Bigger and Better Than Ever - April 2026 Staff Picks
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell (2016)
Editor-in-Chief Cece Faulkner - Sufjan Stevens wrote this album about his childhood summers spent visiting his mother and stepfather in Eugene, OR. Eugene is my hometown, and I almost always come back to this album in the spring. My favorite song obviously has to be “Eugene”!!! Either that or the title track, “Carrie & Lowell.”
Underscores- fishmonger (2021)
Staff Writer Kira Imani Andrews - Personally, 'fishmonger' has always been a fun hyper-pop album I circle back to every once in a while. From it's infectious energy to Underscore's iconic and notable distorted synths, fishmonger is a record you can dance your heart to. In the words of one music industry professional, a great album is defined where a listener's "favorite song" changes everytime - and fishmonger embodies just that. P.S.: my favorite songs on this rotation are "Spoiled little brat" and "Your favorite sidekick (feat. 8485). Your ears will thank you (and also, you’re welcome in advance).
Abby Holliday - CRACK A SMILE COME ON STAY A WHILE (2024)
Staff Photographer Mari G - Abby Holliday opening for Landon Conrath was the first of many shows I went to this month. I knew a handful of her songs going into the show, but something about seeing songs live gets me hooked on an album immediately after the show. With the soft vocals & brutal lyricism like Lizzy McAlpine & the production inspiration from Bon Iver, Abby's album has been the soundtrack to my morning commutes, gentle enough for the early morning but with momentum and energy to start my day. Favorite tracks include "Sleeping Sculpture" (gorgeous, layered vocals), "The Price" (I keep coming back to the lyric "it's not a crime to love someone and let it die") & "Couch Comrade" ("do you wanna know what keeps me going?. . . it's becoming the person you think I am").
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyvile (1993)
Senior Staff Writer Meg Lorich - On the cover of Liz Phair's "Exile in Guyville," the singer practically looks like Stevie Nicks. The album's purple stylized font, black and white film, and Phair's shout at the camera, all instantly imply that this album is for women who need to fucking say something. It's a witchy cover. An almost sexual cover (based on Phair's open mouth). She's practically daring you to hit on her -- "See what fucking happens." The songs are the same. Romance and anger towards men are staple themes across Phair's discography, but highlights like "Divorce Song" and "Fuck and Run" really drive their points across. It's angry. It might not be the heaviest music you've ever heard, but Phair is angry. Sometimes that's what we need.
Back in November 2023, two artists that I really wanted to see had shows scheduled for Portland. As a student at the University of Oregon, I had to decide whether I wanted to take my very limited time and very little money to see these concerts. But with Thanksgiving on the way and group projects in the mix, I ended up not attending either. Those shows were Chappell Roan (two months off the release of Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess) and Liz Phair's 30th Anniversary "Exile in Guyville" tour. To this day, I'm not sure which performance I'm more pissed I missed out on.
Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee (2024)
Staff Writer Jill Nuelle - Some albums are perfect for the springtime, and this is one of them. Tigers Blood is chock full of tunes that will make you feel like driving with the windows down (preferably with a gentle warm wind in your hair). It sounds like wishing on a dandelion, a sneeze in the breeze, the first freckles of the year. The record is brimming with introspective lyrics, hypnotizing harmonies and lots of banjo! What more could ya ask for! I haven't tired of it since its release two years ago, and it helped soundtrack my April frolicking.
Noah Kahan - The Great Divide (2026)
Staff Photographer Beth Evans - Noah Kahan is one of the most talented songwriters ever. He is a genius when it comes to writing songs and capturing the feelings he wants portrayed.
Live Coverage Editor Rebecca - Listen, I know this album came out one week before the end of the month, but it has eclipsed all of my other music. I haven't been able to stop thinking about its depth and its sound. I wake up every single day with "Willing and Able" on a constant loop in my head. Sad music is what really fills all my Spotify playlists, and this album slots in quite nicely. All the songs touch on so many different topics of what it means to be human and how to navigate that. Plus, any album recorded at Long Pond Studios with Aaron Dessner tends to be some of my favorite pieces of music (see Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams). Noah Kahan has this way of writing such vulnerable and heartbreaking lyrics that are deeply personal to him, yet so many people can relate to it. In addition to "Willing and Able," "End of August" and "We Go Way Back" are my favorites. If you've never let anything go in your life and are constantly nostalgic, welcome to the club, this album is for you!
