Each week, we cut through the noise to bring you quick takes on the latest releases you need to hear. This week’s roundup of new tracks, must-know artists, and what’s out now includes
Art of Attrition, Davey Macmanus, Deadwood, Derev, Dropsonic, Drouth, Ellen Beth Abdi, Hotline TNT, Indigo De Souza, King Hüsky, Low Before the Breeze, Miranda Joan, Save Ferris, Tanya George, The Ataris, The Indestructible Water Bear, Walt Hamburger
Want more? Dive into our latest reviews, interviews, videos, music news, artists to discover, and don’t miss our constantly updated Spotify playlist packed with our picks.
Art of Attrition – “Subserviate & Decay”
Blistering and relentless, “Subserviate & Decay” finds Art of Attrition hitting a new stride in their technical deathcore onslaught. Their signature 8-string guitar barrage and gravity blasts are intact, but it’s the song’s post-breakdown swerve that elevates it. Raw, caveman-heavy, and designed to bruise. There’s a primal satisfaction in how they weaponise melody without ever softening their punch. The self-described “modern primitive” ethos is no gimmick. It’s a savage reinvention that doesn’t flinch. A standout in their growing catalog, the track proves the band isn’t just evolving; they’re mutating.
Davey Macmanus – “Karaoke Had Just Been Invented”
Davey Macmanus leans into his punk-poet roots with a ragged and soul-scuffed anthem that feels like it stumbled out of a lost pub at closing time that smells of smoke and romantic delusion. “Karaoke Had Just Been Invented” is part spoken confession and part chaotic diary scribble that is held together by a guitar that sounds like it might short out mid-track. Just like the best kind of heartbreak, there’s a fever-dream energy that’s more lived-in than polished and more human than perfect.
Deadwood – “Heretic”
“Heretic” hits like a spiked gauntlet to the chest. Deadwood sharpen their deathcore roots with a focus on speed, technicality, and dread-drenched atmosphere. From the opening blast to its horror-laced samples, the track maintains a breakneck pace while never losing its grim theatricality. There’s precision behind the chaos, and it’s that combination of tight execution and cinematic menace that makes “Heretic” feel like more than just sonic violence. It’s a calculated descent. This is Deadwood at their most feral, and most focused.
Derev – “Cyclone (Live at Supermarket)”
Derev’s “Cyclone” thrives in its live form with a storm of shifting time signatures, layered instrumentation, and emotional precision. The performance captures the band’s forward-thinking fusion of progressive rock and Middle Eastern textures with clarity and conviction. There’s a palpable sense of craft, from the intricate transitions to the controlled chaos of the rhythm section. More than a live cut, it’s a mission statement for their full-length debut.
Dropsonic – “This Ain’t Living”
Fifteen years out of the game, and Dropsonic reenters like they never left, with bruised knuckles and tape hiss in their teeth. “This Ain’t Living” is all weighty riffs and gravel-throated grit, ending in a literal tape deck death spiral. There’s no gloss here, just raw tension and the kind of emotional finality that can only come from years of distance.
Drouth – “The Teeth of Time”
Portland’s Drouth crafts a vortex of ash and fury with “The Teeth of Time”. The searing centerpiece gnashes through disillusion and decay with operatic scale. With guest vocals from Christy Cather and Laurie Sue (Ludicra), the track swells into a hellish and glacial chant. Their blackened death-metal execution isn’t just technical. It’s evocative, atmospheric, and apocalyptic. This is the sound of centuries collapsing in on themselves, with no intention of mercy.
Ellen Beth Abdi – “Spellbound”
With nothing but her voice, Ellen Beth Abdi conjures an acapella spell that loops, layers, and breathes new life into Rae & Christian’s 1998 club classic. Her rendition of “Spellbound” strips it down to pure feeling with its syncopated breathwork, melodic restraint, and vocal acrobatics that play like a one-woman orchestra. It’s minimalist, yes, but emotionally lush, capturing the nostalgia of northern soul nights and Hulme flats turned impromptu discos.
Hotline TNT – “Candle”
“Candle” glows like the warm fuzz of a cassette left on the dash too long. Hotline TNT dials into a scuzzy, shoegaze-laced power-pop vibe where the distortion kisses melody instead of swallowing it. Will Anderson’s lyrics are tender, tangled, and fully committed and hit like love notes scribbled mid-freefall. It’s messy, euphoric, and completely unguarded.
