The Music Sorce: March Albums

While iconic mainstays Harry Styles and Charlie Puth made their long-awaited returns, March was a month defined by indie excellence and industry deviance.

Here are some of the new releases The Phoenix missed coverage on.

‘Parallels’ — 0xGRLF00D

From the KidPix-esque cover to the sprightly weirdcore production, 0xGRLF00D’s “Parallels” is a vaporwave time machine.

The utopian scholastic air of “peek” builds a nostalgic haze of mid-to-late 2000s digital aesthetics that endures through the drifting resonance and electronic plucks of “Plastic Onion” and the titular “Parallels.”

The March 1 release won’t be found on major streaming services, but cultivating a niche audience of those lucky enough to stumble across it on platforms like Bandcamp and YouTube.

‘HELP(2)’ — War Child Records

Something as simple as music can “HELP(2).”

Released March 6, “HELP(2)” is the second collaborative fundraising record from War Child UK, a specialist charity for children affected by Middle Eastern conflict. The first “Help” released in 1995 with contributions from Oasis, Radiohead and Blur.

Thirty years later, modern stars like Arctic Monkeys and Olivia Rodrigo lended their talents to the cause. Alongside 28 other musicians, 23 original songs comprise the compilation.

With Black Country, New Road’s baroque pop flair, Big Thief’s experimental folk rock strain and King Krule’s atmospheric R&B jazz fusion, “HELP(2)” has something for everyone.

‘?’ — Bassvictim

“?” is certainly a questionable mix of sound and genre.

Fresh off their 2025 debut “Forever,” the March 6 release sees the electroclash duo branch into impulsively eclectic soundscapes.

The dead march of “Dirge” invites listeners on a melancholic affair before seamlessly morphing into the anthemic electropop chorales of “Sometimes I believe in God (Sometimes I believe in Me)” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” — an impetuous back-and-forth that’s masterfully balanced.

‘CARRGIRRL’  — CARR

Released March 20, bubblegrunge singer-songwriter CARR issued her sophomore record “CARRGIRRL.”

A sharp left turn from her 2023 alt-pop debut “The CARR Show,” the nine-track follow-up is packed full of playful yet rugged pop-punk verve and sentimental adjournment.

With jovial, hook-heavy numbers “Alien Rat Boyfriend” and “Bang It Out,” CARR cements herself as a highflier in alternative rock. 

‘Picture Day’ — The Fencesitters

Six years in the making, Canadian indie rock collective The Fencesitters released their debut album “Picture Day” March 20.

“A Reasonable Intro for This Album” engulfs the record in an early 2000s punk-rock air that sounds like it was ripped straight from the era — down to its angsty and despondent recollection of teenage years.

‘PRINT’ — Kilu

Released March 20, “PRINT” is the latest seven-track EP from London-based dream pop singer-songwriter Kilu.

The introductory “epic” is admirably tongue-in-cheek — an unruly shoegaze gateway unleashing the grandiose ambient rock record.

From the grunge-fueled “marry me to dopamine” to the tranquil landscape of “outer body,” “PRINT” plays like a shoegaze interpretation of Radiohead’s “Kid A,” released in 2000.