There are more wantlist-worthy releases than time to cover them all. Starting this year, Loose Ends is our monthly fix for the great records that slipped through the cracks. Expect a key track and quick take on each release, and a link to add it to your shelves.
Aswan Dam || In the Playpen of the Damned
Cool new band featuring Harry Wohl of Uranium Club. Jangly guitars, post punk wireness and pop sensibilities complement each other well on their 10-song debut album.
Atlanter || Clock
The pioneers of “viddeblues” sound revitalized, blending their signature Norwegian folk-desert blues fusion with renewed chemistry, intuitive interplay, and a confident push into fresh sonic territory.
Bait Bag || Cut Fruit
Punky garage pop trio Bait Bag (North Haven, Carolina) can sing, really sing well, and while they play their songs with a punk urgency, it is the POP that lingers.
Big League || Windanswagger
We wrote about this Melbourne band before, and we’re happy to say that they have been further honing their Guided By Voices by-the-way-of Lemonheads sounds. Their new four-song EP (out on 12″ at Bellissimo Fingers) is 12 minutes of indie rock excellence.
Bill Callahan || My Days of 58
This came out in the last days of February, but I only started listening in March. Perhaps this record hits hard because it so different from what we usually cover here. Surely, Callahan receives his share of attention from major music outlets but I still wanted to spotlight the record here, because I think it truly is beautiful and special.
boo boo kitty || Beast
This Brooklyn duo creates quirky and artsy indie rock that is hard to grasp, but I am obsessed with their TVs Always On song.
Choice Words || …At a Loss
More gritty and earnest power pop and indie punk goodness straight from the garage of Zachary “Del” Weinberg. Four songs, no messing around. Out now on 7″.
Cine Melancolía || Cine Melancolía
I think this band is from Peru, but I base that exclusively on them being on a Peruan label (Malva Discos). Anyhow, this is catchy indie rock that is charmingly ramschackle and crunchy.
Class Act || iii
Kansas City’s Class Act never meant to last beyond three releases, so iii is their swan song. Turns out it is a black-flag-waving one, packed with some of the darkest and most awesome hardcore and punk of the month.
Cut Worms || Transmitter
Another fine slice of warm guitar pop by Max Clarke on album #4 of Cut Worms. It is not the first time he shows his codebreak abilities in making old-timey melodies sound vital in the 21st century. We never tire from them when the songwriting and storytelling is this good.
The Dahlmanns || LIFE IN REVERSE
For the first true new LP in 14 years, these Norwegian legends expand their power pop sound into something bigger and broader. Josh Rutledge has a lot of great things to say about it.
Dorotea || Abolish It (2002-2005)
This compilation of the output of Gothenburg’s Dorotea in the early ’00s hits my sweet spot of twee pop and indie punk. Dorotea sound like they could’ve been released on either Lookout! or Slumberland. There are only 100 copies of the LP so don’t sit on it.
Draümar || Draümar
Norwegian punks who’ll blow your socks off with the kind of cool that makes you want to start a band immediately.
The Fix || Best Days of Your Life
Not the first band with this name, but this mid-90s UK Fix is something special. Formed by ex-ska musicians who pivoted into charming, strum-and-thrum mod. This release compiles all 13 songs, finally out 30 years later on a limited Pop Affliction tape. As limited as it is essential.
Gus Englehorn || The Broken Balladeer
A lively, live-tracked psych-pop odyssey that deepens the surreal storytelling of nomadic psych-pop prophet Gus Englehorn with a raw, unified band sound and cinematic oddball flair: “Show time.”
The Gee Strings || Greatest Shits
Thirty years of The Gee Strings means plenty of dirty late ’70s punk hits to choose from. Wanda Records and the band sure picked wisely on this greatest (s)hits compilation! Read Jay Castro’s review over at the new Shock Treatment blog if you need more persuasion to buy this.
Instant Regrets || Decisions & Movement
This pretty cool North Carolina band mix an ’80s college rock vibe with dashes of ’90s alt rock. Easy to like, easy to return to.
Jacob The Horse || At Least It’s Almost Over
Remember Los Angeles indie-punks Jacob the Horse? Their new LP is their most ambitious yet, where its lyrical and musical prowess are evident from the get-go.
The Jins || It’s All Over
A blistering, grunge-soaked release that channels raw emotion into a cathartic wall of sound, capturing the chaos of heartbreak and release in one explosive final statement.
Mel and The Tall Boys || The Frontier of Love
Mel Johnston and her band distill the experiences of their electrifying NYC shows into a vibrant, retro-tinged collection of love songs that blend girl-group melodrama and surfy cinematic ambition with heartfelt storytelling about romance and the sacrifices of the artist’s path.
Melanie || It Starts From The Outside
Catchy, energetic and instantly likeable indie punk from Auckland that Joyce Manor fingerprints all over it.
The NoMen || How Do You Know When You’ve Had Enough?
A back-to-basics rock album that blends bluesy grit, country touches, and live-band spontaneity to explore emotional breaking points with the raw enthusiasm of a seasoned cult favorite still pushing forward.
OUT. || Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Songs (30th Anniversary Edition)
I totally missed this record’s original release in 1996. Thirty years later, it is available for the first time (remastered, and with a couple of extra songs) on LP courtesy of the always kickass Noise Pollution Records. This is not your average mid-nineties punk rock record, what a scorcher!
Plastic Future || Freaks Out!
Houston’s Plastic Future deliver poppy punk rock that’s as catchy as it is unhinged.
Rat Park || ” d e м 0 s “
Austin quartet Rat Park debuts with a lo-fi 8-song demo mini-album. They display a fine sense of humor (“We’re just like the Beatles.”) with a ramshackle sense of charm. ” d e м 0 s “ features an experimental and artsy yet accessible (and exciting!) blend of indie rock, slacker, underground (power) pop. It does exactly what a demo should do: add to bands-to-watchlist.
Special Friend || Clipping
Special Friend’s third LP (Howlin’ Banana, Hidden Bay and Skep Wax) probably deserved a full post on our site. This Paris-based duo writes and record (jangly) guitar pop songs that are easy on the ear and will quickly charm their way into your playlists.
The Suncharms || Darkening Sky
Dreamy, strummy alt guitar pop for fans of Dropkick and Monnone Alone who like their jangle with a melancholic edge.
Gregory Uhlmann || Extra Stars
And now for something completely different. Gregory Uhlmann (Perfume Genius, Hand Habits and more) invites you into his instrumental world. Perfect for hyperfocus or drifting away. Beautiful, mesmerizing, quietly stunning.
Walker Diver || Probleemwolf
Probleemwolf (Dutch for a wolf that has lost its fear of humans or attacks livestock) is the fifth album of Utrecht quartet Walker Diver (buy the LP at Gram Records). It has a lot of great material, a mix of alternative rock and punk rock, with a splash of alt country. RIYL: Sugar, Replacements and Dinosaur Jr.
XBarrymoreX || Demo 2026
Houston straight edge hardcore that’s old school in spirit but melodic enough to stick with you. X up!
X-88 || Heavensent (Feel It Again) b/w Silver Speckles
“1, 2, Heaven-sent // Ain’t over it yet // I wanna feel it again // I wanna feel it again…”
Try getting this Ramonescore earworm out of your head. I have tried. I have failed.
Zenxith || The Early Years
This compilation captures the prolific artist’s 2022–2023 evolution with jangly guitars, tambourines, and reverb-soaked vocals, presented in unpolished levels that preserve its authentic DIY charm while offering a candid glimpse into the roots of the Zenxith sound.
Thanks for digging!