The Swim Team’s Favorites of January 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

  • Arbor Labor Union - Out To Pasture

  • Blackwater Holylight - Not Here Not Gone (Review)

  • Bull Shannon - Stamina

  • Cassie Watson Francillon - Bardo 

  • The Cribs - Selling a Vibe

  • dogsneeze - DOGSNEEZE

  • Draag - Miracle Drug

  • Dry Cleaning - Secret Love (Review)

  • Dustbunny - Offerings For Weary Dogs

  • Euphoria Again, Dogwood Tales - Destination Heaven

  • Ferris Wheel Regulars - Back in the Jetstream (Review)

  • Frog Legs - Weed ‘em and Reap

  • Gavial - Thanks, I Hate It. (Doyle’s Pick) (Review)

  • Gluecifer - Same Drug, New High

  • Growing Stone - Ugly II

  • GUV - Blue Jade

  • heavensouls, Stickerbush - Darklight

  • Horse Rider - Take Me With You

  • I Promised The World - I Promised The World EP 

  • James McAlister - JM

  • Joe Harvey-Whyte, Geir Sundstøl - Langeleik 

  • Joyce Manor - I Used To Go To This Bar

  • Julianna Barwick, Mary Lattimore - Tragic Magic

  • Kerosene Heights - Kerosene Heights on Audiotree

  • Langkamer - No

  • Leisure Hour - …and to think

  • Lucinda Williams - World’s Gone Wrong

  • Megadeth - Megadeth

  • My Morning Jacket - Peacelands

  • Peaer - Dopplelgänger

  • Pelican - Ascending

  • Quiet Commotion - Spring (Britta’s Pick)

  • red sun - At Their Very Best

  • Shaking Hand - Shaking Hand

  • Victoryland - My Heart Is A Room With No Cameras In It (Elias's pick)

  • Woolbright - hellbent // heavensent

  • Winged Wheel - Desert So Green 

  • Wormy - Shark River (Review)

  • Xaviersobased - Xavier (Nick’s Pick)

Songs We Loved

  • Abacot - “One Way Street”

  • As Above - “Upside Down”

  • A$AP Rocky - “Helicopter”

  • Band of Horses - “(Biding Time Is a) Boat to Row”

  • Charlotte Cornfield - “Hurts Like Hell”

  • Choker - “Proof”

  • Dialup Ghost - “Soot Sprite” (Connor's Pick)

  • Euphoria Again, Dogwood Tales - “Albuquerque”

  • Footballhead - “Diversion”

  • Gladie - “Future Spring”

  • Horse Rider - “Red” (Taylor’s Pick)

  • I Promised The World - “Bliss In 7 Languages”

  • Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore - “Perpetual Adoration” 

  • Landed Hekt - “Favourite Pair of Shoes” (Elias's Pick)

  • Langkamer - “The Summer I Hit The Wall”

  • Mandy, Indiana - “Cursive” (Wes’ Pick)

  • Ratboys - “The World, So Madly”

  • Sweet Pill - “Glow”

  • Tigers Jaw - “Ghost”

  • Westside Cowboy - “Can’t See”

  • Wormy - “Cocaine Bear”