Fresh Picks

A collage of artworks from albums and singles in May of 2026. The background is a blurry photo of face with red lips. The clear version is at the center of the collage.

Music

Fresh Picks: Smoky cabaret, psych-cumbia, comrade country and Parliament in '76

The KAXE Music Team on new music from Sweet Megg, Mexican Institute of Sound and Meridian Brothers, Telehealth, Nathan Evans Fox, Mina Moore, Caroline Rose and Kara McKee. Plus Parliament in '76.

A group of white frames with artwork for albums and singles in them, all over a blurry blue sky and prairie background. In the top left is a yellow pyramid and two people playin guitar and drums. In the top middle is a blonde woman with red blouse and bandana. The top right is orange with two people surrounded by keyboards. The middle left is a woman with a blue painted face looking at the camera. The middle one has a white billboard with "FACE THE FEELING" in red letters. The middle right one has a yellow man riding a house with a red star on it. The bottom left is a woman with short hair and purple butterfly behind her. The bottom right has a blue tinged man with glasses and curly hair.

Music

Fresh Picks: Adulting, high-energy rap, Latin dance duo and Dolly in '76

Kari Hedlund, Malachy Koons, Dan Gannon

The KAXE Music Team on new music from Jobi Riccio, Genesis Owusu, Aldous Harding, Helado Tropical, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Angine de Poitrine and Brooklyn Funk Essentials. Our Pick from '76 is Dolly Parton's "All I Can Do."

Artwork for seven albums or singles in boxes of different sizes. In the biggest square, placed in the center of the image, is a black and white photo of a man in sunglasses singing into a microphone. There are two of the next biggest square, in the top left one is a black and yellow painting of a panther draped over a guitar, in the bottom right one is a red heart over a black background. In the next biggest square is a drawing of animals over a black background. In the three smallest squares, the top middle has a snowy village, the top right has a woman in a dress laying on her side, and the bottom middle has a painting of people sitting by a gas station.

Music

Fresh Picks: Sweaty soul, MN slowcore, Poet Laureate jazz, Queen in '76

Malachy Koons, Dan Gannon

The KAXE Music Team on new music from Brother Wallace, Willem Dafoe Fan Club, Joy Harjo, Oteil Burbridge & Lamar Williams Jr., Allison Russell, Lone Bellow and '76 Queen.

Music

Fresh Picks: Raw blues return, posthumous 'Scratch' Perry, roots reggae

Kari Hedlund, Malachy Koons, Dan Gannon

New music from The Black Keys, Kacey Musgraves, Mikaela Davis, Lee "Scratch" Perry & Mouse on Mars, White Fence, jeremy messersmith and Satya and a lookback at Burning Spear in '76.

Music

Fresh Picks: Trembling indie-rock, MN roots rocker, Giants (maybe?) return, Nyro smiles in '76

Malachy Koons, Dan Gannon, Heather Johnson, Andrew Dziengel, Jennifer Barr

The KAXE Music Team on new music from Friko, Joyann Parker, They Might Be Giants, Ana Tijoux, Swamp Dogg, and Rosali. Plus the Pick from '76 continues with Laura Nyro.

Artwork for eight albums and singles over a green blurred background.

Music

Fresh Picks: Carnival in Bahia, a junkyard in Duluth, Springsteen synthesized, '76 proto-punk

Kari Hedlund, Malachy Koons, Dan Gannon

The KAXE Music Team highlights new music from Jazz Is Dead, Junkyard Mule, Allison Russell, JJerome87, and Nation of Language. Plus our Pick from '76 is The Modern Lovers debut.

A collage of artwork for the new albums and singles.

Music

Fresh Picks: Community in the club, best of the desert, Tulsa sound of '76

Malachy Koons, Kari Hedlund, Dan Gannon

The KAXE Music Team shares new music from Arlo Parks, Bob Corritore, Joey Quiñones, Goodnight Moonshine, Feeding Leroy and Alabama Shakes. Plus, J.J. Cale's 1976 album Troubadour.

Music

Fresh Picks: Country soul, samba funk, alt-folk vignettes, Joan Armatrading in '76

The KAXE Music Team highlights music from Charley Crockett, Charlotte Cornfield, Jazz Is Dead, Jobi Riccio, Brother Wallace and Beth Orton. Plus, "Joan Armatrading" turns 50.

A collage of sqaures with artwork for 3 albums and 4 singles over a blurry black and white background. In the middle and largest square is black and white artwork of a woman with long hair. In a smaller square to the left is a green background with three emeralds. To the right is a blue and red frame of four people in black and white. In even smaller squares are the front of a post card, a group of musicians in a truck bed, a woman and a longhorned cow, and a woman kneeling against a black backdrop.

Music

Fresh Picks: Showstopping vocals, Rock 'n' Roll University, soul jazz, Bowie in '76

Malachy Koons, Dan Gannon, Andrew Dziengel

The KAXE Music Team highlights music from Makthaverskan, The Outfit, Parlor Greens, Kacey Musgraves, Kelsey Lu, John R. Miller and André Tanker. Plus 50 years of Bowie.

Music

Fresh Picks: Future soul, Afropop, timeless Americana, higher vibrations, martini music and more

Kari Hedlund, Malachy Koons, Andrew Dziengel

The KAXE Music Team highlights new releases from Tedeschi Trucks Band, Bill Callahan, Ireke, The Montvales, Irreversible Entanglements, Widowspeak, and Emanuela Hutter.