Punk

New album: Cherry Cheeks || D.O. & The Bytes

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“When you think you have a choice… you’re just a dataset. When you think you have a voice… you’re just a dataset,” Kyle Harms sings early on the brand new (third) Cherry Cheeks LP. Later on, he kicks off the insanely catchy Cruel Bore by stating “I love my A.I. girlfriend.” If there was any doubt of where Kyle Harms’ mind is right now, D.O. & The Bytes is very much a punk record for 2026.

The album tackles life in an increasingly digital world, and it doesn’t shy away from sounding digital either. Synths play a prominent role throughout, while the songs balance genuine frustration with the playful weirdness of the mutant punk scene. At the same time, there is a filthy thowback sound to this with many of the riffs trace their DNA back to late-’70s punk. The poppy one-two punch of Cruel Bore and D.O. Gets Hitched even carries a strong Dickies vibe. Cherry Cheeks feels like one of those rare projects that could unite punk kids from multiple generations.

The label describes the album as “a rock opera by way of a Saturday morning cartoon,” and that’s not far off. The sequencing hints at a larger narrative that gradually reveals itself with repeated listens. Opener D.O. Theme could easily soundtrack a quirky Cartoon Network show, but the arc underneath is far less innocent. D.O, The digital protagonist finds itself pursued by forces seeking to erase its memories, while themes of surveillance, algorithmic control, digital isolation, identity, and the commodification of our online lives lurk beneath the surface.

Still, you don’t need to follow the plot to enjoy this thing. The songs are ridiculously catchy. Seriously, catch-freakin’-y. Harms, handling virtually everything himself, has outdone himself here. And when closer Bytes Ballad arrives, all those ones and zeros reveal a surprisingly human heart.

D.O. & The Bytes is out today on Total Punk Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Total Punk

New album: La Famiglia || Alphabet Mafia

Beth Seymour goes for a Big Beth Beatdown

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There is no stopping Beth Seymour. In recent years alone she has released an alt-rocking autobiographical duology with The Lizzies and one of the finest Ramonescore records of the decade so far with Hormones. Now comes another project, La Famiglia, and naturally it heads off in a different direction altogether.

Alphabet Mafia is rooted in melodic hardcore, with Dag Nasty, AFI, Madball, and G.L.O.S.S. serving as useful reference points. It is as fierce as it is melodic, with Seymour, who wrote, recorded, and produced the entire album herself, howling and screaming her way through songs that occasionally echo some of hardcore’s most beloved melodies, chord progressions and dynamics.

This is the first La Famiglia record since Seymour came out as transgender, and that experience sits at the heart of the album. These songs turn transition, alienation, and backlash into a defiant hardcore narrative about self-recognition, mutual defense, and refusing to shrink to fit someone else’s idea of punk or gender.

In a genre that prides itself on challenging norms, Alphabet Mafia feels like a reminder of what punk is supposed to be in the first place.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Gimic || New Traditions

Bristol's Gimic push hardcore into exciting territory on debut LP

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When Drunken Sailor Records releases something new, you can safely assume it’s worth your time. And, in the case of Bristol quartet Gimic, probably your money as well.

Despite forming six years ago and already releasing a pair of excellent 7″s through Crew Cuts Records, New Traditions is only now their full-length debut. Based on these twelve songs, the band certainly hasn’t spent that time sitting around. The passion and urgency is palpable throughout.

While this is unmistakably a hardcore punk record, Gimic refuse to mosh by numbers. Instead, they push and pull at the genre from all angles. Every member leaves a distinct mark on the music. The singer attacks every line as if it actually matters, the guitar and bass frequently lock into intricate, almost mathy interplay, and the drumming is exceptional, navigating constant shifts in pace and intensity without ever losing momentum.

Most importantly, New Traditions never becomes predictable. It functions as a pressure valve for frustration and anxiety, but one built with genuine creativity and ambition. By the time the title track arrives midway through the album, Gimic reveal an emotional depth that occasionally brings Touché Amoré to mind.

A fierce and refreshing debut from a band determined to do things their own way.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Drunken Sailor

New EP: Liquid Cross || Hateful

The revolution may not be televised, but it might sound like this

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Let’s make a quick stop in Eugene, Oregon, for a band that isn’t interested in escaping political turmoil so much as staring it directly in the face. Liquid Cross have just released their rippin’ second EP, following a 2025 debut that earned the stamp of approval from Henry Rollins.

Featuring members of Ball Pythons, Cool Piss, End Time, Milked, and Geronimo!, Liquid Cross are not your average punk band. It makes perfect sense that names like Wipers and The Saints come up when discussing them. One minute they’re firing off a straight-line missile like This World, the next they’re stretching out on the five-minute The New One / Low Lesson, a two-part centerpiece that showcases just how much range and firepower this trio possesses.

There is a hard-rocking edge to Liquid Cross that occasionally reminds me of Australia’s Split System. The songs are urgent, angry, and politically charged without ever feeling predictable or preachy.

I’m not saying that playing music this loud will change the political system. But listening to Hateful, it certainly feels like somebody is trying.

Tape available through Strange Mono.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Strange Mono

Album review: The Scaners || 0 (Zero)

No lost transmissions, but seventeen reasons to join the mothership

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Once The Scaners beamed us aboard for their III LP, we were fully converted to the cause. By that point, the French-based (though almost certainly extraterrestrial) synth-punk outfit had already logged two successful missions, simply titled I and II. The fact that album number four is called 0 (Zero) suggests we’re dealing with some kind of prequel.

