HOLDER
RECORD: Ruin The Best Of Me 7inch
RELEASED: 01|23|2026
LABEL: DAZE
COLOUR | EDITION: Clear | 1000
FAVORITE TRACKS: Inconsolable | Ruin The Best Of Me
PURCHASED: Evil Greed
BAND DISCOVERED
It was a combination of posts from their label, DAZE, and the announcement of several shows with Contention that first caught my attention. I missed their self-titled debut EP when it came out in 2025, but managed to pick up a copy from the second pressing. In February 2026, they followed it up with the 7-inch at hand. What an absolutely crushing collection of songs. I’m eager to hear what comes next.
BESIDES THAT
They’ll be playing Club Volta in Cologne at the end of October, supporting Static Dress alongside Soul Blind. I can’t wait.
$LAYYYTER
RECORD: WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA
RELEASED: 03|27|2026
LABEL: Columbia | RECORDS | Sony Music
COLOUR | EDITION: Coke Bottle Clear, Gatefold Cover
FAVORITE TRACKS: CRANK | GAS STATION | YES GOOD | UNKNOWN LOVERZ | I’M ACTUALLY FAMOUS | $T.LOSER
PURCHASED: Underdog Recordstore
ARTIST DISCOVERED
Every now and then, I find myself getting lost in pop music. As a child of the ’80s, that’s hardly surprising. In this case, though, it happened almost by accident. I first came across $LAYYYTER through an Instagram post by one of my favorite record stores, Easy Street Records in Seattle. Until then, Catherine Slater’s pop project had completely escaped my attention. The hard-hitting beats paired with clever, infectious melodies immediately caught my ear. After going back and forth on it for a while, I came to the conclusion that the overall package is genuinely impressive, and I wasn’t going to let the massive streaming numbers put me off. Sometimes success can be a turn-off in itself. Not here, though. I thought $LAYYYTER was cool then, and I still do.
BESIDES THAT
Most impressive in my opinion, however, are the tracks GAS STATION, I’M ACTUALLY KINDA FAMOUS and $T.LOSER – three songs that perfectly showcase $LAYYYTER’s knack for combining infectious pop hooks with an undeniable edge.
CRIPPLING ALCOHOLISM
BAND DISCOVERED
I discovered the Boston-based band through The Flenser’s Instagram account. The independent label reissued their debut LP CAMGIRL back in April after the first pressing, released by Portrail of Guilt Records in September 2025, quickly sold out. CAMGIRL is a haunted-house ride of the highest order. Think Leonard Cohen meeting HEALTH. Crippling Alcoholism craft a dark, nihilistic blend of post-punk, metal, goth, noise, and – above all – synth-pop. Absolutely stunning.
WISH
Needless to say, I’m hoping to catch them live sooner rather than later.
OAKWOOD
RECORD: Blurred Away
RELEASED: 05|29|2026
LABEL: Memory Music
COLOUR | EDITION: Evergreen Opaque
FAVORITE TRACKS: A Tangled Mess / Footnote / Fall Apart / Blurred Away / The Deepest Green / Fields Behind The House
PURCHASED: Evil Greed
BAND DISCOVERED
Although it wasn’t actually that long ago, I can’t remember exactly how the band Oakwood first appeared on my radar. Option A: through social media. Option B: through streaming services. It turns out the algorithms do work after all – and apparently small miracles also work. Oakwood formed in 2013 and disappeared again shortly after 2015. Then, in 2024, songs from their early releases started making the rounds online. Now, an album produced by Grammy Award winner Will Yip (Turnstile, Title Fight) has found its way into record stores. Oakwood hit the mark perfectly. It’s a deeply atmospheric record whose greatest strengths lie in its first five tracks in particular.
BESIDES THAT
You can get a few more insider stories in Jeremy Bolm’s The First Ever Podcast. In episode #298, Oakwood’s Mat Dwyer joins Bolm for a conversation that offers some additional background on the band’s history.
HORSE
BAND DISCOVERED
When I discovered the Australian band Stirr at the beginning of the year, the internet also served up another band for my playlists: horse. Their debut EP Ask Me Again Next Year will be released digitally on July 10. Drawing heavily from UK-inspired post-punk, all of the singles released so far sound remarkably sophisticated and genuinely impressive. The older tracks Blight, The Gap and Headlights, along with the latest single Under Your Sun, have all found a regular spot in my listening rotation.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
post-punk driven | substantive | raw
WISH
Of course, I’d love to catch this band live at some point. We’ll see if it ever happens.
MIL-SPEC
RECORD: Marathon
RELEASED: 10|06|2023
LABEL: Lockin‘ Out Records
COLOUR | EDITION: Black | 600
FAVORITE TRACKS: Secret Passage / The Days Don’t End / Too Long At The Fair / Memento / Marathon / Belle Époque
PURCHASED: Lockin‘ Out Records
BAND DISCOVERED
After my personally curated hardcore playlist came to an end and the streaming service’s algorithm happily kept feeding me more gems, Mil-Spec caught my attention. I quickly set about filling that gap in my knowledge. I even managed to track down a vinyl copy from the Toronto hardcore outfit through Australia’s Lockin’ Out Records. What a complete and cohesive album it is. The band followed it up with a self-titled EP in 2025. Anyone who enjoys High Vis should definitely give this a shot.
WISH
Unfortunately, I discovered them too late and ended up missing their last European tour. Let’s hope the Canadians make it back over here soon.
