photo by Ross Halfin
The post New Music Friday: 5 Songs You Need to Hear This Week (7/31) appeared first on VICE.
