Stereogum — Four years ago, longtime Converge frontman Jacob Bannon introduced his new heavy music supergroup Umbra Vitae. The band also includes former Hatebreed guitar hero Sean Martin, who’s currently in Twitching Tongues, as well as a couple of members of the Red Chord and an ex-Job For A Cowboy drummer. Now, Umbra Vitae are getting ready to follow up their 2020 debut Shadow Of Life with the new album Light Of Death, and we’ve already posted the frantic lead single “Belief Is Obsolete.” Now, they’ve followed that one with a deeply heavy track. more info

Stereogum — Next week, Arab Strap are releasing a new album called I’m totally fine with it 👍 don’t give a fuck anymore 👍. They’ve shared “Strawberry Moon,” “Allatonceness,” and “Bliss” from it already, and today the Scottish crew are back with one last single, “You’re Not There,” which comes with a lyric video that illustrates the song’s conceit of sending texts to someone who has passed away. “It’s a very common part of the grief process now, and it can help the bereaved come to terms with their loss,” Aidan Moffat shared. “I love the idea that our phones can function as a kind of modern Ouija board – the difference of course being that most people aren’t expecting an answer.” Listen below. more info

Stereogum — The nominations for the 2024 Tony Awards have been announced, and the ’70s rock play Stereophonic and the Alicia Keys musical Hell’s Kitchen lead the pack with 13 nominations a piece. (Stereophonic set a record for the most nominations received by a play, though there have been musicals with more nominations — Hamilton received 16.) more info

Stereogum — “The Passenger” is one of those songs. To be able to sing “The Passenger” properly, you have to summon levels of intensity that few vocalists could even approach. Iggy Pop co-wrote and recorded the icy, anthemic original for his classic 1977 solo album Lust For Life. A decade later, Siouxsie And the Banshees recorded a version of the song, releasing it as a single from their 1987 covers album Through The Looking Glass. Now, Iggy Pop and Siouxsie Sioux, two of the most intense singers of all time, have recorded a new duet version of “The Passenger,” and it’s Siouxsie’s first new music in nine years. The twist: they did it for an ice cream ad. more info

Stereogum — Jon Hopkins has announced a new album, RITUAL, the English producer’s follow-up to 2021’s Music For Psychedelic Therapy . It’ll be released at the end of August. more info

Stereogum — Last year, Harmony Tividad — who makes music under her first name — shared the Dystopia Girl EP, after she and Avery Tucker announced the breakup of Girlpool in 2022. Today, she’s unveiling her new solo single, “Thot Daughter.” more info

Stereogum — Later this week, the great psychedelic folk singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt will release Here In The Pitch, her first new album in five years. You should be excited about that one; it’s really good. If you’ve been paying attention to the advance tracks, you’re probably already excited. We’ve posted the singles “Life Is” and “World On A String,” both of which are great. Now, Pratt has also dropped the album closer “The Last Year.” more info

Stereogum — Los Angeles indie harmonizers Local Natives have been a band since 2005, and they always come across as very close friends, so it’s a surprise whenever the band’s lineup changes. Bassist Andy Hamm left the band in 2011, and now they’re about to go through their first personnel change since then. Now, Local Natives have announced that Kelcey Ayer, a singer and multi-instrumentalist in the band ever since their origin, is leaving. more info