Indigo De Souza – “Heartthrob”
Melodic, biting, and defiantly alive Indigo De Souza channels fury into fluorescent indie rock. The track rides a wave of sharp guitars and rising urgency, but it’s Indigo’s vocal delivery that seals it: unwavering, wounded, and powerful. Produced by Elliott Kozel, the song’s edges glisten with pop sheen without losing emotional grit. It’s a middle finger dressed as a love song. One that is delivered with surgical honesty. “Heartthrob” doesn’t ask for space. It takes it.
King Hüsky – “Heads Above Water”
“Heads Above Water” is a five-minute fever dream, wry and weird in all the right ways. Vidar Landa’s transformation into King Hüsky yields indie pop that’s loose, literate, and unbothered by convention. Between jangling riffs and deadpan delivery, he threads absurdist humor with keen observation. It’s storytelling by way of sidelong glances and afterparty rants. Strange, smart, and oddly infectious. King Hüsky isn’t just a side project; it’s a personality with its own gravitational pull.
Low Before the Breeze – “Cadaver Synod”
There’s nothing comfortable about “Cadaver Synod,” and that’s the point. Low Before the Breeze unravels traditional structures in favor of something feral and fractured. Spoken-word murmurs collapse into waves of noise and crushed electronics as the song crawls before it claws, it drags one through emotional ruin and sonic debris. Named after a posthumous trial, it feels like one. It’s grief cross-examined in real time.
Miranda Joan – “Bada Bing! (Family Style)”
A groove-laden, tomato-sauced celebration of joy, “Bada Bing! (Family Style)” sounds like a family dinner crashed by a funk band and a soul revue. Miranda Joan blends cheeky horns, silky vocals, and a recipe of warmth and nostalgia that makes it impossible not to smile. It’s cozy and kinetic, with a chorus meant for clinking glasses and spontaneous dancing in the kitchen. You can hear the sauce simmering in every note.
Save Ferris – “Get Dancing”
Save Ferris returns like a confetti cannon to the face with “Get Dancing,” a brass-blasted, upstroke-slicked adrenaline shot of ska-punk joy. Monique Powell’s voice hasn’t lost a bit of its bite as it ricochets off the band’s tight horns and bouncy rhythms like a party you can’t shut down. It’s vintage Save Ferris with a sharp new shine. Unapologetically fun, fast, and ready to blow the roof off every venue on their spring tour.
Tanya George – “Serious”
With “Serious,” Tanya George flips frustration into a fearless groove. Funky guitars, soul-slick harmonies, and a bassline you can lean into carry lyrics that challenge both relationship double standards and the music industry’s glass ceilings. Tanya’s four-octave range and loop-pedal mastery are present, but this time, she lets the band breathe alongside her. It’s slick, catchy, and heartfelt.
The Ataris – “Car Song”
Tender and analog-warm, “Car Song” is The Ataris at their most personal. A tribute to Kristopher Roe’s late father and the band’s first LP since 2007, it blends nostalgia and grief with the comfort of vintage tape hiss and jangly guitars. It’s not just about loss—it’s about legacy, pressed into vinyl and driven forward by love (and, literally, Walter White’s Volvo). A quietly devastating return from a band that helped define a generation’s emo soundtrack.
The Indestructible Water Bear – “I Walk the Night”
“I Walk the Night” is indie rock made with guts and grace. Led by Gail Farmer’s commanding vocals, The Indestructible Water Bear offers a track that sways between vulnerability and defiance. Written in the wake of fresh grief, the song doesn’t wallow but moves by balancing shimmering guitars with emotional gravity. There’s a rough beauty to its honesty, and the band’s ‘90s alternative DNA comes through in every driven note. (pictured)
Walt Hamburger – “Insolence”
“Insolence” kicks in like a punk rock pep talk from a friend who’s seen it all and still shows up. Walt Hamburger delivers big riffs, bigger heart, and a full-band sound that’s both punchy and poignant. With a stacked roster of scene veterans backing him, this track blends emotional vulnerability with melodic grit. It’s catchy, honest, and hits that sweet spot between barroom singalong and tear-in-your-beer confession.