Westside Cowboy - So Much Country 'Till We Get There (2026)
Staff Writer Paulina Rochelle - I have been completely obsessed with this band ever since I found them on shuffle this month. This EP, while very short with only five songs on it, is absolutely perfect as their second EP release. The band has established this specific sound, between the tone of their guitars, Paddy Murphy's strong drums, and of course, the unique voices of Aoife Anson O'Connell, Jimmy Bradbury, and Reuben Haycocks that you quickly fall in love with. "Don't Throw Rocks" is my favorite on the track list—I can't compare it to anything. I remember the first time I heard it, I was ecstatic at the drop when the song explodes. It's fun and original and just what we need right now. This was definitely one of the best finds of the month for me.
Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
Staff Photographer Bailey - I’ve been riding the high off of Project Hail Mary and while “Champagne Supernova” isn’t in the movie, (I’ve seen a million fan edits using it however,) it’s been on repeat in my earbuds for a couple weeks! I think it’s my personal favorite Oasis album, it simply feels like a classic.
Jeff Buckley - “I Know It’s Over” (1993)
Staff Writer Alexys Hadaway - Jeff Buckley makes a devastating song even more devastating. He strips back The Smith's downbeat song about loneliness, exemplifying the theme with his emotional voice. Jeff is able to perfectly balance soft vocals with heart wrenching belts as the song builds. While it's only a cover, this song is a perfect example of why Jeff Buckley is one of the greats. He is able to put emotion and meaning into every lyric, and his passion for the song bleeds through the recording. It's just Buckley and his guitar, leading to an intimate sound, which also amplifies the hurt this song causes. "It's so easy to laugh/It's so easy to hate/It takes strength to be gentle and kind," this lyric sticks out as it is still relevant today. At the end of the recording, Jeff goes "let's go home," in which the other person in the studio states "that was nice," as if he did not experience one of the greatest covers of all time. I love Jeff Buckley because his songs evoke such a strong emotion every time I listen to them, and he has a raw emotion in his voice that I've never heard from anyone else. "I Know it's Over," only proves this point to an extreme.
Geese - Getting Killed (2025)
Staff Photographer DeAnna Garza - Been stuck in my head since I’ve been roadtripping a lot this month and this album was on repeat
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams (2005)
Music Review Editor Alyssa Bushman -I love the way this album makes me feel like it is a perpetual Sunday morning.
The Water Boys - Fisherman’s Blues (1988)
Staff Writer Jules Johnson - I became obsessed with “We Will Not Be Lovers” after it was needledropped in the Netflix series “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen.” I’ve played it 30 times this month; in the shower, writing, packing, reading, staring out the window, and hallucinating a doomed 80’s love. It’s a 7-minute-long song, which gives you ample time to get over it, but I still can’t. I’ll spend 14 minutes, and then 21, then 28, and I’ve spent half my hour listening to this gorgeously gut-wrenching song that truly sounds like nothing else I’ve listened to.
Hayley Williams - Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party (2025)
Senior Staff Writer & Live Coverage Editor Kaitlyn Serafin - Since this album released last year, I have been absolutely obsessed. Hayley Williams, known as the lead singer of Paramore, is absolutely electric in this solo work as she navigates heartbreak, capitalism, and mental health. Hayley Williams is a star and one of the best vocalists of this generation, but this album truly shows her artistry at its most vulnerable.
I’ve almost chosen this album for my staff pick four times but this month as I’ve struggled with my mental health, motivating myself with "Hard” or wallowing to “Glum” has been my go-to. Speaking of struggling mental health, seeing the clips from her supporting tour of this album THAT I COULDN’T GET TICKETS TO, certainly isn’t helping.
Lizzy McAlpine - five seconds flat (2022)
Staff Writer Mariah Gruber - While not only celebrating its recent four year anniversary of release, I find five seconds flat more prevalent in my life now more than ever. The vulnerability of one’s self, along with navigating a multitude of relationships and coping with not only the loss but the process of losing them as well. It’s a beautiful and poetic tell-all into the listener’s mind that almost makes you wonder how McAlpine has perfectly orchestrated your thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams. A personal stand out for me in the album has to be “all my ghosts”.
