Congrats, you made it to the midway point of 2026 (I don’t know how we did it either).
To celebrate this accomplishment, let’s look back at the best albums from Midwest-based artists that have come out so far this year.
Ratboys, Singin’ To an Empty Chair
Release date: Feb. 6, 2026
Midwest origin: Chicago, Illinois
On one hand, I find it difficult to believe this is already Ratboys’ sixth studio album. But then you hear how the band has refined its brand of indie rock that’s filled with twists and turns – some beautiful and some haunting.
It’s a sound that takes years to perfect, and that’s what Ratboys have done on Singin’ to an Empty Chair.
For the second straight album, the band has partnered with producer and former Death Cab For Cutie guitarist Chris Walla. The formula worked on 2023’s excellent The Window album, and it has only gotten better on Singin’ to an Empty Chair.
Ratboys’ latest release has more heart, found in both its music and lyrics. There is a greater depth compared to their 2023 album, which is saying a lot considering how great it was.
The table is set from the opening track, “Open Up,” when guitarist/vocalist Julie Steiner repeatedly asks, “What’s it gonna take to open up?”
The dire need continues from there, creating a beautiful urgency throughout the rest of Singin’ to an Empty Chair.
Slayyyter, WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA
Release date: March 27, 2026
Midwest origin: Kirkwood, Missouri
It would be incredibly lazy to say Slayyyter is the new Chappell Roan. Outside of being powerful female artists from the Show Me State, there aren’t many other places where their music intersects.
Slayyyter’s WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA is hyper-pop perfection at every turn. Sometimes it’s a mix of Ke$ha-esque lyrics over beats done by someone who just did a speedrun of Daft Punk’s entire catalogue (“DANCE…,” “$T. LOSER”).
Then there are the times when things are slowed down just enough to catch our breath even when the dance doesn’t stop (“GAS STATION”).
And much like Roan, Slayyyter spent years performing in front of much smaller crowds, trying to find a way to advance her career. WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA is her moment to cash in.
Sometimes, all it takes is one song to hit just right. If you are looking for that on this album, see “BEAT UP CHANEL$” where Slayyyter provides the quick-paced ear candy that burrows into your head and stays there for hours on end.
The Academy Is…, Almost There
Release date: March 27, 2026
Midwest origin: Barrington, Illinois
Admittedly, I didn’t think I would be writing about The Academy Is… in this space or just about anywhere else in 2026. Not just because they hadn’t released an album in 18 years, but also due to the fact I found most of their stuff after 2005’s Almost Here a bit underwhelming.
Call it getting soft or even wiser over time, but I am starting to appreciate The Academy Is… more all these years later.
Almost There is just good, clean fun. It’s an overt throwback to the mid-2000s.
How overt, you might ask? They have a song called “2005” where William Beckett sings about kissing like it was that year all over again.
That sentence sounds cheesy as all get out, but sometimes you have to remember that summer at the Warped Tour that helped shape who you are, today.
The Arrivals, Payload
Release date: April 17, 2026
Midwest origin: Chicago/Minneapolis
It took a good 15 years for The Arrivals to put out a new album because they’re damn adults who have lives and responsibilities.
And the maturity shows on Payload, a smart punk album that can turn into an infectious rock album on a dime. The band gets back together here to throw a middle finger up at the establishment (“January 7th”) while also taking time out to appreciate those friends who are like family (“Just Like My Brother”).
It’s the type of album you’d expect from punks with mortgages and the struggle of trying to afford life and their kid’s college tuition. Payload is real people tackling real problems, and it all hits just right if you’re in your 40s and just trying to keep your head above water.
American Football, American Football (LP4)
Release date: May 1, 2026
Midwest origin: Urbana, Illinois
If you have been keeping up with American Football vocalist/guitarist Mike Kinsella through his music in recent years, especially 2024’s The Falls Of Sioux under his Owen pseudonym, then you know he’s been through a lot.
Some of that has boiled over into American Football’s newest album, where Kinsella serves up poignant moments with a bit of a gleam. On “Bad Moons,” he walks the listener through his divorce along with a laundry list of shortcomings, including heavy drinking and drug use.
And yet, it somehow still seems hopeful by the time the last note is played.
American Football’s strength has always been the band’s ability to effortlessly put layer upon layer of sound in a way that makes you get lost while listening. You forget all of the crummy stuff in the lyrics as you let the twinkle of guitars carry you away.
But no matter how tempted you are to zero in on the melodies, Kinsella’s vulnerability demands that you keep a close ear on every word.
