#NewMusicFriday: January 23, 2026

Each Friday, Stephen Mejias, AudioQuest’s Director of Communications and former Stereophile and Audiostream columnist, will browse through the many exciting albums released that day and select 15 worth a closer listen.

John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 5 (Tzadik)

Lucinda Williams: World’s Gone Wrong (Thirty Tigers)

Searows: Death in the Business of Whaling (Searows)

Julian Lage: Scenes From Above (Blue Note)

Cat Power: Redux (Domino Recording Co.)

PVA: No More Like This (PVA)

e.t.d.s.: A Mixtape by .IDK (.IDK)

Erik Hall: Solo Three (Western Vinyl)

Poppy: Empty Hands (Sumerian Records)

Shintaro Sakamoto: Yoo-hoo (Zelone Records)

K. Leimer: Weighted Room (Palace of Lights)

Christian Löffler: Until We Meet Again (Ki Records)

Alfredo Rodriguez: ¡Take Cover! (Take Cover Records)

Marty Ehrlich and Julius Hemphill: Circle the Heart (Relative Pitch Records)

Leonkoro Quartet: Out of Venice (Alpha Classics)