In reality, 0 (Zero) is a collection assembled from various corners of the band’s history on Earth. Across 17 tracks, The Scaners gather B-sides from long sold-out singles, hidden compilation cuts, alternate versions, unreleased demos, a cover of The Fall’s Sparta FC, and a pair of brand-new transmissions exclusive to this release.

The thing is, even when working with odds and ends, The Scaners rarely miss. What could have been a stopgap release instead feels like further proof that this band has been operating at a remarkably high level for years. The synths still sound like they’re powered by stolen alien technology, and the energy remains delightfully unhinged.

This isn’t just one for the faithful. 0 (Zero) is potent enough to recruit an entirely new batch of enthusiasts to the mothership.

LP available through Wap Shoo Wap Records (NL) and Dangerhouse Skylab (FR). Cassette available via Idiotape Records (AUS/EU).



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Wap Shoo Wap || Idiotape

New EP: Mr. Dinkles || R.I.P.T.

From a "Socialism Ditty" to a "Letter to Elon"

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Someone had to write an open letter to Elon Musk, and Los Angeles/Seattle garage punk duo Mr. Dinkles make it impossible to ignore: “You need to calm down.” It’s the central epos of their new EP entitled R.I.P.T., a five-song gut punch that is both sarcastic and vulnerable. Blending blown-out guitars en relentless drumming with diaristic honesty en precise shifts, it turns modern anxiety into something loud and sharp, yet controlled.

The lyrics revolve around economic frustration, digital-age paranoia, and political disillusionment, skewering wealth inequality, online culture, and hollow power with biting humor, capturing what it feels like to be young, overstimulated, and stuck performing yourself just to stay afloat. Delivered through cool, heartfelt vocals, this EP rises far above the “30-second phases that slip away” it calls out in Grinding My Teeth, being far more lasting and anthemic.



R.I.P.T.—produced by Robert Adam Stevenson—is out digitally and on lathe-cut vinyl 10″ through Futureless. Featuring MacLeighin Rettig (vocals, guitar) and Rocco Ramos (drums).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Quiet Panic

Single review: The Circulators || Pointless Games

Certified filthy. Certified catchy. Certified Total Punk.

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Perhaps I missed the announcement, but I don’t think Total Punk made much noise about this new Circulators release. Which is odd, because The Circulators are one of the most hypeworthy bands currently flying the flag for classic punk. Their demo landed in my top 10 releases of 2023, and their official debut cracked my top 5 of 2024. So naturally, I was pretty excited to discover this new 7″ on my doorstep.

Pointless Games delivers two brand-new Circulators originals, both excellent, alongside a rippin’ cover of Teengenerate’s My G.T.O., which is about as solid a song choice as punk rock gets. The whole thing scratches a very particular itch. You know the one. The spot on your back you can never quite reach until suddenly, somehow, you can. Maybe that’s a gross analogy, but The Circulators make punk that is both filthy and ridiculously catchy, so it feels appropriate enough.

The label promises a perfect snot-to-pop ratio and carries the full Total Punk seal of approval.

I’ve tested the product. The label isn’t lying.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Total Punk

New EP: Hook / Angry Adults || Split

Negative budget, positive results

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Hook and Angry Adults are two familiar names from the Finnish punk underground, and both have earned a spot on the wantlist before. They’re clearly kindred spirits too. Having already shared plenty of stages, they’ve now teamed up for a split lathe-cut 7″ on Negative Budget Records.

Both bands contribute an original song, a Descendents cover, and a cover of each other’s material. And yes, they somehow managed to pick two of the shortest Descendents songs imaginable. IYKYK. Hook take on Angry Adults’ I’ll Be Here For You, while Angry Adults return the favor with their version of Hook’s Head Full of Hair.

The whole thing embodies what makes DIY punk so much fun. Lo-fi, unpretentious, and packed with more charm than its modest budget has any right to contain.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: K9 || Takes You Places (Promo Tape)

A tour tape packed with DIY charm

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

We fell for the broad-strokes basement pop of Richmond’s K9 on last year’s Thrills album, and now the band is back with a quick follow-up that doubles as a souvenir for their ongoing Midwest tour. The three-song Takes You Places (Promo Tape) will be available on cassette at the shows, with any leftovers heading to Bandcamp once the tour wraps up.

True to K9’s restless nature, none of these three tracks sound remotely alike. It kicks off with Crosshairs, a bullet-fast blast that sounds like a demo rescued from a forgotten ’80s hardcore tape. Get Loaded and Smile shifts gears into scrappy basement pop territory, where the melodies cut cleanly through the lo-fi haze. Closer Teaser #1 / Voicemail is a noisy instrumental that ends exactly how the title suggests: with a voicemail.

A small release, perhaps, but a welcome sign of life from one of the more interesting DIY bands around. Makes me wish I could catch one of those tour dates myself.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Lovebites || Tear Up Tear Down

Sweet enough to sing along, fast enough to keep up

By / / Indie Pop, Punk / Leave a Comment

The Lovebites from Nuremberg are a new addition to Austria’s Monster Zero roster, and they represent a slight detour from the label’s usual fare. Not a huge one, mind you. The quartet still operates firmly within the pop punk universe.

It sounds like they’ve spent plenty of time with both the sugary end of the genre, think The Yum Yums, and the scrappier old-school variety of bands like The Apers and Screeching Weasel. Just as important, though, is their apparent love for twee pop bands with a punk streak. You can hear traces of Tiger Trap, Cub, The Flatmates, and more recently Josie running through these songs.

The result is instantly likeable. Charming, catchy, and impossible to resist. These are songs that could happily cruise along with the windows down on a sunny afternoon, but keep choosing to slam the gas pedal instead.

Tear Up Tear Down is a whole lot of fun, and about as summer-proof as records get.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Monster Zero

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