10 Albums to Look Forward to in June 2026

We’re firm believers that there’s no such thing as a bad month when it comes to new music. But there are definitely good months, and June promises to be one of them. We would like to acknowledge a few artists—Jared Mattson & Ruban Nielson, Of Montreal, Fucked Up, Mary Halvorson & Ambrose Akinmusire, and Graham Coxon—who didn’t quite make the cut but would have probably featured in a less stacked month. You’ll notice we left out The Strokes. If you’ve heard the AutoTuned disaster that is “Falling out of Love” you’ll understand that’s a deliberate omission.

As always, our comprehensive overview of upcoming releases has you covered:

Release Schedule

Our release schedule is a regularly updated guide to upcoming album and EP releases.

No RipcordNo Ripcord

5 June

Bedouine – Neon Summer Skin (Thirty Tigers)
[Bandcamp] Folk 🇸🇾/🇺🇸

The last we heard of Bedouine, the stage name of Azniv Korkejian, was in 2021 for the release of Waysides, which I reviewed for the site. Since then, Korkejian has kept busy, teaming up with household names like Hozier and Norah Jones. Inspired by a trip she took to visit her family in Saudi Arabia, her fourth full-length explores the connection between identity and family history and the complicated feelings that come with it. The elegant baroque piano pop of “Long Way to Fall” is a treasure, likely to appeal to fans (raises hand) of her 2019 release, Bird Songs of a Killjoy. (JR)

Death Cab For Cutie – I Built You a Tower (Anti-)
[Bandcamp] Indie rock 🇺🇸

I recognise the music fan who senselessly writes off established bands in their constant quest for the new, because I have been that fan before. It’s desperately limiting. There is a pleasure in seeing how an artist evolves, and as a 40-something critic, it can be fun to listen to something a little more relatable every once in a while. Death Cab For Cutie were one of the very first bands we interviewed at No Ripcord, and their early to mid-2000s run is very close to our hearts. As such, I’ll be giving I Built You a Tower the attention it deserves on a release day that also brings new records from Modest Mouse and Of Montreal. If my back eases up and I wear a baseball cap to hide my thinning dome, it’ll be just like I’m 20 all over again. (DC)

Modest Mouse – An Eraser And a Maze (Glacial Pace Recordings)
[Bandcamp] Indie rock 🇺🇸

There’s a part of me that refuses to believe that Modest Mouse is only releasing their 8th album, but here we are. The funny thing is that even frontperson Isaac Brock initially did not feel any urgency to revive the project, as he originally envisioned the new material as more fitting for his solo project, Ugly Casanova. He’s also added new members to the fold, three to be exact, contributing to the curious origins of An Eraser And a Maze. Regardless of how Brock got it made, the singles he’s released so far retain his idiosyncratic charm with a touch of vulnerability. And hey, they sound damn good on their own too. (JR)

Vince Staples – Cry Baby (Loma Vista)
[Official] Hip Hop 🇺🇸

It’s a new era for Vince Staples. After staying active with his comedy Netflix series, The Vince Staples Show, the Long Beach, CA artist is returning to his musical roots with his seventh studio album. While obviously a talented multi-hyphenate and, I might add, incredibly funny, it is encouraging to see him refocus on his music. Transitioning from Def Jam to his debut with Loma Vista, in partnership with his own label, Staples' latest should feature his usual genre-bending production and no-holds-barred political takes. (JR)

12 June

Olivia Rodrigo – you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love (Geffen)
[Official] Pop 🇺🇸

While there is a plentiful presence of ’90s-inspired pop artists, Olivia Rodrigo stands out as the most commercially successful. But that doesn’t make her any less worthy, as Rodrigo has managed to navigate the pains of adolescence and adulthood while remaining true to her personal identity, resonating with young—and old—audiences who’ve felt the same way. As she has grown over time, so has her refined musical taste, seemingly leaving behind the snotty pop punk of 2023’s GUTS—and, hopefully, the less-than-stellar ballads of albums past. If advance singles “drop dead” and “the cure” bring to mind singles by the Cure and Foo Fighters, respectively, then it’ll be fun to discover which influences shape the rest of the album. (JR)

19 June

Office Dog – Prime Corner (Flying Nun)
[Bandcamp] Indie rock 🇳🇿

Back in 2017, Juan interviewed Dunedin-born singer-songwriter Kane Strang just as his solo career was taking off. Since then, Strang has shifted his focus to Office Dog—a more traditional three-piece band project. Office Dog’s debut was well-received and if the early singles—think sharp indie rock anthems in the Flying Nun tradition—are anything to go by, Prime Corner could be even better. (DC)

Zoon – Happy Thought School (Paper Bag)
[Bandcamp] Shoegaze 🇨🇦

Toronto-based Anishinaabe musician Daniel Monkman, who records as Zoon, fuses traditional shoegaze textures with elements of traditional First Nation music in a style they’ve described as moccasin-gaze. Their last album, Bekka Ma’iingan, was one of the most invigorating releases to emerge from the shoegaze genre in the last decade, and given the interest in all things ’gazey, it’s frankly bizarre how overlooked that record was. Happy Thought School promises more of the same and that suits us just fine. (DC)

26 June

Beth Orton – The Ground Above (Partisan)
[Bandcamp] Folk/Electronica 🇬🇧

Following her revelatory 2022 full-length album, Weather Alive, Beth Orton continues to embrace the new chapter of her career with The Ground Above. Self-producing once again, the UK-based singer-songwriter aims to build upon her experimental art pop style with an extensive crew of collaborators. Her approach remains consistent with that of Weather Alive, sticking to the adage that it’s best not to tinker with a good thing. (JR)

Girl Trouble – As Is (K/Wig Out)
[Bandcamp] Garage rock 🇺🇸

Although Tacoma, Washington’s Girl Trouble formed in 1984, they’ve only released five albums prior to As Is–their first full-length since 2003. As such, they sound surprisingly hungry for a band of their vintage. The available tracks find the garage rock stalwarts revelling in a modern studio environment, as they search for the perfect example of their sound. “Make It Mine” and “Naming Names” suggest they might just have nailed the brief. Expect plenty of raucous beats, propulsive bass lines and grimy riffs. (DC)

Pearl & The Oysters – Monkey Mind (Stones Throw)
[Bandcamp] Indie pop 🇫🇷/🇺🇸

For our northern hemisphere readers at least, the summer is upon us and that means it’s time to consider squeezing a few more breezy jams onto our playlists. French-American duo Pearl & the Oysters always sound like a warm weather project, and their latest effort promises more sun-baked soft rock with flashes of jazz and dream-pop. Think Beach House if they actually lived up to their name. (DC)