Paste magazine has selected five standout tracks for the week of January 22, 2026, highlighting emerging and established artists in indie and experimental music. The list features Modern Woman's 'Dashboard Mary' as Song of the Week, alongside releases from Joshua Chuquimia Crampton, Mitski, OHYUNG, and Snail Mail. Each song offers distinct textures, from visceral intensity to trance-like experimentation.
Paste magazine's weekly roundup, published on January 22, 2026, spotlights five new songs that capture a range of emotional and sonic landscapes in contemporary music. The selection emphasizes indie, experimental, and alt-rock influences, with contributors providing detailed insights into each track's composition and context.
Named Song of the Week, Modern Woman's 'Dashboard Mary' draws praise for its tense narrative of fleeting encounters and bad decisions. Singer Sophie Harris delivers vocals with raw intensity, accompanied by violin, saxophone, and a rhythm section that builds from hushed moments to riotous distortion. The track appears on the band's debut album, Johnny Dreamworld, slated for release in May 2026. Contributor Casey Epstein-Gross describes it as 'an utterly gorgeous and brilliantly structured track, possibly one of my favorites of the year thus far.'
Joshua Chuquimia Crampton's 'Ch’uwanchaña 〜El Golpe Final〜' previews his solo album Anata, due next month. Dedicated to the Andean Anata ceremony honoring Pachamama, the song blends metal guitar surges with charango and ronroco acoustics, creating looped, trance-like noise. Matt Mitchell notes its 'elaborate' redefinition of guitar possibilities, evoking obscured Andean ceremony audio.
Mitski's 'Where’s My Phone?' serves as the lead single from her eighth album, following her 2018 release Be the Cowboy. The track explores mental clutter amid jangly guitars and distortion, with a music video evoking archetypes from The Haunting of Hill House and Grey Gardens. Grace Robins-Somerville highlights Mitski's enigmatic distance from fans and her return to 'meta-madness.'
OHYUNG's 'all dolls go to heaven' introduces the album IOWA, inspired by time in Iowa City composing for films Happyend and Eva Victor's Oscar-shortlisted debut. Lia Ouyang Rusli processes choral music, synths, and field recordings through cassette tapes for a hymn-like stillness. Mitchell calls it an 'experimental trans Bruce Springsteen Nebraska,' with rising and falling hymns.
Snail Mail's 'Dead End' leads the upcoming album Ricochet, produced by Momma's Aron Kobayashi Ritch. Lindsey Jordan's dreamy '90s alt-rock evolves with punchier hooks, echoing her 2018 debut Lush. Grant Sharples points to influences like Smashing Pumpkins and Jordan's recent activities, including a role in I Saw the TV Glow.