Alternative Rock

New EP: Pressure Wheel || I Hate The Night

Members of Restorations, Signals Midwest and Timeshares tag up, go for the knockout

By / / Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Results from the past aren’t always the best predictor of success today, but in the case of Pressure Wheel, it’s no big surprise to see this level of quality and conviction. The band consists of proven talent from the Philadelphia music scene and four four friends for life: Jeff Meyers and Dan Zimmerman from Restorations with Maxwell Stern of Signals Midwest and Jon Hernandez of Timeshares. The band releases its second EP today, following last year’s Atomic Woe.

The quartet create what I’d like to call post-punk rock, an evolution of punk rock into something a little broader, wilder, more dynamic, and more diverse. It makes sense that the band name Hot Snakes, Sleater-Kinney, and Spiritual Cramp as RIYL references, but what really stands out to me is the passionate and inspired delivery. Lyrically, these songs sound like someone stayed awake too long, started thinking about society, and decided the whole thing could probably use a good punch in the face.

This one’s got heart!


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: CHECKER || I REALLY DO BELIEVE

Detroit garage pop duo is more dan ready to woo the world in all caps

By / / Alternative Rock, Garage Rock, Indie Pop / Leave a Comment

Detroit Rock City strikes again: please meet CHECKER. Although they are not nearly as wild as predecessors like The Stooges, MC5, The Gories, The White Stripes, or The Dirtbombs, those influences definitely linger in the more pop-oriented sound that McKenna Fain and Nas Cinque Sorrell bring to the table together. Their debut full-length I REALLY DO BELIEVE is a 65-minute double album with no fewer than 21 quite varied tracks (including three instrumental interludes), and it has everything to conquer the world.

The cool duo deals just as easily in gritty guitars and expressive vocals as in acoustic ballads and dreamy harmonies, but all ideas always serve the song. There is fuzz and humor, but these songwriters are not interested in cynicism for cynicism’s sake; they believe there’s still something worth fighting for. That rare yet welcome optimism is just one facet of the charm, as this record is sprawling by design, with relatable lyrics and a stubborn aesthetic that binds its many moving elements together. At this point, believing in the band’s future hardly requires a leap of faith.




I REALLY DO BELIEVE, produced by Checker and Brion Riborn, is out now digitally (self-released).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Crimson99 || Daredevil

Where the heart goes, the rest follows

By / / Alternative Rock, Funk & Soul, Indie Pop / Leave a Comment

There’s something disarmingly open about Daredevil, the debut EP from Montreal’s Crimson99 aka Dominican-Canadian singer-songwriter Maria Brousseau-Labbé. Recorded live in a single day, these five songs are all about feel, with room for rough edges both musically and lyrically. We are taken on a journey from loneliness and self-destructive habits towards love and spiritual clarity (“The heart // Is the only place // Where the truth can find shelter // In this fallen world”—from Fix Your Eyes), stories that gain eloquence through distinctive, forceful vocals so magnetic that resistance is not an option. A comparison with Amy Winehouse, Adele, or Tami Neilson is probably appropriate, but here we are in other genres, a wonderful mix of dream pop and alternative rock, and yes, with a good dose of cinematic soul.


Daredevil—produced by Koko Love—is out digitally (self-released).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Salmon Sisters || Taller Than Normal

Not just another band from Melbourne

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Garage Rock, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Punk / Leave a Comment

Early August, Melbourne’s latest hypeworthy band Salmon Sisters dropped a pretty hot two-song teaser for the thing that came out this week: Taller Than Normal, a ten-song full-length that offers a playful take on garage rock-indebted punk. And while the fast stuff hits hard, with the cluster-bomb combo of T.O.X.I.N., Cock It and MeatgrindR, that’s only one side of Salmon Sisters.

