Eau Claire-ish collective Big Red Machine are back with new music. We also discover England's Wet Leg, Ireland's Inhaler, and the solo work of Brazil's Rodrigo Amarante. Plus, we check out the latest from Minneapolis's Miloe and Duluth's Low.

Big Red Machine, "Latter Days (Feat. Anaïs Mitchell)"

Big Red Machine is a project that grew out of an appreciation for giving artists time and space to collaborate and see what happens. Led by Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) and Aaron Dessner (of The National), the project with indie roots gained some serious attention after their collaborations with Taylor Swift on her most recent two albums. The collective is back with a new album, How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?, which comes out Aug. 27. And yes, Swift will be involved on a track, and there are also features from Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes), Sharon Van Etten, Sean Carey (who was a member of Bon Iver, too), and Bryce Dessner. This track, "Latter Days," features Anaïs Mitchell fresh off her Tony-winning musical Hadestown. It's a sweeping and dramatic song that manages to feel intimate, with gorgeous harmonies from Mitchell and Vernon.

Miloe, "SOLO"

The Minneapolis-based artist, Miloe, was born and spent his first 8 years in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and on his first single since his Greenhouse EP from 2020, he's celebrating the Congolese Independence Day and Black Music Month. "SOLO" is a cover originally written and recorded by Congolese/Belgian artist Lous and The Yakuza. Miloe said that the lyrics that resonated with him the most are:

Se battre jusqu'à la meurtre (eh)
Parce qu'on a trop fierté
[We fight to the death / Because we have too much pride]

"Despite what we face, we are not defined in our trauma," Miloe explained. "There is so much pride and love for our culture and our people, which will always fuel us in the fight for our humanity."

Wet Leg, "Chaise Longue"

An eclectic new group from the Isle of Wight, Wet Leg claim influences from French disco to Björk and add in their own off-kilter brand of tongue-in-cheek humor. The band seem to be working on their debut record at the moment, so all we have from them is the delightful single, "Chaise Longue." Hilariously dirty lyrics are delivered with a stoic wide-eyed detachment above a driving bassline and understated drums.

Inhaler, "It Won't Always Be Like This"

The Dublin band make music that you want to crank up, music that is destined to fill stadiums. I'll start off addressing the elephant in the room, being that lead singer Eli's dad is Bono (yes, that Bono), but as Eli said himself, "I always say to the lads, if I was another dude, and I heard that Bono's son was in a band, I would just want them to be crap… I don't blame anyone who does think that, either — and it drives us to prove ourselves." Their debut album, It Won't Always Be Like This, is out July 9, and their title track is getting comparisons to bands like The Cure.

Low, "Days Like These"

Duluth husband-and-wife duo, Low, are releasing their 13th album in September, called Hey What. And according to a press release from Sub Pop Records, "The new album finds the group focusing on their craft, staying out of the fray, and holding fast their faith to find new ways to express the discord and delight of being alive, to turn the duality of existence into hymns we can share. These ten pieces — each built around their own instantaneous, undeniable hook — are turbocharged by the vivid textures that surround them." The new single is as wonderfully crunchy and discordant as you'd expect for Low; it leaves the listener with a slight unease and growing tension to balance out sweet harmonies.

Rodrigo Amarante, "Maré"

The Brazilian multi-instrumentalist and singer has performed with Los Hermanos and Little Joy, and he's written music for a number of film and TV projects, including the theme song for the TV show Narcos. Next month, Amarante will release Drama, his second album as a solo artist. There are plenty of nods to the Brazilian music he grow up with — but mixed with indie touches and some impressive whistling that would give Andrew Bird a run for his money.

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