Punk

New album: David Delinquent & The I.O.U’S || Scandal

Alleycats in love with singalong punk 'n' roll

By / / Garage Rock, Power Pop, Punk / Leave a Comment

Thankfully, there’s still no shortage of loud guitars and big vocals, but David Delinquent & The I.O.U’S take it a step further. Scandal, their first full-length album, delivers ten songs with rhythms that gallop out of the speakers like stampeding horses, choruses that instantly compel listeners to sing along, and a saxophone that hits you right in the gut. The Scottish quintet, a sort of successor to the Delinquents (at least two-fifths, both in terms of the band and musically), wraps its infectious riffs and hooks (and even doo-wop-inspired harmonies) in a punk rock sound fueled by an shameless love of power pop. If you’re in the mood for some unpretentious fun, this is 27 minutes very well spent.



Scandal is out digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through 13 Deluxe Records. Featuring David Delinquent (vocals, guitar), Jason Paterson (guitar, vocals), Scott Sweeney (bass, vocals), Bonnie Ross (sax, vocals), and Gordon McNally (drums).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || elasticStage

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 album: The XOXO’s || The XOXO’s

Sleazy punky power pop from Sheffield

By / / Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

The XOXO’s (Sheffield, UK) sound not just like a band I would write about — part of me is convinced I already did. But I can’t find it in the archives. The info mentions it being recorded last winter. Did I dream about hearing this band? 2,500 posts in, am I losing my mind?

Here are the facts: this one came out in May and has now gotten a physical release on Do It Thissen. Did I write a review on my phone and forget to transfer it to the site? Could be.

Either way, even if I’ve already told you about these people somewhere on these pages, I’ll say it again: go listen to this band. The XOXO’s play garage punk rock and power pop that is sloppy and poppy in exactly the right measure, the kind that would have fit right into that punky power pop scene of the ’10s alongside Something Fierce, Needles//Pins, Mother’s Children, Cozy and the likes.

Going to bed early for mental recovery now. But not before giving this record hugs and chef’s kisses.

The XOXO’s is out now on Delicious Clam and Do It Thissen Records.



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: Gene Champagne || Too Pop For Punk…Too Punk To Care

From the garage to the beach

By / / Power Pop, Punk / Leave a Comment

You know Gene Champagne as the drummer of Teenage Head, The Killjoys, and The Black Halos, but he also feels at home behind a microphone and guitar, as is once again proven on his first full-lengther, tellingly entitled Too Pop For Punk…Too Punk To Care (his debut solo EP Let’s Jet immediately made it onto my 2024 year-end list). It’s a record for turning up the volume, one that goes well with sunny drives or cold beers, assuming your company has the same taste for rock ‘n’ roll as you do.

Among the eight songs are two covers, Yummy Yummy Yummy (Ohio Express) and I Can’t Pretend (The Barracudas), and the originals nod respectfully to the Ramones, but the Canadian musician leaves no doubt that he knows how to write hits that sound like his own (quite varied, too: just compare Beach Boy Wannabe and I’m Disconnected side by side). He blurs the line between punk rock’s rough edges and power pop’s melodic instincts, throwing in garage grit and sun-drenched hooks, making this a catchy parade of buzzing riffs and sweet harmonies.



Too Pop For Punk…Too Punk To Care is out digitally and on vinyl LP through Sioux Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Bad Sports || Follow Through

Bad Sports still know how to rock

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Bad Sports were one of my favorite bands in the world in the early ’10s. That run of Bad Sports (2009), Kings Of The Weekend (2011) and Bras (2013). Wow, just wow. Those records tick so many boxes: high energy, catchy songs, awesome guitar work, punk attitude, and everything played in full overdrive. Constant Stimulation (2018) was a reminder of the band’s awesomeness, as well as a step toward a broader, more ambitious rock sound, a road already hinted at on the 2016 mini-album Living With Secrets.

I’m not stalling before talking about the new EP. I just wanted to highlight that Bad Sports have always been a band worth following. Admittedly, though, it has been easy to lose track of them given their sporadic output over the past eight years. In the meantime, the band’s main focus has been on other projects, from acting as Jeff Burke’s super-tight Radioactivity band, to Daniel Fried’s TV’s Daniel Fried, to Orville Neely’s Memo PST and Spiritual Cramp.

But recently, the band entered the domain of television, appearing on Countdown and having a song featured on the Netflix show Tires. Apparently that was enough to get them writing new Bad Sports songs again. Four of those new songs are on the new 12″ (on BS Holdings Incorporated), which also collects the band’s two-song single from 2022.

And you know what? Bad Sports aren’t the same band they were in the early ’10s. But damn it, they’re still one of the most rockin’ bands around, and one look at their latest video will attest: these guys are still some of the coolest around. The songs still have that thing that made me love them in the first place: they make you want to turn the volume up, then turn it up again, just to see what happens.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Schizophonics || Burning Floor

There’s no point explaining the fire when you can simply feel the heat

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

If you thought you’d heard The Schizophonics by now, think again. The Californian rock ‘n’ roll trio is back with ten songs hot enough to set the dance floor ablaze. Burning Floor, their fourth long-player, has enough groove to keep hips shaking and heads banging, but that portrayal hardly does justice to the richness of this racket. It’s a loud and sweaty mix of garage punk, psychedelic fuzz, and R&B stomp, with exhilarating guitar riffs and an untamable rhythm section. Some records demand a long review, this one simply demands that you turn it up and get out of the way.



Burning Floor—self-produced—is out digitally and on vinyl LP through Alternative Tentacles Records. Featuring Patrick Michael Beers (vocals, guitar), Lety Beers (drums, vocals), and Sarah Linton (bass). For fans of MC5, The Dirtbombs, The Muffs, Oblivians.

Add to wantlist: Alternative Tentacles || 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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