Alternative Rock

New album: Goat Yoga || City Love Songs

Despicable wellness trend, excellent indie rock band

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

I am stating the obvious here, but goats are awesome. They are smart, curious, stubbornly independent. They break things, climb everything in sight, and eat whatever happens to be within reach. But goat yoga? I am fairly certain goats want no part of that urban wellness trend. On their personal dislike list it probably sits somewhere between getting hosed down and that annoying neighborhood kid who keeps stealing their carrots, though still comfortably above the slaughterhouse.

Should goat yoga be banned? Well, duh!

But can we keep Goat Yoga the band? We’ve covered this Brooklyn duo before and they have just released their debut full-length City Love Songs, and it is stacked with catchy indie rock that is hard to resist once you dip your toes in. The record sticks to a clear sonic lane, but critics will probably reach for different labels: alt-pop, jangly power pop, geek rock, indie punk. Any of those will do. Sounds a bit like a scrappier version of Hurry and Local Drags (or if you listen to Everything’s So Big: Pains of Being Pure at Heart). The takeaway is that the songs are hooky, punchy, and immediately likable.

So remember: Goat yoga: questionable lifestyle choice. Goat Yoga: great band.



Add to wantlist: bandcamp

New EP: Ryan Allen || They’re Coming For Us

Great songwriting as a coping mechanism and survival strategy

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

The always active Ryan Allen is scared and angry and frustrated, yet unlike most of us, he has the talent to channel all those emotions into fuel for writing catchy rock tunes. It’s a coping mechanism masquerading as a creative habit that, honestly, we are jealous of and grateful for. His new three-song EP, They’re Coming For Us, is a solo outing with Robby Miller on board as producer, mixer, and masterer.

The title sums it all up, and it’s not even figurative. The title track is a punk rock anthem that still has that Ryan Allen spark but carries an amount of venom normally reserved for his other project Big Life. This Ugly meanwhile displays his ’90s jangle power pop tendencies, its edge lying more in its message: the struggle of not wanting to believe people can act this rotten. Allen channels his inner Billy Bragg on closer Hurry Up And Wait, no percussion, just a plugged-in guitar and his voice delivering unvarnished truth.

This EP comes unexpected, but its urgency hits hard. Digital EP out now on Setterwind records, with all proceeds going to Democracy Forward.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Tamarack || Room Service!

"Lovesongs for the crumbling midwest"

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

Let me introduce you to Flint, Michigan’s Tamarack, which features Tanner Morgan (vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar) and Braden Erard (percussion). Their new album Room Service! appears to be their debut full-length, following 2024’s Velveteen EP. It’s a ten-song affair: six brand new tunes plus four songs originally written for another EP but never released due to general unhappiness with the recordings. Coincidentally (or not!), several of these rerecorded tracks are among my favorites on Room Service!

The opening duo of Window Pane and Everything You’ve Heard give off that college rock vibe of a band understating its appeal, delivering melodies so casually you almost overlook how well written and effective they are. Hearing The Byrds, Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, and Alex Chilton namedropped in a chorus tells you some of what to expect from this record (good rhyming, by the way). Another rerecorded song is Surfin ’63, which offers an enticing mix of slacker indie rock and surf rock. Of the truly new songs, the jangly Right Into You (I’ll Bloom) and Tangerin stand out, while Couldn’t Believe (Never Tell) reminds me of the songwriting and delivery of Shane Dupuy from Laika’s Orbit – which I love.

Throughout it all, Tamarack present themselves as a lo-fi and jangly indie rock outfit with fine ideas and even better songs.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Wave Pictures || Gained / Lost

Fascinating dreamscapes that drift and spark

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We’ve known The Wave Pictures for over twenty years as idiosyncratic slacker rockers with a completely unique sound, and their latest long-player Gained / Lost fits seamlessly into that vein: loose, cultured, and glowing with the joy of three musicians locked deep in their own language. David Tattersall’s songs unfold like half-remembered dreams set to virtuoso guitars that shimmer and sting in equal measure. The sung childhood snapshots, neighborly observations, and fragments of self complement the photo collage on the cover (a nod to the Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main St).

The eleven new songs feel inspired and original in every way, and even when a riff or beat reminds you of something else (You’re My Patient Now mirrors Wild Thing), unexpected turns quickly throw you off-track. Be sure to listen to the exuberant opener Alice (influenced by My Education: A Book of Dreams by William S. Burroughs) and the melancholic ballad Faded Wave Pictures T-Shirt (amazing storytelling, amazing melodies) to get a sense of the album’s richness. Its vocals, structures, and lyrics don’t really fit the rock idiom, but that’s exactly what makes this trio one of Britain’s most fascinating cult bands.



Gained / Lost—recorded by Jim Riley—is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through Bella Union. Featuring David Tattersall (guitar, lead vocals), Franic Rozycki (bass), and Jonny Helm (drums).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Bella Union || Discogs

Dusted || The Best New Cover Songs Of February 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, here are—in a kind of random order—a bunch of successful covers from last month—links to pages where you can add them to your wantlist included.

California Sun (originally recorded by Joe Jones, popularized by the Ramones) by The Linda Lindas — digital track (Epitaph)

Vitamin C (Can) by Calibro 35 — from Mister Magic 7″ (Record Kicks)

Jump (Van Halen) by Sammy Kay — from Born To Run EP

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

The Loose Ends || February 2026

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

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.

