XYLITOL
Olympia, Washington punks XYLITOL are in my head. “I’m Pretty Sure I Would Know If Reality Were Fundamentally Different Than I Perceived It To Be” is their long-awaited sophomore album following up the blistering 2017 debut ‘IS TOXIC TO PIGS‘. This is what anxiety and chaos sound like and it’s a perfect soundtrack for current times.
MOM
One thing is for sure, Malmö, Sweden’s MOM has a way with hooks. Playing picture-perfect 70s/80s influenced power pop à la Dwight Twilley and Cheap Trick, the band released their debut ‘Pleasure Island‘ in September.
HOUSEGHOST
Houseghost from Dayton, Ohio manages to lay down a blast of garage punk bubblegum that hits the sweet spot between Misfits-esque spooky garage rock guitar noise and handclapping singalong pop. Their self-titled debut was released in October and it is a pretty solid listen.
STAR
Chicago’s STAR refers to their music as dreamy noise-pop and who am I to argue. Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine certainly come to mind when listening to their latest release ‘Violence Against STAR‘. Fuzzed out bass and guitar, pounding drum machine beats and blissful vocals Is a five-star recipe for me.
NEKRA
I often look to London label La Vida Es Un Mus for exciting and razor-edged hardcore and they never disappoint. London’s Nekra is releasing ‘Royal Disruptor‘ a 5-track EP and the follow up to their ripping 2017 demo. Only two tracks available right now, but both of them will melt your face. Available December 15 and mastered by Fucked Up’s Jonah Falco