Multiple singers and absurdist lyrics make sure things never stay in one place for too long. Elevator Music is upbeat, jangly indie rock with a chorus that goes something like “I wanna be a pregnant Salmon in a sea of demon fish.” Sure. Why not? Then there’s Like This, a bluesy storyteller about a boy named Kermit Jagger, the son of Mick Jagger, who had sex with a frog. I have questions, but I’m not sure I want the answers.

And that’s what makes Taller Than Normal so much fun. Salmon Sisters have the punk energy, a clear sense of identity (look at that band pic on the cover!) but they clearly aren’t interested in following any script.

This is not your average record, but it will definitely get people talking and listening.

Count us in.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Twerp || 1,000 Ways to Hotwire Your Life

Idiosyncratic garage pop punk for the digital age

By / / Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Twerp may not be the first band to announce they ‘wanna be a Ramone’, but damn it if the opening track of their new EP isn’t the catchiest thing I’ve heard recently. It’s the Athens band’s second EP of the year, following their February release which also made the Wantlist.

In addition to celebrating Ramones fandom, these songs take aim at phone addiction, home improvement gone horribly wrong and fake tough guys. In a way, (I Just Wanna) Be a Ramone sets the wrong expectations. After that garage pop punk hit, Twerp let their artsy post-punk side take the reins for the next couple of songs, before switching to fast punk made for the digital age. Sprinkle in a Larry David sample that will make Curb Your Enthusiasm watchers smirk in recognition? Sure, why not. Then they close with Scout, a truly fun garage mutant punk, followed by a seven-minute finale (The Nuclear Option) that sees Twerp morph into (Minneapolis) Uranium Club (Band).

KILLER EP! Out on De/Pressed Records.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Spike Fuck || Evidence

A little sin, a lot of soul

By / / Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Ten years after debuting with The Smackwave EP, Melbourne’s Spike Fuck releases his first full-length album, Evidence. Whatever strange spell its first two singles cast, I ended up pre-ordering the album, something I almost never do. The eight tracks here blend art rock and new wave with glam, soul, alt-country, and doo-wop, performed with a good dose of CBGB coolness. It’s an intimidating listen, though not dangerous (as the artist name might suggest), but rather because it allows us such intimate access to the singer-songwriter’s inner world (as the song titles already hint). The morbid humor and guilt-ridden confessions carry immense emotional weight, driven by heartfelt vocals that shift from one emotion to another. This is a record of opposing impulses that should cancel each other out, yet somehow only make the whole thing more compelling and addictive.



Evidence—produced by Adam Hyde—is out digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through Sacred Bones Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Sacred Bones

New album: Gizmo || All Your Worships

Charlottetown band makes the 120 Minutes revival we didn't know we needed

By / / Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Power Pop / Leave a Comment

Gizmo are Charlottetown rockers inspired by the guitar-damaged pop of 1990s American slacker bands and their contemporaries on Canada’s east coast. A 120 Minutes band for the Gen Z set…”

Not going to try to top that bio. It’s too good to tinker with.

We became fans fast back in 2023, and the wait for the follow-up has felt longer than it should have. But here it is, a full-length LP out now on Victory Pool Records without a single piece of deadwood, and suddenly the wait feels like a distant memory. Gizmo blend alt pop, power pop, and slacker indie rock in a way that is smooth and easy on the ears, instantly likeable but backed by songwriting sharp enough to keep you coming back. Listen to Celestial or Crystal Palace — both close to three minutes of punchy, hooky guitar pop perfection. Or Gift Shop, with its Bandwagonesque intro (the influences don’t stop at the US border, clearly). Kissing Our Days Goodbye plays like a poppier version of Liquid Mike and Kiwi Jr., which is exactly as good as it sounds.

There is no shortage of touchpoints throughout All Your Worships, but what lingers most is the feeling that we are genuinely lucky a band with this particular knack for melodies exists and keeps making music squarely in our wheelhouse.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Whippets || No Skulls

Dark, crunchy, and completely its own thing. Whippets deliver.

