The Swim Team’s Favorites of August 2026

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There’s new music coming out constantly, and oftentimes it can feel hard to keep up. Part of this is the constant swirl of social media and how fast everything moves, but it’s also a byproduct of how streaming platforms like Spotify are set up. If you’ve ever found yourself surprised to learn that your favorite band released a new song months ago, that’s kind of by design. Maybe there’s a record that you had on repeat earlier in the year but were only reminded of its existence because you scrolled deep enough back in your own library. These services would much rather keep you in their playlists and algorithmically generated radio stations than have you seek something out and make an intentional choice about what you listen to. 

Once you factor in all the other forms of entertainment vying for your attention, it can feel like an insurmountable task trying to stay up to date with any of it. I don’t wanna be “old man yells at cloud,” but part of me can’t help but think it was better when you’d get a CD or buy an album on iTunes and listen to it for weeks at a time. 

While most of us here at Swim Into The Sound spend a fair amount of time returning to old faves and digging into backlog blind spots, we’re also music nerds who love keeping up with the latest stuff and getting into needless debates over the buzzy band of the moment. Each month, The Swim Team will round up our favorite albums and songs in hopes of helping you keep up to date, see what you may have missed, or find something new you might love. 

If you find yourself wishing “I wish I were better at keeping up with new music,” this list is for you. If you find yourself overwhelmed when you open up your streaming service of choice, this list is for you. If you find yourself valuing actual human recommendations over whatever the streaming powers that be have elevated to the top, this list is for you. Fuck your algorithm, find something new. 

Records We Dug

  • Ada Lea - the end is a wave

  • Alabama Shakes - I Must Be Dreaming

  • Asher White - Love Aggregates

  • Attic Abasement - Moonlight Passes On (Braden’s Pick)

  • better living. - fix your heart

  • The Bird Calls - Take Leave 

  • Brennan Wedl - Brennan Wedl

  • Citizen - Halcyon Blues

  • Cold Gawd - Glory2

  • Cottonwood Firing Squad - i can change if you want me to

  • Dinosaur Jr. - There Near 

  • Discontent – Poised For Human Emergence (Review)

  • Dogwood Tales - Every Star in Rockingham County

  • exciting!! excellent!!, Thanks! I Hate It - Excellent!! Thanks!

  • Fatboi Sharif, E L U C I D – Invasion Body Camera

  • god of war, TAGABOW - molly picture

  • Graham Hunt - American Pyramid 

  • Hazel English - Conversations (Brandon’s Pick)

  • Herr God - Something’s Out There

  • hey, nothing - Hound

  • Hovvdy - Big World

  • Initiate - With Love // With Rage (Britta’s Pick)

  • Jim James - Wowed Out

  • Julia Holter - Materia

  • King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Alien Metal

  • Kiwi Jr. - Blowin' Up

  • Lambchop - Punching the Clown (Taylor’s Pick)

  • LaterGator - Lawn Chair Sessions

  • L'Rain - fata morgana (J.P.’s Pick)

  • Melaina Kol - Okay that’s a great idea because if I do that then

  • The Mountain Goats - Days (Logan’s Pick)

  • Ok Cowgirl - Rhinestone Cowgirl

  • Open Mike Eagle & Kenny Segal – DOOMED!

  • Phoebe Bridgers - Lost Weekend

  • Prairie Princess - Jewish American Prairie Princess

  • Public Opinion - The Curse of Public Opinion

  • Ravyn Blue - Blue Island

  • Russian Circles - Nine

  • Slow Fiction - dollhouse

  • Slow Joy - Esteban Flores

  • Soccer Mommy - For Young Hearts (10th Anniversary Edition)

  • Squirrel Flower - Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going (Review)

  • TTNG - Juggling Moves (Beginner)

  • Turnstile - NEVER ENOUGH: VERSIONS

  • Ty Segall - Chrome 

  • Um Jennifer? - Dirty Twice

  • Westside Cowboy - It Goes On 

  • Ween - Golden Wastes EP

  • Weezer - The Gold Album

  • Wild Pink - Still Coming Down (Review)

Songs We Loved

  • Anxious - “Don’t Move”

  • Babehoven - “Three Reds”

  • Caroline Rose - “Chow Mein”

  • Celebration Guns - “Maudolin”

  • Dazy - “Beat Change”

  • Fenne Lily - “Sleeping”

  • Frown Line - “Without You”

  • Grumpy - “OBL”

  • Herr God - “female author”

  • How Strange It Is - “Tough Luck”

  • Jess Williamson - “Tracking the Tropics”

  • Lande Hekt - “Circles”

  • Lily Seabird - “The Afterglow”

  • Limp Wizurdz - “Bad Credit”

  • Lucy Dacus - “Clay Pigeons”

  • Mother Of Graves - “Through The Pale Shade” (Review)

  • Pardoner - “Twisted”

  • Sadurn - “never tell me”

  • saoirse dream - “grimdark” 

  • Sharp Pins - “Love Without Her Love”

  • Slow Pulp - “Spill”

  • tenmonthsummer - “listening to kerosene heights makes me want to be a better person”

  • This Is Lorelei - “Oh No Now My”

  • Tiger Would! - “If This Doesn’t Kill Me Diet Coke Will”

  • Townies - “Wednesday”

  • Troye Sivan - “She’s the Best”

  • TRSH - “That Family Guy Song”

  • Wagging - “Empty as Sky”

  • Way Dynamic - “Officially”

  • wakelee - “Joyce Kilmer Service Area”

  • Weezer - “Say Yes”

  • Wishy - “Sensational”

  • Yazan - “Wet Painting”

  • 2nd Grade - “Anywhere Girls”