Where Do You Find Out About New Music in 2026?
- Blair Morgan
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
Like many things the modern music world has become fragmented . In 2026, there’s no single place that tells you everything. Instead, staying in sync with new releases, emerging artists, deeper context, and the things you somehow missed is about building your own ecosystem of trusted voices.
What follows isn’t an attempt to be comprehensive. It’s simply a snapshot of where I go to stay connected to music that matters - trends, news, history, and thoughtful conversation and why these platforms still cut through the noise.
Boston Uncommon Radio (WERS)
I first stumbled across WERS in 2022 while visiting friends in Boston. It was just on in the background ( the way the best radio discoveries often are ) but it immediately stopped me in my tracks. The playlist was eclectic without being random and felt alive.
That impression has only deepened with time. An added bonus, especially from Aotearoa, is the New Music Hour at 9pm Boston time (1pm NZ time) a perfect window to drop into something genuinely current while the day is still unfolding here. Many of my end-of-year favourites have come directly from listening to WERS over the past few years: Matt Nathanson, Josh Ritter, Wet Leg, Dry Cleaning, Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Mt Joy to name a few, all first crossed my radar this way.
In an age where discovery is often passive and automated, WERS still rewards active listening.
Highly recommended ! (and download the WERS App)
Sound Opinions
Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot continue to prove that music criticism doesn’t have to be cynical or click-driven. Kot, formerly of the Chicago Tribune, and DeRogatis ( journalist, author, and lecturer ) bring decades of reporting, criticism, and cultural literacy to the table.
Sound Opinions balances reviews, music history, and interviews with a deep respect for the craft of music‑making. One of its great strengths is context: how new releases sit within a longer cultural and musical arc, rather than existing as disposable content in a release‑day churn.
Beyond the main show, they also offer a longer‑form extended edition via Patreon for subscribers who want deeper dives and unhurried discussion. At the other end of the spectrum, their short Buried Treasure episodes , centred on a single song, are concise, generous reminders of how one great track can still stop you in your tracks.
Bob Lefsetz – Going Deeper
Bob Lefsetz is best known for the Lefsetz Letter - an uncompromising mailing list that has been landing in inboxes for decades. Written from Los Angeles, often multiple times a day, it’s part commentary, part provocation, part industry reality check. Many influential figures in music read it closely, even when they claim not to.
An ex–entertainment lawyer, Lefsetz brings a sharp understanding of the business side of music, but what keeps the Letter compelling is its willingness to publish reader responses. The mailbag frequently running long and unfiltered turns the monologue into a conversation, revealing how artists, executives, and listeners are really thinking.
His podcast interviews extend that same ethos into long-form audio. Guests are given time and space to talk ,about careers, mistakes, success, failure, and survival , without the constraints of press cycles or promotional soundbites. These conversations aren’t always comfortable, but they’re always illuminating.
The Working Songwriter Podcast
Joe Pug first came onto my radar in 2019 with the release of his excellent album Flood in Color. He toured New Zealand soon after - a show I somehow managed to miss, and still regret. Musically, he openly channels John Hiatt (who has since appeared as a guest on Pug’s Working Songwriter podcast), and that lineage makes a lot of sense once you hear him talk about craft and process.
The podcast offers one of the clearest musician-to-musician perspectives out there. Conversations focus on songwriting, the realities of touring, creative doubt, and how to sustain a career over time. If you’re interested in how music is actually made, and how careers are maintained rather than simply marketed, this is consistently rewarding listening.
If I could offer Joe one small piece of advice, it would be this: drop in the occasional moment of humour. A laugh, now and then, always helps! particularly in these times.
Jokermen Podcast
Speaking of laughter, Ian and Evan from Jokermen are the real deal. They pepper deep conversations about Bob, Van, Lou, Warren, John Cale, and Randy Newman with self-deprecating, lightly cynical humour that never undermines the seriousness of their listening. Amid these career-spanning retrospectives and not forgetting their long-running devotion to Brian Wilson, alongside their favourite “villain”, Mike Love (!) they also regularly invite current artists onto the show to talk about new releases. This is slow listening in podcast form: less about breaking news, more about understanding why certain music endures.
The Times (London)
Yes, it’s behind a paywall however it’s still one of the few mainstream publications consistently investing in serious music journalism. Interviews tend to be well-edited, informed, and aimed at readers who want more than surface-level hype. Reviews are balanced and informative .
Morning Becomes Eclectic @KCRW
Around a decade ago Morning Becomes Eclectic was once a daily ritual (including video sessions of artists passing through LA that would call into the studio and play live) a reminder that adventurous, expertly curated radio could still reach a wide audience. While its influence has shifted over time, it helped set a template that many community and college stations continue to uphold.
Artist Spotlight - Plains Media
Artist Spotlight on Plains Media is a reminder of just how vital local, community-focused radio still is. Based out of the Ara Institute in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Plains Media operates firmly in the campus radio tradition , generous to both new and established local artists, and deeply embedded in its community.
The format is deliberately simple: brief, twice-weekly, bite-sized interviews designed to spotlight and support a new release. There’s no hype, no overproduction , just musicians talking about their work in a way that feels human and accessible.
I’ve been fortunate to appear on Artist Spotlight twice over the past year, and one very pleasing spin-off has been our own show, The Real Americana with Louise & Blair. As a platform for local voices and perspectives, this is real, old-school community radio and long may it continue.
What We’ve Lost Along the Way
It’s also worth acknowledging what used to matter more. AllMusic, once an indispensable reference point, has been pared right back , with most journalists let go , leaving it useful for basic credits, but no longer a place of genuine discovery. Similarly, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, once cultural touchstones, have become shadows of their former selves, diluted by scale, branding, and the relentless pursuit of whatever happens to generate clicks.
At the same time, many seasoned journalists have taken matters into their own hands, establishing Substack newsletters or WordPress-based blogs. These independent voices can be excellent but they also add to the fragmentation. There’s more good writing than ever, yet it’s scattered across countless platforms, making it harder to keep up.
Build Your Own Map
In 2026, discovering new music isn’t about chasing everything. It’s about finding a small number of voices you trust, and letting them guide you toward things you might otherwise miss.
This list is my current map. Yours will almost certainly look different ... and that’s probably a good thing.
I’d love to hear where you’re finding new music. Drop me a note or share your own recommendations.
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