New Music Friday: 8 new releases as holiday shopping begins (06 Nov 2026)

Posted November 6, 2026 9:00 am

3 min read

New Music Friday has about two more weeks in its standard form. Then we move to Black Friday, which will see plenty of special releases, reissues, and all kinds of Record Store Day exclusives. Beyond that, there will be a few stragglers before the recorded music industry enters its holiday season hibernation.

Singles

1. Arkells, Handshake Thugs (Universal)

This is a surprise, but Arkells like to drop new singles unexpectedly. This track isn’t from the album that came out in the spring nor do we have any indication that there’s an imminent new album. But never underestimate this band. They are always working on something, And the fact that the release of the song came out the same week as the American midterm elections was definitely not a coincidence.

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2. Cage the Elephant, Make It Easy (Big Loud Rock)

Another surprise of sorts. Cage the Elephant has dropped this single to announce their new album, Dying in Reverse, which is due February 4. They chose to debut this song on Jimmy Kimmel this past week. The new album sounds interesting because it features a number of interesting collaborators help them create what they call their garage rock album.

Albums

1. Bryan Adams, How’s It Goin’ (BAD Records)

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This might be the most Canadian album of the year. Adams’ 17th record is essentially a love letter to the country with songs like “The Ballad of Terry Fox” and the back-to-the-80s sound of “51st State” and “Lake Ontario.” This is just what we need as a nation.

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2. Asia, Indigo (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

I really should have been paying attention, This is the same Asia that had some major success as a proggy-type supergroup in the early 80s who are now up to 14 albums. The lineup is completely different from those early days. Greg Lake passed away as did instrumentalist John Wetton, some of his song ended up on this record. Asia now consists of keyboardist Geoff Downes, drummer Virgil Donati, guitarist John Mitchell and singer-bassist Harry Whitley. Guests include drummer Mike Portnoy and Yes guitarist Steve Howe,

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3. Django Django, Doveland (Clouds Hill)

Need some artsy rock this weekend? London’s Django Django is here to help with their sixth album. Its title comes from an urban legend about a town called “Doveland” that doesn’t appear on any map although many people claim to have lived there.

4. Kings of Leon, Oh My Beloved (Love Top Records/Virgin)

This is the 10th KoL album, and yes, like most (all?) of the others, it comes with a five syllable title. This one is a little more stripped down than usual with themes of family, introspection, and reflection.

5. Prong, Prong (Napalm)

Now for some NYC. After 13 albums, Prong has decided to have a self-titled album. Helpful tip: The CD version of the album features two bonus tracks including–wait for it–a cover of Banamarama’s Cruel Summer. That’s enough for me to shell out the bucks for it.

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6. Royal Blood, Dead Company (Warner)

Royal Blood has been promoting this album with advance singles and performances of new songs for months. Now it’s finally here. The record is self-produced with Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher describing the record as “relentless” and “brutal,” running a tight 32 minutes and 45 seconds. Bring it on.

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