New Music Friday – September 19, 2025

September 19, 2025 Ben Pagani

This New Music Friday is a rocking one. So far, 2025 has been a newsworthy year for music. There’s many strong releases out now. Read on to see a full list of top picks from this week. First, here’s an in-depth look at a record that has fans buzzing.

The Best of New Music Friday:

Wednesday – Bleeds

Wednesday, led by Karly Hartzman and her band of Asheville, North Carolina all-stars, have released their latest guitar-forward and one-liner filled album. Bleeds, the first record from Wednesday in two years, arrives at a crucial time for the group. When the band released 2022’s Rat Saw God, they were well-known by a select niche crew of rock fans. That LP established Wednesday as a top act among younger listeners that keep up with music trends. Now, they are one of the most important alternative rock bands. Bleeds is the perfect record for capturing this moment; the one where Wednesday are in a league of their own. They are pioneers. This is what they sound like at the top of the “Appalachian” mountain.

Bleeds offers a chance for Wednesday to prove they are masters of their craft. On “Wound Up Here (By Holdin On),” the band begins with a brief headbanging guitar hook. Then Hartzman starts with her lyrics relatable to just about any American who went through the country’s education system and spent formative years in rural towns or suburbia.

“Scratch-off ticket for the education lottery, found him drowned in the creek, face was puffy // They hung his dirty jersey up in a trophy case, next to his girlfriend in a picture with a varsity face.” Hartzman has a strong ability to write words about a fictional tragedy and make them sound like something many people have experienced. The unfortunate passing of a student being honored with a memento in a high school is something lots of people have experienced, or at least can envision. “Started the highway, then ran out of money, so we meet up at the on-ramp, drink 20/20 //

Weeds grew into the springs of the trampoline, you saw a pitbull puppy pissin’ off a balcony,” she sings later on. This over the top lyric might be truth-stretched, but it is also something people who have lived or spent time in the United States’ Appalachian region like Hartzman can totally relate to.

The band also shared a song that would appear on any figurative “Wednesday Greatest Hits” album. “Elderberry Wine” was the lead single for Bleeds, and it is completely different from many of the songs Wednesday have used to promote their records in the past. Usually, their lead singles have been filled with their trademark screeching guitars. “Elderberry Wine” is a softer song, with sweet serenades and focus on Hartzman’s voice. This shows that while Wednesday are very much showcasing the best of their best on Bleeds, they are also expanding on their artistry and growing into a stronger and more dynamic act.

There’s plenty for fans to love here. The record opens with the loud banger “Reality TV Argument Bleeds” and perfectly transitions into a sweet bopper called “Townies.” The LP is filled with verses about smoking weed out of Pepsi cans and driving someone to the airport, all while the Murphy’s Law of making that trip with an e-brake on plays out. This is the ultimate Wednesday album, and it is one where they are both entirely themselves and even something greater.

New Music Friday Top Picks:

Atmosphere, Slug & Ant – Jestures [Rhymesayers Entertainment]

Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful (Deluxe) [Columbia]

Motion City Soundtrack – The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World [Epitaph]

Nation of Language – Dance Called Memory [Sub Pop]

Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Interscope]

Which of these tracks from New Music Friday will you add to your favorite playlists today? Any we missed? Let us know in the comments or on Instagram!

Author
Recent Posts

Ben Pagani

Music Projects Manager at Beyond The Stage Magazine

Ben is a music journalist living and working in Chicago. They joined Beyond The Stage as an intern and have stayed on the staff for several years. Now serving on the editorial board, Ben is proud to be BTS' Music Projects Manager, coordinating coverage between international record labels and our staff. Ben has interviewed, photographed and written about bands from across the world. Ben has lived all over the United States working in television and media. They are an Emmy Award-winning writer. Ben can be found spinning records as 'DJ Wearing Sunglasses' in clubs and basements across the US.