10 Albums to Look Forward to in September 2026

It’s been an outrageously stacked August, but September shows no signs of letting up, with releases from several No Ripcord favourites and some promising newcomers.

As ever, we couldn’t include everything, so honourable mentions will have to suffice for The Thermals, Beck, Kristin Hersh, Gilla Band, Adult DVD, Julia Jacklin, and M83.

4 September

Arab Strap – Half-Told Tales (Rock Action)
[Bandcamp] Alternative/Indie 🇬🇧

On their ninth album, Scottish duo Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton aim to deliver another unfiltered, thought-provoking set that will have you dancing one moment and sulking the next. “Glamour Magick,” which you can hear below, stands out for its rich and nuanced storytelling—delivered in their inimitable style. (JR)

Chat Pile – Who Loves the Sun (The Flenser)
[Bandcamp] Noise/Sludge Metal 🇺🇸

Having recently gone on a Helmet binge, I’ve been keen to dive into the Oklahoma City noise rockers’ own brand of raw, searing riffs. What first caught my attention about the advance singles from their third full-length album, the assuredly tongue-in-cheek Who Loves the Sun, is how strikingly tuneful they sound despite their pummelling intensity. For all its focus on societal apathy, the band counters it with passion and urgency of its own. (JR)

Lily Seabird – Lightspheres on Their Way (Lame-O)
[Bandcamp] Indie rock 🇺🇸

The third album in as many years from the Burlington, Vermont singer-songwriter is a compelling leap forward. Lightspheres effortlessly segues from fragile indie folk to effervescent indie rock, announcing Seabird as an artist to watch. “Election Day” is a riotous standout. (DC)

11 September

This Is Lorelei – The Singer in My Band (Matador)
[Bandcamp] Indie rock 🇺🇸

I know Juan is pretty excited about this one already, but as he’ll be reviewing it for the site, the task falls to me to hype it up. It’s not particularly hard to get excited about The Singer in My Band. Like Kai Slater of Sharp Pins and Lifeguard, Nate Amos (Water from Your Eyes) made the fatal error of eclipsing his main project with his side hustle. Nothing against WfYE, who are very decent, but Box for Buddy, Box for Star was the best thing Amos has touched and—whisper it—this promises to be even better. (DC)

The Tubs – Hard Life (Merge)
[Bandcamp] Jangle pop 🇬🇧

If there’s one band David and I consistently think falls short of its considerable potential, it’s The Tubs. Every new release from the Cardiff jangle pop quartet sends us rushing to our streaming platform of choice, wondering if this will be the one that finally wins our complete affection. On the strength of its first three singles, our expectations couldn’t be higher. (JR)

18 September

Carly Rae Jepsen – Day and Night (Interscope)
[Official Website] Pop 🇺🇸

Nearly two decades into her career, Carly Rae Jepsen has established herself as a top-tier pop artist unafraid to follow her own path. Her next step, a sprawling 24 track double album, is a characteristically bold choice. (DC)

Ezra Collective – Here Because of Hope (Partisan)
[Bandcamp] Jazz 🇬🇧

I was close to choosing Beck as my last pick, but readers, you already know what to expect whenever he gets back on ’70s singer-songwriter mode. So instead, I’m giving a deserved mention to Ezra Collective. The London Afrobeat jazz quartet has steadily raised their profile since the release of 2019’s You Can't Steal Me Joy, and on their third release for Partisan Records, they explore the way pain connects us, channeled through their joyously eclectic sound. (JR)

Slow Pulp – Melodie (Anti-)
[Bandcamp] Indie rock 🇺🇸

Melodie is the third full-length from Madison, Wisconsin’s Slow Pulp and the first project they’ve worked with an external producer on. Elliott Kozel is an interesting choice, having produced artists as diverse as ROSALÍA, Lizzo, and Yves Tumor. Judging by the early singles, the band are pursuing a more polished, pop-leaning version of their traditional atmospheric indie rock sound on Melodie. A bit like a Midwestern Wolf Alice, then. (DC)

25 September

Homework – Bang Here If Stuck (Meritorio)
[Bandcamp] Indie rock 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

As much as I love Pavement, I rarely find myself enjoying bands who are compared to Pavement. Homework are a notable exception. The Glaswegian quartet’s debut does remind me of the indie rock legends, but it is also a record firmly rooted in Glasgow. Seeing Urusei Yatsura’s name on the press release certainly got me excited and tracks like the knotty “ASAP” justify the comparison. (DC)

Protomartyr – Hotel Usona (Domino)
[Bandcamp] Post-punk 🇺🇸

There’s this long-running quip at No Ripcord HQ (not really, but if fifty thousand of you subscribe, we might acquire one) that Protomartyr has their own awards category for albums that consistently perform well on our year-end lists. The record speaks for itself—each of the Detroit mainstays’ albums since their 2014 LP, Under Color of Official Right, has placed in the top 15 of our year-end lists. Seven albums in, the band continues to push themselves with novel ideas—this time, each of the nine tracks represents a different terror that stains our modern life—that elevate their acerbic post-punk. I would also like to thank them for waiting to release it on my birthday. (JR)