A Pile Fabric Primer || EP
This debut EP was released a couple of months ago. RIYL: a mix of Hüsker Dü, Leatherface, and early Goo Goo Dolls sounds like something you would be into. I am definitely putting this Norwich (UK) duo on my bands-to-watch list.

Michael Des Barres || Kiss or Kill Me b/w I Was Saved in ’64
Rock veteran Michael Des Barres released a glam rock-tinged 7″ single, Kiss or Kill Me, backed by the spoken word track I Was Saved in ’64, via Rum Bar Records, marking his latest return to raw, 70s-inspired rock ‘n’ roll.

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The Loose Ends || February 2026Read More »

New album: cootie catcher || Something We All Got

Toronto's cootie catcher move their basement to a studio without losing the spark

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

Toronto’s cootie catcher just made the leap from bedroom to studio, and somehow they didn’t lose an ounce of their chaotic charm in the process. Something We All Got is the sound of a band figuring out how much they can cram into a song before it bursts at the seams, and then cramming in a little more just to see what happens. Spoiler: it works.

The core setup is still bass, guitar, and drums, but that’s where normalcy ends. Synths spiral off in every direction, programmed drums collide with live ones, scratched samples pop up out of nowhere, and three distinct vocalists trade lines like they’re finishing each other’s sentences. There is plenty to discover (and enjoy) here. Songs like Quarter Note Rock and Pirouette bounce around like they had too much sugar. Lyfestyle sounds like a 2026 update of a ’90s alternative rock ballad. Straight Drop is a jangly twee punk banger. Etcetera, etcetera!

Lyrically, cootie catcher aren’t afraid to get specific: disappointing heroes, blurry relationship lines, crying on public transit, and the small humiliations of being in your twenties without having it figured out yet. It’s vulnerable without being precious, direct without being heavy-handed, their playful nature the perfect catalyst.

Something We All Got is out today on Carpark Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Carpark

New album: Fort Not || You on Repeat

A mighty fine alternative guitar pop record from Sweden

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

The previous Fort Not record was called Depressed for Success. The new one is You On Repeat. Are things looking up for these Swedes? There is still plenty of melancholy here, but this LP, out now on Meritorio, also lets some sunlight in. Recorded during a hot summer weekend in a west coast barn in Sweden, you can actually hear that warmth seep into the songs.

You On Repeat moves easily between clean-sounding alt-pop, classic ’90s indie rock, slacker garage pop, and even a touch of alt-country. Still Do Drugs stands out early with obvious hit potential. The chorus carries a clear trace of The Lemonheads, and the hook “Do you still do drugs?” lands with a bittersweet sting considering everything surrounding Evan Dando these days.

But I digress. There are twelve songs here, and each spin seems to reshuffle your favorites. Like their earlier work, variation is key. Midway through, Fort Not drop the almost percussion-free lullaby Dream, only to follow it with My Mind Is Off, built on a rudimentary rock riff that slowly tightens the screws. Then the slacker gem Gymnast rolls in and lifts the whole sequence another notch. By that point, realizing there are still five songs left feels like a small victory. Right now, Heaven To Me is the one I keep coming back to.


Fort Not is Robert Carlsson and Fredrik Söderström, joined here by Philip Gates, David Hansson, and Joakim Björnberg.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Meritorio

New EP: Space Jaguar || Every Room is an Escape Room

The quick follow-up that doesn't compromise on quality

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

I quickly became infatuated with Space Jaguar’s 2025 album If You Play Expect To Pay, which played like a love letter to ’90s power pop. The follow-up arrives quick, comprised of six new originals and a cover of Freedy Johnston’s 1994 track Bad Reputation. Space Jaguar aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but when the wheel runs this smoothly, why would they?

The EP is another success for the outfit fronted by Mark Grassick, together with Andrew Taylor (Dropkick, The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness) on drums and guitar and Michael Wood (Whoa Melodic) on bass. Expect jangly guitar pop that sounds warm and cozy, clean and harmonious, but rocking as well, bringing the power to the band’s pop. The trio of A Bright Future, She Goes, and You Won’t Drift Away is particularly likeable, each one a reminder that Space Jaguar have mastered the art of making their music sound effortless yet endlessly playable.

CD out now on Subjangle.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Institute || Institute

Essential noise from Texas

By / / Alternative Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Texas punk veterans Institute are touring Australia for the first time and have teamed up with Anti-Fade Records for something fresh and essential at the merch table: a three-song 7″ that, for entirely selfish reasons, I hope does not sell out immediately. Too bad that shipping this thing overseas will cost about as much as the record player you spin it on.

Three songs, zero filler. And once again Institute prove they are operating on a different level than most so-called punk bands. Call it punk, call it rock, call it post-whatever. The attitude is what counts.

Lead track The Shooter is the gut punch. Sour, tense, melodic in a way that makes the bitterness land harder. Lyrically it goes straight for America’s gun delusions, delivered with the kind of drained fury that sounds like it has been simmering for years. Institute are fed-up and razor sharp.

The other two tracks hit with the same urgency. This does not feel like tour filler. It feels necessary. Institute still have plenty to say, and they play like it matters.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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