New Music Friday: 13th Floor New Album Picks (and More!): January 23, 2026
New Music Friday returns to The 13th Floor. And January 23rd is looking and sounding good with new albums by Lucinda Williams, The Damned, Sunset Tsunami and more!
And…there’s a new episode of our Podcast: Sound Thinking with Graham Reid and Marty Duda…details below:
Here are our picks for the five albums that deserve your undivided attention on this New Music Friday:
- Lucinda Williams – World’s Gone Wrong (Highway 20) Lucinda is back with a vengeance! on this, her 18th studio album, Lucinda taps into the fear and loathing that is all around her and comes out rocking. Aided by the twin guitar attack of Doug Pettibone and Marc Ford, Williams has never sounded more inspired or more passionate. She’s got plenty to say and Mavis Staples and Norah Jones sit in to help her say it…not that she needs any help. Already one of the year’s best. Click here to read the 13th Floor album review.
2. Sophie Gault – Unhinged (Torrez Music) This could almost be considered the companion piece to Lucinda’s new album. Sophie is a Nashville-based artist who rocks hard through this collection of covers and originals. Her version of Robert Johnson’s Stop Breaking Down was the catalyst for her coming Unhinged. Click here to watch The 13th Floor MusicTalk Interview to hear the whole story. Then crank up the stereo and get Unhinged yourself!
3. The Damned – Not Like Everybody Else (earMUSIC) The first-generation punk rocker pay tribute to their fallen guitar player Brian James who passed away last March by play a bunch of their old favourites from the 60s! Hear Captain Sensible, Dave Vanian, Rat Scabies and Paul Gray take on classics like See Emily Play, Summer In The City and I’m Not Like Everybody Else. Click here to read the 13th Floor Album Review. Not Like Everybody Else marks the first time in 40 years that Rat Scabies has returned to the studio with the band.
4. Sunset Tsunami – Dub Till Dawn (Loop Recordings) The Kiwi-UK duo is Marcus ‘Sideways’ Fletcher, originally from London, and Chuck ‘Buckwheat’ Davidson, from South Auckland. Together they draw from classic dub foundations and the cinematic, groove-led lineage of contemporaries such as Thievery Corporation and Nightmares On Wax. Sunset Tsunami say: “Dub Till Dawn is about staying in the moment and letting the tracks develop naturally. We wanted the music to feel loose but still grounded, with enough weight to work on a system.” Click here to read the 13th Floor Album Review.
5. Dead Dads Club – Dead Dads Club (Universal) Former Palma Violets frontman Chilli Jesson is now Dead Dads Club…named for his emotional journey following the death of his father when he was 14. Chilli has commented, stating, “There may be many conflicting ideas on whether there is a set path through life, but the only true preordained path is death, which is certain. There is great liberation in accepting the chaos of every day.” Click here to read the 13th Floor Album Review.
Also out today…a new episode of Sound Thinking with Graham Reid & Marty Duda
This week the podcast features reviews of Lucinda Williams, Sunday Mourners, Stewart Copeland, Six60, Madison Beer, The Damned and more! Find and follow where all good podcasts are found. Or: Click here!
Coming up on The 13th Floor:
Album Reviews: Yumi Zouma, Planet Hunter, You, Me & Everything
Interviews: Muroki, Natalie Del Carmen, Dani Larkin
Concert Reviews: Pan Amsterdam, Wheatus and Iggy Pop & Joan Jett
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
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