There are plenty of new EPs and albums on tap in May from a variety of local musicians.
Here’s a quick look at those new local releases scheduled for the Pittsburgh region in May:
Billy Price Band
Pittsburgh soul singer Billy Price will release his latest album, “Random Madness,” on May 1 with a release party at 5 p.m. May 3 at the Pittsburgh Shrine Center in Cheswick. Bill Toms and Will Kondrich are set to open, with the Billy Price Band augmented by Reggie Watkins on trombone and the BGVs, aka Background Vocals.
“The success of my last album from 2024, ‘Person of Interest,’ motivated me to continue developing my songwriting, largely with my longtime writing partner Jim Britton, keyboard player in the Billy Price Band,” Price said. “The songs on ‘Random Madness,’ from lighthearted to confessional to serious, are the most personal of my career. And I was happy to be able to feature my longtime bandmates in the Billy Price Band on this recording.”
Ryan Hoffman
Folk singer Ryan Hoffman will release a solo EP, “I Love Every Second of This Existence,” on May 1 with a release show that night at 4827 Penn Ave. in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood. The album was recorded at Mr. Smalls Studio with Nate Campisi, the third album they’ve made together.
“These songs meant a lot to me while I was writing and recording them,” Hoffman said. “Everything we did in the studio — from tracking acoustic and vocals live to adding sparse arrangements — was to try to keep that personal, intimate feel and keep the songs honest. That was a different approach for me. I’m really proud of the way they turned out.”
Ruth E. Toothless
Screamo band Ruth E. Toothless will play a release show for their latest EP, a split with Portland, Oregon’s The Hague. “More Like a Warm Morgue” has only been available via streaming, but the band will have physical copies at their May 1 show at Hippo House on the North Side.
The Cheats
Punk veterans the Cheats will release, “Split It Up,” a split 7-inch record with Western Maryland’s Wayward Brigade on May 8. The Cheats’ two songs include “Only Thing I’m (Expletive) Is Up” and a cover of “Fun City” by Tuff Darts.
“The main song was a one-line idea I came up with (and) a day later we had a song,” singer Todd Cheat said. “I always dug that Tuff Darts record. It’s a great song and just thought we should get it out there.”
Erik Lawrence, Derek Bendel, Ross Antonich, Dylan Zeh
Erik Lawrence, Derek Bendel, Ross Antonich and Dylan Zeh will release “2 of 3” on May 15, with a show that night at Government Center on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
The album is a “heavy free jazz exploration from local musicians recorded live in a dive,” Zeh said, with the album featuring a pair of “energetic trio pieces” on opaque blue vinyl.
Chris Shrift & the Rock & Roll Boys
Chris Shrift & the Rock & Roll Boys will release their new album, “Different Driveways,” on May 22, with a show that night at Government Center.
Allen J
R&B artist Allen J will hold an album release party for “Live From Club Cafe” on May 28 at Club Cafe on Pittsburgh’s South Side.
Tory Silver
Indie rocker Tory Silver will release her latest album, “Through the Front with Lasers” on May 29 via Michi Tapes, with a May 30 record release show at Brillobox in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood.
“I think the goal was really just to be collaborative,” Silver said. “My bandmates have put so much time, thought and talent into it, and it feels so good to make it with good pals. The record truly wouldn’t be what it is without them.”
Oregon Trails
Oregon Trails will release a self-titled cassette on May 29, with preorders for digital and physical copies available now at oregontrails.bandcamp.com.
The band “slips seamlessly between head-bobbing improvisational rock and cosmic ambient sections in an uncut, side-long performance. On the album’s flip side, meditative synth modulations blend with natural and altered field recordings from Malaysia.”