STIRR
BAND DISCOVERED
After spending some time digging through new musical inspirations, letting music play in the background while doing other things, the algorithm of a streaming service eventually brought the band Stirr into my feed. Their song Broken Armsimmediately caught my attention. Hailing from Sydney, Stirr craft a captivating brand of post-punk that floats along at first, slowly building tension while remaining surprisingly rich in detail despite its monotony. Broken Arm steadily moves toward a blistering climax, creating something immersive and quietly disarming. A first EP is expected to be released later this year. For now, five singles are already available online and ready to stream.
KILLER SONG MOMENTS
That moment when you realize there’s a saxophone playing guitar parts.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
immersive | minimalist | melancholic | post-punk driven
DEAD CALM
ARTIST DISCOVERED
Dead Calm is another project by Irish musician Liam McCay, who has also reached impressive streaming numbers under the names sign crushes motorist and Take Care. I came across Dead Calm’s now second record simply through an Instagram post on his main channel. Acoustic, ethereal slowcore and lo-fi folk — raw and unpolished. In parts, it reminds me of St. Thomas.
FAVORITE LYRIC LINE
Can you love me now / When you finally see me fully stripped down – from Grow
I’m a man made of fear – from Turn Around
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
choral | lo-fi | acoustic
LOVE CRY
BAND DISCOVERED
Over the past few years, Sunday Drive Records has become a reliably safe bet when it comes to my personal taste in music. Love Cry’s debut EP has been out since November 2025 and is now also available on CD. If you’re into Enumclaw, this should be right up your alley, sometimes I think it’s between Calexico and Minus The Bear — intricate details paired with driving electronic beats and smooth indie textures.
KILLER SONG MOMENTS
I Don’t Feel A Thing really comes alive at 2:20 min, when that striking, rough-edged melody kicks in after the second verse.
FAVORITE LYRIC LINE
Ditching the bar, head out into the dark
I sat alone, on the empty train ride home
I got to thinking, I’m not so sure I know what love is
Not one to cry, I can’t let out what I don’t have inside (from I Don’t Feel A Thing)
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
melancholy | emo | differently | smooth
WISH
Let’s keep our fingers crossed that these wonderful songs will make it to vinyl soon.
MAUVE
BAND DISCOVERED
I think it was through a combination of posts from the band Growing Pains and their label Rad Radicals that the algorithm dropped mauve into my timeline sometime in 2023 or 2024. Their song Two has since found its way into quite a few playlists, and I keep playing it at parties as well. Since mid-2024, however, the band has gone quiet and announced an indefinite hiatus, which is still ongoing. Let’s see if there’s a resurrection at some point.
KILLER SONG MOMENTS
The hard breaks, the rhythm, the outbursts, the emotional intensity. A pretty solid all-around package.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
math | midwest emo | fast | catchy
WISH
A vinyl release at some point. Even if it’s unlikely.
DRAAG
BAND DISCOVERED
I discovered DRAAG through social media posts and announcements from their label, Smoking Room, and right from the start I really loved their experimental noise pop that completely flooded my ears. Now it’s not just about listening to their current EP Miracle Drug on repeat, but also about getting to know their earlier output.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
noisey | pop | nostalgic | hazy
WISH
That the band finds a distributor for Europe.
MIDRIFT
BAND DISCOVERED
While looking into the 2026 lineup of the Outbreak Festival in Manchester and checking out the music of some of the bands and artists playing there, I came across an announced tour by Turn Of Phase together with a band called Midrift. I was surprised by their current streaming numbers and, above all, by the band’s latest output: the three songs Safe And Sound, Tell Me Everything, and Reaching For You.
KILLER SONG MOMENTS
The song Reaching For You seems to have everything my ears are looking for: something gripping, something driving, plenty of emotion, and a touch of emo nostalgia. So far, it’s their strongest output in my opinion.
FAVORITE LYRIC LINE
„It’s everything I’ve ever felt, winning cards are never dealt to me / you see for the worst, I’d keep you if I could“ from Reaching For You.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
driving | melancholy | emotional | honest
BESIDES THAT
This year, Midrift are touring with Turn Of Phase, Fleshwater, Julie, and Angel Du$t. So far the tours are limited to North America, except some UK dates, Paris and Best Kept Secret Festival in the Netherlands – hopefully some more European mainland gigs will follow soon.
WISH
Can’t wait for more.