By / / Alternative Rock, Garage Rock, Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

Whippets is yet another musical project in the extended Bobby Hussy universe. He of The Hussy, Cave Curse, Wristwatch, Digital Leather, and many more, here joined by his trusted Hussy and Wristwatch bass man Tyler Spatz (currently also playing in Geoff Palmer’s band) and Hart Alan Miller (Tenement, MDC) on drums. Whippets debuted in 2022 with a 7″ on Goodbye Boozy Records, followed by a full-length in 2024. Their second LP, No Skulls, arrived freshly on our doorstep today.

First impression: I just love the sound of it. Everything is in balance, every instrument firmly placed in the mix. The result is full, crunchy, and powerful without ever becoming overbearing.

Second thought: how do I describe this record? It’s not really punk, garage, alternative rock, or indie rock, although it contains elements of all of them. It’s pretty dark, and there is this symbiotic call-and-response thing going on between Bobby’s vocals and guitar riffs that I’m really enjoying. The bio calls it “Post-Punk Grungegaze.” I’ll take it.

No Skulls is out today on No Coast. Catch Whippets live this fall in the US, and in Europe in January and February.


Add to Wantlist: Bandcamp

Dusted || The Best New Cover Songs Of September 2026

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Power Pop, Psych, Punk, Surf / Leave a Comment

Not all new music is really new, as many artists cover songs. Sometimes these are songs by their favorite artists, e.g. as a tribute to such a musical hero for a special reason, or they simply feel that a song deserves to be dusted and polished to reacquaint fans with great songs from the past. Other times, bands cover songs as a parody. Regardless of intent, some of those cover versions are so good or so much fun, we’d like to put a spotlight on them. Chosen from a wide range (only if supported by the artist, so no live videos filmed by the audience or anything like that), here are—in a kind of random order—no less than 40+ successful covers from last month.

Teenage Kicks (The Undertones) by Christina Jean & Her All Stars — digital track (Rum Bar Records)

Starry Eyes (Roky Erickson) by Veronica Falls — from upcoming S/T debut LP deluxe reissue (Slumberland / Bella Union)

The Best of My Love (Eagles) by Patton — from a digital 2-track EP with which the Pattons celebrate their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary (Radiant Radish)

…

Dusted || The Best New Cover Songs Of September 2026Read More »

Album Premiere: Heavy Weather || Always Tired

Out October 7th, stream now in full!

By / / Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

It’s been a while since we did an album premiere here, but today we have a good one: a full album stream of Always Tired, the new Heavy Weather LP, which comes out October 7th on CD via Snappy Little Numbers. Pre-order links are at the bottom of the post.

While Heavy Weather started as a songwriting project by Nick Bitikofer almost 15 years ago, it turned into a three-man operation in 2019, with Greg Myers and Brian Hilderbrand joining the fold. You can describe the St. Louis trio as indie rock, punk or alternative rock and you wouldn’t be wrong, but Always Tired explores the whole area of that triangle. Think Jawbreaker, think The Weakerthans, think Samiam. Think guitar music with melodies, feelings and enough pull to keep you coming back.

If you’re strapped for time, try Being Honest and You’re Not Dead for the more uptempo side of the band, which dominates the first three quarters of the record. The final stretch slows things down and shows a quieter, more introspective side of Heavy Weather.

Given the state of things, the combination of the band name and album title already feels pretty timely. Then you look at the tracklist and things get even clearer: Shitty Friend, Sad Bastard, Nothing Makes Sense. This is not exactly a record pretending everything is fine. The songs deal with frustration, anxiety, self-doubt, getting older. Bitikofer explains: “Always Tired is a collection of songs about growing up and trying to figure yourself out in the process. These songs are at times confessional, but I think also relatable to anyone who’s trying to figure life out through change.”  It’s heavy, but there are silver linings lurking.

And maybe that’s why Always Tired works so well. Heavy Weather turn the mess into melodic, guitar-driven songs that make it all a little more bearable.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Snappy Little Numbers

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