Created during the artist’s move across the globe, Describing the Thing by Shane Aspergen is an atmospheric ambient project that aims to decipher the indescribable with a focus on communication that transcends the sometimes limiting bounds of spoken word.

Matching a bedroom pop, folksy dream pop sound with lyrics absolutely dripping in melancholy and nostalgia, Catbells uses its acoustic guitars and reverb-laden vocals to hit an emotional vein located somewhere between Eliott Smith and Nico.

On the new record CYRM by ØXN, centuries-old Celtic folk music is woven together with contemporary compositions and steeped in an ominous atmosphere to deliver one of the most poignant albums of the year.

Dey struggles to court her avatar, propositioning this perfect being to fuse with her, which would tarnish the digital purity of the hero girl to allow Dey to reach an awkward, halfway self-actualization.

This vocal style, combined with the band’s reliance upon lo-fi synth instruments that almost calls back to the sound of Daniel Johnston, creates a homespun sound with endless charm and personality.

Somewhere in the pitch-black abyss between darkwave and cool jazz, The Lovecraft Sextet explores new frontiers of experimentation on their new release The Horror Cosmic.

Appalachian-inspired folk metal is having its moment, and the new record Fall's Resplendence by Robes of Snow is one example of how atmospheric black metal and traditional Appalachian music are a perfect match made in the holler.

This week was fairly quiet on the major label release side, with the new Taylor’s version and all. However, the indie circuit had plenty in store for us!

On Montreal-based mathy art punk band Nushu’s new self-titled record, the connection between mind and body inspires a sound that remains cerebrally intensive, despite each song making perfect intuitive sense subconsciously.

At Outside Noise, we listen to all of the underground metal that comes out every week and pick our favorite records. This metal roundup has a little something for everybody, from technical death metal to blackened speed metal to crossover thrash, so let’s jump right in!

Driven by angular riffs and energetic percussion, this exemplary blackened hardcore project plays with tempo as it veers from speedy to sluggish and back again over a concise 10-minute run.

From experimental indietronica to one of the strangest disco records of all time, this week had a lot to offer for the dance floor! Check out some of the best underground dance releases of the week with us!

Existing somewhere between ambient pop, baroque pop, and art pop, this lush yet minimal album is a must-listen for fans of Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins, and Julee Cruise.

NYC experimental punk group Cronies candidly explores this struggle in their new release L1V3 S1CK0 L0V3 F3ST, a relentlessly high energy yet vulnerable noise punk project that toes the line between resistance and resignation.

In our humanist era, witnessing someone prostrate themselves so completely before God inspires emotions that many of us have never felt before. SAVED! By Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter will go down in history as one of the great religious testaments of our time.

Whether you come for the clicky, crunchy percussion and groovy post-funk sound, or for the quirky storytelling, 12 Shots of Nature demands attention from all of the senses.

With strong influences from Norwegian folk music, Mytevegar by Karl Seglem is a collection of progressive folk jazz that evokes these early customs through traditional instrumentation and spoken word.

Oftentimes, r&b strays so far from its jazz roots as to make the connection between the two somewhat difficult to see, but Stop Calling Me by Blaque Dynamite rekindles the abrasive jazz flame deep within r&b.

Even reading the lyric sheet with no audio will draw you into the darkest places within yourself, so the addition of the band’s raw yet thoughtful sound that rises and falls with every contour of the poetry all but forces you face-to-face with an incredibly honest mental mirror.

The internet generated tons of hype for a few of the more popular records that came out this week. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we here at Outside Noise were fawning over them. Read our thoughts below!