Rough Trade NYC is excited to celebrate Pride Month!
This Pride Month, we're celebrating influential LGBTQ+ albums that have deeply resonated with us. LGBTQ+ artistry has consistently been at the forefront of music culture, shaping and transforming our lives in profound ways.
Here are just a few of our staff’s favorite albums.
Great Grandpa - Patience, Moonbeam (2025)
Great Grandpa is back and stronger than ever with their much-anticipated third album, Patience, Moonbeam. This release marks the band's most cohesive project to date, showcasing both lyrical and instrumental perfection.
As a longtime fan, I've felt like I've grown alongside them. This album was recorded during lead singer Al Menne's medical transition, and his evolving vocal range is evident throughout. As a trans-masculine musician myself who has experienced similar vocal changes, this was perhaps one of the most emotional first-listens to an album I've had in years. If you enjoy lyrically driven indie rock with a touch of emo twang and catchy coming-of-age inspired hooks, this album is for you. Go and give it a spin, you won't regret it.
-Merit
Beverly Glenn-Copeland - Keyboard Fantasies Reimagined (2021)
Keyboard Fantasies Reimagined offers a truly immersive listening experience– a sonic journey akin to a film featuring an all-star cast. This album presents reworked and reimagined versions of tracks originally composed by the remarkable Canadian trans musician Beverly Glenn-Copeland, culminating in a legendary, no-skip collection.
My personal favorite is Julia Holter’s rendition of “Fastest Star”. Holter infuses the track with her signature ambient baroque pop brilliance, creating a soundscape that elevates the mind while keeping the heart rooted. Other contributors to this album include Bon Iver and Flock of Dimes, Arca, Blood Orange, and more. Each artist brings their unique touch, transforming Glenn-Copeland’s original compositions into contemporary electronic masterpieces. If you're ready to be transported to another dimension through an intense and evocative music soundscape, think of this album as your portal.
-Merit
Big Thief - Capacity (2017)
Capacity was the second album from Brooklyn's Big Thief, a formidable follow-up to their aptly named debut Masterpiece. Adrianne Lenker is openly queer, and tackles themes of queer love, heartbreak, family history and trauma, with a tenderness unique to her songwriting. The album is intimate, cathartic, and touching, a classic album from the beloved indie folk outfit.
-Jess
Top songs: Shark Smile, Mythological Beauty, Objects
of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (2007)
Hissing Fauna, Are you The Destroyer? is the career defining 8th album from of Montreal. Released in 2007, it’s a true gem of early aughts indie rock. The lyrical content, which deals with a separation and mental health struggles, is contrasted by bright synth-pop music. Front person Kevin Barnes publicly came out as bisexual, nonbinary and genderqueer in 2020.
-Emily
The Magnetic Fields - Holiday (1994)
Can we spend some time alone in our free love zone
Frontman Stephin Merritt has long written witty, romantic, and sometimes heartbreaking songs that speak to the queer experience. The iconic "Andrew in Drag" from Love At the Bottom of the Sea, which tells of a "ladies man" enamored with his friend Andrew's fleeting drag persona (The only girl I'll ever love / is Andrew in drag) might come to mind; but the breezy Holiday is no exception, musing about love, loss, and the feeling of belonging.
-Jess
Top songs: Strange Powers, Take Ecstasy With Me, Desert Island
Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988)
Maybe if I told you the right words / at the right time / you'd be mine
American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman released her iconic self-titled album in 1988, after being discovered the year prior and signing to Elektra records. Chapman has never publicly discussed her sexuality, but many interpret her soulful songs through a queer lens. Fast Car in particular is regarded as a lesbian anthem and is beloved by so many in and outside of the LGBTQ+ community.
-Jess
Top songs: Baby Can I Hold You, Fast Car, Talkin' Bout A Revolution
Have a safe and happy Pride Month!
<3 RTNYC